Archive for October, 2009

Sustainable Living and Natural Building Internsip

March 1, 2009toApril 30, 2009
March 1, 2010toApril 30, 2010

Obera, Misiones, Argentina

http://www.mamaroja.blogspot.com

Tuition: US$925

Fall Internship
Sustainable Living and Natural Building Internship

Come participate in a shared learning internship on our small-scale sustainable homestead!

March 1-April 30, 2010 (May, Optional)

We will be offering an 8-week in-depth internship program to individuals interested in getting hands-on experience in organic gardening, natural food production, earthen and natural building, seed saving, and community living. This will be an opportunity for personal growth through shared learning in which interns will cooperate in the different aspects of a dynamic sustainable community. The internship will be a chance to take responsibility for providing for ones basic needs in a positive working environment of like-minding people.

Topics of Focus:
Organic Gardening: Composting and Soil Amending, Bed-Making, Planting, Seed Saving, Companion Planting, Natural Pesticides, Harvesting, and more…

Natural Building:
We will be building a small cottage using various techniques: Bamboo, Earthen building with Adobe Bricks, Wattle-and-Daub, and Rammed Earth, also Foundation, Design Principles, Wall Construction, Plaster and Painting, Roofing, and creative use of site-found and salvaged materials…

Extended Sustainable Ideas:
Food Product Making, Jarring and Preserving, Alternative Refrigeration, Milk-Product Creating, Fermentation and Cultivating Micro-organisms, Animal Husbandry, Alternative Energies, Reforestation, and there will also be plenty of space to explore projects of personal interest and intrigue. Also, there will be opportunities for practicing Yoga, Meditation, Massage (Thai and Swedish), Medicinal Plant Searches, Nature Hikes, Waterfall and River Swimming…

General Schedule:
Monday-Friday: morning and afternoon sessions, with an extended break in the middle of the day for lunch and siesta. We will also have one 5-day break in the middle of the course . There will be an optional extended stay for those interested.

Meals:
We have a community kitchen where we all share in the meal preparations and clean-up. We provide 3 healthy vegetarian meals with local produce, fruits, and products.

Living Arrangements:
Tents.

To Apply:
Please write us a short letter introducing yourself. We would like to know who you are and better prepare the program for your needs. (This will remain confidential.) Write a simple, honest, authentic letter about yourself and why you want to participate in the internship program. It does not need to be formal, just in your own style. Please include your age, gender, and an overview of your present life (for example, what brought you to want to come, where you are from, where you are coming from at this point in your life, how you hope to integrate the experience/learning from the program in your life, a few of your strengths and weaknesses in living in community/working with others). If you have any emotional or health difficulties, please let us know how these are effecting your life now. Please wait for acceptance before making travel arrangements.Please send your letter and any questions you may have to mama.roja@yahoo.com.

Cost of Internship: US$925
Your contributions go toward allowing us to expand the project and work with local communites on important topics such as seed saving, no chemical usage, and natural building alternatives.
Arrangements can be made for participants from less developed countries.

For more information or questions, contact us at mama.roja@yahoo.com

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2009 NBN Board Member Candidates

  By Jack Stephens , March 2009.

2009boardcandidates
Dear Natural Building Network Members,
Six of our members have stepped forward and volunteered to fill the six vacant seats on the Board of Directors under our new organization structure. Get to know the candidates…
Continue Reading…

Topic: NBN News

Carbon Economy Course

  By Carrie Campbell , March 2009.
October 19, 2009toDecember 15, 2009

Soil, Water, Carbon, Energy & Economy – Extensive problems require extensive solutions!

Hosted at Orella Ranch (Santa Barbara, CA) and Quail Springs (New Cuyama, CA)

Series for the 1st time across the USA

Comprehensive Modules including:

· Holistic Management(R) (Kirk Gadzia, Terry Gompert)
· Soil Food Web (Dr. Elaine Ingham, Paul Taylor)
· Broadacre Permaculture (Darren Doherty, Brock Dolman, Brad Lancaster, Penny Livingston)
· Natural Building (TBA)
· Effective Aid (Rosemary Morrow, Howard Shapiro, Warren Brush)
· Pathways to Relocalization (Joel Salatin)
· Fungi, Pyrolysis, BioChar Energy Systems & More…

Take the Series OR Pick & Choose! Details are TBA soon, visit www.quailsprings.org/events to stay tuned or join the interest list by emailing info@quailsprings.org.

Sustainable Vocations – A Training Program for Teens

  By Quail Springs , March 2009.
August 4, 2009toAugust 24, 2009
March 7, 2010toMarch 27, 2010
June 20, 2010toJuly 10, 2010

New Cuyama, CA

Sustainable Vocations prepares youth (ages 15-24) for diverse leadership roles that integrate sustainability into their communities, and provides an experiential introduction to the growing green jobs market. This is accomplished by building an educational foundation with youth, families, mentors and community partners, including:

· ecological literacy and regenerative design training
· leadership and community building training
· valuable hands-on experience in sustainable trades
· a Permaculture Design Certification

This is a new program growing out of the success of recent pilot projects (including Teen Apprentorship at Quail Springs, 2006, and a Permaculture Design Course for ex-combatant youth in Liberia, 2008), and connected to the roots of Quail Springs’ work with youth and families. Cost: $1,500-2,500, sliding scale. Need-based scholarships are available through funding from Hutton Foundation, Towbes Foundation, and business sponsorships. Diverse youth and families are encouraged to inquire. Contact: Kolmi Majumdar at info@quailsprings.org or Cyndi Harvan at 805-886-7239.

Materiales completos en Espanol disponibles pronto! Complete materials will be available in Spanish soon! Para informacion en Espanol, llamar a Maria Edith Eisenman at 805-886-7239 or email chrisandedith@quailsprings.org

Introduction to Straw Bale Building

  By Carrie Campbell , March 2009.
April 25, 2009toApril 30, 2009

El Sobrante, CA (10 miles north of Berkeley)

This workshop will be co-taught by Sasha Rabin and James Thomson (of House Alive! ). This course is designed for both first time builders, as well as professional builders and contractors who want to delve more into building with natural materials. Our goal is to teach you the basic skills needed to build your own straw bale structure. This course balances sessions in the classroom and on site, so you will learn to think your way through a straw bale house while gaining a feel for the nature of straw and clay as building materials. We will have hands on experience selecting, stacking, shaping and retying bales, as well as applying and mixing earthen plaster. There will also be opportunity to gain some skills in simple wood working for those with no or minimal wood working experience. If a straw bale house is designed and built appropriately, it can perform well in any climate and temperature, including cold and wet weather, or hot and dry locations. During the class room sessions the discussions will cover building design and siting, passive solar design, foundations and drainage, natural plasters and earthen floors, roofs, and electric and plumbing for earthen buildings.. This workshop will include three evening presentations and slide shows. We will take a field trip to see other natural building projects. All Levels. Cost: $450. Contact: 928-243-2243. Web site: http://sgnb.com .

Wood Fired Cob Oven

  By Carrie Campbell , March 2009.
June 13, 2009toJune 14, 2009

Bolinas, CA

Learn to build your own earthen bread and pizza oven using natural materials from your backyard. Using wood, stone, clay and straw, we will explore the entire construction process from foundation to roof. Daytime and evening sessions will be comprised of hands-on construction, lecture, and presentations covering building fundamentals that include structure, moisture protection, materials selection, heating and insulation. Join us and develop the skills you need to build your own small structure and feed your friends and family on fantastic baked goodies! Cost: $125. Contact: 928-243-2243. Web site: http://sgnb.com .

Permitted Grey Water System Video

  By Web Team , March 2009.

Janaia Donaldson, of Peak Moment TV, show cases a fully permitted greywater system created by Trathen Heckman, the Executitve Director of Daily Acts and Green Sangha in Petaluma, California.  In the video Trathen mentions, NBN Member, Art Ludwig’s book “Create an Oasis with Greywater“.

Topic: Articles Tags: , ,

Start-to-finish Cob and Earthbag Series

  By Earthen Hand , March 2009.
May 22, 2009toMay 25, 2009
May 30, 2009toMay 31, 2009
June 20, 2009toJune 21, 2009
June 27, 2009toJune 28, 2009
July 18, 2009toJuly 19, 2009

Portland, Oregon

Learn to Build Your Own Cob and Earthbag Cabin! Invest in your future, creating sustainable housing. Come experience the design and construction of an earthen building near forest park in Portland, OR. Have fun combining resource- consciousness, creativity, and construction skills in this start-to- finish series of hands-on workskhops, You will learn to use locally available materials to complete a habitable cottage. Learn to build quickly with rammed Earthbags. Learn to sculpt shelves and niches with Cob, integrating all the pieces of a dwelling. You will learn to build structurally sound earthen dwellings using mostly earth from the building site.
The design is a 18 ft x 11 ft foot long elipse, with a loft and a usable living roof space.The workshop will take place over five weekends: May 22-25, May 30-31, June 20-21, June 27-28, July 18-19. You can register for the series as a package, or for individual workshops.
Cost: $175-$650.
E-mail: scott@earthenhand.com or call at (503)287-2442.
Web site: http://earthenhand.com/Newberry.html