151-Local Sustainability with Basil Camu

Do you want to support healthy ecosystems, and create a legacy that can last? Me too. Start with your lawn, then your community, then see how you feel. Basil Camu is an expert in local rewilding and today he is here to share his passion for natural ecosystems and how you can create a bounding oasis of local biodiversity literally in your back yard! Think native! Flowers, grasses, forbs, shrubs, trees, everything helps!

I often get so wound up in forests and how we manage them that I forget that my yard, and community, can be a place for nature as well. I am now officially growing trees in my back yard with the intention of rewilding my property, and hopefully sharing that passion with others.

Resources

Leaf & Limb

From Wasteland to Wonder

Sponsors

West Fraser

GreenLink Forestry Inc.

Quotes

12.35 - 12.43: “I think humans are a part of this planet, we are all interconnected. There has been a huge disconnect between humans and the rest of life.”

Takeaways

“I love trees” (09.13)

Basil’s love for ecosystems is reflected in his book, From Wasteland to Wonder. He believes that humans are a part of the planet and should not be separated from nature.

Soil =  life + sand + silt + clay (20.45)

Basil explains how plants have been converting the sun’s energy into usable formats for millions of years, causing life to move from the oceans onto land and support all life above ground and under the soil.

A tree is a 3D printer of life (23.10)

Basil thinks of soil as a sponge, which holds water, thereby preventing flooding and enabling photosynthesis. He thinks of trees as pumps that feed the terrestrial planet and sequester carbon.

Is the grass greener? (37.40)

Basil points out that grass is the #1 crop grown in the USA but 10% or fewer Americans spend time in their yard. He highlights the need to work with natural systems instead of against them.

A global water crisis (40.10)

Basil calculates that by enabling photosynthesis and protecting the soil, you will do 75% of the things you can to address biodiversity.

“The best place to start is planting trees” (42.34)

Basil suggests people plant native trees. He suggests using chicken wire when planting native trees so they can grow protected.

Life for life’s sake (49.17)

A native plant can support most life, participate in the local ecosystem and sequester carbon from the atmosphere.

Nothing leaves the yard (59.19)

Soil can be fed with any organic matter - fallen leaves, woodchips, etc. Basil recommends using compost instead of fertilizers since fertilizers have a massive carbon footprint.

Self-sustaining meadows (1.09.24)

Basil speaks about using glyphosate to remove vegetation and create a native meadow for ecological restoration. He recommends sowing a seed blend or flower seeds during winter.

Grow your own meadow (1.14.56)

Basil recommends planting butterfly milkweeds to help monarch butterflies on their flight path. He also suggests planting a few saplings to create a pocket forest and putting up educational signs.

A forest in your pocket (1.21.06)

Basil suggests using oak and hickory trees which have higher ecological value, feed more species of life and have understory species and shrub layers.

Project Pando (1.26.47)

Project Pando, the non-profit arm of Leaf & Limb, engages a community to collect seeds from native trees and shrubs and get them processed and planted through volunteers. Working with trees helps strengthen the bond and connection for people to see themselves as a part