[Scpg] Intern/volunteer positions at Pine Ridge reservation food forest project

[Koreen Brennan]

We are continuing our food forest project at Pine Ridge Lakota reservation in South Dakota this spring, in May. We hope to plant 1000 trees, install beehives, install a major dam and swale system, water catchment, irrigation and greywater, and finish off a pond. If we get enough volunteers and resources, there is opportunity to do more (for instance, earth bermed greenhouse planning and possibly installing). This is all at demonstration sites where many will see what we do, learn, and have opportunity to do it themselves. We are looking for people experienced with permaculture water systems, temperate food forests, greenhouses, irrigation. If you don't have experience but have willing hands, there is a place for you as well. We need dependable people who can commit to being there for a minimum of three days or more and will come if they say they are coming. We will be there at least one month, from late April to late May. 

We are focused on water this year, as much of the aquifer on Pine Ridge is exposed to toxins to some degree - uranium and other chemicals have been found in the groundwater in various places on the rez. It is a drylands - sometimes the rains don't come for weeks in the summertime. The thunderstorms come up fast and move fast and the rain can miss your plot of land. Water security with clean rainwater or pond water is important. 

We have acquired 500 trees to be delivered right before planting, and are working on acquiring 500 more. We have planted almost 1000 trees and bushes on the rez over the last two years and the vast majority of them have survived, most of them without irrigation. We would like to plant 100,000 food, fuel, windbreak and shelter trees that can build houses, protect people from the harsh winds, feed people, collect water, and do all the other things that trees do for all living things in the environment. Pine Ridge has areas of natural forest and we would like to replicate how those ecosystems work where possible. 

Pine Ridge is a "food desert" with almost no fresh food available in reservation grocery stores (which are very small), and it is expensive when it is. Diabetes, heart disease and other nutrition related diseases are epidemic. The weather is harsh and food forests around homes are wonderful protection from 110 degrees in summer and 50 below wind chill in winter. There are many, many advantages. Stable food systems will provide fresh food that can be gathered for years, with some of it storable. We hope you will consider helping to create food and water resiliency here, if not by volunteering, with resources or funding! You can donate via our web site, and we will also be posting a crowdfunding site soon. If you're interested in keeping up with what we are doing/planning join our facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/permablitzpineridge/?fref=ts

A group of us is planning on carpooling/caravaning up from Florida this year - if you're in Florida or on our route and interested, you can join our caravan. 

Mitakuye Oyasin

Koreen Brennan

www.growpermaculture.com
www.facebook.com/growpermaculturenow
www.meetup.com/sustainable-urban-agriculture-coalition
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