I am always amazed by what can be created with patience, talent, skill, and the simplest of materials. Chuck Eblacker creates dry stone wall structures using what already exists in nature: stone, and nothing more. No mortar is used in the creation of a dry stone wall.

From an article by Building Green:
“Cement production is one of the most energy intensive of all industrial manufacturing processes. Including direct fuel use for mining and transporting raw materials, cement production takes about six million Btus for every ton of cement. The industry’s heavy reliance on coal leads to especially high emission levels of CO 2, nitrous oxide, and sulphur, among other pollutants. A sizeable portion of the electricity used is also generated from coal.”

And, according to the article the chemical process that occurs in Portland cement is “responsible for roughly 1/2 ton of CO 2 per ton of cement.”

So, creating stone walls without cement is a markedly greener practice. It’s also an art form. Dry stone walling is said to be the world’s oldest craft. There are only a handful of people in the United States certified to build dry stone walls.  If properly built, the way in which the stones are laid creates gravity and friction enough to create a wall that can stand for 100 years or more.

If you’re in the Rochester, NY area, or interested in traveling to the Rochester area to learn how to make dry stone walls, Chuck is teaching a workshop with world renowned waller, Andy Louden on June 12 &13th. You can find more information about the workshop here.

Thanks, Shanna!