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Hands-On Greywater Workshops/Conference: Simi Valley, Oakland – 10/21/17; Yosemite – 11/1-3/17

Please share with interested people and organizations.

Hands-on greywater workshop in Simi Valley 10/21/17.  Learn more here.

AND:

What: Localizing California Waters Conference

When:  Nov. 1-3, 2017

Where:  Rush Creek/Evergreen Lodge in Yosemite, CA

Details here:  http://californiawaterreuse.org/

Summary:

Join us to convene on-site water organizations under one voice: California Onsite Water Association. At this intimate water reuse conference (focusing on rainwater, blackwater, greywater, and stormwater) professionals, designers, and policy advisers will work together to advance onsite water’s technical and policy future.

Audience:

Stakeholders working in or on the integration and collaboration of onsite, distributed, and centralized systems.  Policy advisors, designers, professionals looking to create innovative BMPs, code adoption, policy advisement and evaluation feedback through collaboration.  Funding organizations interested in looking for input or participants in scalable resiliency water management projects/collaborations for California and the Western United States.  Watershed based management groups looking to collaborate with Water Management advisers to create resilient ecosystem services.

Key Invites:

Pisces Foundation, Water Foundation, California Governor’s Office of Planning Research, Wildlife Conservation Board, State Water Resources Control Board, Department of Water Resources, Department of Public Health, SFPUC, EBMUD, LADWP, Alliance for Water Efficiency, Central Coast Salmon Enhancement, Trout Unlimited, Cal Trout, SRF, The Water Institute, Occidental Arts and Ecology, Sierra Nevada Alliance, Sierra Nevada Conservancy, Trust for Public Lands, Sustainable Silicon Valley, Imperial Water District, Pasadena Water and Power, Recode Oregon, Water Reuse, Utah Onsite Water Association, IAPMO, UC Irvine Pire Group, California Department of General Services (Architect), California Directors of Environmental Health, Imagine H20, ACWA, Water Reuse, The Walton Family Foundation, Dean Witter Foundation, California Resource Conservation District Association (Director), CASQA, ARCSA, QWELL, WERS, Santa Rosa Alternative Working Group

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Third Annual West Coast Communities Conference – September 29 – October 1, 2017 in Escondido CA

Conference Theme:  Thriving, Not Just Surviving – Fiscal Health in Community

Featuring Keynote Speaker: Diana Leafe Christian, author of Creating a Life Together

Taking off from last year’s theme of economic justice, we are organizing this year’s topics around the subject of equitable and sustainable income and affordability.  We have workshops

Workshop topics and speakers include:
– Financially feasible ways to start Community and ongoing affordability
– Organizing for affordability in less able neighborhoods
– Intentional Business (IB): Kinds of businesses that may be suitable with Intentional Community
– A look at Worker Cooperatives (Collectives)
– Fairness of equitable effort: Everyone pulling their own weight while respecting those less able
– Balancing Intra (local) Economy and Extra (global) Economy
– Alternative Trade Systems: LETS, TimeBank, HourWorld, etc.
– Sources of Funding

The event will be held near Escondido, CA, off Highway 15 between Los Angeles and San Diego.

Click here for Reservations

Community founders and other experts in cohousing and other kinds of intentional communities in California will share what works well, especially in community financial and economic health.

Diana Leafe Christian’s keynote address will be on “Recipe for a Thriving Community: Establishing an Internal Economy with Social Enterprises, Community Labor Systems, and More.”

 

Workshop presenters include Lois Arkin, founder of Los Angeles Eco-Village and longtime ecovillage activist; FIC Executive Director and longtime Twin Oaks Community member Sky Blue; cohousing activists Raines Cohen and Betsy Morris; and Jonah Mesritz, superstar expert on finding and financing community property and cofounder of Emerald Village Ecovillage.

Panel discussions of experts on healthy communities, and  on community financing, and Diana Leafe Christian’s breakout workshop on Sociocracy for cohousing and other kinds of intentional communities.

Call for Volunteers:  Help make this year’s event even better.  There are several roles we can use help with.  People are needed for registration, volunteer coordination, website administration, among others.  Those who would like to get involved or for more information, please contact:

Contact Us: Conference Email; Conference FaceBook Page; South-West Intentional Community Alliance (SWICA) website; SWICA Email

Organized by SWICASouth West IC Alliance,
Co-sponsors:
Fellowship for Intentional Community
Cohousing California
Terra Madre Gardens
Sustainable Living Institute

Event organizers:
Werner Kontara  (949) 551-2800
Steve Fuji, SWICA Committee Head – (505) 715-1418

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National Cohousing Conference May 19-21, 2017, Nashville TN

THE 2017 NATIONAL COHOUSING CONFERENCE promises an amazing lineup of offerings, from innovative approaches to developing new and affordable communities, to potent ways to enhance our vibrant communities.WE WILL COVER cohousing basics as well as hot topics in sustainability and resiliency in both living green through energy efficiency, shared resources, and greener building, to how community sustains us for measurably healthier lifestyles.

The program will offer a tantalizing soup to nuts menu of session choices—something for everyone: those who are living it, those who are developing it, and those who are just dreaming about it. And with all of that there will still be plenty of time for conversations in the hallways, tours, and fun!

For more information, click on the links in the green box, or visit 2017 Conference Questions & Answers.

 more info

 2017 National Cohousing Conference: Building Resilient Sustainable CommunitiesRegister Now!

THE 2017 NATIONAL COHOUSING CONFERENCE promises an amazing lineup of offerings, from innovative approaches to developing new and affordable communities, to potent ways to enhance our vibrant communities.

WE WILL COVER cohousing basics as well as hot topics in sustainability and resiliency in both living green through energy efficiency, shared resources, and greener building, to how community sustains us for measurably healthier lifestyles.

The program will offer a tantalizing soup to nuts menu of session choices—something for everyone: those who are living it, those who are developing it, and those who are just dreaming about it. And with all of that there will still be plenty of time for conversations in the hallways, tours, and fun!

For more information, click on the links in the green box, or visit 2017 Conference Questions & Answers.

 

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Greywater Installer’s Course – May 17 – 21, 2017 at L.A. Eco-Village

greywater img_4964-150x150Interested in learning how to install greywater systems?
OR
Becoming a greywater installer for your area?
This course will teach you how to design and install these water-saving irrigation systems.  

You will learn about the theory behind simple and high-end systems including the indoor use of greywater. We’ll cover basic plumbing and landscaping skills needed for the four types of common simple greywater systems. You will learn how to conduct a site assessment, determine which system to install and how to maintain existing systems. Additionally you’ll learn about what plants do best with greywater and the do’s and don’t of residential greywater reuse. By the end of the course you will know about proper installation of code compliant washing machine, and simple systems under the CA state code.

There will be an optional exam and installation for people wishing to be certified and listed on our website. The “installer’s page” contains contact info for graduates who wish to be listed, as well as an internal list serve for installers to share info, experiences, and get support.

Learn more about the content and see the week’s schedule here.

 greywater 3 img_5176-150x150Cost $650. Limited work-trade positions available

(To apply for a work-trade position click here)

Register here

Location: Los Angeles Eco-Village (117 Bimini Place, Los Angeles, 90004)

What past participants have to say:

My favorite part of the course were the instructors, which I found incredibly knowledgeable and well prepared. I really liked the balance between the lecture and hands-on exercises. As someone who has designed and taught career educational classes, I think this course was designed masterfully and worthy of emulation. Instructing adult learners from a wide variety of levels is not easy. –Dorsey Moore- Principal- Sustainability for All

I really loved it all, it was a great balance of classroom hands-on stuff. The instructors were admirably prepared and incredibly generous. I really appreciate the balance of theory and practice. -Leigh Jerrard- owner of Greywater Corps and architect

Awesome experience, highly recommend it and I admire you both. My favorite parts were the exercises, the groups and the final project because it really showed we had learned. Having it set up this way is geniusDeva Luna- landscape contractor and Designer/Manager at EarthCare Landscaping

Tgreywater 2 img_5191-150x150he 5 day installer course was amazing! The teachers were both very patient and knowledgeable…. I found it very reassuring that the instructors were teaching systems that they had personally installed. They knew what worked and what didn’t from experience. It was neat to meet such a variety of people in the class such as landscapers, other plumbers and people that just wanted to install their own greywater systems in their own homes… I have gone from being a residential plumber to installing greywater systems and rain harvesting systems full time. I still refer to the useful handout binder that I received during the course when installing a greywater system. I felt very confident installing even the very first system I did on my own– Brian Munson – plumber (and now a Greywater Action instructor)

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Worker-Owned: exploration & play – Sun. Jan. 24, 2016 from 2 – 5pm – Pasadena

ARROYO S.E.C.O. & ANTIOCH UNIVERSITY
invite you to an afternoon of exploration and play about
WORKER OWNED COOPERATIVES
This is a FREE event!
Please RSVP to reserve your space: nancyannneberlin@gmail.com(Donations are gratefully accepted at the door to help us continue our educational programming.)
Sunday, January 24
2-5 pm
The Armory Center for the Arts
145 North Raymond Ave.
Pasadena, CA 91103click here for DIRECTIONS
OWN THE CHANGE is a short film that explains what worker cooperatives are through conversations with worker-owners from Union Cab, Ginger Moon, Arizmendi Bakery, AORTA, New Era Windows and more.
CO-OPOLY: The Game of Cooperatives
Participate in playing the world’s first jumbo version of this excellent board game. In Co-opoly, players start a cooperative, and then, in order to survive as individuals and strive for the success of their co-op, make tough choices regarding big and small challenges that put their teamwork to the test!
 
POTLUCK REFRESHMENTS will be served.
Bring something to share and receive a time credit for your contribution
Potluck contributions from non-members are also appreciated!
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Thursday, December 3, 2015 at 7:30pm: The Low Down on Pee and Poo: Composting Toilets & Urine Reuse – A talk at L.A. Eco-Village

Composting toilets offer a sanitary and ecological solution to the flush toilet. (Did you know that around 890 billion gallons of untreated sewage flows into US waterways each year?) Learn about waterless composting toilets, reusing urine, and considerations for installing a system into your home. This presentation will cover homescale composting toilets from urban to rural applications, large scale systems, operation and maintenance needs, codes, and common problems and solutions.

Learn about

  • Types of composting toilets
  • Benefits of using urine as a fertilizer
  • Maintenance requirements
  • Common problems and solutions
  • System costs
  • Codes and regulations
  • Artistic toilet designs

EVENT DETAILS:

Location:
Los Angeles EcoVillage
117 Bimini Place
Los Angeles 90004

Date/Time
Thursday, December 3, 2015 from 7:30 pm to 9pm

Cost:
$5 to $15 sliding scale. No one turned away for lack of funds.

Reservations:
Not required, but if you’d like:  crsp@igc.org  or 213/738-1254

Sponsored by Greywater Action: info@greywateraction.org

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Introduction to Exploring Your Senses, Thursdays Oct. 22 & 29, 2015 at L.A. Eco-Village

Exploring Your Senses Introductory Workshops and Registration

Parents, educators and all who work and play with children 

Learn fun activities that make teaching & parenting more fun

  • that empower children to experience relaxed awareness
  • that overview the body’s response to distracting activities and stress
  • that explore sight, sound, touch, taste, smell and body centered awareness

Each topic about the body’s response to stress and distractions will be matched with short, fun, re-focusing and stress management activities.

For instance, imagine what your life would be like if taking brain brakes throughout the day was an integral part of your teaching job.

Imagine what your life would be like if introducing your children to sensory awareness during household activities was a regular part of your parenting.

In case it’s hard to imagine, we’ve structured these workshops so that, as you learn the information and engage in activities, you also have time to note: what changes in you as you listen and engage.

Taking time to notice is basic to

  • refocusing attention
  • self-regulating behavior
  • conscious interactions

Growing these capacities in children – and their adults – is essential for shifting away from punitive discipline and creating co-operative relational and learning cultures.

In  3 or 4 hours, you’ll sample fun, sensory, self-regulating activities that adults can do with children. You’ll overview how these activities reverse the bodyʼs response to distracting activities and stress.

The 4 hour Introduction, (two sessions), includes safe touch training. You will be encouraged to practice new skills between sessions and discuss your experiences with the group.

Where:  Los Angeles Eco Village
When: October 22nd & 29th, 2015,    6:45 – 9 pm
January 23rd  & 30th, 2016,    1:30 – 3:45 pm

Cost: Early Bird Special $35
for registration and full payment 2 weeks before first class (Oct 8th or Jan 9th).  Partial scholarships may be available for early birds.
$48 registration with full payment 1 week before 1st class (Oct 16th/ Jan.17th).

To Register or be added to our mailing list: Please send us the following information
* Name
* Phone #
* How are you involved with children? what ages? how many?
* Occupation(s) include parenting
* Workshop date
* Is the suggested donation affordable for you? If not, how much is?

Maximum class size – 10 people. 

Please register 1 week before start date. After we accept your application, Carol will send you a pay-pal invoice with logistical details. The paid receipt is your registration confirmation.

Want to help us make teaching and parenting easier – more fun?

Recommend a group that hosts an Introduction to Exploring Your Senses and you will receive our deepest gratitude for helping us grow our business, and, a discount for a future workshop.

 

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