The fibershed project- Living one year in locally grown clothes

By Rebecca Burgess, originally published by Sustainable World Radio

February 7, 2011

Society
NOTE: Images in this archived article have been removed.

Image RemovedRebecca Burgess is an ecological restoration educator, author, and textile artist.  Burgess is the founder of the Fibershed Project; a year-long challenge to live in clothes made from fibers sourced within 150 miles from her home.  In this interview, Burgess explains what a fibershed is, talks about the hidden environmental costs of the textile industry, and shares with listeners some of her favorite natural fabrics. 

Direct download: Rebecca_BurgessFibershedPC.mp3

Rebecca Burgess

Rebecca Burgess is the executive director of Fibershed, chair of the board for Carbon Cycle Institute, and the author of “Harvesting Color.” A vocationally trained weaver and natural dyer, she creates hands-on curricula that focus on restoration ecology and fiber systems. Burgess has built an extensive network of farmers and artisans in the Northern California Fibershed to pilot an innovative fiber systems model at the community scale. Her project is internationally recognized with over 53 Fibershed communities now in existence.

Tags: Building Community, Culture & Behavior, Food, Media & Communications

For 6,000 years humanity controlled water. Climate change is changing the equation

By Jeremy Rifkin, The Observatory

As climate change brings more extreme floods, droughts and heatwaves, a growing number of cities are exploring a different path: adapting to water’s rhythms rather than trying to dominate them.

September 30, 2026

‘Water isn’t enough’: As extreme heat devastates farms, community wisdom is more vital than ever

By Zia Gallina, The Subversive Farmer

My intention was to write about simple self-sufficiency, especially when it comes to growing food. But then this summer was challenging in a way I thought I was prepared for… but wasn’t.

September 18, 2026

Sammy Gensaw: The restorative revolution and a river of reciprocity

By Bioneers staff, Bioneers

In this keynote address, Indigenous activist Sammy Gensaw shares his experiences working for ecological and cultural revival along the Klamath River, central to his people’s identity and livelihood.

September 17, 2026

Comments

We changed commenting systems on September 10, 2026 as part of a site-wide functionality and security upgrade. Your past comments have not disappeared, and you can still log in with your old Disqus account credentials if you wish. Contact us with any questions.

Subscribe
Notify of
0 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted