Earth Skills Workshops

CANNING AND PRESERVING

HALF-DAY WORKSHOP

Whether from the garden or the farmer's market, you can preserve the flavors of spring, summer, and fall all year long. There are so many reasons to start preserving:

• Economical, gourmet gifts (so much love in every jar!)
• Creative recipes you'll never find in stores
• Knowing exactly what is in your food and connecting with where it came from
• Food security! Having a full pantry of preserves adds a whole new level to the term 'comfort food'

This 4-hour hands-on workshop includes a variety of seasonal produce, jars and lids, canning/preserving equipment, and a take-home instruction booklet with our favorite recipes. You’ll also take home what you make!

Depending on what’s available, our classes may include:

• Blanching and freezing greens
• Preserving seasonal fruit and vegetables in jellies, jams and sauces
• Pickling cucumbers, beets, beans, zucchini, carrots
• Fermented foods (sauerkraut and kimchi!)

SEASONAL HERB WALKS:

CONNECT, COMMUNICATE, AND COMMUNE WITH WILD PLANTS

HALF TO FULL-DAY WORKSHOP, DEPENDING ON LOCATION

Learn where to find and how to identify local edible and medicinal herbs in our seasonal herb walks. Yes, you can find useful wild herbs in every season, even in snow (though you might have to dig a little sometimes!). In these guided herb walks, you’ll join a group of like-minded native herb enthusiasts as you learn to communicate and connect with the plant world and respectfully, sustainably wildcraft.

WEAVING WITH INTENTION

HALF TO FULL DAY WORKSHOP, DEPENDING ON CRAFT

We learned to weave using natural, native materials from Indigenous Californians who work with the spirit of the plant and the energy they bring to the weaving, so they can infuse that energy into the object they make.

We take you through the energetic exchange involved when harvesting and using cattail, tule reeds, willow and dogbane, and teach you the botanical techniques to harvest sustainably, in a way that helps the plants regenerate.

Then we choose a project to craft together, mindful of the energy we bring to the making process.

Possible crafts include baskets, hats, mats and fish baskets.

SPIRITS OF THE LAND

HALF-DAY WORKSHOP

In these half-day field trips around the Colorado Front Range and Rocky Mountains, you will develop your connection with the land and your ability to commune with the spirits there. This practice teaches you to see yourself in the way nature sees you, shifting your perspective on who you are in relationship with the Earth.

Our human ego tends to center our experience; we get absorbed in stress, overwhelm, drama, and daily to-do lists. Those shrink into perspective when we see ourselves as part of this much larger whole.

The intention of the workshop is to give you a foundation to take on the role of steward in a reciprocal and regenerative relationship with the land, where the focus isn’t only on what you get, but what you give back.

GREYWATER IRRIGATION

HALF TO FULL-DAY WORKSHOP, DEPENDING ON LOCATION

LAUNDRY-TO-LANDSCAPE

Save money and conserve water while creating a lush yard and garden when you irrigate with washing machine water!

This comprehensive workshop is for homeowners, professional ecological landscapers and installers who want to learn the entire process, including:

• Applying for a permit
• Drafting a plan with materials and costs
• Necessary tools list
• Calculating estimated flows and absorption rates
• Setting up a greywater system
• Site analysis and design factors
• Appropriate plants
• The possibilities and limitations for laundry-to-landscape irrigation

Then we will have a hands-on installation day where we actually put a greywater system in a volunteer’s house, and you’ll learn all the tricks of the trade that only come from years of experience!

WHOLE-HOME TO GARDEN GREYWATER SYSTEMS

Build a system to reuse thousands of gallons of water from your home to create an economical and beautiful landscape, saving hundreds of dollars per year in the process.

This workshop is for homeowners, landscape professionals and permaculture designers who want an economical, water-conserving solution for landscape irrigation.

In this full-day (6-hour) hands-on workshop, we will cover: How to choose the right greywater system for your site, budget and landscape needs: Branched Drain (draining downhill), Pumped (moving water uphill), and

• Drip Irrigation Systems
• Ensuring your chosen greywater system meets your local plumbing and drainage codes, so you can get a permit
• Navigating the permit application process
• Drafting a plan for your site, including materials and costs
• Necessary tools list
• Calculating estimated flows and absorption rates
• Design factors for landscaping & appropriate plant selection
• Possibilities and limitations of each type of system