Edwina Von Gal: For the Birds

Species Unite

elizabeth novogratz

Philosophy, Society & Culture

5.0 • 911 Ratings

🗓️ 17 June 2021

⏱️ 47 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Edwina Von Gal is a landscape designer and an indomitable steward of the planet.

She spent her career designing landscapes for the rich and famous and collaborating with architects and artists like Maya Lin, Richard Serra, and Frank Gehry.

A little over a decade ago, Edwina had an epiphany about the chemicals that we are pouring into our lawns, landscapes, and backyards. She decided right then that it would become her life's mission to change the way that we treat our land and founded the Perfect Earth Project, a nonprofit that promotes toxin-free lawns and landscapes.

A few years ago, she expanded the mission. We are losing our birds at an alarming rate. Since the seventies, the United States has lost a third of our bird population. So, to combat the great bird decline, Edwina started Two-Thirds for the Birds, a campaign to bring our birds back. And the way to do that is to dedicate two thirds of all plantings to native plants and to commit to going toxin free.

This conversation took place at Edwina's spectacular home that sits on stilts atop a salt marsh. It was a gift to speak with Edwina about her mission, to learn about the history of chemicals and what we've done to our land, and to hear her remarkable stories, all while being surrounded by many many birds.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Species, I thought okay two-thirds to the birds so what does that mean that means going
0:19.3	forward don't look back don't feel bad about what you've done today. That's what it is.
0:24.1	Just for two out of every three plants that you buy for your property going forward.
0:30.9	If they are native, you can be sure that you are actually making a
0:35.2	measurable, substantive difference. You are helping the earth. For the months of May, June, and July, species unite is celebrating plant-based eating with vegan
0:57.4	nights. All that really means is we would love for you to cook dinner for your friends or your family or your neighbor
1:05.5	and make it vegan. On our website we have downloadable ghost packs with recipes,
1:12.0	tips, information to make your vegan night all the more fun and better.
1:17.5	So go to our website species unite.com and download a host pack and you will be entered to win one of six $275 vegan gift baskets that are filled with all sorts of incredible plant-based products.
1:34.0	This conversation is with Eduena Von Gull. Eduena is a landscape designer.
1:45.0	She spent her career designing landscapes for the rich and famous
1:50.0	and collaborating with architects and artist like Maya Lynn, Annabelle Seldorf, Richard
1:55.8	Sarah and Frank Gehry. And halfway through her career, she had an epiphany. Why are we putting all of these toxins into our lawns, our landscapes, our
2:06.6	backyards, and what is that doing to us, to our families, to our pets, and to the planet. And so she founded the Perfect Earth Project,
2:17.0	a nonprofit that promotes toxin-free lawns and landscapes.
2:22.0	And then a few years ago she expanded her mission. She
2:26.5	started a program called two-thirds for the birds because we are losing our
2:31.3	birds at an alarming rate.
2:33.2	Since the 70s, the United States has lost a third of our bird population.
2:38.2	So two-thirds for the birds is a campaign to bring our birds back. And the way to do that is to dedicate two-thirds of all
2:46.2	plantings to native plants. I met with Eduina at her house in Springs and the Hamptons. She lives on a salt marsh. So our house is on stilts and all around
2:57.7	us all you could see are birds. So Edna, will you just talk about where we are at your home because it's absolutely spectacular?
	...

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