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Space Needles: The Moon Tree of Mission Plaza
A giant astronaut lives only yards away from Bambu Batu in the heart of Mission Plaza in downtown San Luis Obispo. The Moon Tree, a coast redwood (Sequoia sempervirens), was planted as a 55-inch tall seedling just upstream from the Broad Street Bridge near Mission San...
In the spotlight: Luminous bamboo panels
Artist Jeff Dah-Yue Shi of the Dragonfly Design Center has a bright idea for bamboo. Literally. His modular LED and bamboo veneer lights can be used as a building material that can transform flat walls into geometric mosaics. Both energy-efficient and sustainable,...
Get a load of this: No electricity washing machines
When doing a load of laundry, make sure your conscience is as clean as your duds. In order to save water and energy, some enterprising companies are manufacturing electricity-free washers. Intended for developing nations, environmentally concerned citizens, and...
Sour puss: Summer pickle recipe
To me, a good pickle is the convergence of all things inherently wonderful in cuisine. How can you go wrong with crispy, fresh cucumbers, garlic, dill, and spices? Through the miracle of fermentation, this humble green vegetable is not only preserved long past its...
Produce, pride and permaculture: Four Elements Organics Farm
To proponents of permaculture, farming is not just about the production of food, but a means through which humans care for their communities, restore the land, and display the most enlightened of agricultural techniques. Modeled after natural systems, permaculture...
Grassy games: Bamboo toys
NOTE: Morgana Matus originally shared this article in July 2012, most recently edited in June 2024, at which time most of the toys she described were no longer available. It used to be that the biggest danger to your children from their toys was not being able to find...