Tell Me More
The low-down!
To us, sustainability is not a technology, a law or a recycling program - it is a way of being in the world. It is a way of relating to and perceiving the world that results in actions, lifestyles and cultures that enhance the ecological integrity of eco-systems that give us life. The great thing about this is that a sustainable way of being also happens to be one that is inherently human, one that is joyful, present and fulfilling. It is about coming home into the cosmos and our place within the web of life.
The Ecological Living Project centers around the creation of a learning community. It is a group of people coming together to explore and share new ways of being in the world. It is a container where people have the ability to live their passion for a better world. We are at the forefront of creating a new culture, one that works well for all life. By tasting this new way of relating to the world, ELP is developing the leaders who will create expanding waves of sustainable change.
Accreditation
Participants have the opportunity up to 9 credits through Greenfield Community College. If interested, please contact us for more details.
Dates
The program runs from June-August, 2009. We have space for 10-12 participants who will live on-site for 3 months.
A typical week in the program might look like this:
Monday – Play in the gardens, foraging for wild edibles, general food systems
Tuesday – Workshop led by local specialist (ex. Permaculture theory & design, Native Herbalism, etc)
Wednesday & Thursday – Self-directed projects (ex. building grey-water system, mapping local food availability, etc), Mentor time and community building processes
Friday – Caretaking the Earthlands lodge and land (cleaning main lodge & grounds)
Saturday & Sunday – Personal time, possibility of attending Earthlands programs
Program Structure
Participants will be involved in selecting the teachings that suit their individual and collective interests. Think of it like a pool of resources to be drawn on to support you on your learning path.
There are three categories of people who will be sharing their knowledge and skills: mentors, specialists and resident teachers. Mentors will be involved on a more regular basis and will have a more direct connection with individual participants. Specialists will be invited in to give workshops (mostly day-long) to share their knowledge on a particular area. Resident teachers will live on-site for a week and share knowledge of their area of interest. The program will be structured around these relationships.
Project Directors, Patrick and Nika, will be the on-site facilitators for the program. Their role is to coordinate the program as a whole, not necessarily to run the workshops and teachings themselves.
Certain weeks will have a theme (for example, primitive skills) where there will be both a specialist and resident teacher so that participants can delve more deeply into the topic.
There is scheduled ‘un-structured’ time where participants will be able to focus on their area of interest and work on self-directed projects. This built-in flexibility gives the group the opportunity to create the experience they want. It is the time to bring the teachings to life. Various tools, processes and resources will be offered to the group to support this.
A 10-day intensive will open the program and will give participants a deep experience of the different elements of ELP and will set the tone for the rest of the summer.
The living situation is community-focused. Participants will be live together in the main lodge and out-buildings. Meals will be shared, as will community care, such as cooking and maintaining clean common space.
At various points during the summer, there will be rental programs run at Earthlands. These workshops focus on personal growth work and environmental awareness. Participants will be involved in caretaking the land and facilities to support these programs. This will constitute only a small portion of the program. It is an opportunity for participants to work as a team, learn about Program Center management and to tap into our local network of people doing earth-based, transformational work.
Programs at Earthlands
As part of living at Earthlands, participants and staff may have the opportunity to participate in selected workshops and events run on-site. These programs are booked by outside facilitators so participation is negotiated on a case by case basis. Certain programs may be closed (such as advanced trainings), others may be at full cost, others at discounted rates, and some through work-exchange.
