RELATED EVENTS & PERMACULTURE RESOURCES (listed in date order with most current events first)  updated 7/16/08
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The Lyle Center for Regenerative Studies 
and the Solar Living Institute
Co-sponsor the 5th Annual

SUSTAINABLE LIVING WORKSHOP SERIES

July 14 - 20, 2008
Lyle Center for Regenerative Studies
Cal Poly Pomona
9 am - 5 pm daily

BD 101: How to Make and Use Biodiesel (July 14)
Biodiesel production and usage are growing at an exponential rate; it has the potential to be the primary alternative to fossil fuels for the world?s transport energy source.  In this hands-on class, you'll learn the process of making fuel from fresh or restaurant waste oil and examine the inner workings of a homemade small-scale biodiesel processor.  Instructor: Joelle Opotowsky

NB 110: Build Your Own Straw Bale Home (July 15-16)
This workshop is perfect for homeowners, commercial property owners and developers, contractors and other building professionals who want a comprehensive introduction to the subject of natural building techniques and materials.  Instructors: Drew Hubbell and Mark Tighe

PV 101: Intro to Grid-Tied PV Systems (July 17-18)
If you want to build your own grid-tied PV system, or want to know if grid-tied solar makes sense before you talk to a contractor, this two-day workshop is for you.  This course is a great introduction to grid-tied solar for homeowners as well as contractors and solar career seekers who have little background in the specifics of grid-tied PV or electricity.  Instructor: Will Korthoff

PO 131: Ecological Urban Gardening (July 19)
Learn to design and maintain your own ecological garden space in the city!  
Explore sustainable urban gardening options, such as planters, rooftop boxes, community/school gardens, and more.  Instructor: Doug Kent

WA 181: Water Recycling (July 20)
This workshop will provide a comprehensive introduction to the subject of water recycling, including an overview of aquatic sciences, a survey of conventional and alternative approaches to wastewater treatment, integrated natural living systems, stormwater capture and storage, and water quality analysis kits.  Instructor: Stephen Lyon


Sign up for workshops individually or take the 7-day series               
Register online www.solarliving.org or by phone 707-744-2017

CONSENSUS 101: A ONE DAY WORKSHOP
Sunday July 20, 2008 		8:30 am - 4:00 pm 
Santa Monica, CA

Used by intentional communities, activist organizations, religious &
spiritual groups, nonprofits, and others, consensus is a powerful process
for collaborative decision making and building group cohesion.  However, it
is not something that comes naturally to those of us who’ve grown up in an
individualistic, competitive culture!
This experiential full-day workshop serves as an introduction for those new
to consensus and a refresher for those who feel their community or
organization may not be using it most effectively. We'll focus on
collaborative decision-making tools you can really use!

 Workshop topics include: 

• Definition(s) of consensus
• Why use consensus?
• When not to use consensus
• What factors help/hinder consensus
• How to “do” consensus: the process
• What to do when it doesn’t work

Workshop fee: $100

Workshop leader Eris Weaver is a Facilitator & Group Process Consultant who
specializes in working with intentional communities and nonprofits. She is a
resident of FrogSong cohousing community in Cotati. 

To register or for further information, contact Carol Agate at
carolagate@mac.com.


Eris Weaver, Facilitator & Group Process Consultant
eris@erisweaver.info
707-338-8589
http://www.erisweaver.info


fa cil' i tāt: to make easier

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Greywater Guerrillas Los Angeles Events - July 19 thru 22, 2008

Sat. July 19th: Hands-On Greywater Workshop (Silverlake)
Sun. July 20th: Presentation- How to disengage from the water grid: Greywater, Rainwater, and Composting Toilets (Central LA)
Mon. July 21st: Greywater Design Workshop. (Mar Vista)
(Monday and Tuesday individual greywater consultations)

Saturday July 19th: Hands-On Greywater Installation Workshop - Silverlake
Time: 11am-3pm
Location: Silverlake (You'll get an email with directions once registered)
Cost: $30-$40 sliding-scale
To register: email Matt Moses <mosauce@gmail.com> Space is very limited so register early!

Workshop will include a presentation on greywater reuse, the design process of the system we'll be building, and the construction of a greywater system from the washing machine to ornamental of plants. Activities will involve digging, measuring, cutting pipes, observing, and more! 
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Sunday July 20th: Presentation: How to Disengage from the Water Grid: With Greywater, Rainwater, and Composting Toilets.
 
Time: 7:30- 9:00
Location: LA Ecovillage 117 Bimini Place, Los Angeles, 90004
Cost: $10 (no one turned away)
For more info contact Lois at the LA Ecovillage 213/738-1254 <crsp@igc.org> (www.laecovillage.org)

How to Disengage from the Water Grid- with Rainwater, Greywater, and Composting Toilets. We will connect the water in our lives to local and global water struggles, look at rainwater as a resource, explore options of reusing greywater, and contemplate waterless (composting) toilets. From the apartment, to the house, to the city, ecological sanitation offers a path to a sustainable and just water future.
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Monday, July 21; Greywater Design Workshop.- Mar Vista

Location: 3983 East Blvd. Mar Vista, CA 90066
Time: 7-9pm
Cost: $25
To register: Email Ray Cirino <cobanation@yahoo.com> 818-834-7074

Greywater Design Workshop; Interested in reusing your greywater? Want to learn more about it and how to build your own system? Come to our design workshop. We'll present you with information on the most common, low-tech, low-cost, effective, residential greywater systems. Then we'll break into groups and help you plan a system for your own home. Participants will be emailed a greywater planning sheet, that you'll fill out and bring to the workshop.
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Monday and Tuesday (July 21st and 22nd) Greywater Consultations.
If you are interested in having a consultation and/or system design for your own home, please contact Laura Allen <laura@greywaterguerrillas.com> at least one week before the consultation dates.

How to Raise Healthy Kids in a Toxic World:

A Workshop for Parents and Parents-to-Be

 with Deborah Tull

Date: Monday, July 28th

Time: 6 - 8pm

Place: Dragonfly Dolou

Cost: $25, $40 for couples

When we have kids, we have a wonderful opportunity to make deliberate changes in our homes to ensure a healthy, toxin-free environment for them as they grow.  At this workshop, Sustainability Coach Deborah Tull will help parents and parents-to-be with all their questions about creating wholesome homes for their families.  We will explore ways to raise kids with an awareness of and connection to the earth.  We will also explore how to implement change in a way that is simple and enjoyable.

Questions the workshop will address:

Which toys, clothes, and fabrics are healthy and safe?

Which bottles and containers are easy on the earth and safe for my child?

What is the environmental impact of my home products and practices?

How do I find clarity in those tricky areas, such as choosing which diapers to use and finding affordable sustainable food options?

Pre-register is required.

Please call (323) 665-7454.

All Shades of Green

3038 Rowena Ave.

Los Angeles CA, 90039

www.allshadesofgreen.net

www.allshadesofgreenblog.net 

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What is Permaculture? Click HERE.

Using the positive, solutions-oriented holistic design science of permaculture, we can redesign our urban environment to integrate harmoniously with nature, learning to observe and solve problems the way she does. This 2-week intensive permaculture design course will take place at Animal Acres in Acton, CA . Saturday, August 2 - Friday, August 15, 2008. This complete permaculture design certification course focuses on creative, pro-active strategies for all environments. Who should attend: People who are looking for positive, effective responses to peak oil, climate change, economic globalization, factory farming, mega-cities, etc. Anyone interested in learning about Whole Living; the path of living in complete harmony with our environment and all living creatures. Topics covered will include: Permaculture ethics and principles, pattern language, soils, ecological systems, water catchment and use, climate and microclimate, food production and security, constructed wetlands, renewable energy, bioregionalism, alternative currencies, biofuels, eco-villages, natural building and much, much more... Hands-on experience, site visits and field trips. Our Instructors: Graham Burnett Graham Burnett is an experienced permaculture practitioner, designer and teacher. He is a member of the Council of Management of the Permaculture Association (Britain), and holds the Diploma in Permaculture Design (Dip Perm Des). Graham is a member of the Permaculture Association's Designers Register, and has co-run Permaculture Introductory courses, full design courses and specialist courses on vegan-organic gardening and compost toilet building, as well as workshops for, amongst others, Organiclea, Naturewise, Green Adventure, Birmingham Decoy, Vegan Organic Network, Thrive (the therapeutic horticulture organisation), Transition Town Brixton ABUNDANCE, South East Essex Organic Gardeners and Southend Council’s Agenda 21 forum. Graham has been organising and teaching permaculture introductory and full design courses since 1998. Currently he works as part of the Naturewise team, running a variety of courses and events around North London, and with long term collaborator Ron Bates at Dial House in West Essex.   Scott Horton Scott Horton is a permaculturist, eco-artist and writer living in the San Jacinto Mountains of Southern California. He is editor of the Permaculture Activist, the oldest periodical on the topic with the largest circulation in the Americas. He teaches annually at The Farm in Summertown, TN, and has taught through the Permaculture Institute of Northern California, Portland Community Colleges, Pacific Northwest College of Art, advanced permaculture at Lama Foundation in Taos, NM, and in Mexico under the auspices of Organi-K and Tierra Viva community. He annually travels to Tlaxcala State in Mexico, where he is a designer and partner renovating the 16th century Hacienda Santa Barbara Chapultepec to become a rustic eco-inn, permaculture and cultural center for the region. He has taught permaculture workshops to groups ranging from pre-school students to MBA candidates at UC Berkeley’s Haas Business School and from advanced design workshops to natural building with the Punks in the Iztapalapa district of Mexico City. He has studied permaculture, natural building and eco-village design with Penny Livingston-Stark, Alejandra Caballero and the Zopilote Foundation in Mexico and elsewhere. His writings on permaculture, ecology, nature and the arts have been published in recent issues of Ripples Magazine, Britegreen.com, Hopedance, Chamber Music Magazine and others, and he was guest editor of Communities Magazine’s Spring 2005 Art in Community issue.   William Faith William Faith is a dedicated activist in the fight for the rights of animals, care of the earth and social justice, as well as a musician/songwriter, audio engineer and producer. Upon discovering permaculture in 2005, the nature of his artistry and activism changed for the better, both finding a confluence in permaculture. Shortly after completing his certification in permaculture design at the Ecovillage Training Center at The Farm in Summertown, TN in 2006, William co-founded Ars Terra, a sustainable homestead project in Palmdale, CA. and has continued his study in permaculture, stewarded by friend and mentor Scott Horton. William is a permaculture practitioner, designer and apprentice instructor, and co-sponsored/co-coordinated a permaculture design course at L.A. Eco-Village in 2007.   Guest Instructors: C. Darren Butler Darren Butler is a Consulting Arborist, Ecological Designer, and Landscape Specialist. His recent projects include designing and developing food forests in residential landscapes, which are forest-like systems that produce food with minimal maintenance once established. He has appeared on several episodes of "Weekend Gardening" for a large international television audience as an expert horticulturist and landscaper, on NPR radio, in newspapers, and other media. He has taught Sustainable Landscape Design and Diagnosing Plant Problems for the University of California Master Gardener Program in Los Angeles, Small-Space Food Gardening at Descanso Botanic Gardens, and is working with the Getty Villa to develop and teach gardening-related workshops.   More guest instructors to be announced.   About our location: We are very pleased to be holding this course at Animal Acres, the Los Angeles farmed animal sanctuary and compassionate living center directed by Farm Sanctuary co-founder Lorri Bauston. The sanctuary is a refuge for animals, and a sanctuary for the soul. Farmed animal sanctuaries are a place where cows, pigs, and chickens reach out and touch the human heart. The “animal ambassadors” gently teach people to extend compassion to ALL beings through one-on-one interaction. For many people, it is the first time they have ever looked into the eyes of pig or chicken, and it can profoundly affect the way people view and treat farmed animals. Animal Acres is located in Acton, CA., a 45-minute drive from central Los Angeles. On-site camping will be available for course participants for an additional $100. per registrant. Course Fee: $700. includes all course materials and vegan meals during the course. $800. includes all course materials, vegan meals and on-site camping. Please email info@arsterra.org to register!

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Summer Work Retreat

A Two Week Immersion in Mindful Service and Ceremonial Practices

Step out of time for a moment to deepen your connection to yourself, community and our planet

August 15^th through August 29^th, 2008

Cob Oven Building, Council Teachings,

Natural Building Workshops

Personal Vision Quest

and Sweat Lodge Ceremony

Facilitators:

Rachel Dawson and Doug Adrianson

with Paul Perrota

$250 for two weeks

with team oriented land-based service projects

This two-week program offers the opportunity to be of service to our 40 acres of beautiful semi-wilderness land and live close to nature as you deepen your relationship with yourself while exploring the ceremonial practices and philosophies on which The Ojai Foundation bases its work.

Includes: Hands-on Projects such as yurt maintenance and kiva repair, Land Walk and Orientation to The Ojai Foundation, The Way of Council, Medicine Wheel Teachings, Mindfulness Practices, Daily Meditation, Co-Created Community Meals, Arts Evening, and Rustic Shared Accommodations

Rachel Dawson is The Ojai Foundation's Land Steward and Path of Service Coordinator.  For the past eight years, she worked with TreePeople in Los Angeles where she supported community-based tree planting projects. She is a graduate of Larry Santoyo's L.A. Permaculture Design Course and Ariel Spilsbury's 13 Moon Priestess Ordination.  She continues to deepen her relationship with spirit through her advanced work in the Third Road faerie tradition.

Doug Adrianson believes council, ceremony and nature can enrich anyone's life, and the sooner the better. A lifelong writer and editor who loves the power and mystery of language, for 10 years he has spiraled deeper and deeper into the work of The Ojai Foundation. He is an experienced council trainer and co-chair of The Ojai Foundation's Board of Directors. He facilitates rite-of-passage retreats for teenagers and adults, both in Ojai and elsewhere, and has been a weekly council-circle leader at five schools.

First trained in the Yaqui way, Paul Perrota has been guiding Sweat Lodge ceremonies for over 15 years to help others develop and nurture an intimate relationship with nature and with self.

Application is attached or visit us on-line at www.ojaifoundation.org  

or contact Rachel at pathofservice@ojaifoundation.org or call (805) 646-8343 x134

T  H  E         O  J  A  I       F  O  U  N  D  A  T  I  O  N

9739 Ojai- Santa Paula Road, Ojai, CA 93023

(805) 646-8343   fax (805) 646-2456   www.ojaifoundation.org

^{ATTENTION PERMACULTURE GRADUATES (POSTED 6/6/08):}

GOOD HEALTH IN BAD TIMES

 UC Cooperative Extension Celebrates Latino Health Awareness Month & Introduces Its Community Demonstration Kitchen

  FUN EVENTS FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY – FREE!

• Simple and healthful recipe demonstrations

• Physical activity demonstrations

• Nutrition education and gardening workshops

• Money management workshop

• Free health screenings

• 4-H Youth Development information

• Social service booths

• Plus, door prize drawings!

WHERE:

UC Cooperative Extension Office

4800 E. Cesar E. Chavez Avenue

(SE corner of Mednik and E. Cesar Chavez Ave.)

 CONTACT INFORMATION:

Alejandrina Orozco

Community Colleges - Gateways to the Green Economy!   http://www.green-technology.org/ccsummit/index.html
October 8-9, 2008
Pasadena Convention Center
Pasadena, CA

Community colleges are increasingly a focal point for statewide efforts to create a green economy and workforce in California. The energy and interest surrounding the emerging green economy provides community colleges with a unique opportunity to increase their perceived and actual value to the communities where they exist.

The Summit has been designed to respond to these trends by:

• Highlighting the savings available from building and running green campuses.

• Emphasizing and demonstrating how a green training curricula could and should be comprehensive, coordinated campus to campus, and tied into the new energy economy emerging in California.

• Motivating attendees and showing how community colleges can be a living laboratory where students use their training to green their campuses (e.g., on site apprenticeships).

• Emphasizing and presenting how community colleges can be a model of sustainable practices to the community where the campus is located.

• Helping to highlight and reinforce the community college commitment to meet the green workforce demands and opportunities through its educational commitments and programs.

Summit Program
This two-day event will take place on October 8th and 9th, 2008 at the Pasadena Convention Center.

Education Program
The educational program is intended to meet the diverse interests and purposes of those involved in participating and helping community colleges meet their purpose of Building Gateways to the Green Economy. The themes that will be addressed in presentations and workshops include:

• Building Design and Construction

• The Business Case for Going Green

• Educating the New Green Workforce

• The Sustainable Campus – A Model for the Community

• Meeting Current and Evolving Workforce Needs for the Green Economy

Questions? Call 626.577.5700
For more information, write to ccinfo@green-technology.org
 

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Free Introduction to Permaculture Class 
monthly: 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM  
for details, see www.sustainablehabitats.org
at
Audubon Center at Debs Park 
4700 North Griffin Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90031
(323) 221-2255

Permaculture offers positive solutions to the problems facing the world.  Using ecology as the basis for designing integrated
systems of food production, housing, technology and community development, you can learn to create a sustainable environment 
wherever you are.

The Permaculture Design Course is for anyone interested in gaining skills and perspective for sustainable living and productivity. 
A Permaculture Design Course is a way to share accumulated information with others.

This Introduction to Permaculture Class is an outline of the science and art of Permaculture. It will define the term and 
its history, its founders, the curriculum of the design course certificate, its ethics and foundations. It will describe the 
benefits and show some of the most important work undertaken by permaculture designers.

For More Information contact:
David Kahn 323 667 1330 or info@susltainablehabitats.org       
Note:  this free drop-in Permaculture class or similar classes are offered monthly.
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For information on permaculture courses in Southern
California:

Subscribe to the Permaculture Activist at http://www.permacultureactivist.net/

Subscribe to the Los Angeles Permaculture Guild at https://www.arashi.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/lapg

See/subscribe to HopeDance Magazine::  www.hopedance.org  

See www.earthflow.com, 

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Monthly meet-up meetings for Hollywood-East Los Angeles folks
interested in intentional communities
hosted by 
Norm Swirin

Sign-up for meeting notices at:  http://intentionalcomm.meetup.com/10/?gj=sj5

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Other Los Angeles area organizations which sponsor events on a variety of urban sustainability issues include the following.  Check their websites for event schedules and/or contact them directly to be added to their mailing lists:

Eco-Home Network <www.ecohome.org>
Green Building Resource Center <http://santa-monica.org/epd/news/GBRC_index.htm>
Sustainable Habitats <http://sustainablehabitats.org/>
Radical Change LA <www.radicalchangela.org>
Path to Freedom <www.pathtofreedom.com>
Latino Urban Forum.  Contact James Rojas at <Latinourbanforum@yahoo.com> to be added to notice list or visit
        http://www.lpnonline.com/eWebPages/Featured-Articles_id,999127363,2001.eWeb
TreePeople <www.treepeople.org>
Wright Organic Resource Center <http://elwright.net/wrightway/location.html>
Mona Field.  Request being added to mailing list at <mfield@glendale.edu>
New Earth <http://www.newearthlife.org>
SustainableLA <www.sustainablela.org/>
LegacyLA <http://legacyla.net/>
Farmlab <www.farmlab.org>
M&A - Materials & Applications Architecture and Materials Research <http://www.emanate.org/>

NOTE:   The rate at which new organizations and websites are being created to help people transform their living patterns to be more sustainable
                is astounding.   To get a sense of this, when you have time to "surf," just google a few expressions such as:

                        - "sustainable living" los angeles
                        -  "urban sustainability" los angeles
                        -  "sustainable development" los angeles
                        -  "sustainable community" los angeles

And if you are among those working toward changing the world on a daily basis, either individually or through an organization, do register your passions with www.wiserearth.org

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