Join in TreePeople’s 2nd annual Green City Fair!

A day of fun, food and activities hosted by TreePeople. Green City Fair will provide you with the resources to make healthy, sustainable changes. FREE sustainable workshops will be held throughout the day. Note that Brad is no longer scheduled to participate in this still-awesome event.

When: Saturday, May 5 , 2011 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Where: TreePeople
12601 Mulholland Drive
Beverly Hills, CA 90210

Workshops

Details TBA here and at www.treepeople.org/green-city-fair-2012
NOTE: Plans have changed, and Brad will NOT be participating in this event.

Sponsors, Vendors & Exhibitors

Interested in becoming a sponsor, vendor or exhibitor?
Please contact Jillian Fontaine at (818) 623-4862 or jfontaine@treepeople.org

Date: Saturday evening, September 8, 2012
Time: TBA

Location: TBA, Calgary

Brad will give his classic water-harvesting presentation at a public talk in Calgary, hosted by Verge Permaculture

Turning Drains Into Sponges and Water Scarcity Into Water Abundance
This inspiring power point presentation shares eight universal principles of water harvesting along with simple strategies that turn water scarcity into water abundance. They empower you to create integrated water-sustainable landscape plans at home and throughout your community. Rainwater harvesting is the process of capturing rain and making the most of it as close as possible to where it falls. Greywater harvesting is the process of directing water from household sink, bathtub, shower, and washing-machine drains into the soils of the landscape where the water is naturally filtered and reused to generate more on-site resources. The two work hand in hand, and can reduce our water consumption by 30 to 50%! You’ll see examples enhancing local food security, passively cooling cities in summer, reducing costs of living and energy consumption, controlling erosion, averting flooding, reviving dead waterways, minimizing water pollution, building community, creating celebration, and more.

More details to come!

More information to come.

Meanwhile, visit www.vergepermaculture.ca/content/plant-rain-grow-sustainable-abundance to see basic course information and learn about Verge Permaculture.

Sustainable Vocations prepares youth (ages 15 – 24) for diverse leadership roles that integrate sustainability into their lives and communities. This pioneering program provides a unique, hands-on introduction to the expanding green jobs market while exploring the comprehensive tenets of environmental stewardship and sustainable living. While expansive in scope, timely topics include: ecological design, conservation and restoration, alternative energy systems, sustainable agriculture, natural building, ecological literacy, water harvesting, community regeneration, and nature awareness. Students earn an internationally recognized Permaculture Design Certification and graduate with the practical skills to enhance their employment opportunities and life path – all while helping to create a more sustainable future for us all.

Sustainable Vocations
Summer 2012 Course Dates:

July 25 – August 11, 2012

Cost: $1,500–$2,500 (sliding scale)

Priority/Scholarship Application Due Date
May 1, 2012

FMI: www.sustainablevocations.org/home

Arid LID 2012

Green Infrastructure and Low Impact Development in Arid Environments

March 27-29, 2012

Tucson, Arizona

Visit the Arid LID website for the following:
Registration – early registration through 1/16/2012
Agenda
Venue & Accommodations
Sponsorship Opportunities
Post-conference training in community-based green infrastructure

Keynote speakers to include:
Benjamin Grumbles, President, Clean Water America Alliance
Andy Lipkis, Founder and President, TreePeople

Brad will one of the panelists for The Tucson Trajectory: from guerrilla gardens–to big box parking lots–to planned communities

Many other speakers will be featured. Visit the Arid LID website for complete details.

Click to download WMG’s AridLID Conference Press Release.

About the conference:

For the past two years, the AridLID Workshops held in Albuquerque, New Mexico, have built a growing discussion and exposition of Green Infrastructure (GI) and Low Impact Development (LID) practices that are appropriate to the unique climates of the southwestern United States. In 2012, we are holding the conference in Tucson, Arizona, with the twin goals of sharing best practices and building professional networks across a wider swath of the region, and of developing a clearer Southwestern vision and voice in the growing national discussion on GI/LID.

The theme of AridLID 2012 is Integrated Approaches to Green Infrastructure and Low Impact Development.  Green Infrastructure projects function best and are most cost-effective when they provide multiple benefits­—like a streetside bioretention basin that captures and cleans stormwater while it passively irrigates vegetation that shades the street and sidewalk, beautifies a neighborhood, and calms traffic. Likewise, effective green infrastructure practice often requires that people of various disciplines and perspectives work together—think landscape architects, engineers, and stormwater managers working together with a watershed group, a neighborhood association, and a University laboratory to achieve shared goals!  This conference will explore the potentials, best practices and pitfalls inherent in GI at various levels of integration in our region.

Who should attend:

Sessions will be targeted to stormwater, planning, and design professionals; researchers in water resources and urban sustainability; as well as activists and educators interested in implementing these features through grassroots, community-driven models.  Participation is especially encouraged from those working in GI/LID in arid regions of the southwestern U.S. (southern California, Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, Colorado, Utah, west Texas) and northwest Mexico.

Questions?  Contact:
James MacAdam
Watershed Management Group
520-396-3266
james *at* watershedmg.org

Keep Sedona Beautiful Speaker Series:

A series of monthly presentations on subjects of community interest that are aligned with the Keep Sedona Beautiful Mission: Preserving the Wonder™

Speaker Series events are typically held on the third Wednesday of each month beginning in September and ending in June.

Note that the March event will be on Friday evening, March 23.

Time: 5:30 – 7 pm
Location: Pushmataha Center • 360 Brewer Road • Sedona AZ 86336
Venue phone: (928) 282-4938

Brad will give a talk on Desert Harvesters, a group he co-founded in Tucson that celebrates and promotes the native foods of the Sonoran desert. Desert Harvesters’ Eat Mesquite! cookbook, along with signed copies of Brad’s water-harvesting books, will be available for sale after the talk.

Desert Harvesters and Native Foods: Put ‘em in your mouth, your yard, your street, and your neighborhood
This is a celebratory presentation on the history of Desert Harvesters and other dynamo local-food efforts that have enriched the Tucson community, ecosystem, and palates – and how you can likewise enrich the community where you live. Learn about grinding mesquite (and carob) pods with a hammermill or a Suzuki 4 x 4; irrigating food-producing street trees with the street; planting and picking the best tree-beans; throwing pie, mulch, and pancakes parties; creating a thoroughly delicious community-tasted cookbook; regenerating ecosystems in your pantry and landscape, and growing friendships and neighborhood networks while you’re at it! Desert Harvesters (www.DesertHarvesters.org) is a volunteer-run, grassroots effort based in Tucson, Arizona, that strives to promote, celebrate, and enhance local food security and production by encouraging the planting of indigenous, food-bearing shade trees (such as the Velvet mesquite (Prosopis velutina)) in water-harvesting earthworks, and then educating the public on how to harvest, process, and enjoy the bounty.

Free wine and appetizers will be served by KSB.
Admission is free and open to the public, donations are appreciated.

For KSB’s most recent presentations visit their Home Page for Upcoming Activities and Events.

Brad Lancaster and Jan Busco will be the two keynote speakers for Keep Sedona Beautiful’s 33rd Annual Native Plant Workshop

Native Hedge Hog cactus in full bloom. Photo courtesy of Gerry Snyder.

Date: Saturday, March 24, 2012
Time: Doors open at 7:45 am. Event runs from 8:30 am to 3 pm

Location: West Sedona School
Address: 570 Posse Ground Road

Cost: In advance: $20 KSB members, $30 Non-members. An extra $10 per ticket will be charged at the door.

Topic of Brad’s talk:
Planting the Rain: Principles, Practices, and Tips for Water-Harvesting Earthworks and Raingardens
Plant the rain before you plant your trees to boost production, reduce flooding, conserve water, and create sustainable oases around your homes and community infrastructure. Raingardens and other small-scale earthworks quickly infiltrate rainfall into the soil where less is lost to evaporation, while reducing erosion. Living ‘pumps’ of vegetation then enable us the access that water. Come learn simple principles and tips to leverage greater success as you implement these simple and effective passive systems. This presentation builds on Brad’s basic water-harvesting talk, while offering more specifics and case studies. Working examples and case studies will be highlighted.

Brad will sell & sign his books after his talk and during lunch. Desert Harvesters’ Eat Mesquite! cookbook will be available for purchase as well.

Jan Busco, Horticulturist at Grand Canyon National Park, will speak on: Getting the Best from Your Native Plants

The format will be similar to last year’s, with a full day program, two keynote speakers, and attendance of two workshops from a selection of eight options: composting, container gardening, managing invasive plants, insects for home & garden, native plant essential oils, highland cacti, fire ecology and hydroponics.

Breakfast beverages and savories and a bag lunch are included with registration.

There will also be opportunities to bid on items at a Silent Auction fundraiser.

For more information and to register, go to keepsedonabeautiful.org or call 928-282-4938.

ProGreen EXPO 2012 spans from February 7-10 this year, featuring over 100 seminars (including several in Spanish) and 650 booths at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver.

Brad will be giving the following talk twice on Friday, February 10, once at 8 am and again at 10:30 am.

Turning Drains Into Sponges and Water Scarcity Into Water Abundance

This inspiring power point presentation shares eight universal principles of water harvesting along with simple strategies that turn water scarcity into water abundance. They empower you to create integrated water-sustainable landscape plans at home and throughout your community. Rainwater harvesting is the process of capturing rain and making the most of it as close as possible to where it falls. Greywater harvesting is the process of directing water from household sink, bathtub, shower, and washing-machine drains into the soils of the landscape where the water is naturally filtered and reused to generate more on-site resources. The two work hand in hand, and can reduce our water consumption by 30 to 50%! You’ll see examples enhancing local food security, passively cooling cities in summer, reducing costs of living and energy consumption, controlling erosion, averting flooding, reviving dead waterways, minimizing water pollution, building community, creating celebration, and more.

For more information about ProGreen EXPO, visit: www.progreenexpo.com.

Soil Steward Composting Toilet Program: Seeking Participants

Are you…

• An early adopter who would like to be part of a cutting-edge pilot program to influence city and state policy?
• Tired of flushing potable water down the toilet and interested in building a legal composting toilet for your home?
• Interested in using alternative composting systems to improve your soil and fertilize trees and other plants?
• Want to get geeky about soil – how to build healthy soils and conserve water while producing food and lush native landscapes?

Watershed Management Group invites you to attend an informational session: Thursday, February 9, 6-8pm. Register to attend this free informational session on participating in WMG’s Soil Steward Compost Toilet program (attendance required to apply to be a pilot participant). Register here.

This informational session will include:

• The activities and information taught in the Soil Steward program
• Composting-toilet designs offered through the program (site-built), proper use, permitting, and legal issues
• How to apply to receive a subsidy and be an exclusive pilot participant to receive a legal site-built composting toilet

If you’re interested in participating or learning more about our Soil Stewards program, please contact Catlow Shipek at catlow@watershedmg.org.

Click to download the flyer for the event.

The project is possible through grant funding from the Environmental Protection Agency’s Region 9 for their environmental education projects.

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Animal Processing Workshop

Presented by Jeff & Ana Sanders     ~     Hosted by Brad Lancaster

 
*see below for identification of pictured items

This workshop is currently full, but we will be happy to accept names for a wait list in the event of cancellations.

During this two-day workshop students will learn to slaughter, skin, eviscerate, butcher, and cook a medium-sized animal (sheep or goat) in a traditional way, using little more than one’s knife.

Jeff and Ana will teach you how to:

• Identify all the parts of the animal
• Cook the edible parts, such as the muscles, intestines, some organs
• Process the hide, sinew, intestines, bones, and hooves to where they can used to make tools, clothing, musical instruments, or adornments. Examples include bone tools, sinew & intestine cordage, hoof rattles, hide glue, & more.  Examples of such items will be available and students will have the opportunity to work on these projects.

The workshop includes lunch & dinner, cooked by the students during the workshop. Vegetarians are welcome!

Cost: $40 per person
Date: Saturday & Sunday, February 18 & 19, 8:15 am – 6 pm
Location: Dunbar/Spring neighborhood (north of downtown). Address will be provided upon receipt of deposit.

A minimum of 7 students will be required for the workshop to run
Limited spaces available – pre-registration is advised
Reserve a space with a $20 deposit (non-refundable after February 1)

Students will be required to sign a waiver acknowledging and accepting full responsibility for any possible injuries that could be sustained during a hands-on workshop involving knives and exposure to blood.

To register or with questions, email admin@HarvestingRainwater.com or call (520) 777-0049

To download a copy of the flyer, click: Sanders Animal Processing Workshop

*The items pictured above are (from left to right):
Top Row: Back-strap sinew (cleaned and dried)
Second Row: Felted wool pouch, hoof and buckskin rattle, buckskin pouch with a scrimshawed bone button
Bottom Row: deer-hock pouch, bone needle, two styles of bone awls, bone knife
Bottom Right Corner (right of bone knife), counterclockwise: bone whistle, two bone dice, six bone gaming sticks, sinew bowstring, small-intestine cordage, sheep-horn cup, and chips of dried hide glue

About the workshop:

The focus of the workshop is to help people experience a lifestyle that is closer to the earth and the things we need to sustain life. Raising or processing one’s own food means that it is not shipped thousands or even hundreds of miles. The impact we create when we process our own food is seen more immediately and directly instead of being spatially separated from us. This way we are less insulated from the true impact our life has on the entirety.

Lessons learned with domestic animals are directly transferable to working with animals of any size, domestic or hunted.

Vegetarians that have taken past workshops have said that they would consider eating meats that are not processed industrially, as a healthful and ethical choice. Many of Jeff and Ana’s past participants are inspired to find farms where they may become more connected with the life of the animal and the meat they eat.

The workshop is very hands-on and includes a focused anatomy lesson.

We will use as much of the animal as possible in the time available. The workshop is more about the animal than about the food, for this reason Jeff and Ana have streamlined the cooking portions of the workshop so that less energy is used on cooking allowing for more time and energy spent learning about the processing.

Short bios for the instructors, Ana and Jeff:

Ana and Jeff live in southern Utah with their two-year-old daughter. Their lifestyle is very much rural with a focus of raising, hunting or obtaining locally a significant portion of our food.

Jeff learned animal processing at the Boulder Outdoor Survival School  (B.O.S.S.) beginning in 2000.  He has worked in many capacities at BOSS since 2000, and in 2011 was able to return to teaching full time in the field.  Last year he felt it would be valuable to expand the web of the animal-processing lessons and started teaching this workshop at primitive skills gatherings and for other organizations.

Ana has also taught at BOSS, focussing primarily on teaching primitive-living skills.  Currently, she takes care of a dairy cow which has provided the family with milk, cheese, yogurt and butter and also takes care of the garden and orchard. She owns a small business, through which she designs and makes jewelry with silver and semi-precious stones.