Creating a sustainable and compassionate community
Arborvitae, American Arborvitae, Northern White Cedar, Eastern White Cedar Thuja occidentalis by Martin (Mort) Schmidt for Simply Living You have, I have, we all have Arborvitae deep within us. Read on….. Arborvitae, the Tree of Life, is a tree of paradoxes. Both revered and reviled over history, Northern White Cedar […]
On April 20 the School of Environment and Natural Resources at Ohio State University organized an Earth Day event called Time to Act on Climate Change. On tap was a long list of distinguished speakers including university President Kristina Johnson, slated to receive the Chadwick Award for efforts to address […]
by Martin (Mort) Schmidt for Simply Living Boxelder is the Rodney Dangerfield of Ohio maples; It don’t get no respect. Unlike the October 2021 Tree of the Month, Sugar Maple, Boxelder’s weed-like growth and weak wood make it unloved for landscaping or lumber. Boxelder can be tapped for maple syrup, […]
By Martin (Mort) Schmidt for Simply Living One of the most beautiful trees native to Ohio is the Flowering Dogwood. Its lovely flowers withlarge white petals are a welcome harbinger of spring, even if the petals aren’t really petals. But first, another tree with white flowers makes its appearance in […]
By Martin (Mort) Schmidt for Simply Living Occasionally the Tree of the Month article will feature topics related to, but not strictly about trees. Mistletoe would be an appropriate subject for the December issue, but I wanted to release this article before I lost touch with Daniel and Gigi, who […]
By Elissa Yoder MannSierra Club Ohio Chapter The statewide plastics campaign kicked off the year with a presentation hosted by Jess Boeke and Sarah Pottle from Rust Belt Fibershed, we wanted to share resources from our webinar covering the topic of plastics and textiles. Here is a link to the […]
by Martin (Mort) Schmidt for Simply Living Oaks, the trees of the genus Quercus, are among the most important hardwood trees. There are approximately 500 species of oaks worldwide and a little under 100 in the United States, but they are found primarily in the northern hemisphere. Oaks provide a […]
by Martin (Mort) Schmidt for Simply Living Holly has long been associated with the holiday seasons. In fact, the name “Holly” is derived from the word “holy” because of this association. Holly is primarily a southeastern tree, but its natural range does extend into the southernmost counties of Ohio. Left […]
By Martin (Mort) Schmidt, for Simply Living The Ohio State University’s famous football coach, Woody Hayes, described the Buckeye as “a worthless nut”. And so it is. Nor does the wood have much value. But in November, as we’re winding up the football season, what better tree to honor than […]
For 8 years now, some musical friends and I have put on a Black Friday concert of songs that express gratitude for many of our blessings: friends, family, freedom, nature, art, music, laughter, our bodies, and our emotions. We’ve used the free event to declare: instead of joining the day-after-Thanksgiving […]
City Council Member Emmanuel Remy Op-Ed in the Dispatch, June 15 Remy chairs the Environment Committee for Columbus City Council. His op-ed outlines the work that has been accomplished in partnership with Keep Columbus Beautiful and volunteers organized to clean up litter and debris from the streets of Columbus. Excerpts […]
This article by Chuck Lynd argues that grassroots efforts that are part of a broader environmental and social justice agenda deserve a “seat at the table” with Columbus leaders.
Get informed about this important issue that affects everyone in central Ohio.
Jenny Morgan, singer and songwriter performs her song called “Simply Living.”
New co-housing initiative in central Ohio.
Jake DaSilva has shared his “manifesto” (below) as part of our Earth Institute course: A Different Way: Living Simply in a Complex World. Jake is an avowed Minimalist and has facilitated Simply Living’s courses on voluntary simplicity. As you seen in his picture, Jake enjoys fishing. Simple Living Manifesto: Jake DaSilva Own […]
I am taking the Earth Institute course called A Different Way: Living Simply in a Complex World. Ten of us meet every week for 6 weeks and one of our assignments (optional) is to write a “manifesto” about our commitment to living simply – what drew us to the lifestyle, […]