Fun Backyard Abundance events next week
Fred Meyer
Greetings!
I invite you to attend fun Earth-healing and nature-connecting events on March 12-14 (next week).
Through Backyard Abundance, I have invited to Iowa City nationally renowned author and ecological designer, Dave Jacke, for a presentation and workshop that will show you how to deepen your connection with nature and directly increase the resiliency of our community.
As you know, living in harmony with Earth can be extremely difficult in this industrialized infrastructure. Mr. Jacke is an expert at creating sustainable, resilient landscapes and communities that model the natural world. The events will help you understand how to realistically transform our community by learning the ecological principles upon which nature is built.
I truly believe this is a unique and fantastic opportunity. My personal experiences with Mr. Jacke and his writings have greatly amplified my ability to more fully live in harmony with nature. Where else in Iowa can an experience like this be found?
THE EVENTS
Evening Presentation: Regenerating Communities, Ecosystems and Landscapes by Design
Friday, March 12
6:30 pm – 8:30 pm (doors open at 5:30 pm)
University of Iowa Pomerantz Center, 21 E. Market Street, Iowa City
$10 per person. Free to University of Iowa Students.
Pay at the door, register online or send payment to Backyard Abundance, 637 Scott Park Drive, Iowa City, 52245.
The keynote presentation will be given by Dave Jacke, award winning author of Edible Forest Gardens.
Healthy ecosystems can serve as models for garden and culture design. This presentation introduces the forest gardening vision and presents living examples of gardens as well as a sampling of perennial edibles you can grow. It shows how the underlying ecology of forest ecosystems can teach us ways to organize our own communities and cities to meet the challenges of the future right here, right now.
The evening will end with a panel discussion about bringing sustainability to our community. Panelists include Liz Christiansen, University of Iowa Sustainability Coordinator, Jason Grimm, Iowa Valley RC&D Food Systems Planner, Dave Jacke, author and ecological designer, and Brenda Nations, Iowa City Environmental Coordinator.
Weekend Workshop: Principles and Practices of Regenerative Design
Saturday-Sunday, March 13-14
9:00 am – 5:00 pm (doors open for check-in at 8:00 am)
University of Iowa Pomerantz Center, 21 E. Market Street, Iowa City
$125 for the weekend. $110 for students. Food and snacks included.
Pre-registration required. Register online or send payment to Backyard Abundance, 637 Scott Park Drive, Iowa City, 52245.
This weekend workshop will be led by Dave Jacke and a dozen ecological designers.
Evidence of planet-wide damage caused by humans abounds: polluted rivers and waterways, toxins in our soil and food, climate change, loss of biodiversity, peak oil and more. We stand on the verge of threatening our own survival, as well as that of other species. We cannot maintain our economy if we deplete the natural resources that support our jobs and businesses. People are asking, “What kind of future are we creating for our children and grandchildren? As caring residents, what can we do?”
This experiential and fun workshop will give you the solid base of a holistic, ecological worldview, while simultaneously offering practical solutions that demonstrate how we can create a sustainable, abundant community. Ecological principles form the foundation of this way of seeing, and offer concrete directions for finding solutions to multiple problems with maximum effect for least effort. These principles apply at all scales, from your garden bed, to your neighborhood, to cities, to whole regions, and in every realm of human endeavor.
For a small additional cost, childcare is provided by Taproot Nature Experience so both you and your children can connect with nature.
We have made every effort to anticipate and accommodate people’s budget, needs and busy schedules. If you do not plan to attend, I sincerely welcome your candid feedback on what would make these and future events more attractive.
More information: http://www.backyardabundance.org/ClassesandEvents/SeedsofSustainability.aspx#jacke
Have a happy spring!
Fred Meyer
Backyard Abundance Director
http://www.BackyardAbundance.org