permaculture

[Scott Pittman <pci@permaculture-inst.org>]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:  Rick Murphy, The Lama Foundation -- 505-586-1269, or
Rick@Lamafoundation.org

RE:  Build Here Now, 2001: An Earth Odyssey

DATES: June 10 - 17

For the third consecutive year, natural builders, permaculturalists and
those who would learn from them, will “converge” for a week at the Lama
Foundation, creating a microcosm of ecological community in the forested
mountains outside Taos, New Mexico.

Homes made of earth and straw, composting toilets, organic gardens: Once
the province of back-to-the-land revivalists, these ideas are going
mainstream as energy and housing costs soar, and people seek less toxic
environments.  “Build Here Now” (inspired by Lama co-founder Ram
Dass' seminal book Be Here Now), shows participants how to build
sustainably and cultivate wisely.  A new emphasis this year will be
community- building workshops led by Lama residents.

Attracting presenters and participants from across the U.S. and as far
away as Europe, Brazil and Estonia, Build Here Now 2001 includes
workshops on building with straw bales, adobe, cob, earthbags and bamboo,
and using earthen and lime plasters and natural paints. Among
permaculture topics are site planning, water harvesting, forest
gardening, sustainable timber harvesting and native medicinal herbs.
Other topics offered include composting toilets, photovoltaic systems,
cisterns, and designing a healthy and spiritually alive home.

Workshops run concurrently throughout each day, interspersed with
artfully-prepared vegetarian meals, morning yoga classes, evening dances,
nature hikes and informal chats. Lasting friendships are often born of
the shared experience. "I will never forget," said one of last
year's participants, "standing in the cob pit with seven other
barefoot builders; holding onto one another for support; our feet doing
the work of mixing the sand, straw, water and soil together; singing,
laughing, work merging with play. This is the essence of what it means to
'build here now' - when work and play are the same thing."

The original event began as a way of helping the Lama Foundation rebuild
from a 1996 fire, which decimated most of their original buildings. Since
that time, a flurry of building activity has taken place, with several
new earth-friendly structures now complete. The work of erosion control,
replanting and rebuilding continues this summer at this non-dogmatic
spiritual community, founded over 30 years ago.

Build Here Now 2001 presenters include well-known Southwest
permaculturalists Scott Pittman, Joel Glansberg, David and Lynne Trew,
and Dr. Bill Roley from California. Straw-bale building will be led by
authors/videomakers Steve Kemble and Carol Escott of Sustainable Systems
Support.  Healthy home architect Paula Baker-Laporte and master
builder Robert Laporte, creator of the "Econest," will also
present.  Workshops in earthen plaster and earthen floor techniques
will be taught by Carol Crews of Gourmet Adobe, while Janell Kapoor of
Kleiwerks will demonstrate how to build with cob, an adobe mud mix. The
New Mexico Solar Energy Association's "Sunchaser II" and solar
demonstration trailer will be on hand, and Taos architect Vishu Magee,
author of the book Archetype Design, will provide a powerful
visualization process for creating your dream home.

A special invitation is extended to officials and residents of
fire-ravaged Los Alamos, NM to come view the progress Lama has made, and
to avail themselves of inspiration and instruction in regenerative land
practices.  Lama is also offering several scholarships to Taos area
residents to attend Build Here Now. The event is co-produced by
the Lama Foundation, the Permaculture Institute, and The Last Straw,
the International Journal of Straw Bale and Natural Building. 

Build Here Now 2001 runs from June 10 - 17.  For more
information or to register, contact The Lama Foundation at
505-586-1269.  Members of the press are invited to visit Monday
through Saturday, June 11-16.  Photos are available.


At 11:05 AM 4/28/01 -0400, you wrote:
> Greetings, I'm designing a
> community garden for the lakehead Coalition Food Bank.  We
> have the use of an abandoned school for food storage and can use the land
> for the
> garden. The water in the building is not turned on and the owner will not
> do so. The
> building has no eavestroughs or downspouts and is quite high. The roof
> has a major
> hole in it and needs work, most likely just patching for now. I need
> someway to
> collect and store water on site.  Ideas?
>
> Bob Ewing
> Thunder Bay
>
>
> ---
> You are currently subscribed to permaculture as:
> pci@permaculture-inst.org
> To unsubscribe send a blank email to
> leave-permaculture@franklin.oit.unc.edu
> Get the list FAQ at:
> http://www.ibiblio.org/ecolandtech/documents/permaculture.faq