Writer turned citizen scientist offers tips on living lightly to reduce your carbon footprint

Climate Cast

Writer Tamara Dean knew she wanted to live lightly on the planet. Her search to live a productive life while lowering her carbon footprint led her to the Driftless Area of Wisconsin — also known as Bluff Country and the Paleozoic Plateau — with dreams of become a homesteader. Dean shares her experience in her new memoir “Shelter and Storm: At Home in the Driftless.”

She spoke to MPR chief meteorologist Paul Huttner for Climate Cast.

The transcript below has been lightly edited for clarity and length.

What prompted you to write this book?

I had been spending most of my days in an office, like a lot of people in front of computers, and my partner, David, and I decided we wanted to live healthier lifestyles. We also wanted to live out our environmental principles.

We didn't know where exactly we wanted to start over, but when we drove around the Driftless Area, which is mostly in the southwestern corner of Wisconsin, we recognized that this was a place where we wanted to live.

You talk about being a citizen scientist in your book. What does that mean to you?

A citizen scientist is someone who volunteers to study nature. In places like Wisconsin, where the Department of Natural Resources really doesn't have the funding and staffing to cover every species in the state, a citizen scientists can fill that gap and provide information to help professional scientists do their work. It’s not only a rewarding opportunity for people, but it’s also helpful for the state.

We were citizen water monitors for the little river behind our house, and I became interested in surveys for fresh water mussels. They are some of the most endangered creatures in North America, but citizen scientists are studying where they’re still thriving and that helps the people at the DNR know where to focus their efforts in helping their habitat.

What do you think about the progress we’ve made on climate solutions so far?

I think we have an over-estimation of our potential for solving the climate crisis with technology. It’s definitely a necessary component of addressing the climate situation, but we also need to look at reducing our own footprints.

There are ways we can do that pretty simply, whether it be reducing our travel, reducing our birth rate, or examining our diets. It doesn’t have to be a hardship. It can be something easy and satisfying. You don’t have to take it all on either. I think it can be a joy as well.

What message do you have for anyone who wants to bring their life more in tune with our planet and our climate?

I would recommend indulging your curiosity. Find what has energy for you — whether it’s a particular type of landscape or a particular species — and immerse yourself in learning about that.

I often think it’s a shame that we think we have to go to Mars to learn something new, because all around us there are mysteries to pursue. I hope that’s what my book leaves readers with.

The idea that you can walk out your door and be curious and open-minded. And find a mystery that will ignite your own curiosity and passion, and pursue that to create your own story out of it.

To hear the conversation, click play on the audio player above or subscribe to the Climate Cast podcast.