Go With The Flow: The Water Issue
- Details
- Published on Tuesday, 24 February 2015 17:00
- Written by editor
Weekly offerings, happenings, and know-how of Ashevillage and friends.
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Greetings,We live on Planet Water. How can we design our landscapes to treat water as a gift, not a curse? How can we design our systems to conserve and reuse water? Unsustainable water management leads to so-called natural disasters, such as flooding, large scale fires, desertification, and a declining ground water table. The use of water retention landscapes offers answers to managing water in a way that humans can live in deeper cooperation with nature. Age-old and innovative water conservation and retention methods are being implemented and practiced globally. The results are impressive beyond expectation…
>> Learn water retention landscape design this summer in Asheville, NC: June 2-6, 2015.
The water cycle and the life cycle are the same cycle. When we look at sustainability, the question really is about our ability to sustain the cycles of life. - Brock Dolman
Brock Dolman is passionate about designing resilient watersheds. As the Director of Occidental Arts & Ecology Center’s WATER Institute, he is a master designer, consultant, teacher, advocate, and an expert on water retention landscapes. Watch Brock's inspiring TEDx talk below to learn about the connections between water + global warming + permaculture solutions.- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
WATER RETENTION LANDSCAPE COURSE: With Brock Dolman in Asheville, NC. June 2-6, 2015.
The health of our waters is the principal measure of how we live on the land. - Luna Leopold
WATER RETENTION LANDSCAPE COURSE: with Brock Dolman, June 2 – 6, 2015 in Asheville. LEARN: Basic principles and theory; observations of patterns in nature • Techniques for rainwater harvesting including dams, swales, terraces, and keyline • A water retention landscape tour • Design considerations for differing soil types, vegetation, watersheds, regions, and climates • Overview of aquaculture vs. aquaponics; and more.
There are limited spots available in this course for people with backgrounds ranging from landscape designer to farmer, water advocate to municipal staff, teacher to student, home-owner to environmental organizer, and beyond. This course is first-come, first-served for people who want to dive deeper into:
• Gaining water literacy for backyards, cities, watersheds, and global contexts
• Honing your skills for developing effective water retention landscape designs
• Understanding specific techniques to help tour implementation of real projects
>> Gain insight into stormwater, greywater, and rainwater mitigation systems with Brock Dolman this June in Asheville. REGISTER HERE for the Water Retention Landcape Course.
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BROCK DOLMAN'S TEDx TALK: Watershed 2.0
Re-Thinking & Retrofitting for Resilience
>> DIVE into water literacy, principles, theory, and the ecology and hydrology of water retention landscapes with Brock Dolman this June. Register by March 10th & SAVE $223.
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WATER & PERMACULTURE WITH GEOFF LAWTON & BRAD LANCASTER: Listen to this exclusive interview for FREE.
Listen to this conversation with two of the world's leading permaculture teachers. Excerpt from Whole Earth Summit. Geoff Lawton is an internationally renowned permaculture educator, consultant and practitioner with a strong focus on water through his Greening the Desert project. Brad Lancaster is the author of Rainwater Harvesting for Drylands and harvests 100,000+ gallons of rainwater a year on a 1/8-acre urban lot in Arizona. >> Listen to Geoff & Brad's discussion about water and permaculture
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GO WITH THE FLOW: How to use swales & berms to create water retention landscapes
Earthworks have been used for centuries as a way to water runoff, filter pollutants, and increase rainwater infiltration. Learn how retain water with swales & berms.
Swales as used in permaculture are designed to slow and capture runoff by spreading it horizontally across the landscape along an elevation contour line, facilitating runoff infiltration into the soil. Vegetation along the swale benefits from the concentration of runoff. Trees and shrubs along the swale can provide shade which decreases water evaporation.Learn more here.
Images via www.ourfertileearth.org
Berms are raised beds that can be used to direct rainwater runoff to swales. Berms help to control erosion and sedimentation by reducing the rate of surface runoff. The berms can direct water to swales as well as reduce the velocity of water, thus reducing loss of topsoil - a common problem in conventional farming. Planting on the berm is a very effective way to help stabilize the soil around the swale. Slow, spread, and sink water with swales & berms.>> Learn permaculture design for water retention landscapes this June in Asheville, NC!
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POSITIONS AVAILABLELIVE-IN STAFF POSITIONS: Check it out & share with others who are a good fit.
Ashevillage Sanctuary LLC has several staff positions available: 1) Garden & Site Assistant, 2) Building & Carpenter's Assistant, 3) Lead Carpenter, and 4) Guest House Assistant Manager. For details: www.ashevillage.org/staff-positions
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EARLY BIRD DISCOUNTS
ECO-URBAN HOMESTEAD & BUILDING APPRENTICESHIP: Apply by Feb. 27th.
Includes: Permaculture Certification + Water Retention Landscape Course + Natural Building Workshop + Firefly Gathering, the Southeast's largest earth skills event. Water Systems: You will learn from, troubleshoot and refine an existing living water system, including: analyzing, revising, and bringing the 30,000 gallon open rainwater-living pond catchment system to full optimization. Natural Building: You will be immersed in projects that cover: Building systems • Structural design • Project management • Optimization on small sites • Site selection & passive solar design • Material collection & processings • Intermediate carpentry • Intro to natural walls • Earthen plasters & paints • Living roofs • Wood-fired systems • Timber-framing basics • Deck construction • Drystack stone & urbanite walls • Window & door installation, and more. APPLY: www.ashevillage.org/ECO
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WILD FOOD & FERMENTATION WORKSHOP WITH SANDOR KATZ: Save $334 before Feb. 28th. Sign up soon - we're more than HALF FULL!
This immersive workshop is led by the world renowned fermentation expert, and New York Times best selling author, Sandor Katz. He will lead you in daily hands-on fermentation projects and classes. Along with Sandor, five of Asheville’s top wild food experts will take you on field excursions to discover, taste, and learn how to work with nutritional edibles you can find most anywhere. Demonstrations, lectures, food tastings, and a community soiree are all included. In this workshop, you will learn how to nourish yourself and heal your body with fermented foods, as well as identify and prepare wild and medicinal edibles that you can integrate into your kitchen and daily diet. May 24-30, 2015. www.ashevillage.org/wild-food-fermentation-workshop
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PERMACULTURE SCHOOL: DESIGN ECOLOGY & LIVING SKILLS : Apply NOW for Early Bird discount.
Permaculture School: Design Ecology & Living Skills is a yearlong ecological learning journey (with a 12-week residential component) for those who want to build their Permaculture projects, pathways, and careers. 30 students will be accepted who want to gain skills in: ecological observation, awareness, ethics, principles and design; wise water stewardship; generative food systems and perennial agriculture; botany, nature awareness, food preservation and herbal medicine-making; natural building, energy assessment and efficiency; personal leadership and business skills; mapping and presentation skills; and more. APPLY: www.ThePermacultureSchool.org/PS
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NATURAL BUILDING WORKSHOP: Apply Before February 27. #MudLove
Interested in Natural Building? This year’s Natural Building Workshop, in conjunction with the Permaculture School, will teach the basics of earth and straw wall systems, natural finishes, wood-fired ovens, living roofs, site selection, passive solar design, and more. If you would like to be considered, please read the description and fill out the application survey. July 6-10, 2015. www.ThePermacultureSchool.org/Natural-Building-Workshop
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