Welcome to Gaia! ::

Read any good environmental books lately? Here's where you can share them with other guildmembers!

My first recommendation is a book that I'm reading for my Ethical Issues Seminar, "Encountering the Archdruid" by John McPhee. McPhee records meetings and conversations between David Brower (one of the world's leading conservationists at the time. He made The Sierra Club what it is today, founded Friends of the Earth, and Earth Islands and was nominated twice for the Nobel Peace Prize) and several developers. One mineral engineer on the subject of a copper mine in the Glacier National Wilderness area, one a resort developer who sees all conservationists as "druids", and with a developer of dams. McPhee gives a wonderfully objective collection of the conversations and events surrounding the meetings of these men. It's not hard to figure out which side he would take in most of the arguments, but he does not villify the land developers, but lets them present their side of the story, and their idea of the world and the future. The most refreshing thing about the book is seeing people of completely different beliefs able to come together and have an intelligent conversation without resorting to slander and abuse. I would highly recommend it to anyone concerned about the environment.

So, anyone else have any good books to recommend?

Several years back I read a really neat book by Penny Kelly called The Elves of Lilly Hill Farm. It's the true story of a woman who bought a farm out in the country, in hopes of escaping the stress of her city life. At least, I think that was her original reason for moving out there- it's been a while.^_^' Anyway, while she's there, she somehow comes into contact with beings whom she believes are nature spirits- and she develops quite a relationship with them. They encourage her to take up actively farming, specifically farming in organic, environmentally-friendly ways. These spirits want her to learn how to farm in harmony with the surrounding habitats, and teach others how to do the same. Penny takes up her own studies in organic farming, and the book itself is a wealth of information about sustainable agriculture, interspersed with some really fascinating accounts of these spirits.

Penny's farm, Lilly Hill Farm, eventually grew into a full-fledged environmentally friendly farm and educational retreat for people to come get in touch with nature, and learn about how proper eating and living can benefit both ourselves, and those with whom we live in this world. I'd like to go there one of these days, when I'm up in Michigan.^_^ I recommend this book, though, to anyone who's interested in sustainable farming- and has an open mind regarding nature spirits and possible encounters with them.^_~

LOL! I know it's pretty unbelievable, but I enjoyed the book a great deal. So much so, in fact, that I loaned it out to a friend who'd mentioned that she was interested in farming. Apparently my friend liked it too, because she never gave it back.^_^' So unfortunately, I only got to read it once.

Walden by Henry David Thoreau is an awesome book. Thoreau lives in the woods for about two years and finds many things about Nature and in a way finds much about himself as well as Nature and speaks about preserving it and respecting it. EVEYRONE should read it, it's long but it's worth it. It's a true story too and is a biography. I suggest getting the Annotatted version of the book because it has references to some words and phrases you might not know and it has his journal entrees too. ^_^

This is what the book looks like:

Yes, you should do that. ^_^