From Wasteland to Wonder

  • Saturday, January 18, 2025
  • 11:00am - 12:00pm

Easy Ways We Can Help Heal Earth in the Sub/Urban Landscape

portrait of a man with light skin and combed back hair in a flannel shirt sitting in front of a graffiti flower

Join us along with the Wake Audubon Society in the SECU Daily Planet Theater for a special presentation with Basil Camu, co-founder of Leaf & Limb.

The way we currently manage the suburban and urban landscape is creating a wasteland and harming the well-being of Earth. We pave over forests, use giant machines to scrape away healthy soil, and turn thriving grasslands into dead lawns. Rain is unable to soak into the ground and instead rushes downhill, causing erosion and flooding. We repeatedly soak the land in toxic chemicals that kill life. There is little food for the birds, butterflies, and bees that need it. These efforts are costly, time-intensive, and increase CO2 in the atmosphere.

Fortunately, we have an alternative path: we can work with natural systems instead of working against them. By doing so, we can help heal Earth. We also save time and money because we perform fewer tasks and use fewer products. Caring for trees, soil, and the well-being of Earth can yield a more beautiful world than what we have experienced previously. It can fill our lives with joy and purpose; joy because we experience so many moments of wonder, and purpose because we feel empowered to help solve big issues using the spaces where we live, work, and play.

During the presentation we will begin by examining how the systems of photosynthesis and soil formation work and how they affect water, carbon, and all other life on land. We will also discuss how we are damaging these systems. The remainder of this presentation are practices we can implement that help heal Earth based on first-hand expertise developed at Leaf & Limb.

Our Guest

When you ask Basil Camu what he thinks about himself, he’ll tell you he is incredibly lucky. He has family he loves dearly, friends and colleagues who inspire him, and every day he gets to care for trees, soil, and flowers. He pursues his purpose and passions as the co-founder of Leaf & Limb, a tree care company in Raleigh, NC, and Project Pando, a non-profit that aims to connect people to trees. He is a Treecologist, ISA Board Certified Master Arborist, Duke graduate, Wizard of Things, and author of of the book From Wasteland to Wonder – Easy Ways We Can Help Heal Earth in the Sub/Urban Landscape. His work has been featured in the New York Times, Seattle Times, Forbes, Gardenista, The Joe Gardener Show, and a number of other publications and podcasts. When he’s not having fun at work, he likes to pull invasive plants from his pocket forests, contemplate on his front porch, and go hiking with his family.

Details

Details

Date:
January 18, 2025
Times:
11:00 am - 12:00 pm

Venue

SECU Daily Planet Theater

Nature Research Center
121 West Jones Street
Raleigh, NC 27601 United States
+ Google Map
Phone:
919.707.9800

Organizer

Chris Smith
919.707.9296