Seventeen passionate nature lovers have converged as one to join the Eco- village and Permaculture Certificate Program at Lost Valley Educational Center from June 23-August 13 in Dexter, OR. From New York to Iowa City, to L.A., and Eugene, people with a depth of reverence towards nature form a unique learning community for the summer. The morning begins with a brass chime undulating up the meadow while the aroma of a wonderful bounty awaits the eco-pioneers in the outdoor classroom. You can see the sun rise through dew drops on golden grass. Song sparrows and black-capped chickadees sing their song to the morning. Laughter resonates with the rising light as the warmed earth releases her deep pungency from the pine forest floor. As people gather, the group becomes present to focus on the lessons of the day. An eco-revolutionary, Joshua Smith, sits before us, a man with a deep knowledge of Permaculture applications and principles. He inspires a true sense of urgency to restore the balance of natural systems which have been destroyed through improper resource use and the disregard of nature's systematic design processes and expertise. Meanwhile, the earth breathes and moves though this land in new and old rhythms. In this time of great change, Permaculture asks us to return to the inherent values of life: care of the earth and care of its people.
Rick Valley, land steward at Lost Valley, guides us into the "new forest," a place where old growth once reigned. We stop at a place where the forest is overcrowded. Often, when a forest is clearcut, it loses the ability to be a fully functional ecosystem, unless properly managed. We prune and harvest the thick undergrowth to create fences, furniture, wildlife habitat, and mushroom inoculation logs. We leave cuttings as mulch to feed new forest growth. The space between trees will now allow the older trees to move towards an old growth stage.
The forest is our life blood. In a mature grove, the forest transpires hundreds of gallons of water through each tree, every day. These trees are recycling the foundation of life. With a Permaculture Design approach, we are given the tools to be effective stewards of ecosystem function and facilitate a process towards more harmonious landscapes. Humanity has its place in nature, and we should recognize this place. The trees are our elders; the birds, our guides. Observation teaches us to comprehend our environment though many different senses. This skill allows permaculturalists to gather information in ways traditional people have done whose lives depend upon the land. Prevailing winds, sun and energy movement throughout the site, species, and temperature all have to do with "reading" the land. This is how we ground ourselves in the experience of really looking at each site as a system of interrelated parts.
When lunch time arrives, the community enjoys a home-cooked vegetarian meal. Homegrown organic salad greens are drizzled with creative and delicious dressings. We engage in a demonstration on Vermiculture, which is the ability of worms to produce beneficial castings in order to improve soil. Lunch time not only provides a forum for participants to teach others, but also allows the Permaculture community to connect with Lost Valley community members. The interaction within the two communities is exciting for all. After lunch, people go off to relax, stroll through the gardens, and graze wild berry patches. The course participants make their way towards the swale project that we are building to restore wetland habitat. We work in the summer's heat to gather camas seeds, lay rock for the trail, and level the swale--or "little valley."
Marc Tobin and Tammy Davis, our hosts, advise us day to day on our projects. Tammy has taught us to raise bees, make herbal salves, and grow edible mushrooms. Marc demonstrates his skills in group dynamics and coordinates our learning experiences. Peter Reppe teaches us about the ecological impacts of our individual choices. As we live our day to day lives here at Lost Valley, Peter encourages us to consider economies of scale and life cycle assessment. Each principle allows us to see the overall impact of actions, from the production of a product through its use and eventual disposal. As we live on this land, we are learning the importance of reducing consumption as opposed to simply recycling products.
This day would not be complete without mentioning yesterday. A neighbor, Bill Burwell, greeted us with the rapture of a forest dweller. His family bought a scarred clearcut when he was four years old. Fifty-one years later, his stories are the tales of the land. They tell of the Kalapuya people who preceded us here. As we stood there listening to Bill, we were intrigued by his self-taught expertise in sustainable forest management, historical knowledge of place, and his house, which he had built with on-site materials and with his own two hands. We rode in Bill's pickup down the mountain to gather blueberries from Bill's organic family farm. We will use the blueberries for baking; we know the kitchen interns will be excited to create a recipe.
Here at Lost Valley, we are learning to work together. The process of this begins with us. As Joshua states, "We have a commitment to untangle ourselves from the ego." This is our largest obstacle when approaching sustainability. Cooperation is a requirement in all self-perpetuating life systems. Thus, interdependence is a key function in nature. Likewise, we all have unique gifts, that if we add to the collective, the collective will be fuller. The sun sets more slowly in the open land. Cool creek water washes the day's sweat as our bodies are cleansed and revitalized. Children play in the distance and represent the voices of the inheritors of this mysterious and revolving planet earth. When the moon rises, the guitar, fiddle, zither, and didgeridoo can be heard along with the songs that echo in this valley. We love celebrating the fruits of summer
Lindsey White is a student with the Audubon Expedition Institute (now a division of Lesley University). She participated in the Ecovillage and Permaculture Certificate Program as part of her fourth-year environmental studies degree.
©2004 Talking Leaves
Late Summer/Fall 2004
Volume 14, Number 3
A Day in the Life: The Many Faces of Eco-Community