{"id":21025,"date":"2016-09-29T05:33:15","date_gmt":"2016-09-29T09:33:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/huntsville.dopperonline.ca\/?p=21025"},"modified":"2018-10-01T13:15:25","modified_gmt":"2018-10-01T17:15:25","slug":"leave-footprints-meet-mary-mcculley","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/doppleronline.ca\/huntsville\/leave-footprints-meet-mary-mcculley\/","title":{"rendered":"Leave only footprints: Meet Mary McCulley"},"content":{"rendered":"

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 <\/strong><\/em>laura.maclean@doppleronline.ca<\/strong><\/a>.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

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\u201cWalk gently this good earth.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\u2019s 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\u2019s sad but it\u2019s true: there\u2019s still way too many people who just don\u2019t care. What\u2019s it going to take before we wake up and realize the damage we\u2019ve caused is irreversible?<\/p>\n

\u201cClimate change scares me,\u201d says the 75-year-old, who really does not look a day over 60. \u201cWe\u2019re pouring toxic things into the earth, which is ruining our habitat and making it difficult for our ecosystems to function. There\u2019s so much carbon dioxide and greenhouses gases going into the environment\u2026 It\u2019s a no-brainer: if you know carbon dioxide is increasing the degree of climate change, why wouldn\u2019t you consider some of ways you can decrease your footprint?\u201d<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\"Mary

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.<\/p><\/div>\n

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\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

I can step out and be in a forest. It\u2019s 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.
\nMary on what makes Muskoka the most beautiful place on the planet<\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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\u2019t 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\u2019s an eco-friendly home that has huge energy efficiency and aesthetic appeal. She\u2019s been living in it since mid-April. And she couldn\u2019t be happier or any cozier. Mary is living in her dream house.<\/p>\n

People always say to me, \u2018Oh, you had this vision.\u2019 No, I didn\u2019t have a silly vision. I just wanted to be a good example of someone who is mindful of the environment.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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\u2019s sweltering, humid temperatures didn\u2019t 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\u2019s another thing. Even though she\u2019s in town, the thickness of the walls block out any outside noise and traffic. It\u2019s surprisingly tranquil and peaceful at her new digs.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, it was a bit more expensive than building a traditional-style home but that\u2019s because I have triple pane windows installed,\u201d says Mary. \u201cI 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.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\t\t