RELATED EVENTS & PERMACULTURE RESOURCES (listed in date order with most current events first)  updated 8/9/08
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For more Permaculture resources, green events and organizations, scroll down to bottom of this page
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The Ojai Foundation is pleased to present our

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 15th through August 29th, 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

 



--
"If there is any positive side to stark changes coming our way, it may be in the benefits of close communal relations, of having to really work intimately (and physically) with our neighbors, to be part of an enterprise that really matters and to be fully engaged in meaningful social enactments instead of being merely entertained to avoid boredom.

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Western Regional Housing Summit

Sheraton Universal Hotel
August 25-26, 2008
Day 1 - 8:00 am – 5:00 pm

Day 2 - 8:00 am – Noon

You are cordially invited to attend the Western Regional Housing Summit. Please join us at the lovely Sheraton Universal Hotel for this engaging conference focusing around HUD's National Call to Action to reduce barriers to affordable housing and promote innovative strategies to increase production of housing for low and moderate income households. There will be several different tracks running simultaneously, including policy, production, preservation and reducing barriers.

To register, click “REGISTER NOW”.

All registrations must be completed by

August 15, 2008

Contact Info: For more information please contact: Ramon Mendez – rmendez@enterprisecommunity.org

Hotel Information: To make reservations please call 1-888-627-7184. Ask for the Western Regional Housing Summit group rate. All reservations need to be made by August 11, 2008 directly with the hotel.

 

Sheraton Universal Hotel

333 Universal Hollywood Drive

Universal City, CA 91608

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ATTENTION PERMACULTURE GRADUATES (POSTED 6/6/08):

Please Save the Date!
1st Annual Southern California Permaculture Convergence
August 29-31, 2008

 
Dear Permaculture Community,

We would like to invite PDC graduates to the 1st Annual Southern California Permaculture Convergence, August 29-31, 2008, hosted by the Santa Barbara Permaculture Network and Quail Springs Learning Oasis and Permaculture Farm.

We hope to kick-start this effort of a Regional Convergence, allowing others to take over in the future. As organizers for this first convergence we hope to move past any barriers caused by lack of time, available sites, or even teacher territories that might exist, and instead just recognize the work and accomplishments of all, and proceed from there with the important work around connecting individuals and communities in the region.  We feel a certain urgency in these times, but feel permaculture and this amazingly creative permaculuture community that exists in Southern California is up to the task!

We have been working hard to accomplish organizing this event with little time, so we ask for your patience.  We have a Convergence website that will be up soon with a registration process designed to be easy and efficient for everyone (hopefully
J ).

We will share an invitation with details about the event to this list when registration opens sometime in the next couple weeks.  If you are concerned that you might miss the announcement on the general list, you are welcome to email Kolmi Majumdar at info@quailsprings.org to join the Convergence interest list. A discount is offered with full payment when you register online before July 1st.   Those on the Convergence interest list will be emailed when the Convergence website is up to register online.  Please note that the Convergence will be limited to 50, because of site restrictions, and you must have a Permaculture Design Course certificate (72 hour Curriculum certificate) to attend.

If you have any images you would like to share (with captions) of  your permaculture site or projects, we would love to highlight those by having them be a part of the Southern California Convergence website.  Please forward images to our webmaster, John Calvert jc@virtualtribes.net

An ad is in the current issue of the Permaculture Activist (see attachment), placed to meet their deadline, but a little early for us!  Again, thanks for your patience, and we hope you can join us at a groundbreaking event for our region.

 
From the Convergence  hosting team-

Kolmi Majumdar
Quail Springs Learning Oasis and Permaculture Farm
Program Coordinator and Caretaker
Email info@quailsprings.org, www.quailsprings.org, Phone 805-886-7239

and,

Margie Bushman & Wes Roe
Santa Barbara Permaculture Network

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FRIDAY, SEPT. 19, 2008 2 TO 6 PM

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

(323) 260-3829, orozco@ucdavis.edu
 

September 14 - October 23, 2008:  A series of events exploring the twin opportunities of peak oil and global warming in Los Angeles

Life After Oil:

Designing the Transition

  “Peak oil” is the term for the end of cheap oil. Our contemporary society is leveraged upon a continuous stream of the stuff. But as prices climb, things are going to change... 

The future with less oil could be better than the present, but only if we engage in designing this Transition with creativity and imagination.

--Rob Hopkins, founder of the Transition Towns movement

Join us as we explore the Transition Towns concept that is catching on like wildfire in the UK.  What Can We Do about peak oil and global warming? The answers are in our neighborhoods and communities.

Through the Transition concept, we take a positive, forward-thinking view of what the future will hold for our area in the time beyond oil.

 

The converging challenges of peak oil and climate change mean that change--on an almost unimaginable scale--is coming whether we want it or not.

SPONSORED BY:  ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE-MAKERS   Westchester (Los Angeles).  See http://www.envirochangemakers.org/TTLA.htm

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October 08, 2008 - March 09, 2009

The 6th Annual Los Angeles
Permaculture Design Course Series



Green Living Skills
DIY Home & Garden Design
Peak Oil & Energy Descent
Sustainable Business

http://earthflow.com/LAPDC0708.php
 

Easy and Affordable...
One weekend a month for 6 months -and up to 50% payment plans and work-trades available! Contact us for details. Partial Scholarship available to all Teachers. Series can also be taken for non-certification.

Starts Oct 4th & 5th...
Join us on the first weekends of October '08 through March '09 for this annual event that continues to build and strengthen sustainable community networks.

Venues take us in and around Los Angeles, including SAJE headquarters, Rocky Ranch and Farmlab.

Solutions, Solutions, Solutions!
Learn about the art and science of following the Patterns of Nature, how to use the indicators of sustainability, and arrive at a new understanding of how to approach and solve every issue that human settlement requires -food, water, shelter, energy and more.


Permaculture Design is a Revival of Common Sense, useful on any scale. This course will provide us with the vocabulary and the vision for a solutions-based approach to the challenges of contemporary living, allowing us to empower ourselves and our communities in gaining abundance, vitality and balance in our daily world.

Learn from The Most Experienced Team of Permaculture Designers in the US and Recognized Leaders in the World-Wide Sustainability Movement
. Instructors include:  Larry Santoyo, Jude Hobbs, Scott Pittman, Toby Hemenway, Heather Flores, John Valenzuela, Karl Kras, Traci Reitz, Joan Stevens, Corinna Gebert and other very special guests. 

Plus -field trip and hands-on learning opportunities...

Register Here
http://earthflow.com/registration.php
$950.00 entire course -or $90.00 per day -or $175 per weekend
Visa, MC, AmEx accepted

Special Thanks to:
 
The Terra Foundation, Sustainable Santa Monica, The Permaculture Institute, The Center for Pattern Literacy, Cascadia Permaculture, Food Not Lawns, FarmLab+Under Spring, Rocky Ranch, Strategic Actions for a Just Economy

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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:

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:


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

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11 October -  7 November 2008 at Findhorn, Scotland

Ecovillage Design Education

Training of Trainers

Presented by the Findhorn Foundation in partnership with the
Global Ecovillage Network and Gaia Education

Based on the Gaia Education Ecovillage Design Curriculum - an official contribution
to the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development 2005-2014

Facilitated by: Pracha Hutanuwatr - Director, Wongsanit Ashram, Thailand
May East - Director, Gaia Education    Jonathan Dawson - President, Global Ecovillage Network
Michael Shaw - Director, The Ecovillage Institute and
Findhorn Ecovillage experts


You are invited to join this four-week comprehensive training of trainers on the fundamentals of sustainability design for urban and rural settlements, covering all elements of an ecovillage-based education. This will entail training at three distinct levels:

First, we will explore the content of each of the four key pillars of sustainability: ecology, economy, community and worldviews.

Second, we will weave together insights and discoveries made in each of these areas into an integrated design process with hands-on practical application exercises.

Third, we will explore different participatory learning approaches to deliver the Ecovillage Design Curriculum, developed by leading edge sustainability educators from around the world.

While the course will be facilitated by a very experienced team of ecovillage educators, it will be highly collaborative in nature, with all participants drawn in as rich resources for the learning community.



The programme is based at the Findhorn Ecovillage and comprises four separate weeklong modules, which may be attended as a whole or separately. It will provide a practical forum for learning and developing skills needed to work with and teach effectively design for sustainability at all levels.

Module details
Social Design – Week 1:  Oct 11 – 17 Building Community & Embracing Diversity; Communication and Facilitation Skills, Decision-Making and Feed-Back; Conflict Facilitation; Personal Empowerment and Leadership, Celebrating Life: Creativity and Art

Ecological Design – Week 2:  Oct 18 - 24  Whole Systems Approach to Ecological Design; Appropriate Technology: Water; Organic Agriculture and Local Food; Appropriate Technology: Energy; Green Building & Retrofitting

Economic Design – Week 3:  Oct 25 - 31 Shifting the Global Economy to Sustainability; How Money Works: Community Banks and Currencies; Right Livelihood; Social Enterprise, Nurturing Local Economies; Legal and Financial Issues

Worldview – Week 4:  Nov 1 - 7 Holistic Worldview, Listening to and Reconnecting with Nature; Awakening & Transformation of Consciousness; Personal Health & Planetary Health; Socially Engaged Spirituality and Bioregionalism


Who should attend?

Ecovillage Design - Training of Trainers is an advanced training course aimed at individuals involved in sustainable community initiatives of all kinds; students and professionals in architectural, engineering and building careers; permaculture and other sustainability designers; sustainable land use and regional planners; social workers, educators and business people interested in ethical development.


Training fees
For the whole programme
£1595 payable by participants with low income
£1835 payable by participants with medium income
£2125 payable by participants with high income

£455/£515/£605 per module according to income

Fees include tuition, accommodation, vegetarian meals and field trips.


What do EDE participants say
"Richness and diversity of teachings, practical techniques, facilitators and resources, as well as a deep respect and honour to both inner and outer dimensions of sustainability." - Pymalion Karatzas, Greece

"As far as I am aware, the EDE curriculum is currently the best and most comprehensive approach to turning holistic and joined-up thinking about sustainability into action. It really helps people to get a pretty complex whole picture view of the various dimensions of the sustainability transition and, what's more, it offers them effective tools and strategies as to how they can play an active part in this work of generational importance."

- Dr Daniel C Wahl, Centre for the Study of Natural Design, University of Dundee, Scotland

For more information please visit our website

http://www.findhorn.org/programmes/programme189.php
or contact: sustedu@findhorn.org


For bookings


Please contact: bookings@findhorn.org
Booking Form:  https://www.findhorn.info/EDEapplication2008.php

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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
================================================================================================ 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 or calendar 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>

Monthly calendar of Green Events by
Blair Seibert, AIA, LEED AP, GPR:  Request to be added to mailing list at:
Phone: 310-203-0896    Fax: 310-277-9834   email: blair@verdearchitects.com    Website: www.verdearchitects.com

On-going calendar of Green Events at Emerald City Green Girl:  http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/emeraldcity/2007/09/emerald-city-ca.html

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 to be added to mailing list at <mfield@glendale.edu>

New Earth <http://www.newearthlife.org>

SustainableLA <www.sustainablela.org/>

Environmental Change Makers
http://www.envirochangemakers.org

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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