Nikki is an environmental journalist, author, and green living expert. She is also the creator and editor of the go-to eco website Green Moxie, that shares advice, tips, and information on all things sustainable living.
She left the city life behind with her husband and moved to the woods in Southern Ontario, where they designed and built an entirely eco tiny house (that you can also order for yourself online!).
Here she shares more about her lifestyle, what keeps her passion going, and some inspiration for you to go more green. And if you’re going camping this summer, be sure to check out her cooking videos on youtube. (Pizza cones anyone?)
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How did you discover your passion for the environment?
I grew up in South Africa where there are chameleons on the rosebushes and monkeys in your backyard. The weather is so nice, you’re outside all the time and anyone who has spent time in nature is bound to love it. I remember stuffing Greenpeace flyers in in my neighbour’s post boxes when I was in the first grade, so I guess that I’ve always had a penchant for preserving the environments I love so much.
When I was older, I would take plastic bags with me to the beach every day and pick up the garbage. I still live a very green life and enjoy the great outdoors hope to help others to do so too by sharing tips on my website at Greenmoxie.com.
What inspired you to start Green Moxie?
Growing up in Africa, there is very little waste. You reuse, repurpose and recycle just about everything. Buying things is always a last resort. In the first world, people have lost the skills to make things themselves, to fix things or grow their own food. These things are really easy to do, very satisfying to achieve and are great for the environment. So we try to learn how to do things ourselves and share this knowledge with others. We also try to get people outside and make camping fun so that they too can foster a love of nature and all the creatures that call it home.
Can you share a little bit about your Tiny House Project?
We bought a lovely piece of wild woods in Ontario in Canada and wanted a space to live there that made as little impact on the environment as possible. We also wanted to live mortgage free and a tiny house is a great way to achieve both these goals. My husband is a builder, so we were able to come up with a design that suited our lifestyles, but also enabled us to live off-grid. With rainwater collection, solar energy and a composting toilet, we are able to have all the conveniences and luxuries of a residential home without the cost and environmental impact.
Do you have any words of inspiration for people who are interested in taking up this lifestyle?
I often hear people saying they don’t bother trying to live green because one person can’t make a difference. Well, one person can’t save the planet, but there are millions of people across the world working to preserve our environment and the animals we share it with. Choosing to take control of the impact you have on the environment is so empowering. You learn to do things for yourself, to live life on your own terms. You eat healthier, live cleaner and save fistfuls of money. When you aren’t working to pay off your house, your car and your credit card debt, you’ve got time to walk in the woods, to swim in the ocean and to watch the sunsets — you know, all the good things!
What are some of your favourite green living tips?
Recycle everything! If you don’t want something, donate it to charity. Shop at second hand shops before buying something new and (most importantly) GET OUTSIDE. Studies show a direct correlation between time spent outside as a child and the desire to do so later in life. Take your family outdoors to inspire a love of the environment — they will thank you for it. Nature is the most profoundly wonderful, beautiful, calming, rewarding force in my life.
What inspires you?
Nature inspires me. If I have writer’s block or need an idea for a story, a quick swim in the lake or walk in the woods will clear the cobwebs and get those idea flowing.
Do you have any other passions that interest you or things you would like to take up?
I enjoy gardening and grow as many of my own fruits and veggies as I can in the summer. I do stained glass to keep me busy over the winter months and love reading too.
Words to live by?
Get. Outside.
