Amanda & Ryan, "Bunny Bungalow" 2022
In 2011, we set a goal to try and make a difference with the daily choices everybody faces in life: what to eat, where to work, what to buy, even what kind of home to live in! Changing our lifestyle takes time, we go at our own pace. Nothing is perfect - it's a lifelong work in progress, we just try to help.
In 2015, we were invited to live at the Historic Johnson Farm on Kessler Mountain, and since 2018 we've lived in an off-grid tiny house on wheels built by Backcountry Tiny Homes. In partnership with the land owner and the Northwest Arkansas Land Trust, and many other individuals and organizations, we work to protect the farm for ecological conservation and historic preservation. How? Bunches of projects! To name a few: we monitor the farm's nesting bird boxes, pick up litter, and helped with the farm's 2019 listing on the National Register of Historic Places (the 1933 barn was listed in 1991).
We created a Ripples blog, newspaper column, and Facebook page to share what we do and hope it helps someone make a difference in whatever way they find meaningful. This website is hosted with solar panels through AISO. We try to provide free informational resources (books, tours, links, and more) to those who want to make a difference for both people and planet across a variety of good causes.
Amanda Bancroft
I'm a writer, artist and naturalist, and I love my work! I hand-draw designs for Ripples Greeting Cards as a fundraiser to offset costs of our conservation projects, and I also write non-fiction (topics include history, ecology, and sustainable living). My favorite hobby is watching wildlife, and I'm frequently out in the woods or walking country roads connecting with nature or participating in citizen science projects like NestWatch. I love reading books, and cuddling with my husband Ryan, who has been my amazing life partner for over 16 years! We also enjoy traveling when we get the chance, and are lifelong learners.
Ryan Bancroft
I enjoy video games, learning about all aspects of web, network, and server technology, creating and thrilling in music (guitar's my jam), and long walks exploring areas near and far, especially if they are elevated. I split my time between managing this website; relishing the off-grid & tiny-house journey; contributing in my small way to the security and network efficacy at the University of Arkansas; chatting, walking, or snuggling with my lovely partner; and challenging myself to embrace the beauty and serenity in every moment, especially the challenging ones.