Leave only footprints: Meet Mary McCulley

Every week, I will be profiling an extraordinary human being who lives in our community. If you know someone who is doing something interesting with their life, I want to hear about it. Send me an email at [email protected].

“Walk gently this good earth.”

That saying means a lot to Mary McCulley. Those five little words are so significant, and for most of her life Mary has done her best to live by them. She’s an environmentalist who knows we are destroying our precious Mother Earth at an alarming pace. Mary believes we should all care about the footprint we are leaving on our planet. It’s sad but it’s true: there’s still way too many people who just don’t care. What’s it going to take before we wake up and realize the damage we’ve caused is irreversible?

“Climate change scares me,” says the 75-year-old, who really does not look a day over 60. “We’re pouring toxic things into the earth, which is ruining our habitat and making it difficult for our ecosystems to function. There’s so much carbon dioxide and greenhouses gases going into the environment… It’s a no-brainer: if you know carbon dioxide is increasing the degree of climate change, why wouldn’t you consider some of ways you can decrease your footprint?”

She’s always been one to appreciate being in the great outdoors and has fond memories of cottaging with her family on Lake of Bays as a young girl. The air was so clean, there were so many trees, and those two reasons were enough to entice her to settle here permanently almost 20 years ago.

Mary has always had an affinity for the great outdoors. Here she stands in front of the beautiful spring-fed pond on her unique town property.

For many years she was involved with the Huntsville Lakes Council and the Muskoka Watershed Council. She has also been a long-time member of the Huntsville Nature Club and she sits on the Town’s official plan review committee. Being part of these environmental organizations means a great deal to Mary. She knows two heads are better than one and having more people advocating for a healthy Muskoka is vital for future generations.

I can step out and be in a forest. It’s not a crowded downtown Toronto street, which I spent most of my life in. The air is clean, the water is clean, and I love being able to just put a canoe in and be at peace with the world.
Mary on what makes Muskoka the most beautiful place on the planet

A few years ago, Mary checked out a piece of property that was for sale in town. She knew right away it had to be hers. She felt drawn to it, a deep connection; it was sort of off the beaten path for a place not even two minutes away from town. This beautiful 4.5-acre lot was set back from the road, surrounded by lush and healthy forest and it even had a small, spring-fed pond. There was no way she could turn it down. And being an environmentally mindful person meant she wasn’t going to build a traditional-style home. Mary wanted to set an example. She opted for a rammed earth home, an ancient method of construction that has made a bit of a comeback in the last decade. It appealed to her for many reasons. It’s an eco-friendly home that has huge energy efficiency and aesthetic appeal. She’s been living in it since mid-April. And she couldn’t be happier or any cozier. Mary is living in her dream house.

People always say to me, ‘Oh, you had this vision.’ No, I didn’t have a silly vision. I just wanted to be a good example of someone who is mindful of the environment.

The home boasts six inches of rammed earth on the inside, then six inches of insulation and then another six inches of rammed earth to complete it. A total of 18 inches of wall provides the utmost energy efficiency. She has no air conditioning. There was no need for it. And this past summer’s sweltering, humid temperatures didn’t make Mary sweat in the least. In fact, while we were all tossing and turning and throwing a leg outside the blanket, she was sleeping soundly in her cool and quiet house. That’s another thing. Even though she’s in town, the thickness of the walls block out any outside noise and traffic. It’s surprisingly tranquil and peaceful at her new digs.

“Yes, it was a bit more expensive than building a traditional-style home but that’s because I have triple pane windows installed,” says Mary. “I wanted a lot of light and to keep it energy efficient I had to get triple pane and the expense increased the cost. Generally, rammed earth is in the higher end of home construction.”

It brings her a bit of relief knowing that while she certainly can’t persuade the rest of the world to step up and tread lightly, at least she knows she’s doing her part to live in harmony with Mother Nature. She didn’t alter the property much, in fact, she worked around having to blast rock and cut down trees. Her rammed earth home is a fairly simple design and that’s what she loves about it.

Although she admits she’s not much of a social butterfly, her unique home has drawn some attention from her closest friends and family. People always want to come and visit. And the compliments she receives are generally the same: what a beautiful, eco-friendly, energy-efficient home.

“I don’t expect people to follow my example unless it feels good to them. In building a rammed earth home, I felt it was something that had to be done simply because climate change is upon us. I think more homes have to be like this and if I can be one example it makes me feel better… like I’m doing my part.”

Read an earlier story on the construction of Mary’s rammed earth home on Doppler here: Construction begins on unique rammed earth home.

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