Author: Lois

A new vision of higher education: Gaia U is an on-line university training leadership for ecosocial regeneration

As we celebrate the turn of the new year, it has also become apparent that the challenges highlighted by 2020 are not over yet. At Gaia U we have weathered the storms, and been able to provide guidance, inspiration and mentorship to our communities; in large part due to the designed-in resiliencies that have made us more adaptable to the pandemic and economic crisis. The design tools that we teach have served us well, but each day brings new challenges as we are reminded that we need to remain mindful, open and flexible if we are to remain helpful to this Great Turning.    More than ever, the past year has made me believe in the power of Gaia U and organizations like it to help communities transition by design. With this vision of uncertainty ahead and the tools of Gaia U in hand; I invite you, our community once more to this years February Cohort. I hope that many more of you will join us and pass it on to those who need it. I invite you to a journey we will co-design in reclaiming our power as citizens and custodians of our planet and communities; through getting in touch with our head, heart and hands capacities.  I look forward to seeing and meeting many of you at our Gaia Radio Calls, our Open Houses and our courses. We have some exciting news to share in the coming weeks about our bigger projects unfolding! Indeed some of you reading this may become peers, collaborators and friends in this year. Many more of you will continue to quietly but effectively do the work of planting, healing, educating, designing, imagining and building which is so needed for our planet and our people. I give thanks for it all! For a Regenerative Future! Vida  Gaia U Outreach Coordinator Gaia University – Transition by Design

A Brand New Plant Medicine Series from Elegant Alchemy
Exclusively for the BirdHouse!

The BirdHouse Community Apothecary Presents

Plant Speak, Winter 2021: Rooted
Working with the Earth & Medicine for Your Root
with Clinical Herbalist, Roxanne

Thursday evenings, starting February 11th, 7 – 8:30  PM PST

Suited for beginners and experienced plant lovers alike,
this virtual 4-week series will be held on Zoom.

This Winter we can create opportunities to fall in LOVE with the Earth.

As a participant, you’ll have access to the class recordings and the private Plant Speak online community where you can post pictures, ask questions, and get to know your classmates. 

• Week 1: The Language of Plants
• Week 2: The Root Chakra
• Week 3: Medicinal Plants for Your Root
• Week 4: More on Roots & Closing Circle

Cost (includes materials)
$115 for BirdHouse Members // $140 for non-members

SIGN UP BY FEBRUARY 4TH!

More info on The Treehouse: Home – At The BirdHouse

10-week online Sociocracy Webinar, Mondays, Feb 8 – Apr 12, 2021, with short watch-ahead videos & handouts, live sessions for practice. Register here. My mission is to help intentional communities get started successfully, function effectively, and achieve their goals.

I have learned what works well from founders and long-time members of more than 170 communities worldwide — ecovillages, cohousing neighborhoods, housing co-ops, shared group households, income-sharing communes, and more.

Here are two videos I’d love you to see. First, an 11-minute presentation, Three Aspects of a Healthy, Thrivng Community. Second, a 45-minute slide show (with slides embedded in the video) How Ecovillages Benefit the Wider Culture. My books are Creating a Life Together, (2003), (now translated into six languages) and Finding Community (2007) Here’s a 1-minute video from Bay Area Permaculture trainer Kevin Bayuk recommending my work.    

I teach workshops, offer consultations, and present keynote addresses and breakout workshops for conferences internationally. In 2017 I received the Fellowship for Intentional Community’s Kozeny Communitarian Award, a lifetime achievement award for contributions to the US communities movement.

     My workshops and webinars include Starting a Successful Ecovillage or Intentional Community, Helping Your Community Thrive, and Sociocracy for Intentional Communities. I’m an Associate Member of The Sociocracy Consulting Group (TSCG).  I also teach the N St. Consensus Method for groups who like to use consensus. 

I’m working on my third and forth books now: one on how groups can use Sociocracy for better meetings, get more done, be better organized, and feel more connected; the other on helping your community become more healthy and thrivng.

I’m a certified as a trainer for Gaia Education’s Ecovillage Design Education (EDE) course, a Board Member of GEN-US (Global Ecovillage Network-US) and formerly a board member of GENNA (GEN-North America). I contributed chapters to the Gaia Education/EDE books Beyond You and Me and Gaian Economics, and the GEN book Ecovillage: 1001 Ways to Heal the Planet. I’ve written articles for Communities magazine, GEN Newsletter, the Communities Directory, GEN Newsletter, Permaculture Activist, Permculture Design, and Permaculture magazines. I was editor of Communities magazine (1994-2007) and publisher of Ecovillages newsletter (2010-2012). I live at Earthaven Ecovillage in North Carolina.

Please email me here.

“Your workshop was fantastic! You truly are a master at taking complex material and making it simple — at putting together workshops, teaching, and facilitating. The way you engage participants is brilliant.” —Gaya Erlandson, co-founder, Lotus Lodge Community, North Carolina

“Your presentation at the Permaculture Voices conference was one of the best I’ve seen. . . . down-to-earth, humble, extremely knowledgeable, realistic, practical, insightful, inspiring (and funny). I learned so much!”  —Laura Allen, Los Angeles Eco-Village; author, The Water-Wise Home

“You are a sparkling trainer and a joy to work with. L.A. Eco-Village was energized for a year following your workshop.”  —Lois Arkin, co-founder, Los Angeles Eco-Village

“I love the way you teach — supporting the questioner and question, being totally honest, and keeping a smile and positive, hopeful attitude about everything!”  —Dave Henson, co-founder, OAEC Community, Sonoma County, California

“I was riveted — your conference keynote was an awesome presentation. You hit the fundamental, untold truths about cohousing and decision-making.  I 100% recommend time with you as obligatory for any forming cohousing community.” —Mark Westcombe, Chairperson, UK Cohousing Network, and co-founder, Forge Bank Cohousing, Lancaster, England

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Jim Schenk Enright Ridge Urban Eco Village  Cincinnati, Ohio	Mar 18 Thursday 3 PM Pacific 6 PM Eastern __________	Bio, Enright Ridge, various projects, inspiration, outlook	website Enright Ridge videos of Enright Ridge
Sunil Patel Patchwork Farms Asheville, NC	Mar 26 Friday 1 PM Pacific 4 PM Eastern __________	Bio, Patchwork Farms, local food projects in Asheville, inspiration, outlook	website Patchwork Urban Farms video Patchwork Urban Farms
Jan Spencer Suburban Permaculture Eugene, Oregon	Apr 22, Thursday 5 PM Pacific 8 PM Eastern __________	Bio, transforming suburbia, eco footprints, paradigm shift, inspiration, outlook	website Suburban Permaculture Series of 7 zoom presentations video tour of Jan’s place
Panel Conversation Lois Arkin Jim Schenk Jan Spencer Bob Randall	Apr 29, Thursday 5 PM Pacific 8 PM Eastern	Panelists interact, Positive stories, challenges, inspirations, outlook	Join Zoom Meeting LOG IN GOOD FOR ALL CONVERSATIONS https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89553673085 Meeting ID: 895 5367 3085 Passcode: 990252