The Ecology Center, an educational facility in Orange County, held a series of DIY workshops in 2009 and 2010 to teach people practical, environmental solutions for the home. With the popularity of the workshops, The Ecology Center decided to compile the projects as a reference, and that reference became Backyard Skills: A D.I.Y. Handbook. We’ve been given a review copy to read and share on this site.
The first Backyard Skills edition includes 19 total projects among five chapters: energy, shelter, waste, food, and water. Each project includes a description of the cost, time, and tools involved to completion.
To use one project as an example, building a pallet chair costs about $15, takes two hours, and requires a crowbar, hammer, saw, two pallets, wood glue, and certain nails and screws.
Other projects mentioned in the reference include: building a solar oven, planting a shade tree, making household cleaners, creating a worm bin, brewing homemade beer, designing a rain garden, and retrofitting a greywater drain pipe. There’s also some additional information on home energy, water, and waste audits.
In the closing of Backyard Skills, the authors invite readers to “bring the tools, strategies, and practices featured in Backyard Skills into your home and then — and here’s where you can really make a difference — share them with your community.“Â That’s a plan, so good luck if you win this copy or buy one from The Ecology Center.
[+] Order a copy of Backyard Skills: A D.I.Y. Handbook.
Update: The giveaway of this book has concluded.
Thinking about building a house and this could definitely give me some ideas for reducing resources and costs
I love the artwork! I’ve read a fair number of these types of books but I’m always ready to take on one more 🙂
This would make a great addition to my library.
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Great way to foster a better relationship with neighbors!
awesome!
Â
 Nice giveaway!
This looks like such a nifty book!
Thanks for bringing the book to my attention; whether I win or not I’ll have to grab a copy.Â
Very beautifully designed. This would be great to have around the house.
If sustainability is halfway between restoration and destruction, than resiliency is the skill that will permeate the continuum regardless of the result. Â A book of this nature is just what Darwin ordered!Â
The book looks amazing!
I’m a father of 2 who just bought a house. I would love this as I am clueless
I’d love the book. Thanks
Jared
I’m currently designing my house to be a sustainable one. this could be of much help!
This book sounds great to keep my newly purchased Energy Star home going in
the right direction. Also a big THANKS
to Jetson Green for all of your great ideas.
My family could benefit from this book!
OMG, I love this, it looks so interesting! would love to get a copy. 🙂
I could use that
looks like a great book! Â we are working on making a worm bin right now and the kids would love a solar oven!!
I would love to have something like this.
Wish I’d thought of it!!
This handbook is a great idea. I’d love to get one in the giveaway. Also, I’d encourage more giveaways.
This would be a perfect book to help us become more sustainable with our limited money situation.
Looks like it’s got interesting and useful ideas.
I learned how to make beer and seed bombs at the ecology center. Love that place! endless possibilities for learning!
I Love it!!!
some cool projects. just finished renovating a 1946 house and now we’re on to the backyard. put me in for a chance to win a copy. thanks
Very useful information for not just surviving but keeping more in balance in North Carolina with it’s mixed-humid climate~thanks
Love it!
Sounds like a great pamphlet on useful ways of re-use and re-building. Also interesting how many folks will jump on a chance to get something for free. But then I bet most of them like me has watched Junk Raiders. Free-Cycling at it’s best/worst.
This looks awesome! If I don’t win I will buy a copy anyway.
Tshirtweather, congrats! You’re the winner of this book. I’ll email you separately to get your information for shipment. Â
Who doesn’t like free stuff.
Ooooh I’d love to share some of these with our customers! Any good HVAC energy saving tips in there?
Thanks for bringing this book to my attention!
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