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  • From: Wesley Roe and Marjorie Lakin Erickson <lakinroe@silcom.com>
  • To: permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [permaculture] Las Gaviotas: Dialogue on Innovation and Perseverance September 9-11, 2002 at Ghost Ranch in Abiquiu, New Mexico
  • Date: Sat, 10 Aug 2002 09:50:46 -0700

http://www.urbanecology.org/gaviotas/about.htm

Las Gaviotas: Dialogue on Innovation and Perseverance


with Paolo Lugari, founder of Gaviotas and Gunter Pauli, director of ZERI
September 9-11, 2002 at Ghost Ranch in Abiquiu, New Mexico
Can't come? Support the Friends of Gaviotas Fund

Registration fee $200; Register by August 10 $150; Registration ends August 27!


The Place

Ghost Ranch is located in the spectacular high desert of northern New Mexico. Surrounded by red
rock cliffs, vast views, and immense sky this place has long inspired artists, most famously Georgia
O’Keefe, who made it her summer home for many years. Consider extending your stay to enjoy hiking
and other activities. in this beautiful setting.

The
Gathering

Join Paolo Lugari and Gunter Pauli for a unique workshop based on the story of Gaviotas, an
extraordinary village in Colombia. The 30-year history of Gaviotas demonstrates how human creativity
and commitment can overcome enormous environmental, economic and social obstacles. Mr. Lugari
will describe exciting new developments at Gaviotas and explain how they are relevant to current
environmental problems in the US. Multimedia presentations will provide participants with a glimpse of
life in the village. Mr. Pauli will provide examples of other innovative communities around the world and
speak about the 12 axioms of new economics. Together we will also reflect on the difficulty of
translating vision into action and sustaining long-term change efforts. Come to be inspired and energized
about tackling the challenges in your own life, work and community.

Mr. Lugari is visiting the United States for the first time in 17 years, and Santa Fe will be his only stop.
This workshop was originally scheduled at the Omega Institute. All proceeds from this event will be
donated to Fundación Centro Gaviotas. The workshop will start with dinner on Monday evening and
conclude with lunch on Wednesday. An additional public lecture may be held in Santa Fe on
September 11 or 12. This lecture is not yet confirmed, but we will post details when they are available.

The Details

Registration
Please register through this website. Ghost Ranch will not handle your workshop registration. All
participants need to register in advance - we must provide Ghost Ranch with the final list of names by
August 27, 2002. When submitting a payment, please include the names of each participant in the
Paypal "Notes" field. We will send you an email confirmation with additional event information.
Registration by August 10: $150 per person


Registration after August 10: $200 per person




Accommodations
You will need lodging for two nights. All rooms are double occupancy, and roommate assignments will
be handled at check-in. Unfortunately, rooms with private bath are no longer available. Dorm rooms
have shared bathrooms down the hall, and bathhouses are short walk from the casitas and campsites.
You may check in any time after noon on Monday. You must check-out of your room by 8:30 am on
Wednesday. The prices below include a meeting facility fee and other incidental expenses.
Dorm room
2 nights, 6 meals
$110 per person


Casita room*
2 nights, 6 meals
$90 per person


Campsite**
2 night, no meals
$40 per site



*Casitas are adobe huts with straw mat beds. Bring your own linens or sleeping bag.
**Bring your own tent or camper.

If you desire more privacy we suggest the Abiquiu Inn, which is a 20-minute drive away.

Meals
Meals are included in the price of rooms. Campers may purchase meals on location. Meals are
home-style, include vegetarian options, and are served three times a day, at the following hours:
Breakfast
7:30-8:00 am
$5
Lunch
12:00-12:30 pm
$6
Dinner
5:30-6:15 pm
$7


If your travel arrangements do not permit you to join us for dinner on Monday night or lunch on
Wednesday, you can receive a refund for one or both of these meals (see prices above). Refunds will
be issued when you check in. However, you must notify us before August 27 to be eligible.

Transportation
This remote retreat is 125 miles north of Albuquerque and about an hour drive from Santa Fe. Ghost
Ranch will provide a shuttle from the Albuquerque Airport, departing the airport at 2:30 pm on Monday
afternoon. On Wednesday there will be two shuttle departures from Ghost Ranch. The first shuttle will
depart at 8:30 am, which will arrive at the airport in time for flights after 1:00 pm. The second shuttle
will depart at 1:00 pm. Make reservations for your return flight after 5:00 pm. If fewer than three
people request a specific shuttle run, we will refund your payment and advise you to make alternate
travel arrangements. If you have any questions, contact the conference organizers. Please do not call
Ghost Ranch directly regarding the shuttle service! In the Paypal "notes" field, please indicate which
return shuttle time you need.

Roundtrip shuttle to/from the Albuquerque airport $53



Additional Nights
Make reservations for any additional nights with Ghost Ranch Abiquiu directly at (505) 685-4333.
Note: telephone service is by radio wave in this area, so you might have to call a few times. Ghost
Ranch also operates a center in downtown Santa Fe, where you can arrange a bed & breakfast stay.
Call (800) 821-5145.



Refunds
If you cancel your registration before August 10, we will promptly refund your payment minus a Paypal
transfer fee. We cannot issue any refunds after August 10.

About us

We, Karen and Robert, were among the registrants of the original Omega workshop. After it was
cancelled, we took it upon ourselves to convene another gathering. This is a purely volunteer effort on
our part. For more information about the event, email robert.schorlemmer@usa.net or call Karen at
(510) 548-4401
Special thanks to Urban Ecology for providing this temporary webspace!

Workshop with Paolo Lugari, founder of Gaviotas and Gunter Pauli, director of
ZERI, in New Mexico
Donate to the Friends of Gaviotas Fund

Overview

For three decades, Gaviotans - peasants, scientists, artists, and former street kids - have struggled to
build an oasis of imagination and sustainability in the remote, barren savannas of eastern Colombia, an
area ravaged by political terror. They have planted millions of trees, thus regenerating an indigenous
rainforest. They farm organically and use wind and solar power. Every family enjoys free housing,
community meals, and schooling. There are no weapons, no police, no jail. There is no mayor.

The United Nations named the village a model of sustainable development. Gabriel Garcia Marquez has
called Paolo Lugari the "inventor of the world."
What's New

At the New Mexico workshop, Paolo Lugari will discuss three exciting new developments in Gaviotas:

1) In September Gaviotans will launch two airships equipped with infrared to patrol the 36,000 acre
forest that they have planted. The airships will serve as an early warning system for fires, provide
surveillance 24 hours a day, and can respond within 15 minutes.

2) Since February, the community has been totally energy independent - no longer using diesel fuel.
They generate power with turbine engines fueled by the aging Carribean pine trees in their forest. These
pines are being slowly crowded out by the regeneration of indigenous rainforest.

3) Gaviotans have discovered that their pine forest can produce twice as much resin as any other
resin-tapping forest in the world. Tree tappers normally use sulfuric acid when making incisions, but
Gaviotans use an enzyme that appears to be beneficial for the trees. The use of mycorrhiza fungus on
the roots of the trees may also contribute to their productivity.

Gaviotas
Mural


A huge mural painting of what Gaviotans have already accomplished, and their vision for the future.
Note airship in the background.

Pictures

All pictures are courtesy of photographer Luis Guillermo Camargo.
Close-up view of mural
Aerial view of the llanos
Gaviotas tree planting
Research center
Kitchen
Water purification
More pictures of Gaviotas from the ZERI website (look under "Reforestation finances drinking water")

Reading

Alan Weisman's 1998 book: Gaviotas: A Village to Reinvent the World
Amazon.com reader reviews of the book
Script from the Gaviotas video
Draft article about Gaviotas by Gunter Pauli

Other

Examples of Gaviotas inventions (in Spanish)
Solar collectors
Solar oven
Wind-powered musical organ
Sensory exploration booth

About this
site

Few people have visited Gaviotas due to its remoteness and Colombia's dangerous political situation,
and the village itself does not have internet service. As a result, there is a dearth of information about
Gaviotas on the internet. We intend to set up a permanent website with pictures and other materials that
the ZERI Foundation has collected. At the moment we are preoccupied with organizing the event in
New Mexico. Contact robert.schorlemmer@usa.net for more information.
Special thanks to Urban Ecology for providing this temporary webspace!





  • [permaculture] Las Gaviotas: Dialogue on Innovation and Perseverance September 9-11, 2002 at Ghost Ranch in Abiquiu, New Mexico, Wesley Roe and Marjorie Lakin Erickson, 08/10/2002

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