As always, this year has been an eventful one here at Lost Valley Educational Center. Among the highlights of 2003:
Naka-Ima Changes
The Naka-Ima program experienced its most successful year yet, as it switched from a set fee to a donation basis for attendees of Naka-Ima 1. Almost every course filled to capacity, with a waiting list, for both students and assistants. Extra dates were added to accommodate the demand. Two sessions of the Practice, a Spirit of Relationship course, Artgasm!, a Teacher Training program, and an extra Naka-Ima held in California were further evidence of Naka-Ima's growth this year. For details about next year's offerings, see the Lost Valley Educational Center website.
80K by May Campaign: Pay Off the Land!
We launched a fundraising campaign to help pay off the last debts secured against the land. Once we have raised $80,000 for this purpose (it may not be by May, but the rhyme makes it easy to remember), we will be able to take the next steps necessary to protect the land in perpetuity by putting it into a land trust. We also started raising money to put in a new floor in the large classroom. And, as we hit financial hard times and had to lay off staff at year's end, we put out a fundraising appeal to members and supporters (you).
Sustainability Programs
We held several apprenticeship sessions in Organic Gardening in Community, and in Permaculture and Community. We also hosted a Permaculture and the Sacred workshop with Starhawk, several Papercrete workshops, and our 13th annual Permaculture Design Course. For next year, we are planning a two-month Permaculture and Sustainable Design Course Apprenticeship, as well as a season-long Organic Gardening internship (work-trade) program and a series of Sustainability workshops (see our website).
Internships, Visitor Programs, Conferences
We were joined this year by numerous interns in areas such as Service and Sacred Space, Maintenance, Kitchen, Office, Land, Garden, and Food Processing. We also hosted several Community Experience Weeks, regular Visitor Days and monthly Sunday Tours, and specially arranged visits from various groups, many of whom offered invaluable help in major projects in the garden or on the land. We also continued to host outside conferences and other special events, including a workshop with Sobonfu Somé and many other courses, retreats, and gatherings of groups aligned with our mission.
Community Membership Transitions
We experienced some major changes in our membership this year. Several long-term members left, and several other prospective long-term members joined us. Karin moved to Eugene in the spring after nine years at Lost Valley, and Matthew and Grace joined her there when the school year started in the fall; they still visit Lost Valley on weekends. Jarret and Hunter also moved to town in the fall, and Russ departed for the South Pacific just before Thanksgiving. The Whites announced that they will be leaving by the end of next summer, and entered a period of transitional membership.New arrivals this year include two families: Becca, Mike, Tristan, and Havana moved into the six-plex, and Deb, Vince, and Eli moved into one of the newly renovated units there too. Some of this year's interns may also be moving into the membership process. As evidenced by the list in the left-hand box on this page, many wonderful people are now lending their energy at Lost Valley.
LVEC on the Bookshelves and Newsstands
Lost Valley is featured prominently in Diana Leafe Christian's new book, Creating a Life Together (excerpted and reviewed in this issue). Larry's article on relationship appeared in Communities this spring, and Cami has been writing a regular column for the 20-Below section of the Eugene Register-Guard. Most unusual, perhaps, was a visit from contributors to the French edition of Rolling Stone (whose contents are entirely different from the American version). 50,000 copies of an issue containing an 8-page spread highlighting Lost Valley hit the newsstands of the French-speaking world on December 1.We have also started to schedule our offerings for the coming year. As of press time, we had still to set specific dates for many of our workshops, but here's an overview of some of what we are planning for 2004 (see our website for up-to-date info.) :
Sustainability Courses and Workshops at Lost Valley:
(all dates subject to change; please contact us for full details)
* limited scholarships available
Permaculture and Sustainable Community Design Course Apprenticeship
mid-June to mid-August
This dynamic two month residential course will provide a holistic introduction to creating sustainable communities. A certified Permaculture design course, this program also includes Ecovillage design, natural building, appropriate technology, deep ecology, interpersonal communication, and community organization. Living at Lost Valley will provide apprentices with hands-on experience of community living, connecting theory and practice. This program is ideal for people of all ages, backgrounds, and experience levels who would like to learn to create communities that care for the Earth and people. College credit may be available; please contact us for details.There will be three main subject areas of the course: "Land and Garden" will include Permaculture design certificate training, organic gardening, and eco-forestry. "Built Environment" will include eco-building, energy efficiency, renewable energy, appropriate technology, and Ecovillage design and planning. "The Human Element" will include deep ecology, personal growth work, nonviolent communication, and community organization.
In addition to this core, instructors will help apprentices to develop individual projects. A wide range of guest instructors and field trips will add to the holistic exploration of sustainable community. Workshops with visiting instructors, as well as Lost Valley's popular personal growth workshop, Naka-Ima, will be available to apprentices at little or no extra cost.
Cost: Sliding scale, not yet determined* (see website or contact us for details).
"You can!" Energy- and Water- Self-Reliant Homes
3/13-14, 5/22-23
Ready to power your home with renewables? Have you minimized the demand yet? A unique opportunity to gain and practice the hands-on skills needed to implement a variety of energy/water efficiency measures (e.g., caulking, installing low-flow showerheads, insulating). Also, learn how to prioritize energy and water conservation in your home. Two fun-filled days that will enable you to significantly cut your energy and water bills and environmental impacts. Fee: $185.*Papercrete: A Sustainable Construction and Sculpting Material
6/25-27, 9/10-12
The art of building well-insulated, durable homes with recycled paper. We are again offering workshops on Papercrete, introducing various application-specific material combinations (for blocks, plaster, mortar), as well as the Papercrete-making procedure, and how to build a mixer/blender for yourself. The workshop offers a great hands-on experience for people of all skill levels. Fee: $250.*Reduce Your Urban Environmental Footprint
2/28-29, 9/25-26
Want to save money and the planet at the same time? Let whole-systems thinking guide you toward minimizing your lifestyle's environmental footprint on a shoestring budget, in areas such as your home, appliances, shopping, eating, and transportation. Through a lively combination of interactive workshops and hands-on practice, learn how to prioritize your efforts, and also gain some essential practical skills necessary to take big steps in improving your environmental record. Fee: $185.*"You can!" Sustainable Mobility For Everyone
4/10, 6/19
A unique opportunity to gain/refresh the hands-on skills for minimizing your vehicle's fuel consumption. We will discuss the environmental impacts of various transportation modes, and acquire and practice the skills necessary to cost-effectively reduce those impacts in our own vehicles. Also, we will learn about fuel-efficient driving, appropriate rain gear for bike commuting, making bio-diesel, and will check out a Hybrid car. Fee: $110.*Naka-Ima Programs at Lost Valley:
Naka-Ima 1: The Basics
Living in the Present
1/23-26, 2/13-16; additional dates to be announced
Naka-Ima is a Japanese expression that means "here-now," or "inside the present moment." The essence of Naka-Ima is the practice of being present with your whole self: your thoughts, your emotions, your body, and, beyond that, the part of you that is connected to everyone and everything, and from which your dreams and visions spring. When you are present with yourself, you can be present with others and with the situations and circumstances in your life.During the Naka-Ima weekend, between 50 and 60 people come together in supportive, loving community, and through a blend of structured exercises and individual and group interactions, explore how to be fully and authentically ourselves: alive, in the moment, and deeply connected with others.
Naka-Ima 1 starts Friday evening at 7 pm and ends Monday no later than 4 pm. The course is now being offered by donation, with no minimum or maximum donation required. Please contact us for more details and to register.
Naka-Ima 2: The Practice
A Course in Creating Intimacy and Community through the Practice of Honesty
dates TBA
The Practice is an opportunity to develop your skills in showing yourself and seeing others authentically, and creating alignment with others for mutual empowerment and fulfillment. We understand that Naka-Ima 1 can be like a whirlwind of emotions, insights, and connections, and that it can be challenging to integrate these into day-to-day life. In The Practice, our intention is to give you a deeper experience and understanding of these tools and concepts so they are more easily integrated and readily accessible in your life.The Practice starts on Thursday at 5 pm and ends with lunch on Monday.
A $175 deposit/fee covers lodging and all meals, with the opportunity for additional donation. Please contact us for further details and to register. (Prerequisite: Naka-Ima 1.)
We also offer the following Naka-Ima-associated programs; please contact us for further details:
Artgasm!
A Tribal Celebration of Cultural Creativity
dates TBA
Artgasm is a creative adventure in which we will engage with our bodies, minds, hearts, and souls through theater, movement, music, ritual, writing, and visual and three-dimensional art.The Spirit of Relationship
Sexuality, Sensuality, and Intimacy
dates TBA
In the Spirit of Relationship we come together as men and women, as spiritual beings, as individuals with needs and desires, to focus on love, intimacy, sensuality, attraction and how it manifests in our relationships with our partners, friends, and selves.Naka-Ima Baja Adventure!
1/8-19
Please call for info. if interested!Other Community Programs:
Please contact us for full details and to register
Sunday Tours & Visitor Days
dates TBA
We offer free Sunday afternoon tours, from 2 pm to 4 pm, approximately once a month. We also host monthly Visitor Days, starting at 2 pm on selected Thursday afternoons and lasting through lunchtime on Friday-an opportunity to spend the night and join us for a tour, a community work party, and three meals.Community Experience Week
2/17-22, other dates TBA
For those who want to stay more than a day, this week provides a vivid experience in intentional community living as well as specific information about Lost Valley. It is a first step for those who want to live here, and is also available to anyone who seeks to learn more about living in community.Staff Internships and Volunteer Opportunities
Throughout 2004 we will have positions available for staff interns and/or volunteers in at least some of the following areas: Sustainable Building and Maintenance, Permaculture and Land Stewardship, Vegetarian Cooking and Kitchen Coordination, Organic Gardening, Service and Sacred Space, Grant Writing, Office Assistance, and Organizational Development. Please contact us for details, specifying your areas of interest.
©2003 Talking Leaves
Fall/Winter 2003/2004
Volume 13, Numbers 3 & 4
Voices of the Earth: People in Harmony