Open the front door at home and walk around the immediate neighborhood. What and who is there? Do more than glance at the buildings, people, plants and animals--study the surroundings and claim emotional ownership of them. Is there a way to or improve any of it--the landscape, the general environment, animal habitats, people's lives? That's the idea behind the "Stake Your Acre Challenge" by Sharon Astyk, a well-known blogger who writes about how to cope with the economic and social changes facing America.
Sharon argues that because the land we live on and the people around us are under extreme pressure at this time, we need to expand the boundaries of what's "ours" and take responsibility for everything in our immediate environment--in particular, the one acre of land around where we live. Essentially, it's taking the concept of being a good neighbor to a whole new level to include the land, local wildlife, and the people who live around us.
Astyk offers many suggestions for how to take care of that precious home acre. Here are a few.
The Basics: Improve and Heal the Land
- Pick up trash and litter and recycle what you can.
- If the area has a lot of pavement, plant some flowers or shrubs--this will reduce the heat island effect and clean the air at the same time.
- Research organic and non-toxic ways to fertilize lawns and share that knowledge with neighbors.
- Start a neighborhood garden or go guerrilla and throw "seed balls" into vacant lots.
- Find out whether the local vacant lot is contaminated with heavy metal or toxic chemicals. If it is, learn about soil remediation and work with neighbors to clean it up.
- In a similar vein, have testing done to make sure that local kids aren’t playing on a lead-contaminated playground.
- Be observant--walk the neighborhood, see what needs doing, and do it.
Protect, Preserve, and Attract Local Wildlife
- Start a campaign to bell outdoor cats to protect songbirds.
- Put in plants (native, if possible) to attract, feed, and shelter birds and pollinators.
- Keep bees as a hobby.
- Work with the local authorities to reduce speed limits so animals don’t get hit by cars.
- Work with neighbors to create wildlife corridors through the area.
Be a Good Neighbor
- Meet neighbors and find out what's happening with them.
- Look in on elderly and disabled neighbors regularly to see how they're doing.
- Make arrangements to trade work, services, tools, or equipment with others.
- Set up a barter network.
- Find out if neighbors share interests and concerns by starting a neighborhood association or throwing a block party.
- Start a neighborhood watch group or community garden.
- When you find a need, try to fill it--pick up groceries for someone who doesn’t drive or offer babysitting help, for example.
Giving Back by Building Community
Accepting the challenge to tend an acre of land builds community--an essential, multi-layered supportive community that benefits everyone.
Terry Johnson - Terry Johnson's writing focuses on her passions: forest gardening, urban homesteading, and strategies to cope with economic collapse and ...
