Checking-in on Bowen Island's Eco-Shed

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It’s just over a year ago that I did a podcast with James Glave regarding his book Almost Green and we toured his, then yet to be finished, eco-shed.  (Give the podcast a listen, James is hilarious)

A year later, the Eco-Shed is  one of the jewels of Bowen Island, and was even featured in one of Oprah’s magazines.

Whether you’re visiting from thousands of miles away, or from just across Howe Sound, Bowen is a fantastic escape.  And you can feel good while you’re there, knowing that your carbon footprint is tiny – eco-tourism in the lap of luxury !

Creator and owner, writer James Glave and I had a catch-up meeting recently aboard my tiny sailboat Madsu at the Bowen government docks.

Here’s the latest on the Eco-Shed, according to James:

Within a couple of weeks guests will be able to help themselves to strawberries and blueberries in the rock garden bed right out their front door. Soon after, they can browse the raspberry patch nearby. We’ll be rolling this fruit into our baked goods that we deliver.

There are guest book entries in flickr.com/ecoshed… including one where the guest created a chinese character for the eco-shed.

Our favourite wine at the moment is blasted church “hatfield’s fuse.”

The weather is gorgeous and paddling season is well underway.

Over the summer I will be improving the rough trail that connects us with Artisan Square… the Artisan Eats bakery cafe, just down and over, is a popular destination.

At some point, James and I should arrange to bring a lucky guest(s) over or back from the island aboard Madsu, lowering the carbon footprint even more.

There are still dates open – so check out the Eco-Shed website, and book your escape now.

Vivaldi Never Lived in BC

Even though I’ve lived in the Lower Mainland since 1987, I’ve just now figured out the seasons.

What was throwing me off is that they aren’t distinct, discreet seasons like elsewhere in the country.

They’re mellow, they over-lap, and there are some wildcards.

Today, in a moment of clarity like I’ve never had before, it all came to me.

The seasons here go like this:

  • Mostly Snowboarding
  • Mostly Gardening
  • Mostly Sailing

Oh, we also have a season called Hawaii.

To help keep it all clear, I’ve put together a little chart – click for a larger version – print it up and stick in on the bulletin board.

lower_mainland_seasons-sm

Originally posted on the Bigsnit blog

Super Green Home Challenge

Vancouver Washington is home to my sister-in-law, across the river from Portland, and the site of what could become America’s greenest home.

In a project that reminds me of friend James Glaves’ eco-shed, the idea is to construct a family residence that generates as much energy as it consumes. Easier said than done, particularly in a climate like ours… Continue reading

Thought provoking videos from leading thinkers.

I highly recommended taking some time to check out these videos from TED talks featuring Al Gore and Michael Pollan. TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design. It started out (in 1984) as a conference bringing together people from those three worlds. Since then its scope has become ever broader.

Continue reading