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Special Courses and Events
Advanced Permaculture Design Skills – Beyond the PDC
Jul 5 2009 09:00
Jul 8 2009 17:00
US/Alaska
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Getting Started as a Permaculture Design Consultant
Offered: July 5 - 8, 2009
Location: Commonweal Garden
Instructor: Robyn Francis
Robyn Francis shares experience gleaned from 25 years designing and teaching permaculture. Her design work has encompassed everything from domestic edible landscapes, small property design, whole farm planning, public landscapes, community and large-scale eco-developments. In this course she will fast-track participants through essential skills with lots of simple shortcuts, handy tips and useful templates.
Participants will learn how to present and draw up plans: concept plans, overlays, detail drawings, construction drawings, sections etc, drafting & standard drawing symbols. The course wll also address design methodology, site assessment, client briefs and communications, Bills of Quantity, quotes, effective use of basic software, working as a design consultant, creative problem solving processes, designers ‘tool kit’, interdisciplinary team work, managing and promoting your services.
RDI Alumni Reunion!
Jul 18 2009 02:00
Jul 19 2009 00:00
US/Alaska
Dates: July 18 - 19, 2009
Location: Commonweal Garden, Bolinas
When we talk to our alumni, we hear a recurring theme: you want to come out to Commonweal Garden to relax, spend time on the land, and connect/reconnect with the amazing people that create our alumni community – no workshop, no fees, just good old fashioned play time.
We agree! We cordially invite all RDI alumni to join us this summer for our first Alumni Reunion.
Our intention: Celebration – of each other, of the garden, of this amazing time in which we live. And we will be celebrating Penny’s birthday on Saturday night!!!
Please plan to join us for any or all of the weekend’s festivities. You are welcome to bring your family and partners.
Permaculture Design Certification in Puna, Hawaii
Aug 17 2009 09:00
Aug 31 2009 05:00
US/Alaska
2nd Annual Aloha ‘Aina 2009
Permaculture Design Certification Course
Offered: August 17-31, 2009
Location: La A’kea Community, Puna, Big Island, Hawaii
Instructors: John Valenzuela, Penny Livingston-Stark, Jay Ma, Sage Mata, Julie Bird Moore, Ela Harrison and special guests.
“Aloha ‘Aina” is Hawaiian for “love of the land”, or “to love, respect, and nurture the land.” As human beings now facing a time of great environmental and social transformation, we believe that it is through this spirit of reconnecting to ourselves, to our communities, and to the Earth with a spirit of love and care that we will renew and restore a healthy balance of human beings living in harmony with each other and their natural environment. We are inspired and grateful to be offering this holistic permaculture design intensive to the greater Island Community to further empower and synergize our efforts of ecological and social regeneration.
The Healing Power and Magic of Fragrant Plants
Aug 24 2009 09:00
Aug 27 2009 12:34
US/Alaska
Offered: August 24-27
Location: Commonweal Garden
Instructor: Susanne Fischer-Rizzi, author of The Complete Aromatherapy Handbook
Nature speaks to us through the fragrance of her plants. With this, she communicates to us her feelings and her healing power. If we listen to the plant’s natural language and understand it, we get to know how much healing medicine aromatic plants hold. We can then learn to use this knowledge for the healing and wellness of our bodies, as well as, our souls.
Susanne Fischer-Rizzi is considered to be the pioneer of Aromatherapy in Germany and will bring her wealth of plant knowledge to share with us this summer at Commonweal Garden.
In this workshop we will get to know our plant-friends all around us and expand our awareness for their language as well as for their fragrances. We will learn how to produce pure plant essences and use it to prepare healing medicine and wellness preparations.
Earth Café Program
Sep 20 2009 09:30
Sep 20 2009 17:00
US/Alaska
Celebrate the beauty of the world we eat!
OFFERED: Spring 2010
LOCATION: Commonweal Garden, Bolinas, California
INSTRUCTOR: Carin McKay and special guests
Food is our most intimate connection to Nature. From food we grow not only our individual bodies, minds, and spirits – but also communities, landscapes, and ultimately our many diverse cultures. Every food choice we make can directly contribute to the regenerative ways of living we wish to create for ourselves, our planet and future generations.
We have designed a practical, interactive, personalized program to empower you to build the regenerative lifestyle suited for your needs, with a special focus on all aspects of food. The Earth Café Programs are steeped in millennia of food traditions adapted for our changing times. Each series of the program weaves together hands on gardening, culinary and food-crafting skills, nutritional education, as well as nature based personal wellness practice. The program will help you enhance your relationship to your food, strengthen your personal health, and deepen your intimate connection to nature while playing with new friends in our beautiful garden.
