Fighting Climate Change in the Garden

Regenerative Techniques For A Healthy Ecosystem

by Julie Peterson

Reversing global warming may feel like a challenge that is out of reach,but anyone can make a difference by planting an ecologically supportive garden. Regenerative techniques employed in the backyard, a community garden or even an apartment patio can significantly improve local ecosystems. And because living systems are interconnected, a healthier ecosystem boosts the well-being of all life forms, as well as the environmen

“Growing a garden is one of the most powerful things we can do as individuals to enact positive change and make a difference,” says Emily Murphy, the California author of Grow Now: How We Can Save Our Health, Communities, and Planet—One Garden at a Time. “If you’re looking for practical solutions to the climate crisis and the resulting loss of biodiversity, the answer is right out your door and in the earth beneath your feet. It’s possible to sequester enough carbon to offset your carbon footprint while supporting wildlife.”

According to Jessica Walliser, the Pennsylvania author of Plant Partners: Science-Based Companion Planting Strategies for the Vegetable Garden and co-founder of Savvy Gardening.com, “Regenerative practices are simple, proactive steps that millions of gardeners should be adopting. They not only simplify your gardening practices and reduce time and budget in the long term, they are also the right thing to do in this modern age of human disturbance.”

Layer Soil

A key principle of regenerative gardening is to add layers to the soil instead of digging downward or tilling. “Layering up increases the water-holding capacity of the soil and the ability of the soil to sequester carbon,” Murphy explains.

“Addition of organic matter, such as compost, leaf mold or well-aged manure, helps build good soil structure and feeds beneficial soil microbes,” says Walliser, who recommends adding one to two inches per year to gardens.

Making compost onsite is valuable, but not always possible. In some cities, free compost is available through community compost hubs where residents drop off bins of yard and food waste. “Purchasing commercially produced compost may be a worthwhile investment, particularly when growers are just getting started and soil quality is poor,” suggests Bryan O’Hara, the Connecticut author of No-Till Intensive Vegetable Culture: Pesticide-Free Methods for Restoring Soil and Growing Nutrient-Rich, High-Yielding Crops.

chives and violets. “Interplanting makes it harder for pests to find their favorite host plant. It also makes it harder for diseases to spread from one plant to the next,” Walliser explains.

Avoid Chemicals

Skip the pesticides, herbicides and synthetic fertilizers. “Even organic pesticides can be harmful to pollinators and pest-eating beneficial insects like ladybugs, lacewings and others,” says Walliser. A chemical-free, biodiverse garden is a safe place for beneficial bugs. Trust that the good bugs will find the bad bugs and there will be balance.

A sun-kissed organic tomato from the garden will forever ruin us for grocery store produce. And when we sink our hands in healthy soil to retrieve a beet or plant seeds, we may feel a wave of positive energy because soil microbes have been found to work like natural antidepressants, making us happier and healthier.

“When we begin to understand the inner workings of our greater ecosystem through the ecosystems closest to home, such as our gardens and communities, we come to see that we each have the power to grow positive change, beginning at home,” says Murphy.

Julie Peterson writes on health, wellness and environmental topics. Reach out at JuliePeterson2222@gmail.com.

Plant Perennials

Perennials come back every year and can provide food for people and wildlife. Many varieties of fruiting shrubs, trees, vegetables and nuts can form the backbone of a garden with annual plants interspersed throughout. Adding beauty to the mix, perennial flowers—some of which are edible—are essential food for bees, butterflies and birds.

“Choose plants with different flower shapes, sizes and colors, as well as plants with a diversity of bloom times,” Walliser advises. “Opt for plants native to your region, as they have co-evolved with native insects and may provide better resources for them.”

Embrace Biodiversity

“When you’re fostering biodiversity, you’re supporting the mutualism that naturally exists in wildlife. You’re increasing and improving ecological relationships,” says Murphy. Instead of planting monoculture rows in a vegetable garden, mix up the plants the way Mother Nature does, Walliser recommends. And if abandoning tidy rows of the same type of plant seems too unruly, interplant the rows: a few beans, a tomato, flowers, then more beans and peppers, for example.

Another suggestion is to plant a variety of salad greens, carrots and radishes in a raised bed and interplant edible nasturtiums,

calendar of events JULY 2023

Send your event information to mike@naturalawakenings-houston.com

SATURDAY JULY 1st-MONDAY JULY 31st

Plastic Free EcoChallenge. Plastic pollution now contaminates the deepest trenches in the ocean, the highest mountain peaks, and even the air we breathe. Microplastics have been found in human blood, lungs, breast milk and placentas. Plastic has entered the food chain, killing wildlife, and causing the average person to eat tens of thousands of microplastic particles every year. To learn more about this issue & take action to affect change, join one of the two teams. You select the challenges you’d like to accomplish during the month and when/ how you do them. For more information, see this link: https://plasticfree.ecochallenge. org

TUESDAY JULY 4th yoga

Independence Day Rest of Yoga Extended Practice 9:00-10:30 am. Enjoy a special 90-minute class that includes philosophy, pranayama, meditation, asana and an extended savasana. Hosted by Kim Taurins. Union Studio Yoga 600 N. Shepherd Drive, Suite 449, Houston, TX 77007. unionstudio.

WEDNESDAY JULY 5th

Teaching Tuesdays at Dawn Mountain. 7-8:30 pm. Series of teachings involving mindfulness, buddhist practices and traditions, inclusive of all levels and open to everyone. Teachings are held the first and third Tuesdays of every month. Lama Rigzin and Lama Namgyal : Discovering your own experience: Discernment as method. Online only. dawnmountain.org/teaching-tuesdays-2/

SATURDAY JULY 8th

Illumination of Oneness: A Yoga Nidra Meditation Experience. 10:00 – 11:30 am. Join us for this community event at Unity to experience oneness with divine love and Christ Consciousness. Gena Davis will guide a Yoga Nidra meditation specifically curated to illumine the direct experience of oneness. $50. Unity of Houston Pyramid 2929 Unity Drive, Houston, TX 77057. tinyurl.com/YogaNidraUnity

SUNDAY JULY 9th

Gong Sound Experience 12:30 – 1:30 pm. Come by the Bookstore for refreshments and experience the healing sound current of a symphonic gong, played slowly with a heart-beat rhythm. Feel the complex vibrations move through your body, healing, clearing, and energizing you. FREE. Unity of Houston 2929 Unity Drive, Houston, TX 77057. tinyurl.com/GongUnity

SATURDAY JULY 15th

Yoga Triangle Workshop. 5:00-6:00 pm. Learn how to incorporate The Yoga Triangle into your Yin, Flow, Restorative, & Myofascial Release practice with the inventor, Amanda Field, 500 ERYT (Founder of The Yoga Triangle & Republic Aerial Yoga) 60 minute workshop includes access to an online database & community. The Yoga Triangles are made in Houston by a yogi for yogis. They are designed to enhance your practice with comfort, support and creativity. Hosted by Amanda Field. Cost $25. Union Studio Yoga 600 N. Shepherd Drive, Suite 449, Houston, TX 77007. tinyurl.com/YogaUnionTriangle

Mark Your Calendar

SATURDAY JULY 15th & 22nd

Bridging Neurobiological and Buddhist Views on Craving, Addiction, and Recovery. 9 am - 12 noon. Please join Dr. Deana Bodnar - a Ph.D. in Neurobiology, practicing Buddhist, and steadfast recovery advocate for this twopart virtual seminar where we will explore craving, addition, and recovery by putting contemporary neuroscientific understandings in conversation with Buddhist beliefs and practices. Offered online only. tinyurl.com/BuddhistViews

THREE TUESDAYS JULY 18th, AUGUST

1st, AUGUST 15th

TEACHING TUESDAY NEW SERIES: FRESH EYES ON GREEN TARA

July 18, August 1, & August 15 7:00-8:30 pm central time Online Only. Come begin or refresh your connection to Green Tara. Tender as spring, swift as the wind, she is your healing friend. tinyurl.com/FreshEyesNatural

FRIDAY JULY 21st

Crystal Bowl Sound Bath + Yoga Nidra. 6:15-7:00 pm. Experience deep relaxation with the sounds and frequencies of quartz crystal singing bowls. Jessica will guide you through a full body scan/yoga nidra meditation to a state of conscious sleep. Hosted by Jessica Brock. Investment: $25. Union Studio Yoga 600 N. Shepherd Drive, Suite 449, Houston, TX 77007. unionstudio.yoga

SUNDAY JULY 30th

Life’s Better Outside – Your Texas State Parks 6 p.m. Online. Join Lisa Reznicek of the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department (TPWD) for a discussion of how you can connect to Texas State Parks. We know many ways humans are happier, healthier, and smarter for playing outside. TPWD is extending an invitation to join us for some fun as we celebrate 100 years of your Texas State Parks. Relax and plan your next retreat with a local park ranger during this interactive discussion on the ways we get better by connecting to our wild side! Time for interactive Q&A with the speaker will be provided. Please register for this talk on tinyurl.com/LifesBetterOutside

Plan Ahead

SATURDAY AUGUST 20th

Welcome To Dawn Mountain Event. 12:30 central time. Come learn about our Dzogchen lineage and meet our Lamas/ Founders. Learn what we have to offer and meet some of our sangha. Please join us for a complimentary one-hour event via Zoom (or YouTube), or in person at 4916 Main St #100, Houston 77002. tinyurl.com/ WecomeDawnMt

SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 2nd

Connecting Across the Veil 1:30 – 3:00 pm. Online. While we grieve the loss of a loved one when they pass, we may also feel alone when we would have reached out for their wisdom or love as we did when they were living. Love is the connection that keeps our friends and family close to our hearts, thoughts, and lives; reaching out to them across the veil provides the reassurance that they are with us, and the warmth of their loving care strengthens our bonds. tinyurl.com/UnityVeil

SATURDAY NOVEMBER 4th

Annual 2023 Tapestry Gala 6:30 pm. Interfaith Ministries will celebrate dialog, collaboration and service at it’s annual Tapestry Gala at Hilton Americas. Interfaith Ministries President and CEO Martin B. Cominsky and Board Chairman Randall Evans invite guests and supporters to an inspiring eventing celebrating the work of Interfaith Ministries. imgh.org

Coming In August

monday

Free Outdoor Zumba 6:30 pm. Join the party and sweat with Tiny Fitness to rhythms from around the world! This hour-long Zumba fitness class will have you grooving, shaking, and toning to salsa, hip hop, samba, and bhangra beats - and so many more. Open to all fitness levels and recommended for ages 16+ Levy Park, 3801 Eastside, Houston 77098. tinyfitnesshouston.com tuesday

IGNITE! Sessions. 10am-5pm. Find your purpose with igniter/artist/intuitive guide Sarah Gish in 30- or 60-minute sessions ($50 or $100). You’ll leave with a personal mantra that reinforces what the heart-centered connection uncovered. Call for appointment: 713.993.0550. Body Mind & Soul. 7951 Katy Freeway.

Sahaja Yoga Meditation 10-11 am In person and online. A unique method of meditation, rooted in ancient spiritual knowledge. You can achieve a state of balance in just 10 minutes. Continue with free meditation classes. FREE. South Community Center (The Woodlands) 2235 Lake Robbins Dr, Spring, TX 77380 houston-meditation.org

Gentle Yoga Flow and Sound Medition

6:30-7:30 pm. Strengthen your body, relax your mind, find your center with this dynamic yoga flow sequence with Farinda Meduid and Saumil Manek. FREE Discovery Green 1500 McKenney St. 77010 discoverygreen. com

Qi Gong: 7pm-8pm. Learn to heal yourself using Qi Gong with Master Wong with over 40 years of experience. Qi Gong can calm & reduce stress. Bellaire Yoga Tai Chi 2537 S Gessner Rd #131, Houston77063. Fee $25. bellaireyogataichi.com wednesday

Blissful Quests® with Doyle Ward-The Pocast. 1:00pm.Are you looking for answers? Have you ever had a “hunch” or a “gut feeling” that came true? Are you wondering if you are intuitive? Maybe the real question to explore is not IF you are intuitive, but HOW you are intuitive. Doyle Ward is an experienced intuitive medium, teacher, grief recovery specialist, and life coach. Call in during the show at: 1-760-456-7277, access on-demand episodes or listen live! blissfulquests.com/podcast

Sahaja Yoga Meditation 10-11 am In person and online. A unique method of meditation, rooted in ancient spiritual knowledge. You can achieve a state of balance in just 10 minutes. Continue with free meditation classes. FREE. Katy Library 5414 Franz Rd, Katy, TX 77493 houston-meditation.org

Yang Tai Chi: 12 Noon–1 pm. Join Master Wong in this simplified Tai Chi class appropriate for beginners with emphasis on foundation. Good for maintaining health and increasing flexibility. Bellaire Yoga Tai Chi 2537 S Gessner Rd #131, Houston 77063. Fee $25. Website: bellaireyogataichi.com

HIIT Class with FitMix 6:30-7:30 pm A fun and challenging body weight interval training class to burn tons of calories while gaining strength, endurance and empowerment. FREE Discovery Green 1500 McKenney St. 77010 discoverygreen.com

Reiki Circle 11:00 am. Reiki Holy Fire Experience healing circle, held on 2nd Saturday of every month. A chosen issue for healing will be the focus of each circle. Everyone is welcome.Location: 9039 Katy Freeway, building 500, suite 504, Houston, TX 77024. Fee: Love offering. Contact: April 713-922-3474. Website: dharmareikiacupuncture.com

Sahaja Yoga Meditation 10-11 am A unique method of meditation, rooted in ancient spiritual knowledge. You can achieve a state of balance in just 10 minutes. Continue with free meditation classes. FREE. Sahaja Yoga Meditation Center 4510 C Hwy 6 N, houston-meditation.org

Wednesday Night Satsang. 7-8 pm. At Unity, everyone is recognized as a true spiritual being, awakening to the truth that sets them free. Unity Pyramid 2929 Unity Dr. Houston 77057. https://unityhouston.org/ thursday

Qi Gong: 6pm-7pm. Learn to heal yourself using Qi Gong with Master Wong with over 40 years of experience. Qi Gong can calm & reduce stress. Bellaire Yoga Tai Chi 2537 S Gessner Rd #131, Houston 77063. Fee $25. bellaireyogataichi.com

Chen Tai Chi: 7:10pm-8:10pm. All styles of Tai Chi comes from Chen Tai Chi. This is an authentic class taught in the lineage of Chen Zhao Kui that focuses on self defense and healing. Master Wong has been training in Tai Chi for over 40 years. Bellaire Yoga Tai Chi 2537 S Gessner Rd #131,Fee $25. bellaireyogataichi.com saturday sunday Free Yoga on the Lawn. 8:30-9:30 am. Join Union Studio for a complimentary 60-minute all levels outdoor yoga class on the Yoga Lawn at the M-K-T every Saturday at 8:30 AM, weather permitting. This event is sponsored by Central City co-op. Enjoy a sample of tasty seasonal and local produce. FREE. unionstudio.yoga

Free Outdoor Zumba 9am. Join the party and sweat with Tiny Fitness to rhythms from around the world! This hour-long Zumba fitness class will have you grooving, shaking, and toning to salsa, hip hop, samba, and bhangra beats - and so many more. Open to all fitness levels and recommended for ages 16+ Levy Park, 3801 Eastside. tinyfitnesshouston.com

Sahaja Yoga Meditation 10-11 am Online. A unique method of meditation, rooted in ancient spiritual knowledge. You can achieve a state of balance in just 10 minutes. Continue with free meditation classes. FREE. houston-meditation.org

Free Weekly Meditation 11:00 am to 12:00 noon Central time, online via Zoom or Youtube, and in person at 4916 Main St Suite 100, Houston, TX 77002. Led by senior members of the Dawn Mountain sangha (community), this meditation offers a chance to take a mindful pause from your busy life, enjoy serenity and fellowship, and learn a bit more about Buddhist practice at Dawn Mountain. Free, guided meditation suitable for everyone. Come as you are – dress comfortably and plan to remove your shoes. Free monthly “First Sunday” teachings on the first Sunday of each month at 10:30 am Central time, with the meditation following also being led by our lamas. https://www.dawnmountain.org/sunday-meditations/

Let us cultivate our garden. ~Voltaire