Creating a sustainable and compassionate community
Are you not feeling especially patriotic this semiquincentennial summer? Not entirely proud of our good old USA? Perhaps some satire would lighten your mood! Simply Living encourages you to watch (or better yet, march in) the 43rd Annual Doo Dah Parade on July 4th! Celebrate liberty & lunacy in the Short North Arts District with weird costumes, customs, and funny opinions. Afterward, relax in the shade near the Goodale Park gazebo during the free live-music after-glow party.
Columbus Area Free Outdoor Concerts
The Kokosing Nature Preserve is located in central Knox County at 10620 Quarry Chapel Road, one mile northeast of the Village of Gambier and the campus of Kenyon College. It is a land conservancy around the college with 23 acres set aside for green burials. It is the first conservation burial ground in the nation to be affiliated with a college or university land conservancy. The Preserve, dedicated as a cemetery in October 2015, is Central Ohio’s first and only conservation burial ground. Amid rolling prairies planted with native wildflowers, remains are interred using biodegradable containers and without the use of harsh chemicals. It is a project of the Philander Chase Conservancy, a land trust dedicated to preserving the rural character of the Kenyon College’s surrounding environs.
For much of the world, May 1st is International Workers’ Day, a public holiday dedicated to labor rights. It commemorates the 1886 Haymarket Affair in Chicago, where workers striking for an 8-hour workday clashed with police. Today, millions of people participate in rallies, marches, and strikes to advocate for better wages and working conditions. It is a day to celebrate the contributions and achievements of workers in all sectors of the economy. From the factory worker to the teacher, from the healthcare professional to the farmer, this day honors the dedication, hard work, and sacrifices of individuals who labor tirelessly to build and sustain our communities.
The Greater Columbus Arts Council (GCAC), a partner of Simply Living, is a 501(c)(3) organization officially incorporated in 1973 to support, promote, and advocate for the arts in Columbus and Franklin County. With offices at 182 East Long Street, Columbus, it serves as the arts agency for the city. It provides grants, manages community arts initiatives, and offers resources for artists and cultural organizations.
Bioregionalism is an environmental philosophy advocating that human activity and governance be organized around bioregions, geographical areas defined by natural features like watersheds, mountain ranges, and ecosystems, rather than arbitrary political or administrative boundaries. It emphasizes living-in-place, sustainability, and local self-reliance to foster a deeper connection between communities and their native landscapes. Bioregionalism emerged in the early 1970s, developing primarily along the western coast of North America, and specifically from a broad coalition of poets, artists, writers, and community leaders, who envisioned a positive, place-based alternative to mainstream environmental efforts. It included many individuals (including Peter Berg, Judy Goldhaft, and Kirkpatrick Sale) working together through the Planet Drum Foundation to create a new place-based philosophy they called bioregionalism.
How can we live in deeper harmony with the land, water, and ecosystems that sustain us here in Central Ohio? That’s the question at the heart of the Central Ohio Bioregional Working Group, and it’s what we’ll be exploring together at our next gathering. The Central Ohio Bioregional Working Group, […]
This past weekend, we were honored to host a special event about Bioregionalism. Kelly Clark (of the GLESS Bioregion in NE Ohio) led us through a rich discussion about what a bioregion is and how one might take shape here in Central Ohio. What emerged was a shared desire among […]
As the days grow longer and the scent of blooming flowers begins to fill the air, spring whispers a familiar invitation: it’s time to fire up the grill. Seasonal traditions are the perfect time to reflect on how our everyday choices—what we eat, how we cook, and how we gather—can […]
Strike Up Some Fun: Simply Living’s Pins with Purpose! Looking for a fun way to connect with like-minded folks while supporting Simply Living? Join us for an afternoon of bowling, community, and sustainability-inspired fun at Sequoia Pro Bowl! After last month’s screening of Join or Die, which explored the power […]
Living with a Little Less By Claudia Cummins This piece originally appeared on Claudia’s substack. Reprinted with permission. We already have everything we need. All the ingredients required for us to thrive are available right now. We don’t, in fact, need anything more. Happiness is here, just waiting to be […]
The holidays are a time for joy, celebration, and connection, but they can also leave behind a significant amount of waste. From gift wrapping to festive decorations, it’s easy for our celebrations to inadvertently harm the environment. Simply Living is passionate about making sustainable living accessible and straightforward for our […]
In honor of National Animal Shelter Appreciation Week, let’s take a moment to recognize how adopting a dog from a shelter aligns with values that support a balanced, eco-friendly lifestyle. While “reduce, reuse, recycle” is a principle we often apply to physical goods, it’s equally relevant when it comes to extending compassion and practical action toward our furry friends in need. Each adoption reflects a conscious choice to reuse resources, reduce the demand for harmful practices, and recycle love and companionship in a local, sustainable way.
I remember LBJ’s War on Poverty. When I was a student at Antioch College I worked as a teacher’s aide in an elementary school in Harlem. It was funded by ACTION (predated VISTA) one of many anti-poverty programs funded by the Economic Opportunities Act of 1964. The Act was essentially […]
Renée Cho is the author of this December 16, 2020 article published by the Columbia University Climate School’s “State of the Planet” news website. As followers of Simply Living know, this subject is near and dear to the hearts of all who question our consumer culture. We recently published a […]
Guest Blog Post by Kevin Eigel Over the last few years, I have been a somewhat regular member of the Simply Living Book Club, organized by Chuck Lynd. As part of this Club, I have enjoyed exploring the big question for me at this point in my life: What can […]
Creating a compassionate and sustainable world through personal, community and cultural transformation.