Winter 2010 Lecture Series

This lecture series features innovative thinkers who are addressing various environmental challenges through creative approaches to horticulture, landscape architecture, ecological restoration, forestry, and green commerce. We will explore how we can move beyond romantic and utilitarian concepts of nature to consider how we can create sustainable landscapes that allow us to live well with each other and the natural world.

Wednesdays 6:00pm-8:00pm

Jan 13		"Eco-instigator" Fritz Haeg on Edible landscapes and Animal Estates http://fritzhaeg.com/
Jan 20		Jackie Heinricher on Bamboo for Carbon Sequestration, Timber & Fiber http://www.evergreen.edu/magazine/2009spring/heinricher.htm
Jan 27		Gardens as Sustainability Teachers: Panel Presentation Terra Commons, GruB, Evergreen Teaching Gardens, and more.
Feb 3		Kirk Hanson on Sustainable Forestry for the Pacific Northwest http://www.evergreen.edu/magazine/2009spring/foresters.htm
Feb 17		Ecologies Restoration of Puget Prairies: Panel Presentation http://www.southsoundprairies.org/
Feb 24		Paul Cereghino from NOAA or Nearshore Ecosystem Restoration http://www.pugetsoundnearshore.org
Mar 10		Ecoventions for the South Sound; Student Poster Presentations Cookies provided on the final night

SEM2 D1105 except Jan 13th and 20th in the Recital Hall (Com Building at The Evergreen State College)

For more information contact: Frederica Bowcutt at 867-6744 or bowcuttf@evergreen.edu

with Marisha Auerbach and Jenny Pell

March 20 - 21 in Seattle, 10:00am – 5:00pm
March 27 - 28 in Olympia, 10:00am – 5:00pm

How can we provide food on a neighborhood scale? This workshop will focus on food production in common space. We will be designing an installing an abundant and diverse food hedge to provide nutrient rich food throughout the season.On Saturday, we will focus on learning propagation strategies that you can use in your neighborhood. We will gather plant material from gardens in the neighborhood to include in our design. On Sunday, we will accelerate the neighborhood transition to food production as we install the food hedge!

Cost:

with Marisha Auerbach and Jenny Pell

April 17 - 18 in Seattle, 10:00am – 5:00pm
April 24 - 25 in Olympia, 10:00am – 5:00pm

Imagine transforming an urban lawn into an abundant garden in a weekend! This weekend, we will design an average urban yard to a diverse garden that meets the needs of the inhabitants. We will discuss soil preparation, plant selection, strategies for growing food in small spaces, and water saving strategies. We will be planting annual vegetables as well as perennial berries, edible flowers, medicinal herbs, and fruit trees.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBMpaWq4EKE&NR=1

Cost:

with Marisha Auerbach and Jenny Pell and special guests

May 15 - 16 in Seattle, 10:00am – 5:00pm
May 22 - 23 in Olympia, 10:00am – 5:00pm

In Western Washington, we get abundant rainfall in the winter and scarce rainfall in summer when we need it most. In the winter, the excess water is directed from impermeable surfaces, like roads, to the stormdrains. In this workshop, we will reroute stormwater into an intentionally designed garden with select plants that produce a yield and enjoy lots of water in the winter as well as tolerate dry summers. We will inoculate our raingarden with mycelium to remediate any contaminants from the roadside. This workshop includes a discussion on working with the city for sustainable retrofits.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0r4weoUSgI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7Xfa1rXwVQ

Cost:

with Jenny Pell and special guests

June 12 - 13 in Seattle, 10:00am – 5:00pm
June 26 -27 in Olympia, 10:00am – 5:00pm

Everyday, each household dismisses slightly used water from sinks, laundry, and showers (called graywater) to the sewer. This valuable water can be diverted and re-used to water the garden. Graywater may have cleansers and/or food particles in it: with intentional planning, these can be turned into a resource for watering and feeding our gardens. We will design and install a legal graywater system during this workshop, calculate the outflow of water, discuss permits and legal issues, practice plumbing as we install the system, and test it out! During this workshop, we will explore different strategies to install a graywater system in your own home or workplace.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBMpaWq4EKE&NR=1 (same video as urban yard)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eWB9DQLhIsY

Cost:

with Marisha Auerbach, Jenny Pell, and special guests

July 24 - 25 in Seattle, 10:00am – 5:00pm
July 31 - August 1 in Olympia, 10:00am – 5:00pm

In this workshop, you will learn how to build and install a solar hot water heater suited for our climate. Solar hot water demands minimal sunlight to heat water, making it a useful energy saving strategy for our climate. As the costs of energy increase, solar hot water technologies become more attractive. During this workshop, we will discuss the different options available for incorporating solar hot water in your home in Western Washington. We will design and build a low-tech solar hot water heater and install it on-site.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTO4aQZ9LI8
http://www.dr-stinky.com/solar.htm

Cost:

with Marisha Auerbach, Jenny Pell, and special guests

August 21 - 22 in Seattle, 10:00am – 5:00pm
August 28 - 29 in Olympia, 10:00am – 5:00pm

Home Heating costs are increasing. This workshop draws on the availability of sunlight to heat our homes. Solar hot air heaters circulate air from inside your home to a compartment outside oriented to the sun where the air is passively heated and circulated back inside your home. These very simple technologies are easy to make and require minimum sunlight to provide a significant increase in indoor heat, as well as a significant decrease in your heating bill. In this workshop, we will design, build, and install a solar air heater together. We will have an in-depth discussion on how this technology works and the variety of alternatives currently available.

Cost:

With Marisha Auerbach, Jenny Pell and special guests

September 18 - 19 in Seattle, 10:00am – 5:00pm
September 25 - 26 in Olympia, 10:00am – 5:00pm

This workshop will provide you with the step by step process for saving energy in your home. On Saturday, we will begin with a full Washington State Energy Audit revealing air leaks, phantom loads, un-insulated pipes, and more. We will explore the many ways our site can save on energy costs. You will learn how to use the tools of the trade to tighten up your home. On Sunday, we will install the prescribed changes. This workshop will include simple low-cost adaptations for the home owner or renter to reduce your energy footprint and your energy bill.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ta89apfz2gw

Cost:

with Marisha Auerbach, Jenny Pell and special guests

October 9 - 10 in Seattle, 10:00am – 5:00pm
October 23 - 24 in Olympia, 10:00am – 5:00pm

Ah, the abundance of autumn in Western Washington! This weekend we will address the diverse options for storing your abundant harvest throughout the winter. We will discuss and try our hands at canning, drying, and freezing your fruits and vegetables. Our herbal allies are included in this workshop too! We will look at the various herbal preparations that you may want in your home medicine chest, highlighting those herbs that grow generously in our bioregion. You will receive a diverse collection of recipes and formulas to keep you and your family nourished and healthy during the winter.

Cost: