The Living Arts School is hosting workshops in January and February on Fruit Tree Care, Climate Battery Build, Design for Disaster and Basic Mycology. All workshops are taught by graduates of the Permaculture Through the Seasons! permaculture design course in Boulder: Wesley Swartz, Avery Ellis, Brian Scott, and Jared Urchek. Additionally, Avery and Brian completed an Advanced PDC with Peter Bane, Sandy Cruz, and Becky Elder, and Avery has completed his Permaculture Teacher Training.
From The Living Arts School:
Join us for a comprehensive exploration of the art of dormant fruit tree pruning and training. Learn how to encourage your trees to yield high quality fruit much earlier in their lives and live significantly longer, as well as proper techniques for removing dead, diseased, or broken limbs.
During this workshop we will meet at Morning Side Orchard to discuss why, how and when we should prune our fruit trees. We will walk through the orchard and look at young and old trees, and talk about what to look for in the structure of the tree when pruning. Hands-on practice with pruning, and techniques for making the proper cuts will be an important part of this workshop, so that all participants can leave with the know-how to care for their own fruit trees.
Please note: All participants must arrive with their own set of pruning shears, in order to have the chance to practice the techniques we will be learning in the workshop. This is an outdoor workshop, so please dress warmly.
Instructor Wesley Swartz has always been close to nature. He first started working in nurseries at a very young age and eventually traveled to Europe to supplement his education by working on organic farms and nurseries in Italy and Spain. He has been managing a private orchard in Boulder for the last 5 years and teaches classes on orcharding and permaculture to interested community members. Wesley truly loves everything associated with orchard life—beekeeping, composting, guild planting and grafting–and his passion for what he does is contagious.
No experience necessary. Please bring a pair of pruning shears and a notebook & pen. For participants ages 14 and older, minimum of 4 participants, maximum of 15.
Cost: $45
To register for this workshop, please visit: http://www.
Designing for Disaster-The Fire Flood Duality: Utilizing Earthworks to Avoid Disaster
Sunday, January 26th, 2-4pm
The very nature of disaster is that it surpasses our expectations. As our global climate shifts, localized disasters are becoming more prevalent. In recent years fire and then floods have ravaged Colorado and other Western states. This workshop will explore our modern experience of disasters, focusing on the relationship between fire, floods, and human living spaces.
Through hands-on learning with sand trays, you will acquire the know-how to harvest rainwater for self-sufficiency while growing native edible plants. We will deeply explore the principles of water flow and earthworks, which can be used to mitigate the potential for fire, while preventing floods. These appropriate permaculture techniques can be utilized to protect your home and family from these disasters in the future.
This workshop follows on the heels of the recent Colorado flood, which drenched a large portion of our state in 21 inches of water. Our hearts go out to those who experienced significant damages in the flood. We would like to offer you an automatic 20% discount on this workshop. Please email us atinfo@livingartsschool.com
Instructor Avery Ellis is an Ecological Systems Designer. He holds a Masters of Ecological Design and a BS in Biology. He first explored these concepts during a semester abroad in India, where he studied permaculture, renewable energy, waste water treatment, and natural building methods. Upon completion of his Bachelors degree, he gained personal experience on an organic farm, spent a year as a solar installation specialist, and was a supervisor for a recycling company intent on net zero waste. He continues to study permaculture design in Colorado and is one of the only certified greywater installers in the state.
Please Note: You may find it helpful to bring a photo of your backyard, or the land you wish to think about as you play with designs during the workshop. You may also wish to bring a notebook and pen, to record some of your designs for future implementation.
No experience necessary. All materials and supplies provided. This workshop is Wee Folk Approved, meaning that it is appropriate for families. Children ages 7 and younger are free with a registered adult, children between ages 8 and 13 may register at half-price with a registered adult. If you would like to register your children, please email Elizabeth in advance at info@livingartsschool.com. Minimum of 4 participants, maximum of 12. Pre-registration is required.
Cost: $40
To register for this workshop, please visit: http://www.
Integrated greenhouse designs have a lot to offer us in cool climates, and can allow us to stretch our climatic zones, even into the subtropic, all year long. This workshop will teach you how to build your own Subterranean Heating and Cooling System, SHCS, aka “climate battery”, which works to capture the heat of the sun and store it underground for future use in your greenhouse.
This workshop includes an overview of the process needed, from start to finish, for building a climate battery, as well as hands-on experience working with elements of the actual build. Instructional packets will accompany hands-on learning and verbal instruction, to allow participants to walk away with a comprehensive understanding of climate battery construction and implementation.
Instructor Brian Scott is the owner and operator of Boulder Stonescapes, as well as the co-owner and operator (along with his wife, Amanda) of the 63rd Street Farm in Boulder. Along with his expertise in masonry, Brian holds a Permaculture Design Certificate and has worked tirelessly with Amanda to make 63rd Street Farm a permaculture-based working farm that now feeds over 150 families every year. Combining his two passions, Brian manages the design and construction of many of the farm’s elements–such as a greenhouse and climate battery, and upcoming projects like a mobile chicken coop and root cellar. He is passionate about passing on his knowledge and skills, and helping other families realize their dreams for incorporating regenerative practices of agriculture and urban homesteading into everyday life.
No experience necessary. For participants ages 14 and older. Please bring a notebook and pen, as well as a sack lunch…we like to eat together at the folk school! All other materials and tools will be provided.
Cost: $95
To register for this workshop, please visit: http://www.
Basic Mycology: Mushroom Cultivation
Saturday, February 15, 1-5pm
This introductory mushroom cultivation workshop will explore the mushroom life cycle, types of mushrooms, basic cultivation skills and concerns, and three easy methods of cultivation. We will also take an in-depth look at considerations around myco-agriculture and myco-remediation (using mushrooms in agriculture and in cleaning up toxic waste).
This class is hands on and will teach three easy to use mushroom growing techniques. Participants will walk from this course with an Oyster kit, the knowledge of how to produce Oyster kits en masse, how to get further ‘mileage’ out of old mushroom kits by creating garden beds, and how to inoculate logs and stumps.
Come one, come all, and bring your friends! Freshly brewed Chaga mushroom tea will be available, but bring your own snacks.
Instructor Jared Urchek, the owner and operator of Boulder High Country Mushrooms, is a purveyor of fine, gourmet fungal food and medicine. Beginning his fungal studies through a basic permaculture course, he furthered his studies through Paul Stamets’ Mushroom Cultivation and Mycoremediation courses. With a fully functional mushroom laboratory and cultivation space located at the 63rd St Farm in Boulder, Colorado, he travels the land searching for the most delicious, most medicinal mushrooms to culture and offer back to his fellow humans.
No experience necessary. All materials provided. For participants 15 and older (participants under 15 are considered on a case-by-case basis), minimum of 4 participants, maximum of 15. Pre-registration is required.
Price: $65.00
To register for this workshop, please visit: http://www.livingartsschool.com/register/?ee=27