Natural Building in Community
An intensive  skill-builder for natural builders
June 5 - July 28, 2006
Emerald Earth Community, Boonville, Northern California

Instructors: Michael G. Smith and Darryl Berlin
with guests including Janine Björnson, Massey Burke and Sara McCamant

This is a rare opportunity to develop natural building skills in the stimulating environment of a rural intentional community. We take a whole-systems approach to ecological building, combining earth, straw, wood, sand and stone in various ways to create inexpensive, efficient hybrid structures. Each week will include 25-30 hours of supervised hands-on building, 2-5 hours of "classroom" time, and an individual research project. We will also take several field trips to explore and participate in other natural building projects around Northern California. The group will be very small (maximum 6), allowing lots of individual supervision and skill-building. Participants will be integrated into the dynamic social context of the community, sharing meals, cooking and cleaning tasks, meetings, fun and games with other residents. The supportive learning environment will focus on developing skills not only in building but also in group living, leadership and communication. This program is recommended for people who want to take their education further than is possible by attending short workshops or by training in a single technique, especially for owner-builders and for those working towards a career in natural building. No previous experience is required.

Things you will learn:

o straw bale
o cob
o straw-clay (slipstraw)
o other earthen wall systems (wattle-and-daub, clay wattle, adobe)
o round pole framing and basic carpentry
o earthen floors
o natural plasters and paints (clay and lime plasters, alis paints, etc.)
o alternative foundations (rubble trench, earthbags, rammed tires, etc.)
o sustainable materials harvesting
o home power generation
o passive solar design
o structures and processes for intentional communities
o and lots more about natural building, rural homesteading, and working in groups

Cost and registration:

The 8-week program costs $3000, including instruction, on-site camping, field trips, and organic, mostly vegetarian meals. We require a written application, and encourage a visit to the community to meet the instructors and other residents. Two partial scholarships are available for women on the basis of financial need.

For more information or an application:

Phone (707) 895-3302 or email workshops@emeraldearth.org. To see photos and more about the community, check out our Web site at www.emeraldearth.org.

Don't have time for our 8-week program?

Try our Natural Building Intensive, Sept 2-8, which covers many of the same topics condensed into a single week. Cost is $500 including camping and food. Class size is limited, so register early. Call or email for details.

What previous yearsı participants said:

"The hands-on aspect of the program was great - sufficient time, and a lot of different methods covered. I enjoyed all of the lectures, and I canıt think of a major topic that I would have wanted to learn about that was not covered. The field trips were great. The individual projects were extremely useful. I was amazed with how much you managed to cram into eight short weeks!" - MB

"Michael Smithıs ability to organize and deliver information is unrivaled, while Darryl Berlinıs method is founded in his connection to the land. These are soulful teachers who walk their talk. Each day I could feel another layer of cynicism about the desperate state of politics and the environment fall away. I slept outside under an oak tree, the stars and the moon. I ate the healthiest diet of my life, most of it grown by the community." - MM

"I really enjoyed the opportunities to work on my leadership skills. I had enough time to see myself change from uncomfortable to confident in the role of teacher and leader, which was an empowering process. I feel I walked away from the program a completely new person, rich with newfound knowledge, full of excitement and inspiration, with new clarity on my path in life." - BD

"Since completing the apprenticeship, Iıve led two natural building workshops. Both went really well and I know I wouldnıt have been comfortable leading them if it hadnıt been for the program. I have also had paid natural building work as a direct result of the contacts I made at Emerald Earth. I would do it all over again without hesitation. It was by far the best natural building educational experience Iıve ever had." - MJ-


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