[Scpg] Mobile SoCal Permaculture Course ! Jan. 9-19
EWerb at aol.com
EWerb at aol.com
Wed Jan 7 11:22:11 PST 2004
please forward to sdpg too
Commonvision Nomadic Permaculture Design Course
Jan 9-19 2004
This is a solution-focused hands-on course that will lay the foundations
for designing physical and inner landscapes that are efficient, productive,
beautiful, and healing to self and the Earth. The experience is a complete
emersion eleven-day intensive.
Please bring your sense of awe and openness.
We will travel in Common Vision's Mobile Resource Center (MRC). The MRC is
a school bus converted to run on vegetable oil, has an ever-growing
library, solar electricity, a greenhouse for sprouting, drying racks for
herbal medicines, a hygienic kitchen capable of feeding up to 500 at a
time, sleeping accommodations for 12, and lots of musical instruments.
We are choosing to create a Nomadic Permaculture Course, because there are
no centralized, wholistic models of sustainability. Existing sustainable
models are mostly fragmented, spread out, and manifested with deferent
intentions, requiring a mobile educational infrastructure to connect them
in a way that makes them accessible learning tools for students. By taking
students to diverse sites that model the different parts of sustainability
we encourage them to make their own wholistic vision of sustainability.
Students can then return their communities with the knowledge and skills
necessary to implement effective change.
Some things to be aware of:
Åú During the course of these eleven days we will be living, eating,
sleeping, and learning together as a nomadic community in close quarters.
Åú If you have any specific needs that will need to be addressed in the
way of diet, medication, spiritual practice, general interface with the
sentient and/or non-sentient beings please call Michael now 831.588.9914
Åú Please plan to be on-board for the whole time or discuss with Michael
as to what arrangements can be made.
Åú This course will be documented by David Sulivan and one of his media
partners. David is a Pitzer alumni who has been a camera operator in
Hollywood for many years. It may feel awkward at first, but the camera
soon dissolves into the wall, I promise.
ÅúWith the bus, the size of the group, and the excitement we carry we are a
large ball of energy sweeping through the social and ecological landscape
of Southern California. Cultivation of a light footstep in both a
collective and individual responsibility.
Course costs:
We are offering this program at the sliding scale cost of $300-500 plus
food costs. This means that the facilitators of this journey are receiving
an almost homeopathic stipend after course costs are met. Please have
payments ready by the beginning of the course.
$300-500 Donation for the Course
$150 Food
Make course checks payable to Common Vision (a project of SEE) and food
checks payable to Michael Flynn
What to pack
Åú Bliss wear (whatever you need to hold and eat delicious organic
vegetarian meals prepared fresh by Common Vision's live-in chef. Ehem.
Michael)
Åú Office supplies (Notebook, pens, etc)
Åú Candles
Åú Headlamp
Åú Sleeping gear
Åú Tent
Åú Rain gear
Åú Work clothes
Åú Snacks, personal comfort food
Åú Music.
Åú Yoga Mat (optional)
Åú Love (mandatory)
Schedule Outine (as of 1-02-04)
Each day has scheduled into it a morning yoga session and three Organic
Vegetarian meals.
Friday 1/9
Pomona Organic Farm
_ Lunch 11:30
_ Introductions & Overview
_ Curriculum I: Core Paradigm Shift
Briney Point
_ Movies: Common Vision (:30)
The Permaculture Farmer (:30)
_ Sleep
Saturday 1/10
Pomona Farm, Rancho Santa Ana Botanical Gardens
_ Curriculum II: The Source- Big Picture & Flow
La Ganza Biodynamic Farm
Pedro Torrez is a graduate of CalPoly Pomona and has been a biodynamic
farmer for many years. He provides the Claremont farmers market with the
only source of certifies biodynamic produce and one of the few sources of
conscientious small-farmed organic produce. He has been looking to run his
tractors and CSA vehicles on biodiesel for a long time. He will be leading
a work project in greenhouse construction and cider pressing and will be
speaking on the facilitation of the process of centropy as a biodynamic
land steward.
_ Biodiesel workshop
_ Greenhouse (Year-round grow tunnel)
_ Biodynamic Cider pressing
State Park TBA
_ Sleep
Sunday 1/11
El Zapote
El Zapote is a well-developed food forest South of San Diego. Jerry Price
is a permaculture elder and steward of El Zapote. Jerry holds a wealth of
knowledge and experience that will be transferred to the class through
demonstrations, observation, and several work projects.
_ Curriculum III:
Site Specific Techniques & Strategies.
Guilds,
Stacking,
Soil-making,
Microclimates,
Food forestry,
Deep ecology
_ Sleep
Monday 1/12
El Zapote
_ Service Learning Projects:
Erosion Control and water design (A Frame, perennials, etc)
Weed Management,
Sweatlodge constuction and ceremony,
Tuesday 1/13
Exotica Organic Rare Fruit Tree Nursery
Exotica has the widest selection of exotic fruit trees and perennial food
plants. Steven Spangler is owner and caretaker and will be growing tree
consciousness within all of us.
_ Tour
_ Grafting Workshop
Camp Stevens (www.campstevens.org)
The Mission of Camp Stevens is to help individuals of all ages deepen their
sense of reverence and respect for themselves, and their fellow human
beings, the creation, and God. It also seeks to be a peaceful 'place apart'
for nurturing, planning, reflection, exchange of ideas, and sharing in
Christian community.
_ Biointensive gardens,
_ education,
_ cob
Wednesday 1/14
South Coast Farms (www.southcoastfarms.com)
_ Tour of abundant OG farm
South Laguna Village Garden
South Laguna Village Garden is a small community garden overlooking the ocean.
_ cob oven workshop
_ Seed workshop
Sprout Acres
A veritable food jungle visioned and stewarded by Dr. Bill Roley an
inspirational elder and the founder and director of Southern California
Permaculture Institute
_ Food forest
_ watershed management,
_ bioregional planning
Center for Universal Truth
A non-denominational spiritual community center.
_ Slideshows/Movie
Thursday 1/15
L.A. Ecovillage
_ Tour
_ Discussion
_ L.A. PC Guild Pasadena
_ Park Opening-a designing community space activity
Friday 1/16
Path to Freedom (www.pathtofreedom.com)
Path to Freedom is a bio-intensive urban garden
_ Urban homesteading
_ bio-intensive urban garden
_ grey water project
The Compost Guru
A _ acre compost pile and a strong spiritual connection with the
decomposition process has inspired local organic gardeners to title this
land steward "The Compost Guru."
_ Compost
Huntington gardens (www.huntington.org/BotanicalDiv/HEHBotanicalHome.html)
Henry Huntington began developing the Botanical Gardens in 1903. Now they
span nearly 150 acres with sweeping lawns and vistas interspersed with
statuary, tempiettos, and benches. Approximately 15,000 kinds of plants
from all over the world make up the botanical collections, many landscaped
into a series of theme gardens. Landscapes include the Japanese, desert,
rose, camellia, palm, subtropical, jungle, lily ponds, herb, and Australian
gardens. Specialized displays include the North Vista, the Zen and bonsai
courts, the art gallery rockery, the desert garden conservatory, and many
more
_ Tour
_ Observation exercises
Saturday1/17
Ojai Foundation (www.ojaifoundation.org)
The Ojai Foundation is a non-denominational land-based educational
sanctuary located on a beautiful 40-acre semi-wilderness site at the foot
of the Los Padres Mountains, ninety minutes north of Los Angeles. In
addition to its sagebrush and ancient oak forest, the Foundation is home to
a diverse wildlife that includes hawks, owls, deer, and coyotes. From the
beginning, the Foundation's focus on education has been coupled with a firm
commitment to land stewardship and environmental awareness. Most of the
structures at the Foundation are wooden-floored, canvas-walled domes and
yurts powered by solar energy. Our land development includes an organic
fruit orchard and herb garden.
_ Community Development
_ Communication and Group Process
_ Legality issues in eco-construction
The Farm
A community just down the hill from the foundation and home to a
magnificent earth dome. Pending scheduling resolution- Jay, an earth
builder who designed and constructed the earth dome and kiva at Pomona will
give a tour of some of his pieces.
_ Community models
_ Design as a Process, letting the earth speak through your works
Farmer and the Cook (www.farmerandcook.com)
We are a locally owned, operated and supplied store and cafe.
We are committed to organic and sustainable agriculture.
Eat and be well,
_ Community Business models
_ Good Eating
Sunday 1/18
Center for Regenerative Studies at CalPoy Pomona
A shared vision of designers, scientists, and educators dedicated to
restoring and preserving the planet. The Center for Regenerative Studies is
a university-based setting for education, demonstration and research in
regenerative technologies-the collective means of using solar energy,
reusing water, maintaining the fertility of the soils, growing a variety of
foods without pesticides or chemical fertilizers, recycling wastes, and
providing shelter compatible with existing environments. The project is
unique in providing for an interdisciplinary community of students and
faculty members to explore and develop self-sustaining technology and
social systems by actually living and practicing them in their daily lives
at the Center.
_ Tour
Regen Coops
The Regen Coops in Pomona are amazing examples of urban ecological living.
_ Tour
_ Project; greywater, cob, solar or other.
Claremont Natural Cooperative
Monday 1/19
Closing Ceremony
Common Vision
Wholistic Systems Managers
Blair Phillips. I am a graduate of the University of California, Santa
Cruz with a B.A. in Environmental Studies; I am a certified Permaculture
Teacher. For eight years I have been immersed in the goal of living
sustainably and studying traditional arts. I have worked with multiple
organic farms and environments and volunteered as a teacher in a variety of
schools. I have led and cofacilatated Common Vision workshops. I have been
involved with several forest actions in both California and Oregon. I have
also been doing environmental outreach focusing on organic agriculture and
planetary diet issues by serving free, vegan, organic meals at cultural
gatherings, farmers markets, and to the homeless in urban areas. In hand
with this, I often pick up compost from local markets to insure it proper
use. In the Aptos hills, I have helped with large scale compost, building
soil up with the inedible leftovers. I have also fabricated organic soil
for Upstarts, an organic greenhouse business which supplies most of the
Santa Cruz organic farms. I have planted bio-intensive organic orchards. I
have refined thousands of gallons of biodiesel. I am the webmaster for the
Common Vision as well as the main editor for the Common Vision Movie. Most
importantly, I have spent extensive time in wilderness areas reconnecting
with nature's pace and lessons.
Deanna Moore. I graduated from the New College of California last fall
with a degree in Humanities with a concentration in Culture, Ecology, and
Sustainable Community, and an emphasis in Permacultural Studies.
Dissatisfaction with the existing education system activated my inclination
to recontextualize our niche on earth and redesign our current modes of
development with an ecologically-based set of ethics. This led me to
getting my Permaculture Teaching credentials.
My deep interaction with nature and the natural world, with its innate
intelligence, inborn creativity, and efficiency, have inspired and
empowered me to work for social and environmental justice. Workshops in the
art and science of sustainable and regenerative living have been keystones
in my own personal projects along with peers that feel as passionately as I
do about working for the restoration of ecological balance and creating
sustainable human communities. I am committed to working for ecological
sustainability, and further committed to building an infrastructure that
embodies ecological concepts, is empowering on a local level, and has the
means of storing and passing over knowledge to new generations. I search
for models in both indigenous knowledge and cutting edge appropriate
technologies that will allow us to reorganize the way we are building our
communities.
Michael Flynn believes that this 21st century human incarnation is a
blessed opportunity to re-member timeless spiritual, ecological, and
cultural practices and to embody them within the matrix of advanced global
capitalism for the benefit of all beings. Michael is a student and
certified teacher of yoga, focused in the Iyengar tradition. He is a
graduate of Pomona College with a BA in Sociology (Education and Culture).
He has dedicated his life's work to the exploration of the question: "In
what ways can we create educational models that acknowledge the importance
of cultural production and employ learning technologies that actually
facilitate the integration of ecological sustainability, spiritual
awareness, and cultural healing into our symbolic negotiation of reality?"
Michael believes that it is our gift and purpose to live the answers in our
mythological fullness.
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