Nature Inspired Community Workshops
Forests, Gardens, Orchards & Regenerative Systems
- Amazing Permaculture -
Water Stewards is pleased to present this workshop series for the public.
Join us to discover some of the most effective, life-giving permaculture practices
used for centuries around the world!
WATER STEWARDS Workshops
Community Workshops
2019 at-a-glance
The Spring of Food Forests
April Pop-up Dates TBA, based on weather
10am-2pm
Plant new fruit trees and perennial food guilds with a water solution. Planting guilds of trees and perennials surrounding existing trees; Pruning and autumn maintenance; Preparation of orchards and gardens for spring.
-Amazing Permaculture-
Fridays on
May 10, June 7, July 12, August 16
10am - 2pm
Swales on Contour, Spring planting of food (perennial & annual vegetables), pollinators and supportive plant guilds.
-Amazing Permaculture-
Autumn Dates TBA
10am-2pm
November is prime time to establish a food forest. Plant new fruit trees and perennial food guilds with a water solution. Planting guilds of trees and perennials surrounding existing trees; Pruning and autumn maintenance; Preparation of orchards and gardens for spring.
-Amazing Permaculture-
Fridays on May 10, June 7, July 12, August 16
10am - 2pm
Learn many simple, powerful practices for healing our Earth while growing healthy food. Conserve water, build soil and protect pollinators by using permaculture principles and techniques that will help us create incredibly rich, resilient and nature-inspired gardens and farms. Learn how to incorporate permaculture in your gardens...
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Create swales and earthworks that will slow, spread and sink water into deep garden beds. Participants will measure land contour and shape garden beds to retain water and grow beautiful, happy plants.
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Capture and direct water from roofs to useful locations in the landscape.
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The diverse roles of plants in the ecosystem and how to work with them for pollination, pests, more food yields and perennial medicines year-after-year.
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Spring actions that maintain existing garden beds and facilitate healthier soils.
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Spring plantings of perennial food, pollinators and supportive plant guilds.
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Crafting embossed garden signs from recycled aluminum beverage cans.
Nature Inspired Orchards & Gardens
-Amazing Permaculture-
Autumn Dates TBA
Autumn is a great time to plant your fruit trees and prepare your orchards and gardens for their winter production, as well as a great time to prep planting areas and gardens for spring.
Come learn in our outdoor gardens and orchards and inside classroom as we explore:
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Planting polyculture guilds of trees and perennials to support a restorative and regenerative eco system;
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Pruning, tips and resources for autumn maintenance, and mineral rich soil building;
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Preparation and natural resources for spring orchards and gardens.
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Crafting embossed signs from recycled aluminum.
We hope to see you on both days or for one as your schedule allows.
(Planting Fruit Trees/Food Perennials)
2019 Autumn Dates TBA
Whether your land is small or large, urban, a farm, an orchard, a forest, a field or a yard, you can establish a food forest.
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Nature inspires us with optimal tree planting and food forest processes and timing for zones 5/6 to occur in November.
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Come discover fruit tree planting as we use an existing orchard as our laboratory. We will take meaningful steps to convert an orchard into a food forest using simple, successful principles from Permaculture.
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All techniques learned can be applied on your land with only a shovel, a fruit tree, a few perennials and straw/mulch.
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In this workshop, we will learn to plant 'new' fruit trees and perennial food guilds that also incorporate a nature inspired water solution
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Explore new discoveries and how to's for swales on contour, raised beds, multi-function guilds and use of natural resources.
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The techniques in this class will differ from our previous "Nature Inspired Orchard" workshops (wood chip rings & perennial guilds surrounding 'existing' fruit tree).
We continue to be in awe of nature as we work in support of the full eco-cycle/system. The food gardens are giant, thick, robust and bountiful. And even during our 4-week long scary drought, no watering was needed.
With excitement, we must share these techniques with you. No experience is necessary. Bring your lunch and join us for this rewarding experience alongside lovely folks, grades 5-adults, in a beautiful setting. Suggested Donation: $7-$30, pay what you can, nobody turned away for lack of funds.
Stay Tuned. More Workshops to be Announced.
Fields to Forests Workshop
April 12, 2019 (Friday)
10am-2pm
Trees, reforestation solutions and re-wilding fields; Ecosystem and habitat analysis; Seed planting; Nurture/protect wild tree seedlings; Field Guide creation; Living tree fence planting.
Nature Inspired Multi-Function Systems (Stacking Functions) Workshop
April 26, 2019 (Friday)
10am-2pm
Conservation, use of precious resources and a life style and practice of stacking functions for Food, Biomass, Fertility, Fodder, Heat and more. Crafting and use of systems such as Earthen Oven, Rocket Stove, Bio Char.
Nature Inspired Gardening Workshop
-Amazing Permaculture-
May 17, 2019 (Friday)
10am - 2pm
Swales on Contour, Spring planting of food (perennial & annual vegetables), pollinators and supportive plant guilds. Crafting embossed garden signs.
WHO SHOULD ATTEND
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Registration is open to the public.
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Adults and/or Students (in College, High School and Middle School)
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Those interested in nature, gardening, orchards, small-scale farming, sciences, art, crafting, sustainable practices, water issues, conservation, environmentalism, permaculture, forestry and homesteading.
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No previous experience is needed.
REGISTRATION
Tuition: Sliding scale of $7-$60 per workshop
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Partial and full scholarships are available with application.
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Space is limited and is first come - first served.
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Pre-registration with payment secures your spot. Register early!
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Workshops are held rain or shine.
ABOUT THE PROGRAM
Shimmering Light Farm & Renewal Center is a non-profit educational community farm in South Bristol, operating for the last 20 years. During the summer drought of 2016, the farm well ran too low for production - a highly stressful time for the plants, the farmers, the CSA and Herb Circle Members. We explored many options to ensure future water for the farm. We were blessed to receive a 3-year grant from the Guido and Ellen Palma Foundation to develop a regenerative water system at the farm using permaculture principles. Since April 2017, we have worked with teens under the program name "Water Stewards" to trial phase one of the project and now have their demonstration areas in place. Art is also a key component of the program. We use a variety of inspirational environmental artistic methods to document and educate as well as to install structure and shapes needed for every farm project. Water Stewards is pleased to expand our programming to offer workshops for youth in grades 5-12, college students and adults. Lead facilitator is Kay Megorden-Staten (certified in permaculture design, owner of Pure Nourish Food & Apothecary Forest). She is joined by Sarah Mongeau (artist and social justice advocate); Marnie Lersch (Environmental Artist and Arts Administrator). Guest instructors include Nadia Harvieux (Finger Lakes Institute at Hobart and William Smith Colleges), Angela Cannon (FLCC), Edith Davey (Ontario County Soil & Water) Sean Dembrowsky (Permaculture Design, Edible Acres). Future nature partners and instructors will be announced.