What brought you here to LadyBug EarthCare? Is it a curiosity about what EarthCare is? Is it a desire to make a difference for the planet by supporting pollinators and wildlife? Is it because you love ladybugs as much as we do?!
Maybe something struck a chord deep in your being that longs to connect with Nature in a meaningful way, to protect and support her, to contribute to her healing rather than harm.
For these reasons and so many more, you are absolutely in the right place.
This is where we build community around EarthCare, which we define as ethical ecological action that emerges from a deep connection with Nature.
When we talk about EarthCare, the next questions we usually get are:
What is ethical ecological action?
How can I cultivate a deep relationship with Nature?
WHERE do I start?
These are awesome questions, because it means you want to take action. You want to do things better than they've been done before. We are so honored to assist you on this journey.
While EarthCare is one of the 3 core ethics of Permaculture, it is not just another landscaping service, or technique to be applied. It is a lifestyle, a way of being and acting in the world, and it is deeply relational. “Care” is in the term, which requires a connection to the person, place or thing we are caring for… it’s a way of feeling that is active and present.
The Time to Care is Now
→ 80% of Earth's forests are already lost + 375 square kilometers lost per day.
→ Every hour, 1,692 acres of productive dry land become desert.
→ Carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and water vapor have reached record levels in the atmosphere, outpacing Earth's ability to cycle + restore.
→ The U.S. has lost 150 million acres of habitat and farmland over the past century to urban sprawl, and that trend isn’t slowing.
Like you, we look at these stats and wonder what difference we could possibly make in the face of such massive problems? And that’s where a personal EarthCare practice comes in. It’s through a deeper relationship with your Place on Earth that gives you the ability to have YOUR impact, and that matters.
The United Nations Report states that "around 1 million animal and plant species are now threatened with extinction, many within decades, more than ever before in human history. Biodiversity and nature’s contributions to people are our common heritage and humanity’s most important life-supporting ‘safety net’. But our safety net is stretched almost to breaking point. Ecosystems, species, wild populations, local varieties and breeds of domesticated plants and animals are shrinking, deteriorating or vanishing. The essential, interconnected web of life on Earth is getting smaller and increasingly frayed. Although we still have the means to ensure a sustainable future for people and the planet."
We connect with humans who want to restore their connection with Nature, of which humanity is a part. We focus on a relationship-based approach to caring for the land in our Place, right where we are, and the beings we share that space with - our kin. And we do it all with ease, simplicity and loveliness - the antidote to harshness, harm, fear and extraction-based approaches to interacting with Earth that are all too common.
Through simple, sustainable, ethical actions, we move toward healing and making a meaningful difference. In the wonderful words of Joana Macy, “as we work to heal the Earth, the Earth heals us.”
Benefits of an EarthCare Practice
The benefits of having your own EarthCare practice flow through body, mind, spirit and Nature as a whole. Let’s name just a few, from things you’ll notice right away, to some that work on a longer timeline.
> Body, Mind + Spiritual Benefits
Being outdoors and physically interacting with Nature helps regulate your nervous system, boost your immune system and promote healing.
When your nervous system is well regulated and functioning optimally, symptoms like anxiety and depression are eased.
Many people use their EarthCare practice to connect with their higher power on a personal, tangible level.
> Nature Benefits
EarthCare puts the needs of Earth before the wants of humans as a fundamental practice, but fortunately for us, this is a symbiotic relationship.
Supporting pollinators and building habitat for wildlife comes first, which further benefits humans’ spiritual, physical, mental + economic health through ecosystem services.
Your EarthCare practice is how you can make a meaningful impact on the wellbeing of the ecosystem, bioregion, watershed, soil and forests where you live - no matter how big or small of a scale you’re working on.
> Budget, Time + Investment Benefits
Save time and money by avoiding harmful chemicals + fossil fuels, working WITH Nature instead of against her, and reducing maintenance over time.
Invest wisely in native plants that are much more likely to survive + thrive in your bioregion.
Cultivate a deep working knowledge of the land you care for, so you can seek wise mentorship and make the best decisions for projects, installations, plant palettes and maintenance activities.
Rather than spending money on “land-scraping crews” who lack awareness of the land and regularly perform heavy-handed maintenance, learn to convert more lawns to gardens and meadows that become more self-sufficient over time.
Avoid wasting time, energy + resources making costly and frustrating mistakes, such as poorly chosen plants, misplaced gardens, or issues of “wrong plant wrong place.”
EarthCare Journey Resources
As the human who lives, loves, works + worships with the land in your Place, you are in the best position to learn and understand what it needs, what is present, and what can be done to support and heal it. This intimate relationship is at the core of what we desperately need to restore, and it really is simple to get started.
1. Get started by getting to know your Place with a Virtual Site Visit or a Land Walk Consult with Kendra. > Book a Visit or Request a Consult HERE
2. If you’ve already done this and need support for the next stages of your journey, book an EarthCare Strategy Session with Kendra where she helps you work through your challenges, identify opportunities, figure out what’s actionable next, and how to take steps toward your long term dreams and goals. > Book a Strategy Session HERE
3. Get these supportive EarthCare Journey resources (and so many more) in our Loveliness Bundle when you sign up for the All Access Pass to the 2023 MidAtlantic EarthCare Summit:
>> Seasonal EarthCare Checklist
>> 2023 EarthCare Calendar (printable version)
>> Ultimate Mindful CleanUp Guide
>> Sheet Mulching Tutorial
>> Basic Pruning + Weeds 101 Guides
>> Site Condition Tracker Sheets
>> many more items included...
Want to jumpstart your EarthCare Journey?
Join us for the FREE - and fun! - MidAtlantic EarthCare Summit, March 22 - 25. Learn from 20+ Earth Workers, activists, naturalists, experts + ecologists, alongside our community of motivated humans as you Find your Place, Connect with Nature and Increase your Impact.
