DEN Enews

 Shades of Green: Let's talk about Natural Burial!

"Many Shades of Green" - a presentation about Natural Burial in a beautiful Heritage Building in French Village, followed by a walk in the woods. Meander through a rewilding farm area, check out an exercise station and imagine how peaceful these woods would be for a natural burial. Research suggests that natural burial is a positive approach for supporting healthy grief - come and see if you think that might be true in this forest.

Wednesday, September 25 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM

St. Paul's Anglican Church, French Village

71 St. Paul's Lane, French Village, Nova Scotia, B3Z4E3

To register: [email protected]

_{Finally, please urge the NS government to stop aerial spraying of glyphosate on our forests.}

_{This is not a petition but a letter to write to <[email protected]> Points to include in your letter: The use of glyphosate has numerous negative effects, including creating a highly flammable landscape and is a probable human carcinogen. Does spraying poison from helicopters on clearcuts in order to kill off natural regrowth of the Wabanaki-Acadian forest sound like something we should be doing?  Spraying the land with poison from the air because it is cheaper than paying workers to thin trees on the ground has to stop. This practice has no place in proper forestry. Cape Breton put a moratorium on aerial spraying of herbicides and pesticides years ago. In 2001, Quebec banned the use of glyphosate in forestry. It is time to end this practice once and for all.} 

Windmills

For years Grandma has been interested in vertical-axis windmills. These can be as small as spinning blades mounted on a corner deck post that powers a battery for a set of patio lights.

I have seen vertical-axis windmills made using a large laundry detergent jug filled with sand for the base. A few jugs wait in my shed for that project. This week I saw the vertical axis model taken to the next level. It was another “Brilliant” moment. Think of a vertical axis windmill that is turned on its side, to make what they call “Ridge” windmills. The Ridge Windmills are mounted on the “ridge” or top part of the roof where the sides meet the top. They can produce all the electricity that a building needs. (Farmer’s daughter comes out in me. I see pole barns with ridge windmills to power milking machines.) This would power farms daily or during power outages.

Wind naturally swoops upward when it hits a roof. The “Ridge Windmills” use that upsweep to turn the blades and make the energy.

Traditional windmills, although having the ability to make electricity to power large areas, have drawbacks. They are large and noisy and when they stop functioning, they cause massive litter in rural areas.

Ridge windmills function to power a building or a farm. They may not power a large area, but they power a building’s needs. When they no longer work, they are a piece of metal maybe four feet tall to remove as scrap metal.

I recently read that Amish and other Plain folk use solar panels and windmills on their farms now. They are not opposed to electricity but do not want a power bill that makes them obligated and connected to the outside world. Solar panels and windmills allow them to create electricity for their use.

Maybe that isn’t such a bad practice to follow.

https://ridgeblade.com/

https://www.cbc.ca/news/science/what-on-earth-wind-turbines-cities-1.6710512

Wine Bottle Fence

Grandma always likes to try something a little different around the yard. This bottle fence was built probably seven years ago. I placed this one between two trees at the front of the property. When the sun is setting, sunlight shines through the bottles and lights up a section of the front yard with circles of prism light.

All you need is a bag of cement and a collection of wine bottles.

Something to Eat

There were extra bananas in the house again. Banana bread just was not a favorite this week. Instead, we found a Hummingbird cake. It is a bit like a carrot cake without the carrots. It used bananas and pineapple. I used more honey (and kept our diabetic family member’s readings in the 7’s after eating a double piece).

Hummingbird’s Cake

In one bowl add 3 cups flour

2 cups sugar (I did ¾ cup sugar and a couple spoons of honey)

1 tbsp baking powder

1 ½ tsp. cinnamon

½ cup walnuts

In a second bowl add

4 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

½ cup vegetable oil

1 cup milk

1 cup or 2 large bananas

1 small can pineapple

Mix the two together and pour into a 10 x 13 pan. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes.

Thank you for joining us this week. We would love to hear from you:

[email protected]

Check out our website:

https://www.nspeidiocese.ca/ministries/diocesan-environment-network