Enjoying Outside, Inside: Eco Friendly Crafts
Eliana Thompson • September 22, 2021
May 26, 2021
We’ve all heard of the “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” waste hierarchy, but it can be hard to fully incorporate these principles into our daily lives when not in the habit. Of course, we also know that reducing waste is essential to minimize the effects of climate change and protect our natural resources and ecosystems from contamination. Significant reduction in our carbon footprint may require serious lifestyle changes, but starting on a smaller scale can help reinvigorate the drive to reduce waste. These crafts will save you a trip to the store, or give new life to items that may have otherwise been on their way to the landfill.
- Natural Fabric Dye: To give new life to fading or stained fabric items, try dying them with plant based, homemade dye. Synthetic dyes have many downstream effects such as pollution of our water supply or negative health effects for those producing clothes. Natural dyes can be made from materials such as avocado pits and skins (bluish pink), onion skins (yellow/pink), cabbage (purple), beets (bright pink), turmeric (yellow), or spinach/mint (green). Check out this guide on how to tie dye fabric at home.
- Upcycled drinking glasses from glass bottles: Try this: every time one of your glass cups breaks, replace it with a homemade glass rather than buying a new one. Pretty soon you’ll have a complete set! This tutorial gives instructions on how to make tumblers out of wine bottles using a bottle cutter. If you don’t have a bottle cutter and don’t feel like buying one (yay for reducing!), this tutorial shows you how to cut glass bottles using yarn and acetone. These tumblers also make great homemade candle holders (see #4!).
- T-Shirt Tote: I don’t know if it’s just me, but it seems like no matter how many T-Shirts I donate to GoodwillI I always have too many in the closet. Repurposing T-Shirts into tote bags is a great way to put them to use and still represent your alma mater, favorite nonprofit, or national park. This guide shows you 8 ways to make a bag from a shirt.
- DIY Candles: While this may require you to buy beeswax, coconut wax, or carnauba wax, making candles at home is a more sustainable choice than purchasing them. Use an upcycled wine bottle, old jar, or flower pot as a container, and once fully burned just fill it right back up again! This project is also great because it allows you to formulate a unique fragrance using a blend of essential oils of your choice.
- Homemade Natural Soap: Making homemade bar soap can be a simple project or an extravagant art piece- either way, this is a fun and sustainable project. I love this one because it reduces the number of plastic bottles in the trash and you actually know what's going on your skin! Considering the amount of handwashing we’re doing these days, it’s nice to use gentle ingredients instead of the impossible to pronounce chemicals that are in so many skincare products.
-Eliana Thompson; ethompson@tuleyome.org
Tuleyome Social Media and Advocacy Associate
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We are excited to announce the dates for next year's Certified California Naturalist courses! Our multi-week course will be held Fridays, January 16 to March 6 with three field trips held on Saturdays. Our one-week immersive course at Wilbur Hot Springs Resort is April 12 - 17 . Tuleyome’s Certified California Naturalist (CalNat) program trains members of the public to become California Naturalists. No advanced degree or previous naturalist experience is required – Tuleyome teaches you everything you need to know to become certified. Our course is focused on the northern inner Coast Range mountains, specifically the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument region. The program, developed by the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources, is designed to introduce Californians to the wonders of our unique ecology and engage the public in study and stewardship of California’s natural communities. The California Naturalist program uses science curriculum, hands-on learning, problem-solving, participatory science, and community service to instill a deep appreciation for the natural communities of the state and to inspire individuals to become stewards of their local resources. Courses combine classroom and field experience in science, problem-solving, communication training and community service, taught by an instructor and team of experts. Check out the Certified California Naturalist page for more information. -Nate Lillge (nlillge@tuleyome.org) Tuleyome Adventures and Engagement Director Certified California Naturalist
Tuleyome thanks Kim Longworth for her work as part of Tuleyome’s volunteer Board of Directors. Kim joined Tuleyome’s Board of Directors to advance our mission to conserve, enhance, restore, and enjoy our public lands in Northern California, specifically the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument region. She took on many tasks during her tenure on the Board including assisting with grant writing and educational programming. Although Kim is stepping down from the Board, she is not parting ways with Tuleyome. She will continue to support Tuleyome’s mission as an event participant and in other ways. Thank you, Kim! -Bill Grabert (Volunteer Tuleyome Board Member) and Nate Lillge (Adventures and Engagement Director)
As the tenth anniversary of the establishment of Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument, July 10 th , approaches, I find myself reflecting on how we got here and what our public lands mean to us as individuals and as a nation. Our lands defined, and define, our nation. “O beautiful for spacious skies, For amber waves of grain, For purple mountain majesties Above the fruited plain! America! America! God shed His grace on thee And crown thy good with brotherhood From sea to shining sea!” At a time when our nation is getting more partisan and we see more anger in the news, it's important to remember that our public lands are not a partisan issue. They belong to all of us, they are important to all of us, and they are for everyone. Our public lands are for hikers and bikers, hunters and photographers, people and puppy dogs, wheelchairs and OHVs. They are for Republicans, Democrats, Independents, decline to states and folks that don’t care about politics. They are for people of all colors, genders, religions, shades and stripes. They are for citizens, immigrants and visitors. They are for mountain lions and tadpoles, bears and hummingbirds, otters and spiders. They are our public lands. The belong to all of us and we belong to them. Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument represents America – a diverse community of people with different interest and beliefs who came together to protect something special. It started out as a mere idea. First, it was just a handful of kindred folks but then more and more joined in soon creating a crescendo of motivated and united voices. It grew until it was a community, a movement, fighting together to protect a place that we all love. We all fought for our Monument. People from all walks of life: hunters, politicians, decision-makers, conservationists, recreationists, scientists, businesses, veterans, community and tribal leaders. Government officials from all levels of government and all parties joined us. Dreamers and planners, lovers and fighters locked arms. We all stood together and fought for Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument and Molok Luyuk. And look at what we accomplished together! We protected 344,476 acres in the heart of the Northern Inner Coastal Range. We protected a place whose geology and botany are so magnificent that people come from the world over to see and study them. We protected a place so beautiful it takes your breath away with its rare wetlands and meadows full of wildflowers, its vistas that last for hundreds of miles and its night sky that illuminates every detail of the Milky Way. We protected a place where major rivers flow and streams wander throughout the countryside. We protected tule elk, bald and golden eagles, perch, frogs, bears and salamanders. We protected a place steeped in millennia of Native American culture and history and that is one of the most linguistically diverse in California. We protected our special places, our public lands. And we did it, all of us together. This is what we can do when we remember that despite all of our differences, we are one nation, indivisible. America the Beautiful O beautiful for spacious skies, For amber waves of grain, For purple mountain majesties Above the fruited plain! America! America! God shed His grace on thee And crown thy good with brotherhood From sea to shining sea! O beautiful for pilgrim feet, Whose stern, impassioned stress A thoroughfare for freedom beat Across the wilderness! America! America! God mend thine every flaw, Confirm thy soul in self-control, Thy liberty in law! O beautiful for heroes proved In liberating strife, Who more than self their country loved And mercy more than life! America! America! May God thy gold refine, Till all success be nobleness, And every gain divine! O beautiful for patriot dream That sees beyond the years Thine alabaster cities gleam Undimmed by human tears! America! America! God shed His grace on thee And crown thy good with brotherhood From sea to shining sea! by Katharine Lee Bates Happy 4 th of July! -Sandy Schubert Executive Director