Despite living in different parts of South Africa, Simphiwe Makapela, Kylie Davids and Luvuyo Gushu each began their entrepreneurial journey with one common goal in mind – exploring opportunities to develop successful businesses in the water, biodiversity and environmental sectors. Historically, entrepreneurs looking to venture into specialised sectors, such as water and … [Read more...]
Hand sanitisers: clearing up the confusion
It’s important to understand the difference between sanitising and disinfecting. Sanitising refers to cleaning one’s hands in order to reduce the number of potential pathogens that could be transmitted to others. Disinfecting refers to killing pathogens on surfaces, which may require chemicals harmful to humans, animals and the environment. Many manufacturers have … [Read more...]
How to soothe winter sniffles by inhaling natural compounds
Did you know that inhaled compounds have lightning fast action in the body? Over 1000 times faster than chewing, over 300 times faster than eating and drinking, and more than 3 times faster than intravenous injection… not to mention being less painful! Inhalation is by far the fastest mode of delivery of volatile aromatic compounds and is useful when time is a factor, or as … [Read more...]
Why bother with natural cleaning products?
Over the past few months we were creating more awareness about the great eco-friendly cleaners one can use in the home. We told the story of our friend who uses his grey water from his washing to water his lawn and garden plants. And why he uses the Better Earth laundry gel for his laundry. I wonder whether people realise just how toxic some of the normal chemical laundry … [Read more...]
Join the Earth Imagineers and reclaim your future
The Earth Imagineers Tour covers the birth of a radical new consciousness and explores how the human body is the most potent tool to change the world. It covers new understandings of what the sun is, how the human heart is a frequency generator that can affect all life and how we interact with light to be this change. Dan Schrieber of Starseed Gardens Austrailia, acclaimed … [Read more...]
Natural Building part 2: Understanding & testing different earths
One of the challenges of working with earth is that no two sites are the same. The recipes one learns on one site may not work on another, because the earths found there are composed differently. Most earth building relies on a mix of sand and clay, which may be present in a single earth or need to be blended together. Sand has many faces Sand has a particular particle … [Read more...]
Natural Building part 1: What is it?
Natural Building means different things to different people. Personally, I can’t view natural building in isolation from sustainability and sustainable building, writes Peter McIntosh, natural builder, in the first article in his series about this topic. Sustainability requires that we view ourselves as part of an ecosystem. In a sustainable system the materials your house … [Read more...]
For Angeles: honouring a fallen elder
On 24 April 2014, Dr Angeles Arrien passed away. Angeles was a cultural anthropologist, whose research into the symbols, myths and practices of indigenous people drew attention to the high degree of commonality between the values and beliefs of cultures around the world. Her book, The Four-Fold Way, distils elements of the spiritual wisdom of these cultures and presents it … [Read more...]
Build your own floating island for a natural pool
You might remember my battles to convert our harmful saltwater pool into a natural pool last year. Well, I have finally succeeded. We now swim in a clear mountain pool – yes, the natural colour of water is brown. White or sea-through water is bleached and therefore chemically laden and not good for you or the environment. Why would one bother to convert your pool? A 2010 … [Read more...]
Wild about Weeds part 1: Veldkool
Want to learn more about the medicinal and nutritional value of the common weeds in your garden? Today Tracy Armbruster - our weed enthusiast – kicks off her series for all of us to learn together: W.E.E.D’s (Wild, Enriching, Edible, Delight’s) are simply amazing! What I love most about them is their pioneering spirit. Their “survival of the fittest” attitude. They have … [Read more...]
Celebrate the important things this Valentine’s Day
Love is in the air. The weather is scorchingly beautiful and Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. We live in a part of the world where there are plenty of eco-friendly and inexpensive ways to celebrate love on this day. As is the case with most special days, this day started out with noble intentions as a simple celebration of love, and has evolved into another … [Read more...]
Dreaming of a green Christmas
While we were capturing and crafting stories to inspire you our readers and prove to you that our world carries close to her heart a bunch of caring folk who thrive on doing good work, while we were jumping around trying to attend and write up as many green events as possible and while we were teaching, sharing and generally having fun living our best lives … 2012 ran out. You … [Read more...]
Natural and organic local range for family care
Spring is a great time to clean out the bathroom cupboard and take a close look at those chemicals you no longer want to burden your body or the environment with. There is an exciting back-to-basics revival happening, as we learn more every day about the chemical era we are now moving out of – and the dire consequences to our bodies and the earth. Some women smear up to 100 … [Read more...]
