Evelyn Searle Hess

For fifteen years, Evelyn Hess and her husband David lived in a tent and trailer, without electricity or running water, on twenty acres of wild land in the foothills of the Oregon Coast Range. When they decided to build a house – a real house at last – they knew it would have to respect the lessons of simple living that they learned in their camping life. They knew they could not do it alone. Building a Better Nest chronicles their adventures as they begin to construct a house of their own, seeking a model for sustainable living not just in their home, but beyond its walls.What does it mean to build a better nest? Better for whom? Is it better for the individual or family? The planet? Green building and sustainable design are popular buzzwords, but to Hess, sustainable building is not a simple matter of buying and installing the latest recycled flooring products. It is also about cooperative work: working together in employment, in research, in activism, and in life. Hess is concerned with her local watershed, but also with the widening income gap, disappearing species, and peak resources. She actively works to reduce overconsumption and waste. For Hess, these problems are both philosophical and practical.As Hess and her husband age, the questions of how to live responsibly arise with greater frequency and urgency. With unfailing wit and humor, she looks for answers in such places as neuroscience, Buddhism, and her ancestral legacy. Building a Better Nest will appeal to anyone with an interest in sustainable building, off-grid living, or alternative communities. The questions it asks about the way we live are earnest and important, from an author whose voice is steeped in wisdom and gratitude.

To the Woods is a tale of adventure, inspiration, and living life in concert with nature. It is the true story of Evelyn Searle Hess, who, in her late fifties, walks away from the world of modern conveniences to build a new life with her husband on twenty acres of wild land in the foothills of Oregon's Coast Range.To the Woods tracks the natural history of place through the seasons. It describes Hess's day-to-day challenges, from living in a trailer without electricity or indoor plumbing to excavating a pond to dealing with health crises. It explores the joys of living simply, building a relationship with the natural world, and awakening to the interconnectedness of all life.Hess's careful attention to detail, her extensive knowledge of local flora and fauna, and her thoughtful philosophical meditations add richness to her engaging prose. To the Woods will appeal to readers interested in the environment and sustainable living, and to anyone who has ever considered fleeing the city for a life closer to nature.

Our current moment is filled with despair about climate crises and the possibility of coming to any kind of agreement that might change the dire outcomes. Shoulder to Shoulder tells the stories of communities in North Western America who learned to talk to each other and to solve the conflicts between stakeholders. Loggers, cattle ranchers, rogue-river keepers, corporate developers, tree huggers, and indigenous peoples from many tribes are just a few of the characters in these stories of hope for our climate. This is a book for anyone wanting to make a difference, anyone looking for camaraderie with others of like mind, anyone believing that democracy requires engaged citizenship, anyone looking for hope. The message throughout is that change can be made with large numbers of caring, involved, thinking, co-operative people, change to protect both democracy and a livable planet.

Fracking and everything that comes with it is transforming communities across the United States; often for the worse. Some communities are fighting to mitigate the damage already done; others are fighting to prevent the damage in the first place. This is the story of a community in Southwestern Colorado-- the North Fork Valley--fighting to prevent oil and gas leasing on the public lands which surround or permeate its watershed, farms, ranches, homes, and prime fishing and hunting grounds. This is the story of how individuals come together to protect the North Fork Valley's brand of clean air, water and food, its status as 1 of 14 pristine places in the United States considered Too Wild To Drill, and its role in Colorado's food security and recreational economy. This is the story of farmers, ranchers, sportsmen, business owners, homeowners, parents, lawyers, artists, residents, and nonprofit organizations all coming together to save one of the most special and unique places in the world. This is the story of how to fight back against powerful interests to protect your individual health, wellbeing and livelihood. This is the story of how one community is not only fighting for itself but for everyone who depends on the highest quality of fruits, vegetables, and meats that come from the largest concentration of organic farms in the State of Colorado from being destroyed.