Workshops are free of charge to participants (except for a possible materials charge, though donations are graciously accepted). They typically last 1 to 3 hours, and are mostly held in the afternoon. No pre-registration required unless noted; however, please feel free to show up and see if there is availabity.

Greywater Principles and Design

Learn how to create greywater and stormwater treatment wetlands on a home scale

This two hour introduction to water catchment and greywater recycling will provide a foundation in site analysis and design as it relates to the water and wastewater sector. Participants will observe and analyze a two-family urban site in North Portland and create a water master plan, as well as analyze designs for a stormwater-treatment system in Wilshire Park, an orchard catchment at Tryon Farm, a residential greywater treatment wetland at Toby Hemenway’s house, and a pumice wick catchment structure for a hand and vegetable washing station and The Learning Garden. Participants who plan to attend hands-on workshops at these sites are especially encouraged to attend.

Topics include:

* Understand urban hydrology and storm runoff concerns

* Trace water’s flow across an urban homesite, from roof to gutter to ground.

* Learn about where to place swales, net and pan catchment, wicks, french drains, and cisterns

* Analyze home water use and greywater recycling potential

* Integrate water harvesting structures and water conserving strategies into gardens, food forests, and habitat areas

* Learn how to create greywater and stormwater treatment wetlands on a home scale

Greywater Guerrilla include:

Cleo Woelfle-Erskine is a Bay Area based writer, teacher and agitator. His books include Urban Wilds: Gardener’s Stories of the Struggle for Land and Justice (water/under/ground, 2001), the kids book Sink or Swim: A History of Sausal Creek (water/under/ground, 2004) and the infamous The Guerrilla Greywater Girls’ Guide to Water zine (with Laura Allen). His water conservation projects have been featured in The Utne Reader and The San Francisco Chronicle. Cleo has lived in Los Angeles, and Santa Fe and currently lives in Oakland, CA.

July Oskar Cole learned to swim in the TVA lakes of Eastern Kentucky and Tennessee, and to identify wild plants in the forests of the Cumberland Plateau. Dispo;laced from Appalachia, he learned most of the rest in the deserts of the U.S. Southwest: philosophy and astronomy in the Sangre de Cristo foothills, alternative building and “charco” style greywater practices in the Rio Grande bosque, and in the Basin and Range territory more things than can be listed. His work has been published in ColorLines magazine and the 2006 Best Gay Erotica anthology.

Andrea Danger is a water activist, transgender rights advocate, performer, and illustrator who lives in the San Francisco Bay Area. She has been working with Cleo on a variety of water projects since the spring of 2001, not the least of which is the recently released Dam Nation: Dispatches From The Water Underground, which she illustrated. She spent her youth as a desert rat in Albuquerque, NM, where she was born and raised.

When: 11am – 1 pm, Saturday, May 19th

Where: Nest Collaboratory 9034 N Edison

Contact: Cleo Woelfle-Erskine cleoassan@no-log.org

Site Host: Page Hawley 503-997-4956

Jon Young: Learning the Language of the Birds + Animal Tracking

When: 8:00am-12pm

Where: Tryon Life Community Farm

Register: There is a fee for this workshop http://www.trackersnw.com

How is it that the cougar, the bear, and the coyote can live so close to us, yet never be seen? Similarly, how is it that the native scout or hunter can move silently through the forest without being detected? It is no coincidence that they all have one thing in common: they understand the language of the birds. Through the exciting stories and exercises in this class, naturalist and tracker Jon Young shows you the hidden worlds of nature that await your discovery and unlocks the secrets to learning the language of the forest. • Hear of ancient Natives who were able to tell of the far-off movements of animals and people without seeing or hearing them. • See how cultivating your senses by listening to the birds can reduce the stresses caused by our modern lifestyles. • Learn about how the human mind is designed to understand the language of the birds and of all nature. • Learn how the birds and animals communicate through easy-to-interpret songs, calls, and body language. • Discover how to move invisibly through the forest around the alarm triggers of the birds.

Seed Swap with Marisha

When: 11 am – 1pm

Where: Ninja Hows Cafe

Please join us in celebrating local connections as we share seeds to support this year’s gardens. We will be discussing the significance of local self-reliance in seed production and the current state of seeds in our country. Bring seeds to share or come to receive.

Marisha Auerbach has been practicing, studying, and teaching permaculture in Western Washington. Marisha graduated from The Evergreen State College in 1998, with a focus on permaculture. She has been teaching permaculture to interns in Olympia for the past six years and taught her first permaculture course in 2002. Her hands-on experience includes helping develop permaculture systems at Wild Thyme Farm as well as developing her own site. Marisha is very interested in local economics and creating useful items using her resources. This manifests as several projects:Queen Bee Flower and Gem Essences, Herb’n Wisdom for permaculture consulting and herbal products, and Growing Greetings which produces plantable greeting cards and other products. Marisha has a small plant nursery which focuses on edible flowers and other gourmet specialty food items. She is involved in the creation of perennial forage systems using perennial vegetables.

Fruit Gardening for Small Spaces

When: 10 am – noon, Saturday, May 19th

Where: Wahkeena Woods 12120 SE Foster Pl

Contact: Willow Sage 503-772-3288 willowsage@eods.com

Learn how to grow fruit tree and other plants in limited area.

Peak Oil Awareness Introductory Training

When: 12-2 pm

Where: Disjecta, 230 E Burnside St

Contact: Jeremy O’Leary, jeremy@portlandpeakoil.org

This training is meant to raise awareness of something that is known by many people but discussed by far too few – the issue that is being called Peak Oil. Included will be: facts about fossil fuels’ decreasing availability and increasing production cost, a discussion of the changes we are going to have to make regarding how we live with or without oil (and other increasingly unaffordable fuels), and what each of us can do in the short and long term.

Jon & Penny: Regenerative Design and Nature Awareness Day Program

When: 1pm-5pm

Where: Tryon Life Community Farm

Register: There is a fee for this workshop http://www.trackersnw.com

Join Jon Young, Penny Livingston-Stark, and TrackersNW for a taste of Jon and Penny’s advanced year-long program in Regenerative Design and Nature Awareness. RDNA is hands-on skill based training devoted to helping students develop leadership skills necessary to further sustainable & regenerative practices in their personal and professional lives. Weaving together the teachings of permaculture design, art of mentoring, peacemaking and the power of holistic tracking, the Regenerative Design and Nature Awareness Program offers a comprehensive exploration of where we come from, where we are now and where we are going.

With an emphasis on building meaningful relationships we move into understanding our rolewithin our community as an integral part of the natural world for 7Generations and Beyond.

Re-Creating the Landscape of Childhood

When: 1-3 pm

Where: CRHQ 2122 SE Division St

Contact: Leon Smith, 360-970-1519, leon@earthplay.net

Children need the stimulation of complex play environments to grow healthy. Modern civilization leaves kids in an impoverished landscape of plastic playgrounds and concrete. We will explore ways to help children reclaim their play-space and transform the landscape, looking at examples from natural playscapes to children’s gardens to adventure playgrounds.

Kundalini Dance

When: 2-5 pm

Where: TBA

Contact: Nature Hogan, 775-303-5784, shamanature@gmail.com

Kundalini Dance is a contemporary form of ecstatic dance, developed and taught by Antara Decker , where dance-movement therapy, rhythmic breath, tantric-healing, trance energy and shamanic healing-music are used to enter into the body/mind consciousness to gain insight and healing for body-mind and soul.

Co-creative Gardening: working with nature spirits with Angela Zehava

When: 2:30-4:30

This could just as easily be called shamanic gardening. You will learn how to use applied kinesiology to work in direct partnership with nature and nature spirits. This is an introduction only. If there is demand, I may offer a second workshop later during VBC. Come early to participate in the live music jam that happens every day at 1:30.Coho Nehalem

Permaculture Principles

When: 3-5 pm

Where: CRHQ 2122 SE Division St

Who: Marisha Auerbach and Alexis Jaquin, queenbee@herbnwisdom.com, alexis@ecomail.org

Through the process of observation, we begin to see the ever-changing nature of all life. Culturally, we are experiencing a shift from dependence on highly subsidized, cheap petroleum. Permaculture offers a framework for creating a PERMA-nent CULTURE based on dynamic biological resources that transform and renew themselves indefinitely. In this workshop we will explore the Permaculture principles; in doing so we begin to engage as vital and imperative nodes in the complex web of life

We will delve into the practice and theory of Permaculture through hands-on projects and discussion. Holding the Permaculture Principles in our hearts is one way to work towards sustainable actions. We look forward to co-creating with all of you!

Penny Livingston-Stark and 7Generations: The Art of Placemaking for a 200 year plan for your Organizations

When: 9am-4pm, Lunch potluck, bring a dish

Where: Disjecta, 230 E. Burniside

Pre-Registration Required. Tuition is $40 by May 13, and $50 after May 6, http://www.trackersnw.com

Penny Livingston-Stark draws City Repair, TrackersNW and many other organizations and people together for a very real look at what Placemaking and Regenerative Design means for 7Generations and Beyond. Bring the creativity of you and your organziation to learn how to rearticulate its vision for better placemaking and ecological design. In your hand will be a 200 year plan that is integral to the long term liviability of our bio-region. Morning The Art of Placemaking for a 200 year plan: The Big Map Penny works with us to develop 7Generation Principles in the choices we make as individuals, communities and especially in our organizations and coalitions. We learn to take a very real look 200 years into the past, understanding the legacy of our anscestors and the legacy we ourselves leave to our children. This is the creation of an inventory and a map for 7Generations. Afternoon The Art of Placemaking for a 200 year plan: Action Time With your current story told and your assests inventoried, together as a group we start to apply the 7Generation Principle into a 200 year plan for our communities, organizations and coalitions. We take our map and find a direction and real points of action to ground our vision. You will have an opportunity to see orther individuals and organizations in the Portland area and the Pacific Northwest reshape their vision for 7Generations.

Disconnecting from Civilization with Norris Thomlinson and Theressa Latoski

When: 11am – 2 pm

Where: 4510 NE Going St

Phone: 503-288-5331 email: Norris is scrub@corrupt.net Theressa’s is entwife112@gmail.com

Learn how someone living on an urban lot can be less dependent on the grid and the grocery store. We have spent the past year on this site working and creating an experimental urban forest garden using permaculture design. Our goal is to create a self-sustaining site that requires no inputs from outside and that itself creates no waste outputs. Another goal is to find out if we can feed 2 people on our .2 acre site. Using our forest garden and annual vegetable garden, chickens, and bees (and ducks planned soon). See our blog for more info on our philosophy and plans at http://farmerscrub.blogspot.com

Limit number to 12-15

Permaculture Systems Design with Marisha

When: 11am- 2 pm

Where: NEST 9034 N Edison

Design Charette to create Multi home and family sustainable food, water, and energy systems using permaculture priniciples at NEST.

Whole Systems Schools for Whole Communities: Creating a Whole Systems Integrated Sustainable Design for Education

When: 12-1:30 pm

Where: CRHQ 2122 SE Division St

Contact: Michelle Mathis and Kristen Lans, 503.347.4523, michellem@greenworkspc.com

How can your community’s school function more like a living ecosystem? Imagine a school where stormwater flows through rain gardens, native plants create places for students and wildlife to interact, waste is a concept of the past, and students learn to grow and prepare their own food in their school garden…It may sounds like a dream, but local schools are well on their way to achieving these whole systems learning environments. Meet with PSU’s sustainable education and design team Kristen Lans and Michelle Mathis to discuss local success stories, tools that are available for schools and communities, funding opportunities, and design ideas. The time is right. Come ready to be inspired, leave with the tools you need to get started.

Heart of Now

When: 2 - 5:30 pm

Where: CRHQ 2122 SE Division St

Contact: Karen, 541-937-3351 X109, heartofnow@lostvalley.org

Heart of Now is the practice of being present with your whole self: your emotions, your thoughts, and your body. Through structured exercises we explore how to be fully and authentically ourselves: alive and deeply connected with others in our community and with the earth.

Rainbarrel Water Catchment Workshop with Brian Smith

When: 3 – 5 pm

Where: Watershed 5040 SE Milwaukie

Hands on workshop to create rain barrel. Please bring following materials or contact Brian at 503-777-1689 or tomclub@gmail.com to order materials for workshop and take home your very own rain barrel!

Materials for making one barrel:

• 55 gal plastic food grade drum(can get them from Yoshida Sauces by the airport for $5)
• 3/4” garden faucet
• 3/4” male to female adapter(to connect multiple barrels)
• plumbers goop for sealing fittings
• 2” ABS pipe and downspout adapter

Natural Paint Making

When: 3-5 pm

Where: 333 NE Hancock 97212

Contact: Scott Sutton, 503-293-5059, scottsutton76@hotmail.com (www.scottsuttonart.com)(www.marysvillepictographproject.com)

The workshop will focus on NW natural mineral pigments and their use as a coloring agent in natural building such as lime plaster and as a fine art material to be used in egg tempra, watercolor, milk paints, oil paints, etc.. The workshop will provide a hands-on experience on how to prepare materials that have been collected from the earth that then can be used in a variety of ways depending on the type of project and the surface in which the paint would be applied to. Visit www.marysvillepictographproject.com as an example of what can be done with color design on a variety of surfaces.

Swale Installation

Capturing rainwater from the urban park pavilion and redirecting for the sewer with vegetative infiltration stormwater management. The workshop will begin with a introduction into stormwater filtration and the history of the Wilshire Park project. Following that, hands-on swale design and installation. Then everyone can come back together to plant and brainstorm other public spaces in Portland that could be repaired in this manner. See Saturday’s Greywater Principles for bio.

When: 1 – 3 pm, Sunday May 20th

Where: Wilshire Park NE 33rd and Skidmore

Contact: Lisa 503-772-4461

Who: Greywater Guerrillas

Swales for Fruit Trees

Join the Greywater Guerrillas in creating swale system for new fruit tree grove. See Saturday’s Greywater Principles for bio. When: 11am-12:30pm, Monday May 21st

Where: Tryon Life Farm 11640 SW Boone’s Ferry Road

Contact: Matt Gorden 503-245-3847 matt@tryonfarm.org

Plant Propagation Workshop with Marisha and Leonard

Our gardens can expand exponentially through sharing resources with our neighbors. During this workshop, we will be discussing different methods of plant propagation, including hands-on activities. Come join us and expand your garden! See Saturday’s Seed Swap for Marisha’s bio.

When: 1 -3 pm

Where: Wahkeena Woods 12120 SE Foster Pl

Contact: Willow, wahkeenawoods@yahoo.com

Real World Permaculture Design with Pam from Portland Permaculture Institute

Pam Leitch believes that permaculture and its related aspects could be a part of the solution to the current threats to the environment. In her pre-permaculture lives, Pam practiced nursing and then family law. She along with her partner Joe, saved her money, quit her mainstream jobs and got trained as a permaculture teacher. Pam’s pre-permaculture areas of study included globalization, social justice and alternative economic systems. Before becoming stewards of this property, Pam and Joe had a 1/2 acre permaculture demonstration and teaching site in Tigard, Oregon that included rainwater collection, swales, solar photo voltaic panels, solar hot water collection and a permaculture food forest. Although they did not plan on leaving, they could not resist the opportunity to teach and demonstrate permaculture within the City of Portland. The Portland Permaculture Institute is located on 1.6 acres within the city limits of Portland, Oregon. The site includes examples of organic gardens, food forests, greywater, rainwater collection, gathering spaces, ponds and a small CSA.

When: 1-2:30 pm

Where: City Repair Headquaters, 2122 SE Division

Bees with Bev Cooke and Glen Andresen

When: 2:30 pm – 4:30 pm

Where: St. John’s Nest

from Portland Metro Beekeepers Association
Interested in keeping bees? Sweet. Have your questions answered and find out if the apiarist’s life is right for you.

Astro-Yoga and Zodiac Dance

When: 1-4 pm

Where: Disjecta, 230 E. Burnside

Contact: VerDarLuz, 503 422 9489, treeoflight@symbiart.net

This workshop begins with a warm up that opens each part of the body through its astrological correspondence. This is followed by a series of ‘Astro-Yoga’ postures that are associated with each sign of the zodiac. Next is the Zodiac Dance, a dance journey through each sign of the zodiac, inviting participants to discover the archetypes through authentic movement. The workshop ends with a closing circle to discuss the experience and how one can begin to extend this practice into their daily workouts and into their relationships and personal healing practices. If time allows, discussions may include Astro-Drama and Astro-Locality.

Participation, intimacy, and stewardship: Methods of Ecological Engagement in the built environment

When: 4-5 pm

Where: Disjecta

Contact: Joseph Becker, josephbecker@riseup.net

We are here at the VBC, a fountain of inspiration for me. We see wonderful material, personal and cultural transformation all around us. There is a deep need and power in cooperating with each other to shape and beautify our home and landscape. Creating places to gather is a wonderful expression of an emerging ecological culture. What other ways of ecological engagement have we experienced? In a discussion format I would like to share some of my experiences in finding a connection to place through building, plant play, and community based treasure hunts.

“Iraq War: Military Solution to a Financial Problem”

When: 3-5 pm

Where: CRHQ 2122 SE Division St

Contact: Willow Rain, 707-889-1350

The Financial problem is the status of US money in the global economy. It’s supported by debt and is the currency of reserve for all international trade - especially oil. This workshop is a framework for action. It will demonstrate that we, the peace movement are responsible for inventing and sustaining the institutions that reflect the values of most of the people of Earth.

Seed Saving with Marc from NW Resistance Against Genetic Engineering

When: 10am – 11:30 am

Where: St. John’s NEST

Gardeners and farmers the world over have freely shared their seeds and plants since agriculture began over 12,000 years ago. In a world of genetic engineering and the corporate patenting of the commons we invite you to continue this age-old tradition by sharing your seeds, and plants with your community.
As the biotech industry continues to consolidate and monopolize the world’s seed industry it becomes ever more imperative for farmers and gardeners to continue the 12,000 year tradition of saving, breeding and swapping seeds. More than 1.4 billion people depend on this free exchange of seeds and plants for their livelihoods, crop biodiversity and cultural survival.
The history of our cultures is represented in the vast diversity of the crops we eat, from black and white tomatoes, orange eggplant, red corn, blue potatoes, and a vast rainbow of colors in between.

Seed Balls Workshop with Jadene Foreman

When: 3-5 pm

Where: Permaculture Demonstration Garden, 1720 SE Alder

Create little ecological bombs for guerilla gardening for bioremediation.

Greywater Installation

Join the Greywater Guerrillas in this Hands-on greywater workshop building a greywater system integrated into a pond in the yard, and will use the excavated soil to build a cob bench. See Saturday’s Greywater Principles for bio.

When: 10 am – 6 pm, Tuesday May 22nd

Where: Toby Hemenway’s 3501 SE 14th, purple house on the corner of Rhine & 14th.

Contact: Toby@patternliteracy.com

Advanced Permaculture Concepts

When: 12:30-2:30 pm

Where: CRHQ 2122 SE Division St

Contact: Jordan Fink, jordan@riseup.net

In the 27 years since Permaculture One was published, there have been major additions to how we understand how systems are structured and how they organize around and respond to desturbance and change. This advanced Permaculture workshop will introduce three models of change in complex systems to help participants develop practical tools for evaluating sytems, responding to crises, and actively designing disturbance. It will include autiovisual presentation, games, and exercizes. A PDC-level understanding of Permaculture is recommended. No one will be turned away, but basic terms and concepts will not be explained.

Human Flowering Singing Circle

When: 1-2:30 pm

Where: Disjecta

Contact: Morgan Brent, 360.292.0416, xen@tribesofcreation.com

This is an act-ivating meditation, inspired by a variety of traditions, including Taoist movement arts, Amazonian plant-based healing, and anthroposophy. Seated in a circle with eyes closed, we breath, tone, ‘sone’ (the liminal whirled between toning and singing), chant, and sing our way thru a story of Creation. Thru the imagery of Gaian evolution, and teachings of the songs, we awaken our Creation-body, and cultivate an Garden within. This resonance with our evolutionary heritage passes to us impulses of transformation. These culminate in a self-transcendence that ‘flowers’ us beneath the Sunlight of our opening heart.Those who don’t think they can sing are encouraged to come and claim the birthright of a singing species.

Ecovillage Mandala

When: 3-5 pm

Where: Disjecta

Contact: Gaius Young, 206.948.0180, younjust@gmail.com

The Ecovillage Mandala is an adaptive design template utilizing permaculture ethics and principles, ZERI’s lense of multiple intelligences, the five primary components of ecovillages, eight vectors of thrivability, the shamanic wisdom of the I Ching, and Integral theory to explore the co:creative vision of emergent culture. In this dynamic playshop we will stack functions to deepen our integration of evolutionary concepts while strengthening our kin:ections with one another.

“2nd Annual City Repair Non-Competitive Half-Marathon.”

When: 3-4 pm

Where: CRHQ 2122 SE Division St

Contact: Pedro Ferbel-Azcarate, 503 230 0458, pferbel@yahoo.com

In 1998 City Repair held the first annual City Repair non-competitive marathon race. For all those who participated– running and bicycling together– it was a truly inspirational event. 9 years later, somewhat out of shape and chubby, it’s time to organize the second annual event. At this workshop we will be seeing images from the 1998 run, hear from City Repairians who participated and then we will be setting the course (around sites of City Repair, Village Building and Portland history and ecology) and developing a training strategy for later this summer 2007. This event will be open to all participants of all skill levels, and is specifically designed as a cooperative, non-competitive exercise in creating a healthy culture together.

Electric and Magnetic Fields (EMF’s): Home, health and universe

When: 4-5 pm

Where: CRHQ 2122 SE Division St

Contact: Joseph Becker, josephbecker@riseup.net

The universe and our earth magnetic fields. The sweet influence of the stars is some thing of mythological proportions. Do these field change over time? How does this effect us? Without some of the subtle fields the bathe the earth we loose essential mental functions. The structures we live in can resonate with them or block them. How can these forces be better understood and enhanced? AC Electric fields and their effects on health is beginning to get more research and attention. Many of us have heard that we should limit our exposure. What are the effects? What are the biggest sources int he home. What strategies can we use to reduce exposure? A sharing circle to discuss knowledge and experience with these and other “fields” as well a a walk with a Guassmeter to find sources of th AC Electric fields.

Maintenance and Repair of Cob Benches

At People’s Food Co-op, Joshua Klyber will teach some necessary skills in diagnosing and repairing cob. Topics to be covered will be how to re-oil and wax a sealed surface, and using alis to recolor and refinish existing cob.

When: 2:00 - 5:00 pm Tuesday, May 22,

Where: People’s Food Co-op, 3029 SE 21st ave

Contact: Joshua Klyber, Joshuaism@yahoo.com

Chickens with Tonya Meyer

When: 1-3 pm

Where: St. John’s Nest

Contact: 503.313.7142 or at my email, cutegirltoo@comcast.net.

Focusing on raising healthy birds in the backyard. I would also like bringing several full grown and newly hatched chickens for everyone to get a good look at. Many people don’t fully realize the size a full grown layer will achieve and a visual aid is helpful. Also a “tour” of helpful websites and on-line groups that a new chicken keeper could use.

Weeding for Soil Fertility with Elizabeth Fox

When: 2 -4 pm

Where: Tryon Life Community Farm

Contact: 503-888-2970 cobgarden@hotmail.com 310 NW Island Cir #B10 Beaverton OR 97006

The focus will be on setting up a personalized system that is realistic and easy to maintain. We will cover which weeds add fertility and how best to return them to the soil; when and how often to cultivate; other uses for certain weeds (such as medicine, fodder and food); unwelcome weeds and how to take them out, and how to minimize weeds by replacing them with other plants. Also a discussion of how to communicate with these wild plants. Limit to 15 people.

Tribal Talk

When: 12-1:30 pm

Where: Disjecta

Contact: Morgan Brent, 360.292.0416, xen@tribesofcreation.com

Tribal talk is done in the tradition of ceremonial singing circles. It explores the fertile spaces between toning and singing, directing the creative flow to the formation of inter-dimensional languages, and hence dialogues. Tribal talk is the art of being very articulate in speaking words with no meaning, i.e. no ‘apparent’ meaning, for all the nuances of intonation, phrasing, timing, the give and take of speaking and listening, etc., all that makes for good conversation, are highly present, for they carry the stream of meaning. A well-executed tribal talk session helps cleanse our vibrational palate, gets us on the ‘felt’ wavelength of communication, creates space for other beings to converse with us and thru us, and is good, mystical fun!

Natural Paint

When: 12:30-2:30 pm

Where: CRHQ 2122 SE Division St

Contact: Joshua Klyber, 503.975.7300, Joshuaism@yahoo.com

How to make paint from a variety of natural materials including: clay paint, limewashes, mineral paints, glairs, egg (yolk) paint, casein paints, and oil paints. This workshop will include discussion of how to source materials, how to make the base, pigmenting, uses, and hands on practice.

How to Grow All Your Own Produce in 2 ½ Years: A Revolution Disguised As Organic Gardening

When: 3-5 pm

Where: CRHQ 2122 SE Division St

Who: Marisha Auerbach, queenbee@herbnwisdom.com

It is possible to grow all our own food year-round with limited time and effort to establish a system. As petroleum becomes more expensive and the costs of produce rises, this model whispers subtle echo’s of urban food security. A perennial forage system functions much like a natural ecological system, and yields year round produce with minimal work. After two years of developing this system, in Olympia, WA, Marisha has been eating fruits and vegetables primarily from the garden. Marisha provides most of her income from the garden and has surplus produce and crafts to give away and trade for other supplies.

This presentation is an invitation for you to visit Marisha’s garden through slides and philosophy. She will be discussing how you can work towards self-reliance in produce if you have property to work with as well as guerrilla tactics to grow more food and flowers in the urban areas. This workshop offers an opportunity to create cultural change through gardening.

Water Harvesting with Pumice Wicks

Construct a pumice wick to harvest roof and greywater from a hand and vegetable washing station at The Learning Garden. Topics will include when and where to build a pumice wick, sizing wicks, and planting options. This is a hands-on workshop! We will be installing a french drain and pumice wick with 7th graders who garden at the farm. Participants are strongly encouraged to come to the Home-scale Water Design workshop where we will discuss rainwater harvesting and greywater design in more detail. See Saturday’s Greywater Principles for bio.

When: 9:30 – noon, Wednesday, May 23rd

Where:Learning Garden Laboratory, 6806 SE 60th between Duke and Flavel, Go to greenhouse #5

Contact: Chad: Chadh@pdx.edu or 971-404-4072

Transplanting Workshop with Marisha Auerbach

Our gardens can expand exponentially through sharing resources with our neighbors. During this workshop, we will be discussing different methods of plant propagation, including hands-on activities. Come join us and expand your garden! See Saturday’s Seed Swap for Marisha’s bio.

When: 11 am – 1 pm, Wednesday, May 23rd

Where: Coho 1568 SE 15th at Nehalem

Contact: Angela Zehava angela.zehava@stanfordalumni.org

Guerilla Gardening with Leonard

When: 10 am

Where: meet at CRHQ and leave from there

Come spread the seed of dissent by changing our living landscape and shaping our environment. You won’t want to miss this one.

Urban Rabbits with Connie VanDyke of Tabor Tilth Urban Farm

Rabbits are a excellent source of protein and fiber while being small enough to raise in a city lot. We’ll learn about different breeds, housing, food, and breeding. Workshop leader Connie VanDyke has been teaching permaculture at Portland Community College since 1997 and lives on and manages Tabor Tilth Urban Farm.

When: 1- 3 pm Thursday May 24th

Where: Nest Collaboratory 9034 N Edison

Contact: Page 503-997-4956

Worm Bins and Vermiculture with Pam Leitch of Portland Permaculture Institute

Let worms eat your organic waste! They will happily turn it into some of the best fertilizer on earth - worm compost, otherwise known as worm castings or vermicompost. This is a fascinating, fun, and easy way to recycle your organic kitchen wastes. Worm composting, or vermiculture, requires very little work, produces no offensive odors, and helps plants thrive. With Workshop leader Pam Leitch of Portland Permaculture Institute.

When: 3 – 5 pm Thursday May 24th

Where: St. John’s Nest. 9034 N Edison

Contact: Page 503-997-4956

Emergence and Social Permaculture

When: 12-2 pm

Where: Disjecta

Contact: Gaius Young, 206.948.0180, younjust@gmail.com

As we learn to practice presence in our environments we begin to see the boundaries between self and other shift with our perspective. Exploring permaculture concepts through deep social ecology, we’ll craft and integrate some new world tools to navigate the personal, interpersonal and transpersonal dynamics of our emerging regenerative culture.

VisionPDX: Visioning Portland’s Future

When: 1-3 pm

Where: CRHQ 2122 SE Division St

Contact: Amanda Rhoads, 503 823 5856, amandar@ci.portland.or.us

As a continuation of the partnership between City Repair and visionPDX, this will be a report back and conversation with everyone interested in Portland, its future and the community visioning process. This will be an opportunity to learn what the City heard from Portlanders and to weigh in on the vision being created.

Perennial Forage Systems with Marisha

Perennial Forage Systems are gardens that act as a closed system, similar to the native forest. A garden of this sort produces food, fertilizers, flowers, craft items, and other useful things year round with minimal maintenance. In this workshop, we will discuss the philosophy and establishment plan for a perennial forage system while installing a system for the Lewis school. We will be considering plants that will be useful for the outdoor classroom and education center. Workshop led by Marisha Auerbach. See Saturday’s Seed Swap for Marisha’s bio.

When: 1 – 3 pm

Where: Wahkeena Woods 12120 SE Foster Pl

Contact: Willow, wahkeenawoods@yahoo.com

The Jumping Off Place

When: 3-5:30 pm

Where: CRHQ 2122 SE Division St

Contact: Mary Rose, zambonirose@hotmail.com, (503) 706-0233

www.thejumpingoffplace.com

Come play, laugh, dance, and sing with us! The Jumping Off Place offers community building through the connections that inevitably happen when we dare to trust our natural creativity and share it with one another. We will play games and do exercises that explore physical and vocal improvisation, thereby encouraging ourselves and one another to break through hesitations and fears of self-expression.

PermaPerformance:

When: TBA

Where: TBA

Contact: Nature Hogan, 775-303-5784, shamanature@gmail.com

We will explore the multi-dimensionality of our being by playing games that expose our core essence and create a container for everyone to express themselves freely.

The Language of the Birds

When: 7-8 pm. Rain or shine.

Where: Cob benches at Peoples Food Coop, 3029 SE 21st AVENUE

Contact: Dan Daly, 503-239-5927, dand@pdx.edu

Have you ever wondered what the birds are saying? Join naturalist Dan Daly for an evening walk around the neighborhood to watch, listen and learn with the backyard birds that call our gardens home. Together we will identify common birds while we learn the 5 voices that the birds use in their routines and learn how to understand them. Kids and dogs are welcome.

Plant Teachers

Throughout history humans have been intimately connected with plants. They provide us with food, shelter, clothing, and healing for body, mind, & soul. Learn ways to understand plants on a deeper level through sensory perceptions, intuition, meditation, and dreaming. We will explore other modes of “seeing,” concentrating on the intelligence of the heart and its role as an organ of perception. Scott Kloos works with the psycho-spiritual aspects of plant medicine and teaches classes on identifying and using edible & medicinal plants, medicine making, and recognizing plants as teachers. He is a faculty member of the Elderberry School of Botanical Medicine.

When: 12- 1: 30 pm Thursday May 24th

Where:Toby Hemenway’s 3501 SE 14th, purple house on the corner of Rhine & 14th.

Contact: Scott Kloos www.cascadiafolkmedicine.com\

Herbal First Aid

It’s always a good idea to keep an herbal first aid kit on hand for quickly treating minor emergencies and common ailments affecting your friends and community. The herbal first aid kit contains herbs frequently used to treat the symptoms of colds and flu, bumps and bruises, and skin irritations. Many remedies can be made at home, imparted with Mother Earth’s special healing magic. When stocking your kit, don’t overlook natural products that can speed healing and reduce the risk of infection. This class will outline various supplies and formulations you can include in your herbal first aid kit.

Nowadays, Rain’s spare time is spent being a clinical herbalist, practicing Core Synchronization, making plant medicine, and filtering waste vegetable oil for running her diesel Benz. This year began the first herbal medicine classes offered through the Elderberry School of Botanical Medicine, where she teaches Botany and other classes. As she continues her quest to propagate rare, endangered plants, a love of their genetic heritage blossoms within her, and she yearns to disperse her knowledge as they do.

When: 1:30 – 3 pm Thursday May 24th

Where:Toby Hemenway’s 3501 SE 14th, purple house on the corner of Rhine & 14th.

Contact: Cascadia Rain, www.elderberryschool.com

Natural Paint: Casein, mineral and oil paints

Second in a series of three workshops

How to make paint from a variety of natural materials. The first workshop on Wednesday, May 23 will cover clay paints and limewashes. The second workshop on Thursday, May 24 will cover mineral, casein, and oil paints. The third workshop on Friday, May 25 will cover glairs, egg (yolk), and other miscellaneous paints. This series of workshops will include discussion of how to source materials, how to make the base, pigmenting, uses, and hands on practice.

When: 10:00 am - 1:00 pm, Thursday May 24rd

Where: Pacific Crest Community School,116 NE 29th Avenue

Contact: Joshua Klyber, 503.975.7300, Joshuaism@yahoo.com

Perennial Forage Systems with Marisha

Perennial Forage Systems are gardens that act as a closed system, similar to the native forest. A garden of this sort produces food, fertilizers, flowers, craft items, and other useful things year round with minimal maintenance. In this workshop, we will discuss the philosophy and establishment plan for a perennial forage system while installing a system for the Tryon Life Farm. See Saturday’s Seed Swap for Marisha’s bio.

When: 10 am - Noon Friday May 25th

Where: Tryon Life Farm 11640 SW Boone’s Ferry Road

Contact: Matt Gorden 503-245-3847 matt@tryonfarm.org

Permaculture Design Charette with Jadene Foreman

When: 3-5 pm

Where: Permaculture Demonstration Garden 1720 SE Alder

Designing space in preparation for this Fall’s Village Planting Convergence

Indigenous Consciousness

When: 12-1:30 pm

Where: Disjecta

Contact: Morgan Brent, 360.292.0416, xen@tribesofcreation.com

We are inheritors of a culture of separation from Nature so severe that to be “normal” is to act contrary to our own survival as a species. The primary guidance offered us by the original instructions encoded in our body, the “old language” of spirit and its teachings, have been largely forgotten. The earth, however, is calling us to re-member. Whispers awakening us from the trance of modernity are everywhere. This talk identifies and clarifies these whisperings, giving voice to a perennial indigenous consciousness. We will explore the Gaian metabolism, the “dharma” (teachings) of its functioning, and the transmission of this dharma into mythic archetypes. These myths, have birthed lineages of ceremonial and transformative wisdoms. As the Empire building of predatory capitalism begins to crumble beneath the weight of its excesses, and many First Nations people disappear or become radically changed before the ongoing forces of colonization, we find these wisdoms sprouting anew from a compost heap of social possibilities. We will discuss this ‘neo-indigenous’ movement, and its implications and potentials for personal and cultural change.

Introduction to Cooperatives

When: 1-2:30 pm

Where: CRHQ, 2122 SE Division Street

Contact: Andrew McLeod, 360-943-4241, andrew@nwcdc.coop Zea Ewart-Bean, (503) 853-1288, zeabean@gmail.com

Learn what they are, how they are created, and their essential role in creating the organizational structure of a sustainable community. Supporting information on cooperative principles through education, cooperation between cooperatives and the upcoming conference on workplace democracy.

Seasons of the Self: Supporting Transition through Nature-Based Personal Ceremony:

When: 3-5 pm

Where: CRHQ, 2122 SE Division

Contact: Jay Fields, 503-679-7979, jay@wingrockjourneys.com

Change is the only constant in life; sometimes we are called to change and don’t know how to, other times change comes unexpectedly and we need guidance to navigate our way through new surroundings. In this workshop we will look to nature—the greatest teacher of change—to gain practical and juicy tools to help us gracefully transition and grow. Incorporating Medicine Wheel teachings, council, and body-centered experiences, we will experientially learn how to craft personal ceremonies that support us in creating a sacred connection with the natural world and encourage union with the natural rhythm of life’s changes.

BODYVERSITY TRAINING with NalaWalla

When: 2-5 pm, Friday May 25th & Saturday May 26th. These workshops will build on eachother.

Where: TBA

Contact: Nala Walla, 360.643.3747, nala@bcollective.org

In this workshop, we will begin with the premise that our own body is our most direct link to the Earth. In order to connect our sense of ethics and Earth activism with our ritual and artistic sensibilities, we will explore various improvisational and body-based art games derived from such diverse techniques as yoga, contact improvisation, action theater, butoh and many others. Through these physical practices, we initiate the process of learning principles of permaculture, sustainability and cooperation directly through the body, and cultivate our ability to move from outrage and overwhelm to creative empowerment and action. This work is intended to restore the arts to their rightful place at the center of a healthy and sustainable community. No experience necessary–just bring a spirit of playfulness.

About Nala Walla

NalaWalla is a transdisciplinary performer, teacher and community activist who emphasizes the central role that the participatory arts play in healing fractured ecologies and communities. Her BODYECOLOGY and BODYVERSITY curriculums synthesize body-based art forms with principles of deep ecology in order to move beyond the rational, and facilitate a wholistic, wholebody understanding of permaculture. Based on an off-grid homestead on Marrowstone Island, Washington, Nala is a founding member of the BCOLLECTIVE–an umbrella organization whose mission it is to empower ecologic and social change by dissolving outdated boundaries between the arts and sciences, and to honor the arts for their important role in the “Great Turning” of humanity towards a just and sustainable culture.

Natural Paint: Glairs, egg (yolk) and other miscellaneous paints

Third in a series of three workshops

How to make paint from a variety of natural materials. The first workshop on Wednesday, May 23 will cover clay paints and limewashes. The second workshop on Thursday, May 24 will cover mineral, casein, and oil paints. The third workshop on Friday, May 25 will cover glairs, egg (yolk), and other miscellaneous paints. This series of workshops will include discussion of how to source materials, how to make the base, pigmenting, uses, and hands on practice. When: 10:00 am - 1:00 pm, Friday May 25rd

Where: Pacific Crest Community School,116 NE 29th Avenue

Contact: Joshua Klyber, 503.975.7300, Joshuaism@yahoo.com

Seed Balls Workshop with Marisha, Alexis, and Leonard

Seed balls are self-contained gardens made from diverse seeds, clay, and compost. They can be used in restoration or as a guerilla tactic for growing more food in urban areas. Participants will be able to take home the seedballs made during this workshop. This event is appropriate for children and adults See Saturday’s Seed Swap for Marisha’s bio.

When: 3-5 pm Friday May 25th

Where: Beaumont School 4043 NE Fremont St

Contact: Jeff 503-329-7912

Soil Foodweb Gardening:Intro to Soil Biology, Aerobic Compost and Aerobic Compost Teas

Where: Ariadne Garden 3606 NE 11th Ave

Contact: Kim McDodge, head gardener. 503-284-7116 mcdodge@spiritone.com

We offer an introduction to the critters in the soil who can help us garden more carefully, with fewer imported supplements, with greater understanding of their cycles and the cycles of the plants they feed. We show how to bring life into the soil through cultural practices that are generative. The making of aerobic compost and compost tea will be covered.

Rain water catchment and hand washing station workshop

When: 10-5 both Saturdays

Where: TLC

Swales and more swales with Angela Zehava

When: 2:30-3:30

We will learn about four different types of swales, how to construct them, and you will see examples of three types. After the workshop, you will have an opportunity to help construct swales. Come an hour early for the live music jam that happens everyday at 1:30. Coho Nehalem

Dances of Universal Peace

When: 12:30-1:30 pm

Where: Disjecta

Contact: Pat Adams, 503.245.7339, pcadams8@yahoo.com

From the beginning of time, sacred movement, song and story have brought people together - at times of seasonal ceremony and celebration, as part of everyday life and life passages, in daily renewal and meditation, etc... The Dances of Universal Peace are part of this timeless tradition of Sacred Dance.

As in these timeless mystic traditions, the Dances use simple music, lyrics, and movements to touch the spiritual essence within ourselves and others. No musical or dance experience of any kind is required and everyone is welcomed to join in. Participation, not presentation, is the focus. No special attire is required, although comfortable, loose-fitting clothing is best. Participants join hands forming a circle with the Dance leader and other musicians in the center. Throughout the evening, the leader teaches the group the words, melody, and movements for the next Dance and often provides some background history about that particular Dance. The teaching is always done from a compassionate heart in a comfortable, quiet, and often sacred setting.

The movements and songs drawn from over 400 Dances include themes of peace (both inner and outer), healing (the Earth, individuals, and the global family), and the celebration of life’s great mystery. Dancers focus on peace and harmony creating a sense of solidarity and community while celebrating the underlying unity of all the spiritual traditions of the Earth. By experiencing these many traditions, a greater understanding and appreciation of other cultures, as well as one’s own heritage, is gained.

When Dance lyrics include sacred phrases in their own native languages, special attention is given to insure that all have ample opportunity to pronounce the foreign words comfortably and correctly. Leaders usually make a point to have the group first speak and then sing the unfamiliar words. Most Dances are only four lines long and repeated many times, so learning is usually quick and easy - within ten minutes people are moving, singing, and sharing together.

The mood of the Dances is infinitely variable, evoking feelings of love, joy, and compassion. Whether invoking the compassion of the Buddhist Qwan Yin, celebrating the playful energy of Krishna, or experiencing the related emotion of any other spiritual figure, dancers take part in a dynamic relationship between the group, individuals, and the self.

BODYVERSITY TRAINING with NalaWalla

When: 2-5 pm, Friday May 25th & Saturday May 26th. These workshops will build on eachother.

Where: TBA

Contact: Nala Walla, 360.643.3747, nala@bcollective.org

In this workshop, we will begin with the premise that our own body is our most direct link to the Earth. In order to connect our sense of ethics and Earth activism with our ritual and artistic sensibilities, we will explore various improvisational and body-based art games derived from such diverse techniques as yoga, contact improvisation, action theater, butoh and many others. Through these physical practices, we initiate the process of learning principles of permaculture, sustainability and cooperation directly through the body, and cultivate our ability to move from outrage and overwhelm to creative empowerment and action. This work is intended to restore the arts to their rightful place at the center of a healthy and sustainable community. No experience necessary–just bring a spirit of playfulness.

About Nala Walla

NalaWalla is a transdisciplinary performer, teacher and community activist who emphasizes the central role that the participatory arts play in healing fractured ecologies and communities. Her BODYECOLOGY and BODYVERSITY curriculums synthesize body-based art forms with principles of deep ecology in order to move beyond the rational, and facilitate a wholistic, wholebody understanding of permaculture. Based on an off-grid homestead on Marrowstone Island, Washington, Nala is a founding member of the BCOLLECTIVE–an umbrella organization whose mission it is to empower ecologic and social change by dissolving outdated boundaries between the arts and sciences, and to honor the arts for their important role in the “Great Turning” of humanity towards a just and sustainable culture.

Questions: 503-235-8946 (City Repair Office)