In a couple of weeks I will be attending and teaching at Heritage Life Skills, a 3-day, information packed weekend produced every year by Carolina Readiness Supply in Waynesville, North Carolina. The event offers hands-on classes for homesteaders, preppers and do-it-yourselfers in the skills of days gone by. Today, we call these sustainability skills. In the old days they just called them survival skills 🙂
There is a loss to society when we forget how to connect with the land, to know where our food comes from, and to learn the lost arts of our grandparents and great-grandparents. Learning sustainability skills can make all the difference if you want a community-connected sustainable life.
It’s easy to get started once you have a sustainable mindset.
THE INITIAL INVESTMENT IS WORTH IT
Being a responsible, self-sufficient citizen can be a source of pride and joy. It also makes it easier to create community by building a sense of give-and-take, rather than take-and-take-more. This doesn’t mean that you have to know how to do all things sustainable. In fact, it would difficult, if not impossible, to learn to do EVERYTHING. By developing skills of interest to you then trading and bartering with others who have invested in their own skill sets, ensures that you and your family have what you need to live sustainably. It also allows you to be an asset to your community by being prepared for just about anything the community needs.
It might cost some money to initially learn something. But, once you know it, it costs very little and can save you money in the long-run. The early investment in both time and money will become one of the building blocks of a sustainable lifestyle. When it comes to a self-sufficient, sustainable lifestyle, knowledge is much more valuable than material goods, or even cash.
FIRST THINGS FIRST: REDUCE WASTE
One very simple step towards sustainability is to reduce waste. That doesn’t mean going out and replacing all of your single use items with reusables all at once. That is neither sustainable, nor is it a wise use of money. It is also more about not buying things in the first place, rather than finding a sustainable substitute.
The top of the sustainable pyramid is “refuse” – IN OTHER WORDS, “REFUSE TO BUY IN THE FIRST PLACE.” Once you have that mastered that step, you are well on your way to living a sustainable lifestyle.
It’s no secret why recycling is important and that a little difference can for a long way. Our resident sustainable blogger, Tatia Childers has put together her 12 R’s of Recycling to help you get started and hone your recycling skills!
CLICK the button to receive your free 12 R’s of Recycling Booklet to help you reduce, reuse and recycle with ease.
Sustainable options eliminate the need to keep repurchasing things (saving money) while reducing the work needed to contribute to the landfill. One of my favorite sustainable replacements is Beeswax wraps. They can take the place of plastic cling wrap. They can be washed after every use and even re-waxed when the wax eventually wears out (another easy skill to learn!). Unlike non-biodegradable plastics, these wraps do not contain chemicals that are unhealthy, so they benefit both family and community.
I also like old-school “shower caps” for bowls! I got mine from Etsy, but if you’re a skilled seamstress then you could easily make them yourself (another useful skill!).
ATTEND A SUSTAINABILITY TRAINING EVENT
Heritage Life Skills continues to grow every year and the classes fill quickly. If you want to attend next year, I highly recommend registering early. The event is usually in April, so start looking for announcements for dates and classes around November or December. I usually try to make sure to post the information on my Facebook page!
Do you have a skill that you’d like to share? Talk to Jan at Carolina Readiness Supply! Not local? Do a quick Google search for “preparedness supplies” in your area and I’ll bet you’ll come up with something.
And if you can’t find something in your area, Carolina Readiness Supply is online! Either way, I highly recommend this, or other events like it. You will meet so many people with so many different skills that I’m sure you’ll be able to find something that you can learn that will help in the creation of a sustainable lifestyle AND to expand your sustainability community!
TRY THESE DIFFERENT SUSTAINABILITY SKILLS
- make bread & homemade butter
- collect rain water for the garden
- dehydrate your harvest
- make cheese
- smoking meats
- Use natural medicine
- Try off-grid cooking
Need motivation, advice or support? Comment below or reach out to me through my website or social media!
Sustainably Yours!
Tatia
Tatia Elizabeth Childers is a certified sustainability consultant, radical homemaker, unschooler, doTERRA wellness advocate, and homesteader. She is also the admin for Toward Zero Waste Haywood County, NC Facebook group. Her background in alternative and natural medicine, preparedness, self-reliance, environmental science, and domestic history are the backbone of her life of zero-waste, sustainability, non-consumerism, and environmental responsibility. She has studied environmental issues, natural medicine, preparedness, and domestic history for the better part of 30 years and it is her journey to share the knowledge of how the health of one’s environment affects human health with her community. She offers classes, workshops, presentations, and courses on a variety of subjects that is she is passionate about, as well as consultations and mentorships. She is the mother of 4, plus one bonus son. She is married to her beloved, a retired Navy veteran and on the board of a local non-profit, Women of Waynesville. She received her BA in health & wellness with an emphasis on environmental science and domestic history from Purdue Global University in 2019. She can be reached at https://smokymountainhomestead.wordpress.com/ or smokymountainhomestead@gmail.com.
