Raising Corals in the New Age of Aquaria
In the U.S. alone, nearly 3 million homes have a saltwater aquarium. And globally, the market is worth billions of dollars. Could this booming hobby become a force for ocean conservation?
Alissa Allen’s Mycopigments Create a ‘Palette of Place’
A Pacific Northwest textile artist and naturalist uncovers nature’s hidden hues, creating stunning natural dyes from fungi and lichens foraged near her home.
Reviving the Craft of Plant-Based Photo Developing
For Beatrice Thornton, an artist, photographer, and archivist based in Oakland, CA, nature is more than a muse: It’s also the source of the sustainable materials she uses for developing analog film.
“Tear Out Your Lawn,” with Dr. Doug Tallamy
Why is entomologist Doug Tallamy on a national crusade to get private landowners to tear their lawns? As a wildlife ecology professor at the University of Delaware, Dr. Tallamy sees the world from a bug’s point of view. He’s also co-founder of Homegrown National Park, which works to convince Americans to grow native plants that…
“Taking Bamboo to New Heights,” with Jonas Hauptman
When most of us think of bamboo construction, we might picture a palm-thatched hut on a tropical beach somewhere—not a modern, urban environment of multi-story buildings. But Jonas Hauptman, a craftsperson and designer/inventor who co-leads the Bio Design Research Group at Virginia Tech, thinks differently. A winner of the prestigious University of Michigan Oberdick Fellowship…
From Plastic Waste to Zero-Waste, One Soap Bar at a Time
How one journalist (and her daughters) turned her frustration with household plastic waste into a sustainable, handmade line of organic soap bars—crafted with creativity and a whole lot of heart.
Watch: “The Future of Building with Bamboo”
From simple rural homes to some of the world’s busiest airports, bamboo construction has come a long way. What else is possible with this renewable, sustainable, underutilized material? Dr. Bhavna Sharma, an assistant professor at the University of Southern California’s School of Architecture, guides us through the architectural possibilities of one of the world’s most…
Keeping the Beat: Custom-Made Conducting Batons
A good conductor can lead an orchestra with almost anything — even a chopstick. Leonard Bernstein was known to conduct a full symphony with just his eyebrows. Why, then, in this age of cheap manufacturing, are handmade, custom conducting batons still in demand?
Healing our Soil, and Going Beyond Organic—with Paul & Elizabeth Kaiser
Craftsmanship‘s editor-in-chief, Todd Oppenheimer, sits down with Paul and Elizabeth Kaiser, a husband-and-wife farming team who have been at the forefront of the regenerative agriculture movement. Hear how regenerative techniques help fight the effects of climate disruption; some of the mind-boggling results they found in testing their soil and produce; and how they harness Mother…
