“From incubating an avocado pit in a jar over the kitchen sink to mowing the roof to paying top dollar for an oceanfront or penthouse view, we’re willing to take trouble and incur expenses to make nature part of our homes. As a result, more communities, including some seemingly improbable ones, are trying to make the most of their natural charms.”
–Winifred Gallagher
House Thinking
I currently live in a place where all the water on tap is local. In its heyday, this city was known for making furniture. It was so well known for chairs that it adopted the moniker “The Chair City”. We even have a giant chair on display and it’s part of the city’s logo as well.
Because of how lax environmental regulations were back then, the waterways here that all the residents depend on are still in need of remediation due to all the years of abuse during the manufacturing heyday despite more recent clean up efforts. (Think: solvents, finishes, et al.)
The city continues to try to make things better. There is an active Conservation Commission, and they do try very hard to protect green spaces here, in particular those that are adjacent to waterways or 100 year flood plains and the like.
There’s still a long way to go, but one of the reasons I like living here is because at least they are trying. I’ve attended meetings when I can, and have participated in a few overall conservation related efforts here.
Of late, I was asked to act as a member of a committee that’s forming to establish a community garden here. To be honest, I’m thrilled about having been asked. Even though we have our own growing gardens here on our property, edible and otherwise, I know how needed and desired a community garden is for some in my small city, and I really hope I can be of help to the effort of making this happen.
Our first meeting was supposed to be last month, but was postponed due to one of the storms. We’ll be meeting for the first time this month, and I am really looking forward to seeing what may come of this. I’ll likely do some mini reports about it, in the hopes that some folks who may have experience with such may toss in two cents as well as maybe the info coming in handy for others that might want to start something similar in their own area.
Time will tell how it goes!
