Kannagara Woods Botanical Sanctuary and Wildlife Habitat

10/14/2024

USDA has no interest in protecting the health of Americans and others world-wide; their only interest seems to be in protecting the wealth of companies like Monsanto and Syngenta.

Network includes derogatory profiles of figures such as UN experts and food writer Michael Pollan, and is part of an effort to downplay pesticide dangers, records suggest

10/10/2024

12/23/2023

As a gardener, like so many others, I spend this time of yeasr burrowing into seed and plant catalogs, dreaming about next Spring's planting and next Autumn's harvest.

As an artist and eco-printer, I've been spending my time engrossed in my new favorite eco-printing book, "Best of Both Worlds: Enhanced Botanical Printing" by Jane Dunnewold. If you're already an eco-printer or you're a beginner wanting to get started, you need this book. Seriously. It's really great!

[This post contains an affiliate link, which means that we get a small commission if you click the link and buy the book. It doesn't affect your price at all, but it's really helpful to us!]

Unlock the magic of printing paper and fabrics with real leaves and flowers! This thorough guide explains how to choose plant materials and includes non-toxic formulas for chemical solutions that make prints vibrant and permanent. Use a simple metal pot to steam your botanical prints and then lea...

08/08/2023

We have a new post on our website covering the various mordants for eco-printing and how to use them.

Eco-Printing Alchemy (Part 1) Leave a Comment / Eco-Printing / By Will Kirchner (Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you choose to make a purchase after clicking a link, I may receive a commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support!)Eco-Printing is a process of t...

07/30/2023

On Saturday, July 22, we held our first workshop since the pandemic began in 2020, welcoming fifteen old and new friends to Kannagara Woods for a day of making Eco-Prints in the forest. We were lucky to have absolutely perfect weather and mild temperatures all day; even the seemingly daily thunderstorms waited until the workshop was finished and everything was cleaned up before they struck! Everyone seemed to have a good time. We've even had several requests to do it again and may do so in September. Let us know in the comments if you're interested!

We'd like to thank everyone who took part and especially our friends at Cleveland Seed Bank, The Green Triangle and Fox8's New Day Cleveland for their help in making the day a success.

Here are some photos from the workshop:

02/17/2023

Most of us know how important eating locally is as a way to support the environment and our local farmers and growers. But did you know that there's also a growing movement dedicated to creating a regional "soil to soil" fashion and textile system?

The pollution created by the current globalized textile industry has an enormous negative impact on our environment. According to the World Economic Forum, the "fast fashion" industry produces 10% of all the world's carbon emissions and, as the world's second-largest consumer of water, causes more than 20% of all freshwater pollution world-wide. And by now we've all heard horror stories about the working conditions in foreign "fast fashion" sweatshops and the toll on the physical and mental health of textile workers.

To address this, a growing Fibershed movement in the US is working to create equitable systems for regional textile production where all aspects of clothing production are accomplished locally and sustainably.

For the past five years, our friends at Rust Belt Fibershed have been working to "grow" a regional economy around flax. They're getting ready to inaugurate the 2023 Rust Belt Linen Project this month and are looking for individuals or community groups interested in growing plots of flax. If you're a gardener, farmer or fiber lover and want to find out more, click the link below and join us at the informational meeting online on February 23 at 7pm on Zoom. Click the link below to register for this free event:

https://rust-belt-fibershed.circle.so/c/flax-hemp-nettle-etc/growing-flax-for-the-rust-belt-linen-community-grow-project-2023

01/19/2023

We'll once again have a table at the Cleveeland Seed Swap this year, with seeds, books and more to give away. Hope we see you there!

The event is free and open to all, with a suggested donation of $5 to help support the Seed Bank's 2023 programming.

Come and swap heirloom and native seeds, rhizomes, and tubers with other gardeners across our bioregion. Learn, network and prepare for the gardening season ahead. Connect with like-minded individuals who are passionate about saving seeds and sharing their seed stories!

NO seeds required, but if you have them to share then please bring them! We'll bring seeds with us for those who may not have seeds of their own to swap.

Envelopes, labels, markers, and seed saving knowledge is provided by the Cleveland Seed Bank. Everyone will leave with seeds, new garden friends and a renewed enthusiasm for seed saving!

Don't forget your sourdough starters, cheese and yogurt cultures, kefir grains and kombucha scoby to share. Also, we are adding house plants and plant cuttings to the list of exciting things to swap. Bring them if you have them.

FOOD DONATIONS:
We are collecting nonperishable, nonexpired food for St. Patricks Hunger Center!

Looking forward to seeing everyone on the 28th!

ADA Accessibility:
There are several sets of stairs to reach the event and the venue is not ADA accessible. We sincerely apologize to anyone who may be unable to attend. Please contact us with a list of seeds you are interested in and we will set them aside.

GETTING TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD & PARKING:
Plenty of street parking is available as well as a few spaces in the parking lot attached to St. Patrick's. Ohio City is conveniently accessible on the RTA Red Line (West 25th Street Station). Please visit www.riderta.com for schedules and fares.

PLEASE NOTE: This is a family & kid friendly event and an inclusive, anti-oppressive safe space for all humans.

08/06/2022

Interesting video on the future of agriculture. Nice to see that they believe that forest farming/gardening is one of the primary paths forward.

It’s time for a new agricultural revolution. How can conservation-oriented farming work with the environment to feed us all?

04/08/2022

https://kannagarawoods.org/and-its-spring/

And it’s…Spring? Leave a Comment / Uncategorized / By Will Kirchner March 28, 2022 After a winter that almost seemed like the winters we remember from our childhood, the perennials in the forest gardens are heaving their shoulders through the leaf litter, stretching their leafy arms toward the s...