[Sdpg] Land Restoration, Ecological Living and Natural Building July 23 - August 3, 2002, Tlaxco, Mexico

[Wesley Roe and Marjorie Lakin Erickson]

Land Restoration, Ecological Living and Natural Building  July 23 - August 
3, 2002, Tlaxco, Mexico

Practical Hands on Learning In Highland Mexico

Sponsored by Zopilote Association, Cob Cottage Company, and Proyecto San 
Isidro Educacion Permanente (17th year)



Topics to include:

      The land language and culture of Mexico
      Identifying local resources
      Reading natural and cultural landscapes
      Permaculture principles and techniques
      Forest management and agroforestry
      Bioregional natural building
      Organic food production
      Land restoration, soil care and erosion control
      Water conservation
      Sanitation alternatives
      Simple solar devices and efficient cook stoves
      Re-establishing local culture
      Eating right
      Culturally appropriate education

Why Mexico?

By simply crossing a frontier line you can pass directly from the 
post-industrial affluent world to a relatively intact traditional
culture.  What a resource!  Mexico was a mature, cultured, stable society 
centuries before Plymouth Rock.  Her traditions and
techniques persist.  Most tourists are carefully isolated from Real Mexico, 
yet we have infinite amounts to learn from
Mexicans.  Zopilote's programs have evolved over 15 years of North-South 
cooperation, to allow Europeans and North
Americans direct access to the heart of Mexican daily life.  Tlaxco is 
uniquely suited for it's diversity of culture, architecture
and ecological life-zones, from subtropics to snowline. Two thousand years 
of architecture is visible within a short drive and
dozens of traditional crops are grown nearby.


Workshop Location

Inspired by the Caballero family's 40 years of pioneering work in rural 
development, we are based on their 300-acre
forest-farm in the mountains East of Mexico City.  In the 1950's Carlos and 
Magdalena Caballero began their pioneering work
in landscape restoration, rural education and organic agriculture.  They 
took 300 acres of dreadfully gullied errosion and
without chemicals or foreign capital, have transformed 90% of it to 
productive farmland and forest/wildlife.  Now their children
and grandchildren are beginning restoration of a further 50 acres (through 
the newly launched San Isidro project).  The
environmental grade school they founded is thriving.  It offers the only 
healthy alternative schooling for miles.  Your program
fees assure funding for this remarkable school, which runs without 
government or institutional funds, completely by donations
and parental involvement.  The project's buildings now include 
demonstrations of strawbale, cob, light-clay, rammed earth,
thatching, stone masonry, local brick, adobe, natural floors and plasters, 
and local waste-wood.  You can help build a
permanent campus and experiment center.

Accommodations

You will sleep in a comfortable cabin by a stream in a peaceful forested 
mountain valley.  We are 3 miles to town and 1.5
miles to the teaching center, down a safe, quiet country lane.  Tlaxco is a 
small busy market town where you can buy most
things.  There's a hotel and a small hospital which we have never yet 
needed.  You can see the snowcaps of the giant
volcanoes, Popo and Ixta, in the distance.  We eat lavishly, Mexican 
traditional, vegetarian, local, mostly organic.  You will
meet fruits, vegetables and delicious dishes you have never heard of 
before.  While we can't cater to special diets, there is
enough variety at every meal to satisfy most people's dietary needs.  The 
water from our own spring, is crystal clear and
delicious.  There is no endemic disease so you don't need shots.  The site 
is at 9000' so it's cool, with frost sometimes.  Bundle
up!  While we have a van available, you can walk up and down the valley 
everyday, getting plenty of exercise.  You may be a
little short of breath at first if you come from a low altitude.

How We Teach

Much of the work and discussions is in small multicultural teams of Latin 
Americans, Europeans and North Americans.  All
formal sessions are translated so you can learn a lot of Spanish by 
immersion and constant use.  In the evenings we often have campfires under 
the stars.  Students can make invaluable contacts and friendships, which in 
the past have led to North-South partnerships, working associates and 
lifelong friends.  Lead instructores are Alejandra Caballero and Paco 
Gomez, supported by an international team having a wide range of experience 
(agronomy, land restoration, silviculture, rural community development, 
alternative architecture, environmental education, etc.).  Three 
generations of the Caballero family typically participate.  Workshops 
operate under the principle that "everyone is a teacher, everyone a 
student", and integrate the life experiences and skills of participants.

Bringing Children

We encourage families to travel together; it can be inspiring and 
bonding.  After returning home everone can discuss, use and
learn from the experience.  We now offer a special program for children who 
don't want to fully participate in the adult
program (children could flow between the two programs if they can be there 
without distracting others).

Benefits: Children learn language quickly as everything is 
bilingual.  Often they are speaking quite a lot of Spanish after two
weeks.  The project operates a local alternative environmental grade school 
in the village.  We will share activities with them.
The ecology is rich and varied, with many opportunities for making forts 
from local materials, campfire cooking, discovery
hikes, watching wildlife, together with play acting, costume play and local 
crafts.  Children see another culture first-hand, are
absorbed into it, learn racial and cultural tolerance and see that a simple 
life can be exciting and rich.

Cost for children: Half the adult rate ($480).

Cost:

$960 includes tuition, 3 delicious vegetarian meals per day, lodging, and 
field trips.  A $300 non-refundable deposit insures a
place (limited to 12 non-Mexicans).  10% discount for full payment at least 
60 days in advance.  10% discount for families and friends together 
(couples and families are encouraged); children under 14 pay half price and 
are encouraged to participate (see above for details).  Tuition supports 
the alternative grade school run by the Caballero family and pays for 
scholarships for needy Latin Americans.  Partial work-trades available to 
skilled interpreters.  Checks payable to Alejandra Caballero.

To Register, or for More Information, Contact:

      Ianto Evans
      Cob Cottage Company
      P.O. Box 123
      Cottage Grove, Oregon 97424
      USA

Telephone (541) 942-3021 or Telephone/FAX (541) 942-2005