About the Author

I’m an 80-something gardener, writer, parent and grandparent, climate educator, musician, and companion of plants. I’ve been a teacher, non-profit director, editor, and mid-level corporate manager. My life’s goal is to live from nature’s values rather than the values of my culture.

We can’t know how long and how well our institutions will manage ecological and economic upheaval, but we can prepare for outcomes we’d rather not have to confront. My interest now is to help us make the shift from success in the industrial economic model to taking our humble places as members of the damaged but still-living world.

Our inner spirits, our connectedness with humans and the rest of nature, and our knowledge of how to manage life’s daily tasks are personal treasures we can develop and strengthen. They are all we truly own, and they cannot be taken from us by any change of circumstance. The strength of our spirits gives us fortitude and even joy as we deal with difficulties and out-of-routine events. Our ties within a network of loved and trusted others give us emotional and physical security. With these and a broad array of useful knowledge, we can provide the basic life requirements for ourselves, our families, and our neighbors.