Human And Nature

Lastish post I mentioned an article I read by Toby Hemenway. And after reading Radical Homemakers which I really enjoyed I started reading Gardener's of Eden: Rediscovering Our Importance TO Nature by Dan Dagget. In this book Dagget addresses the exact thing Hemenway was talking about. I don't know who wrote which first but it's clear they were both on the same track. Dagget's book was published in 2005.

The premise of the book is that humans can be and have been an integral part of many of their ecosystems. He believes and some newer anthropological and environmental studies are baring this out, that humans are needed in some systems. Yesss, you read that correctly. We are not always the parasitic, alien destructive force we are portrayed to be by most of the Leave It Alone environmentalists. Imagine that! He calls the people who have either retained these skills of synergistic interaction or discovered them, The Lost Tribes. I had seen the book awhile ago and it put it on my amazon wishlist, but then saw it again referenced by the folks at Milkwood. I have nothing but respect for those Aussies at Milkwood so I decided to read it for reals. I am so glad that I am. The whole book is about people who are making a difference on the land they tend and making it a better place for people AND plants and animals.

I also bought the DVD The First Millimeter: Healing the Earth put out by Holistic Management International. I plan on watching it sometime this week. Stay tuned for that review.

Aphids have decided to attack my yard long beans so I need to spray them with soapy water. The lady bug juveniles have found them too but not enough to keep the aphids in check. Also the little suckers have ant body guards with a vicious bite.