NEWSLETTER #41

Imagine this design assignment: Design something that makes oxygen, sequesters carbon, fixes nitrogen, distills water, makes complex sugars and foods...,

changes colors with the seasons, and self-replicates, and then why don’t we knock that down and write on it? ~ William McDonough

Hello Friends!

Welcome to all new subscribers and a big thank you to all new and continuing paid subscribers! Trees are quite extraordinary, when you realize all the things they can do that benefit the planet. Hoping that the future will have less tree loss, more reusing of existing wood materials, more paper products made with recycled paper and more trees being planted.

I was about to write “since we are approaching fire season in west coast regions of the U.S., “ but realized that there is no season anymore. Fires are happening on any time during the year. Just as we need to be prepared in the event of an emergency, we also need to think about our health during a fire emergency. This issue has some recommendations on how you support your body’s health during smokey days; ways to protect your lungs when cooking; a great idea glass waste reduction idea for communities; for bird lovers, a fantastic resource to learn about bird migration in your area and a short about a woman growing her own potatoes, prepping, cooking and eating them. Enjoy!

#1-Herbs that Support Fire Response and Recovery

Consider both internal and external applications of herbs to support your fire response and recovery process.

INTERNAL PREPARATIONS

You can take the following herbs as teas, cold infusions, tinctures, or honeys. Tinctures are easy to keep on hand for first aid and in your run-bag. Teas are particularly helpful during fire season to increase hydration. You can also pack teas into your run bag if you will have access to hot water. If preparing teas ahead of time for storage, then keep in a sealed container in a cool place. Honeys are lovely for a taste of medicinally infused sweetness during likely harrowing times.

Focus on herbs specific to what you are experiencing, and/or body systems typically impacted such as respiratory, stress, digestive, or other symptoms. For example if you tend to get a dry throat during fire season, then be prepared with ample demulcents. If fire season tends to stress you out, then be prepared with delicious nervines, or nervous system support. 

Many mint family plants are aromatic and adaptive to various purposes, such as easing tension, opening stuck nasal passages, and soothing inflamed respiration.

More herbs that support clearing nose, throat and lungs:

Sage leaves

Rosemary leaves 

Lemon Verbena

Mint family nervines for soothing stress:

Tulsi leaves 

Lemon balm leaves 

Lavender flowers 

Other nervines to reduce stress:

Chamomile flowers 

 Rose petals/buds 

 Passionflower leaves 

Mallow family Demulcents

The following herbs can help soothe parched mucous membranes like dry skin, throat, or nose. Prepare as a cold infusion, perhaps with a little squeeze of lemon or another citrus, and some honey or maple syrup.

Marshmallow root

Linden leaves 

 Hibiscus flowers 

TOPICAL OILS

Applying herb-infused oils topically not only soothes dry skin but is also a grounding ritual to help maintain a sense of normalcy when the world is on fire. Consider calming herbs like lavender and skin-supporting herbs like calendula (in the next issue, I will explain how easy it is to make your own calendula oil).

Complete your day with an herbally-infused oil massage before or after bathing, to let the oils soak in overnight. 
Gently applying oil to the inside of your nose with a clean pinky finger or cotton swab before bed can be extra soothing to lubricate dry or smoky nasal passages.

Keep rose, mint, and other hydrosols in your fridge for misting on your body throughout the day. Keep some in your run-bag as well.

A neti pot or nasal rinse can help clear smoky accumulations from nasal passages. Follow with oil.

Take a bath with decongesting and calming herbs like lavender, eucalyptus, or chamomile. Soak in an infusion of the tea. If you don’t have access to a bathtub, then a foot soak can also be a lovely way to enjoy the therapeutic benefits of water during fiery times. Include herbs, and perhaps Epsom salts.

Remember to hydrate extra well. Drink more water, tea, and soup to help flush and rehydrate your body. Include antioxidant-rich foods like citrus and berries. Enjoy cooling and clearing fresh fruits and vegetables like cucumbers and watermelon. Savor colorful salads and ferments, and add just a little extra salt and healthy fats. Include moistening foods like mushrooms and seaweeds in your soups, and remember to sit down and slowly enjoy your meals, even amidst potential chaos and confusion.

Share these botanical skills and strategies with your communities and may you breathe easily through fire seasons and beyond. Always carry a mask with you in the event of a sudden fire emergency in the area where you live.

Source: Mountain Rose Herbs ( this is one of my favorite and trusted resources for medicinal herbs and health information)

#2- Time To Vent

-protect your precious lungs-

Kitchen exhaust fans aren’t just for when you accidentally burn something you are cooking. They are vital tools for improving indoor air quality, and by extension, protecting your health.

Did you know that your kitchen stovetops, especially gas stoves, have pollutant levels exceeding limits for outdoor air pollution. That’s because cooking over high heat produces carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, formaldehyde, fine particulate matter and other potentially dangerous byproducts. Electric stoves don’t produce carbon monoxide and only small amounts of nitrogen dioxide, though they too produce fine particulate matter.

My kitchen captured by William Abranowicz

Ducted hoods are the best solution to this problem, as they suck in contaminated air and then vent it to the building’s exterior. When installing the hood, make sure it’s isn’t more than 36” above the stovetop as this drastically reduces its effectiveness.

Turn on your exhaust fan every time you cook, even if you are boiling water, or using the oven.

Use the highest fan settings to maximize air flow, and even though the noise may drown out conversation, the health benefits are worth it.

Photo Gaëlle Le Boulicault

If the weather allows, opening the windows is always a good idea, for air circulation. For best results, keep interior doors open, and then open a combination of windows and/or exterior doors to create a draft. This way, you ensure the air doesn’t just enter your house, but moves through it to push stagnant, polluted air out. Avoid the temptation of simply spraying air fresheners to mask odors. These products actually raise pollutant levels without addressing the underlying cause.

Cook on the back burners so that your hood and fan have a better chance at grabbing and eliminating contaminants. Even better, use a splatter screen that has a carbon lining to absorb odors. After using it, just wash with hot soapy water.

Photo by Frenchie Cristogatin

You can also turn on a HEPA-filtered air purifier, which cleans over 99.7 percent of particulates above 0.3 microns in size.

In April 2023, New York became the first state to ban installation of gas stoves in new construction buildings by 2026; some California cities are trying to follow suit.

Also, I sometimes wear a mask when cooking, if it’s particularly smokey.

Sources: https://home.howstuffworks.com & https://www.bobvila.com

#3- Bottle Recycling

-Great idea for all communities-

Have you heard about Remark Glass? It’s a women owned company established in 2016 and based in Philadelphia, PA. They create small batch home accessories from post-consumer bottle glass, aiming to build a more sustainable artform and manufacturing practice that simultaneously reduces glass waste on a local level.

They have set out to change the course of glassblowing and design as much product from waste material as they can.

Recycled wine bottle being turned into a new product.

Can you believe that they have recycled and reused 231, 456 pounds of glass! All of it isn’t clogging up the overfilled landfills!

Remark Glass has seen a much greater need to solve the recycling issue in their city and hence Bottle Underground was born.

Bottle Underground partners with workforce development programs to create sustainable job opportunities that support waste diversion in Philadelphia. By reusing, downcycling, and upcycling glass from our community, we reduce the amount of raw materials needed to produce everyday products. Communities can help by volunteering with the Bottle Underground, giving glass products to be recycled and donating funds.

Do you feel this is something that should be created in other cities and communities? This is one solution to reducing glass waste while offering employment to those who can help collect and clean the glass bottles.

#4-Wild Bird Migration Dashboard

-I love this resource-

I do check in with this dashboard! I find it fascinating!

This dashboard provides summaries of radar-based measurements of nocturnal bird migration for the contiguous United States, including estimates for the total number of birds migrating as well as their directions, speeds, and altitudes. Incredible!

Watch migration patterns in near real time or see a summary for a whole night the next morning. Check back often to find out how migration has changed across a night and season and to learn which species of nocturnally migrating birds are likely migrating through your region.

The live data feed runs from August 1 to November 15 during fall migration.

For example, in my area which is Columbia County, NY , 128,900 birds migrated the night of Sept 12-13, and some of them were Baltimore Orioles, Great Crested Flycatchers and Eastern Wood-Pewee. They fly two to three hours after sunset, and up to 10,000 feet above ground.

Baltimore Oriole

Click here for the link to the dashboard

#5- Movie to Watch: A Potato Story with LIZIQI

A beautifully produced short showing the rural life of Liziqi, growing and cooking potatoes, amongst other things.

If you are new to the beautiful, self-reliant world of Liziqi, I hope that you enjoy watching this short. Liziqi was a lifestyle star in China, who disappeared from public view over 3 years ago. Some feel her work to be Chinese propaganda. Even so, I think the films she made are beautifully executed. She really hits the mark as far as showing how to live a simpler lifestyle, growing your own food, foraging for wild edibles, the prep involved in cooking from scratch, eating what is in season, sharing with your community and looking after your elders, which in Liziqi’s story is her grandmother all while puppies, and other baby animals cavort nearby.

Time 17: 23

Click here to watch the film via Youtube.

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Thank you for continuing to support my work. I hope you learned something that could be implemented in your and your loved ones lives.

Follow me on Instagram for all my latest news. River’s Edge Farm NY, my climate resilient organic zero waste carbon neutral mini farm is slowly on the wane. Seed collecting is going full blast (sweet peas, beans, arugula, cosmos, Joe pye weed, and more), while gourds and luffas put their last bit of energy into growing before the nights get too cold. A small experiment I tried was successful and I can now recommend it to you. If you have a water barrel for collecting rain water and mosquitoes found it, add a handful of mosquito fish ($15 at a local pet store) and they will take care of any unwanted mosquito larva.

Be fabulously well always and see you again in 2 weeks!

Priscilla