Begin forwarded message:
the Ecological Learning Institute presents:
Sunday Workshop Series - Winter-Spring 2010
at the GreenHouse Residential Learning Community
University Heights South, UVM Campus
Free and Open to the Public
Afternoon Workshops 1-5pm • Evening Hands-on Sessions 7-8:30pm
To register, go to http://tinyurl.com/ecolearn
FEBRUARY 28:
Afternoon: URBAN PERMACULTURE: MYCOSCAPING AND EDIBLE FOREST
GARDENING
The design tools and practice of permaculture is especially useful in
the urban
environment. We will discuss various applications of permaculture
design precedents
and how they may be used in the urban setting. The focus of the
workshop will be on
two practices we find especially exciting: mycoscaping and edible
forest gardening.
Mycoscaping is the incorporation of mushroom production in the
landscape for food,
medicine, and even bioremediation. Edible forest gardening is the
practice of growing
food in a way that mimics the resilience and fertility of wild forests.
Evening: MYCOSCAPING WITH COMPOST
Several species of delicious edible mushrooms will grow readily on
compost. Weʼll
explore potential species, and talk about basic techniques for
inoculating mushrooms in
compost bins and patches. Weʼll inoculate own batches of vermicompost,
using the
product of our the vermicompost system we set up in January, with
Shaggy Mane, a
delicious and easy-to-grow mushroom.
MARCH 28:
Afternoon: LIBERATION ECOLOGY I: DESIGN TOOLS FOR A WHOLE FUTURE
What would "sustainability" look like, if it refused to sustain white
supremacy?
What could "liberation" look like, in a society headed for ecological
collapse?
In this experiential workshop, participants begin to develop answers
to these questions
in an environment of collaboration, experiment, and wrestling with
some hard questions.
Mini-design projects, Daylighting Exercises, presentation, and
facilitated discussion,
help participants draw new maps of our situation, and chart new paths
for their own
work, forward to a truly sustainable society. Check out www.liberationecology.org
for
more details.
APRIL 4:
Afternoon: LIBERATION ECOLOGY II: POWER, PRIVILEGE, AND PROJECT
DESIGN
Drawing upon the concepts, discussions, and conflicts that arose in
the first Liberation
Ecology workshop, this second portion of the workshops specifically
addresses project
design. What are the key principles, tools, and ways in which we can
design our
projects to actively undo systems of inequitable power and privilege?
This interactive
workshop is designed for participants to develop their own work
projects or start new
project ideas.
Evening: COMPOST TEA FOR SOIL HEALTH
As we continue to explore the uses of the vermicompost system we set
up in January,
weʼll use some vermicompost to make some aerated compost tea. This is
a method for
“brew” a whole soil ecology in a water medium, which can then be
easily applied to
plants and soils in order to boost fertility and health. The life in
the soil is the most
powerful determinant of plant health, disease and pest resistance, and
breakdown of
contaminants, and compost tea is a simple and powerful way to give a
boost to the
whole soil ecosystem.
APRIL 18:
Afternoon: COMMUNITY BIOREMEDIATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE
Toxic soil and water pollution are pervasive environmental health
issues, plaguing
communities worldwide. Fortunately, many of these toxins can be dealt
with using
accessible, ecological techniques. Bioremediation is the use of living
organisms, such
as fungi, microbes, and plants, to return contaminated conditions back
to natural levels.
We will go beyond practices for our own homes and backyards, and
explore the process
of implementing community bioremediation projects - focusing on
underlying principles
and goals of a bioremediation strategy in order to make our projects
more effective and
appropriate.
Evening: SHEET MULCHING
Sheet mulching is a fun and easy way to prepare plots of land for
gardening. It is a way
to create and preserve vibrant soil ecology. Also, sheet mulching
techniques can be
used to create a barrier or buffer from contaminants in questionable
soil, while also
creating the conditions that will help the soil repair itself. We will
be using bedding
material, compost tea, mushrooms, and compost in a fun day active
session of garden
bed preparation.
Ecological Learning Institute
Social Objectives. Ecological Strategies.
i...@ecolearninginstitute.org
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Earn your permaculture design certificate.
The Finger Lakes Permaculture Institute
offers affordable local classes.
http://www.fingerlakespermaculture.org
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