Author Archives: Kristin

Brad Lancaster: Regenerative Watersheds, Denver, 5/28/15, 5:30pm

From Denver Permaculture Guild:

Regenerative Watersheds: From Plumbing to Policy
Thu, May 28, 5:30pm – 8:00pm

Green Spaces, 1368 26th Street, Denver, CO 80205

REGISTER NOW at www.denverpermacultureguild.com/product/plumbingtopolicy/ Which kinds of rainwater harvesting are legal in Colorado – and which kinds aren’t? How have citizens in other cities come together to change their state’s approach to water? What opportunities do we have to locally to push the envelope around sustainable water policy? Join the Denver Permaculture Guild on May 28th for a rousing night of discussion around these questions and more. We’ll hear a presentation from Arizona’s rainwater harvesting expert Brad Lancaster, followed by a panel and Q&A of local policymakers and water activists.

$10 DPG members

$15 before 5/15/15

$20 after 5/15/15

$25 at the door

Permaculture Design Course at CU Boulder, May 11-29, 2015, Open to Public

From Jason Gerhardt of Real Earth Design:

I wanted to let you all know about the CU Permaculture Design Course coming up. This is also offered to the public so if you know anyone looking to delve deep into permaculture on the Front Range it will be a fantastic option. The flyer is attached below with details.

May 11-29, 2015, 10am-5pm, Mon-Fri

2015-CUPDC-Flyer[1]

GreenSTEM: Using Permaculture Design to Create Dynamic Learning Environments, 6/29-7/3/15

GreenSTEM: Using Permaculture Design to Create Dynamic Learning Environments

Facilitated by Michael Becker, originator of the Permaculture Classroom Project at Hood River Middle School, Oregon

Do you work with children or teenagers and want to help them practice ecological literacy and systems thinking? Are you a teacher interested in strategies to augment sustainability education while actually reducing your total workload?

This course will teach participants to apply systems design thinking in a classroom setting through lectures, discussions, tours, and hands-on projects. Focused on creating more connected and practical lessons that increase student ownership and commitment, participants will create action plans and support networks for returning to their schools or workplaces. Michael will detail his own experiences as a public middle school teacher working to augment his existing curriculum with outdoor education and land stewardship while encouraging student-led learning and enterprise. Participants who complete the course are eligible to receive 5 500-level credits from Antioch University for an additional payment of $200.

GreenSTEM consists of full days with diverse and engaging activities. Lunch and dinner will be provided, with evening engagements most nights through the week. Prepare to leave these five days changed, invigorated, and full of practical strategies to revolutionize your teaching experience and that of your students. Pairs or teams of teachers from the same school are encouraged to take the course together to maximize effectiveness upon returning in the fall.

No PDC required. Scholarships are available, with applications upon request.

WHEN:   June 29th – July 3rd
WHERE:   Rocky Mountain Deaf School, Golden
HOW MUCH:   $750, $600 for Denver Permaculture Guild members

Register Now

The Colorado Greywater Public Hearing (Regulation 86), 4/13/15

From Avery Ellis of Colorado Greywater:

Hello Concerned Citizens of Colorado!
Some of you may have heard that our state will be adopting a new Water law about Greywater Re-use. It has been in the works for almost 2 years and we are on the verge of a final public hearing. If you believe in water re-use and conservation, Please write to the CDPHE (cdphe.wqcc@state.co.us) with the message below and/or come out to support efficient and practical greywater solutions on April 13th from 9:30-5 at:
Florence Sabin Conference Room
Department of Public Health and Environment
4300 Cherry Creek Drive South
Denver CO 80246.
Wear something green to support the inclusion of “Fruit and Nut trees and other plants where the edible or medicinal part does not touch the soil or water directly” This is one of our big hurtles in the allowance of truly ecological greywater systems. The beaurocratic process can be slow and frustrating. Please come prepared to wait for your moment to share your thoughts. This public hearing will be addressing the adoption of two new regulations (Reg 61 & Reg 86) and Regulation 86, the greywater rules will be second in the process and therefore it will be discussed later in the day. As a stakeholder in the process, I will have several minutes to state my case in favor of less stringent regulation and the allowance of fruit and nut trees. The case would be made stronger with public support at key moments and an audience wearing green. In the CDPHE notice to stakeholders, public participation is encouraged “The commission encourages all interested persons to provide their opinions or recommendations regarding the matters to be addressed in this rulemaking hearing, either orally at the hearing or in writing prior to or at the hearing. Although oral testimony from those with party status and other interested persons will be received at the hearing, the time available for such oral testimony may be limited. The commission requests that all interested persons submit to the commission any available information that may be relevant in considering the noticed proposals.”

Feel free to read the current Draft of Regulation 86 here (ftp://ft.dphe.state.co.us/wqc/wqcc/61_86GraywaterRMH/61_86_Notice1504.pdf). (Note: Many people spell it GrEywater to support Ecological Solutions, but the CDPHE spells it GrAywater) If you have time to read the draft, please submit your concerns to (cdphe.wqcc@state.co.us). If you would like to support our effort for less stringent regulation and the adoption of ecological solutions, please send this message to (cdphe.wqcc@state.co.us):

To the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment – Water Quality Control Commission
Re: Graywater Regulation 86 Public Comments
I support the efficient and practical graywater solutions laid out in Regulation 86. I want to encourage my local county and city to adopt this law with minimal restrictions, and I believe that “mulch basins” provide the most ecologically robust solution for dealing with graywater irrigation. They are practical, affordable, and can utilize gravity to convey the greywater to the landscape without the oversight of complex engineering, pumps, or filters. I plan to use my laundry machine to irrigate my landscape and would like to see a simple permit for those types of simple systems. I also believe that the best beneficial use of graywater is for watering fruit and nut trees, and other plants where the edible part does not touch the soil or water directly. I have never heard of anyone getting sick from an apple on a tree where graywater was used for irrigation, and scientific research supports this approach. For toilet flushing systems, I would like to see less restrictive rules for decontamination, since this water will be used for flushing waste. I support the adoption of Regulation 86 and would like to see these rules become less strict, so that we the people can utilize ecological solutions for our land and the environment. Thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
__________(your name)

Please feel free to share this message with your networks so that we might have a big impact on how this law gets adopted. If you want to learn more about greywater, how it can be used, and why it matters, check out www.ColoradoGreywater.com and stay tuned for our upcoming workshops, services, and events after this law is finalized.

For the Earth,

Avery Ellis

ColoradoGreywater[at]gmail[dot]com

Permaculture: The Growing Edge Film Screening, 3/17/15, Boulder

From Rockies Edge Permaculture:

Join us for a free screening of a film that promotes ecological design and abundance for people and planet…

Permaculture: The Growing Edge

Tuesday, March 17, 2015, 6:30-8pm

Boulder Public Library, Canyon Theater, 1001 Arapahoe Avenue, Boulder

thegrowingedge

The GrowHaus 5th Annual Seed Swap, this Saturday, 3/14/15

From The GrowHaus:

The Annual Seed Swap, March 14, 2015, 12-5pm
On March 14, come to The GrowHaus to celebrate spring and get your seeds at our fifth annual Seed Swap! In addition to providing dozens of locally-adapted GMO-free seed varieties, we’ll be hosting gardening workshops, live music, and food sold by residents of our community!
All this for only a $10 donation
GHseedswap

2015 Colorado Permaculture Convergence, May 23-25, Cortez

From The Permaculture Provision Project:

Announcing the 2015 Colorado Permaculture Convergence, May 23-25, 2015, Cortez, CO

Have you had your “Aha Moment” with Permaculture? Come to The Four Corners and experience your next Epiphany that will change your perspective and energize everything you do!

In the process experience 2 days of workshops/seminars/demonstrations/roundtables that will have you well on your way to homesteading (urban or otherwise) bliss. Enjoy great company, exotic food, and classic rock and roll while marveling at the prospect that some of the world’s foremost Permaculture experts are making plans to turn the biggest brown spot on the map of the US (The Four Corners Region) into an oasis of abundance.

…and then realize that you can start the same process right in your backyard!

REGISTER FOR THE 2015 COLORADO PERMACULTURE CONVERGENCE

See the Convergence Page for more information and keep checking as the schedule updates! Download the flyer and pass it around, hang it up at work and forward to others who may be interested.

HOSTED BY THE PERMACULTURE PROVISION PROJECT
Find out more about them at:
www.facebook.com/PermacultureProvisionProject or
www.permacultureprovision.org

See the Convergence Page for all the details and keep checking back!

SEMINARS/WORKSHOPS:
The schedule for The Convergence is still being refined and speakers confirmed. We expect to have a line up of top practitioners in their respective fields to provide valuable understanding of a wide variety of ways to bring about abundance in any environment or setting—small or large.

Check the schedule to insure that you can plan to attend the offerings that are most meaningful to you and to also insure that you register for any of the offerings which might have limited enrollment.

  • Tiny Home Building
  • Rocket Mass Heaters
  • Humanure
  • Aquaponics/Hydroponics
  • Earthworks workshop with an excavator
  • Understory planting
  • Haybale Gardening
  • Edible Weedwalk
  • Felting
  • Mushrooms/Mycology
  • Tree Grafting
  • Rain Catchment
  • Off Grid Living
  • Walpini building
  • Urban Permaculture
  • Drip Irrigation
  • Solar Pumps
  • Greenhouses
  • Metal Permaculture
  • Plant Genetics
  • Living Fences
  • Solar cooking
  • Tanning
  • Soil Science
  • Food Forest Basics
  • Sketchup/Global Mapper/GIS

Attend the 2015 Colorado Permaculture Convergence, May 23-25!

2015convergenceflyer

Crop Swap at Lyons Farmette this weekend, Sat., 3/7/15

Crop Swap at Lyons Farmette, Saturday, March 7th, 2015, 12-3pm

4121 Ute Highway, Lyons, CO

Come out and enjoy a day of seed and story swapping, educational panels and garden-related crafts for the little ones!

& Rockies Edge will deliver panels on an introduction to Permaculture, building soils, efficient watering, starting seeds, companion planting and preparing for the growing season.

& Ross Rodgers of Sacred Life Seeds will share a panel on seed-saving techniques and information on how to get involved with his seed library project!

& The Urban Farm Co will have a mini garden on wheels and information about their offerings.

& Raffle for Inoculated Mushroom Logs and a Start-up Forest Garden!!!

& Children’s Engagement Area where kids can make their own companion planters and seed cookies

Rockies Edge Permaculture Design Course Scholarship Fundraiser

Rockies Edge Permaculture has started an online scholarship fundraiser for its 2015 Permaculture Design Course.  If you or another person you know has benefited from a permaculture design course, consider donating to this fund.  100% of these funds will be used to help participants from local economically disadvantaged communities attend the course.  Elevate your awareness in 2015!  Thank you!

http://www.gofundme.com/lk2gt4

Permaculture Activist Magazine Needs Your Support!

From Peter Bane, Publisher of Permaculture Activist:

Dear Friends,

After nearly 25 years at the helm of the magazine, I will be turning over management to Senior Editor John Wages on April 1st. Trends in the publishing world have shown that it is time to update the magazine’s outreach and some aspects of its presentation. It is our view that this will best be done with fresh thinking and new management; my personal life is moving in other directions and I am happy that John is willing and prepared to step into the path I have been walking.
We want to launch soon a digital version of the magazine, under the new name Permaculture Design Magazine, for e-subscription to supplement the print edition, which will continue, also under the new title but with our familiar format. With digital subscription we would expect to reach a wider readership with greater flexibility, and would be able to publish some stories and items for which there is presently no room in the quarterly. We have indexed 90 of the 95 issues and will soon complete that project with the 2014 issues added. This gives us good purchase on making the back issue content available digitally to subscribers and others over the Web. And our website, so capably administered by Keith Johnson these past 16 years, needs a major overhaul, better navigation, a clearer user interface, and more capacity. We have a professional designer at work right now and could expand that work if additional funding can be found.
To do these things we need money, more than the magazine generates under its present business model. We are asking for your help to raise $15,000 (or more) via a Kickstarter campaign launching today. It is especially important to the success of the campaign that a good surge of donations comes in the first few days to build momentum and show broad support. Numbers of gifts are as important as dollars. Our potential audience is large and you could help us expand it by spreading this message throughout your networks.
A letter with somewhat more detail is attached if you care to read more about our thinking on this transition. The Kickstarter site carries a video of myself and John addressing the need, and of course, we are happy to answer questions by email.
You may access the campaign page directly using this link:
Please share this request widely, give as much and as often as you can, and help us keep community journalism vital for another 25 years.
Peter Bane
Publisher