Tag Archives: natural family living

gallery, Green Building

Rainwater Collection | A Natural Water System For Any Green Building

After living in northern New Mexico for 10 years it’s hard to forget the preciousness of water.  Before living there I knew to turn the water off when brushing, don’t water your lawn at noon, and save water however possible.  But, I didn’t really get real water conservation and especially had no concept of water independence.  We always had city water or a well that had been no issue to dig.

However, that’s not true for many properties in New Mexico and around the world.  Everyone needs water though right? One solution – rainwater collection.

Rainwater Collection is just what it sounds like.  Collecting rain water and storing it for use later.  It’s been done for centuries and is currently very popular in some arid places like the southwestern US, Brazil, China and elsewhere, as well as for people who are designing and building off grid homes like earthships and other types of green buildings.

Rain water harvesting systems are usually gutter systems that instead of emptying the water they catch from the roof into a location in your yard or into the street, they empty it into a holding tank.  At their most basic a rain water collection system could also be a 50 gallon drum or two set near the garden or the water tank for the livestock too.

Take a look at these examples of rain water collection systems for a better idea of what I’m talking about.

rain water collection system emptying into cistern
From Earthship Biotecture this is an image of gutters that will collect the rain water that falls onto the roof of this earthship and funnel it into this underground cistern that will store the water from storms for use within the home later.

 

rainwater collection system in backyard
This was the backyard of our first house in New Mexico. You can see that the roof empties water into the gutter that then runs into and down through that white pipe on the right of the image. From there it went into an underground cistern. It was amazing to watch it fill with one of those powerful high desert storms! We used the water we collected for everything except drinking.

 

rainwater collection system
A very nice, clean example of a rainwater harvesting system with the red pipe tucked up there collecting the water from the roof then channeling it into that cool red holding tank for storage.

 

rain water collection tank
an above ground cistern or rain water collection tank

 

homemade rainwater collection tank and system
Here's another example of a homemade rainwater collection system with several gutters and pipes feeding that orange holding tank.

 

Ready to incorporate rainwater collection into your green building?

It’s so easy.

Depending on your climate you may need to dig for your cistern if you plan to use it year round so it’s underground and safe from freezing temps.  Otherwise, it’s just gutters, some type of container to hold the water you collect, along with a way to release the water when you’re ready for it and you’ve got your very own rainwater collection system!

If you just want a small project, try setting up a system off your garage or barn for your garden.  If you like it go bigger!  It’s amazing how much water you can collect and what it can really save you, and the planet.

 

 

gallery, Playing with nature

Tips For Kayaking With The Whole Family

If you live by any type of body of water, there’s a kayak designed to paddle it.  Rivers, lakes, oceans, and everything in between can be explored in a fairly eco friendly way with a kayak.  In fact, because they’re so quiet and maneuverable you almost always get to see some amazing things when paddling a kayak; things that the whole family will love.

Some might wonder how possible it is to kayak with kids but it’s actually a lot of fun. Here are a few things we’ve noticed over the years that seem to help make a more successful kayak trip for everyone – and make it possible for the whole family to enjoy the amazing journey only a kayak can take you on.

Safety First

It’s not just a motto it’s gotta be reality no matter what you’re doing on the water.  Because it’s so simple and basic, some think you can just hop in a kayak and have a blast whether you’re experienced or not.  But, just because kayaking is so fairly simplistic doesn’t mean bad things can’t happen to the un (or even under) prepared.

Of course life jackets for everyone are essential – even those who can swim.  To make wearing life jackets easy on kids and adults alike, go ahead and spring for the more expensive, cut for kayaking life jackets for anyone who is paddling.  They also make nice life jackets for young children that are a lot more comfortable to wear for a few hours than the traditional orange square ones.

Also, while not required, consider taking a kayaking safety course.  Knowing what to do if/when the boat flips or takes on water is essential.  Plus they can teach you a lot of other safety info during classes like these too including CPR, First Aid, and general water safety.

It’s nice to have a safety pack or bag that you can keep well stocked in the hull of the boat with first aid supplies, a bilge pump, and any other safety supplies your kayaking trip might require too.  This way, you’ll always have what you need no matter what comes up.

Get to Know the Trip Yourself Before Taking The Kids

If you don’t know the area, and even if you do, try taking the paddle yourself first before taking the whole family along.  You never know what you might run into, especially given that many bodies of water you might kayak change depending on the time of year and level of rainfall received.  These changes can result in unique challenges you might not be expecting if you don’t know the route.

kayaking with kids in a child's kayakIf you can’t get in and paddle the planned route without kids first, research the heck out of the trip.  Kayakers are generally a nice bunch of people and they love to share information about paddles in their area.  You can find info on good family kayaking trips and other area paddling info in many ways including through local nature organizations, books, and especially online.

Snack, Snacks and MORE Snacks

Now that everyone is safe and sound, it’s time to talk snacks.  I have yet to meet a kid that doesn’t like to snack and when you’re out playing in nature and working hard, snacks are definitely needed to keep everyone fueled and at their best.

Snacks also make a fun distraction, especially for the little non paddlers in the group!  As amazing as kayaking is, a 2 or 3 yr old can only stay engaged in one activity for so long; especially if it requires sitting still.  Finger foods like crackers or cut up fruit take them a bit to eat and will keep them happily entertained thereby keeping the rest of the family happy too!

Take Enough Water

Whenever you’re out playing in nature, be sure to have plenty of water.  A good sized water bottle for each person plus at least one extra is a good rule of thumb.  The bigger the people on the trip, the bigger the water bottles need to be.

If you’re up for it, don’t hesitate to invest in a portable water purifier.  These trusty little gadgets can come in handy when kayaking, hiking, camping, and in many other situations too.

Stops Can Make All The Difference

When you have kids of any age out on a kayak paddle with you stopping to swim, hike or at least picnic is really important.  We’ve found the boys have more fun on paddles where we plan to get out at least once.  It’s not always possible but when it is everyone has a better time.

Plan Short Trips At First

Until you know how everyone will fair, plan short trips at first.  Some kids will really enjoy kayaking, they’ll have enough strength to paddle and have a great time.  Others not so much.  Try short trips when everyone is first starting out to make the journey more successful and fun.  This will help keep the kids interested and encourage them to want to go kayaking again.

This is particularly important if you have little ones in tow.  It’s never pleasant to have to paddle back to the dock with a crying baby who would have been in much better shape had you stopped 20 min ago.  Then everyone would have gotten out of the boats with smiles on their faces, instead of the frustration they’re feeling now after hearing baby screams the whole way home.

tandem kayaking with the natural familyTandem Kayaks Are Awesome For Families

When we were buying our kayaks we weren’t totally sure about getting a tandem, but, we went for it and it’s fantastic for this natural family!  Hubs is in the back always paddling and the littlest has a great space right with him to play, sleep, and just hang out; complete with his own drink holders and little stash spot any kid would love!

Then, the older child who is learning to paddle but not yet ready for their own boat is in front.  They can take more breaks as needed while hubs is still in the back moving everyone along.  Yes, it gets hard for him at times (especially in choppy waters) but, it’s manageable and, best of all, it lets the kids learn to kayak without feeling overwhelmed or over exerted.  Instead, it’s fun, and, as a result, something they want to do again and again.

Kayaks Made For Kids Are Great Too

As your children get older and seem ready to get out of the tandem kayak, consider getting them their own boat made just for kids.  Our oldest son started paddling his own boat out of ability and necessity.  We had a baby old enough to sit in the jump seat, a middle boy who wanted to get up front and to learn to paddle and, we felt oldest was strong enough to go it alone.

He was and then some!  They make kid’s kayaks VERY lightweight so they’re easy to paddle and maneuver.  At 9 he could zip around all of us in his own boat building upper body strength and tons of confidence.  Now, at 11, he has a blast in his own boat.  And, while he finds paddling the tandem fun, he really enjoys his own time in his own kayak the most.

 

In addition to these tips for a successful, fun family kayak trip, here in New England, we also don’t take the kids in the ocean until they’re much older.  This is only because even in the height of summer the ocean waters here stay pretty cold and, as a result, if something happens you only have so much time.  Plus in the oceans (and large lakes like The Great Lakes) the potential for things to happen is in and of itself larger for a lot of different reasons.  So, we just haven’t done it yet, but the talk is brewing and as oldest gets on toward his teens he really wants to get out there – and he will – eventually!

Also, if you have non paddlers going with you, be sure to bring along some favorite toys, books, and even drawing materials.  We’ve found in addition to having the plethora of snacks as mentioned above, having little boxes or bags of toys along for the ride can really help make for a more positive experience for the children who just aren’t ready to paddle yet but want to go along on the journey all the same.

The main lesson we’ve learned from our years of kayaking with our little natural family, if you’re prepared, kayaking with kids can be a fantastic adventure!  One that will not only be fun that day, but will help build a life long love of nature that will serve them positively in many ways for years and years to come.

 

 

A Natural Home, gallery

How Much Can A Clothesline Really Save?

With spring coming on I’ve realized I’ve been slacking big time on using the clothes line.  I know it’s important for a LOT of reasons, but, the dryer is right there….

I need some motivation to get off the dryer at least for the summer.  So, I went in search of real stats on why throwing that wet laundry into a basket and carrying it upstairs to hang outside is better for the natural home than just throwing it right into that dryer just sitting there next door to the washer begging to dry the clothes for me.

 

How Much Cash Will The Clothesline Save?

For most people in the US running your dryer costs about $0.30 – $0.40 per load.  As a family of 5 I do approximately 10 loads of laundry a week including sheets, rags, towels, and clothing for each of us.  So I can save a couple of bucks each week if I put a bit more effort out and use the clothes line. Ka-Ching!

 

Can The Clothesline Really Help Save The Environment?

The short answer – Yes.

The “How” is a bit more complicated. Basically, if we all use less power, we need less power generating sources; all of which have some type of negative environmental impact.  When the power demand is less (because you’re using your clothesline instead of your dryer for example) this negative impact is reduced or even eliminated!

Of course, using the dryer is only one electrical appliance in one household.  There are a myriad of other ways to save energy and even more ways to work towards saving the environment….but, there’s no doubt about it.  It’s more environmentally friendly to use the clothesline than the dryer.

 

Is It True Clothes Can Be Saved By Line Drying?

That’s what they say.  When the dryer tosses clothes around zippers and buttons snag fibers and age clothes more quickly.  The evidence?  Look in your lint tray.  There is no lint when line drying.

Now, I’ve washed a tissue, or a piece of paper for example and, well, the dryer is nearly essential when trying to get these fibers off.  But, the same is going on to the fibers of your clothes that you actually want to stay where they are each time you run them through the dryer.  So, you really can save your clothes (and even more money!) when air drying clothes vs. using the dryer.

 

Well, I guess that’s a lot of savings when you look at it that way!  I would probably add too that when I use the clothes line I’m more active as well plus, I get outside; so there’s a bit of “saving” for me there too!

And, you can’t forget that smell.  There’s nothing like that dried in the sunshine and fresh air smell……

Looking at all these ways using a clothes line can save really gives me the extra motivation I need to get the laundry outside this summer.  And, ideally, this “no dryer” vibe will keep flowin’ all year through and we’ll finally set up a system in the basement for line drying so we’re covered for rainy and winter days too.

How about you?  Can you have a clothes line?  Unfortunately, some developments prohibit them.  And, we’ve seen folks with some types of allergies be aggravated more when their clothes were dried outside.  Overall though if you can find a place to string up your clothes, are able to get a wooden drying rack, or can make some other contraption in order to avoid using the dryer in your natural home, the environment, your clothes, and your wallet will all thank you!