Spring Internship | April 28 - June 1
Sustainable Ecological Systems
-SESSION COMPLETE-
Each individual is connected to the workings of a larger community for their sustenance-food, water, shelter, medicine, energy, technology, economy, social interaction, etc. The complexity and energetic costs of these connections varies widely throughout the world, and here in North America the systems are perhaps the most complex and costly.
In the Sustainable Ecololigical Systems Internship, we will be examining the structure of mainstream systems, while learning about the alternative models demonstrated here at Aprovecho and at other innovative sites in the region. Each week, we will exlore the different elements that support us, both here at Aprovecho and in wider contexts. We will look at these elements at the global, national, regional, municipal, and home scales.
For example, one week will be focused on waste systems, with hands-on learning about our Humanure and food composting systems, field trips to our municipal sewage treatment and waste disposal plants, and seminars discussing the larger-scale alternatives in practice. Other weeks will focus on Food, Water, Energy, Shelter, and Urban systems. In this way, interns will learn to assess the true energetic costs associated with the life-support systems adopted by our society.
Interns will learn to become effective activists in their home bioregions, as the knowledge of these systems and their alternatives is replicable and valuable throughout the world. The internship culminates with a visit to the Village Building Convergence in Portland, OR, a weeklong event celebrating the growth of sustainability in urban settings. The schedule can be found at www.cityrepair.org. Join us here at Aprovecho as we undertake this valuable research into our personal and community sustainability.
Cost: $1,600 - $2,600 (sliding scale). Includes instruction, housing, food, and class materials. 
Click here to enroll online or by post.
Suggested Readings
Living the Good Life by Helen and Scott Nearing
Omnivores Dilemma by Michael Pollan
“What is Social Ecology” by Murray Bookchin http://www.social-ecology.org/staticpages/index.php?page=library
Class Descriptions
Nutrition and Whole Foods Cooking – In this seminar we will learn the basics of creating a nutritious and delicious diet while living at Aprovecho. We will also put food and diet choices into a historical and political context by looking at the privilege inherent in certain food choices and how our personal politics may affect our dietary choices. We will also learn some simple cooking techniques, which will incorporate seasonally available produce.
Conceptual Tools for the Ecological Predicament
Ecological Footprint – Look into the methodology of taking an ecological footprint. Discuss the limits and benefits of such an approach.
Ecological Revolutions – Look into the concept of ecological revolutions as described by Carolyn Merchant to help understand our place in history.
Social Ecology – Look into the discipline of social ecology and developed by Murray Bookchin and others.
Introduction to Permaculture – This seminar will provide course participants with a context through which to understand the concepts presented throughout the internship. Permaculture is, in its essence, a design system which seeks to meet the needs and utilize the outputs of each element of a given system, be it human, tree, chicken, house, economy, etc. Using Permaculture concepts as a framework provides useful strategies to understand individual elements and the systems that support them, as well as to think about potential solutions that make better use of their energetic requirements.
Watershed and Land Hike – Hike the land, hike the watershed. Learn to read the clues left in nature for to understand its history.
Food Distribution – In this seminar we will take an in-depth look at the intricate web of the American food distribution system by conceptualizing the existing network of food transport and examining the embedded energy in this portion of our food system. We will then go on to discuss alternative approaches to food distribution and supply including but not limited to Community Supported Agriculture, urban gardens, renewable energy in transportation, and food cooperatives.
Chop wood, carry water, count calories – This seminar will introduce the complex world of human work based energy audits. How many calories do you have to eat in order to do the work that in turn provides energy for you to do work? How much land is necessary per person to meet dietary and household requirements? From how far can we reasonably ship/trade items? Are combustion engines more efficient than a human work team? We will be taking an in-depth look at the caloric requirements for human scale technologies to provide for a meaningful life. By comparing the energetic costs of shipping our sustenance to the site with the energy required to produce most of what we consume, we will be coming closer to a picture of what a truly sustainable system may look like.
Water Resources – Water, the element that makes all life possible. Did you know that fresh drinkable water only represents 3% of the total water on the planet? This resource is fast becoming one of the focal points of politics and policy from home use to global water corporations. This seminar will look at some of the issues facing our water resources, the ways that water is distributed, and models for more efficient use, reuse, storage, and sequestration.
Wild Edibles and Food Foraging - Learn to identify, harvest, prepare and locate an abundance of wild foods in both urban and woodland settings. We will explore the woods and garden of Aprovecho searching out edible leaves, roots and berries learning some simple botany terms and plant identification skills. We will also focus on seasonality and how to incorporate wild foods in our diet throughout the year as well as the indigenous use of some of our native edibles.
Comparative Fuel Assessment – In this class we will focus on analyzing the footprint of the various fuels we have at our disposal. Discussion of the footprint process will be had as well as other manners of assessing our options.
Meeting your energy needs I & II – Following from the analysis had in "comparative assessment of fuels”, this class will look at the technologies that Aprovecho has worked with over the years. These technologies will be taught and evaluated by the class. Applications for both resource-deprived and resource-inundated parts of the world will be discussed.
Eco-Forestry and Carbon Sequestration – Atmospheric carbon levels have increased rapidly in the past 100 years. As a global society, we have yet to fully understand the ultimate result of this increase. One thing we do know, however, is that plants take in CO2 as part of the process of photosynthesis, and long-lived perennial plants (trees) actually sequester atmospheric carbon and store it for as long as they live. This seminar will explore the process of carbon sequestration in forests, and the benefits of reforestation and sustainable forestry to global climate change. Interns will also have the opportunity to spend the day in Aprovecho’s sustainably managed forests and learn about how we can meet our needs for timber while continuing to allow forests to grow and maintain their ecosystem services.
Trash and Recycling Distribution Systems – Where does it all go? Is recycling truly an energy and resource saving process? This seminar will attempt to answer these questions and more, as we delve into the often hidden side of our waste disposal. We will also discuss innovative techniques to lessen the energetic costs of our “disposable society.”
Greywater and Rainwater – Most fresh water used in households in North America comes from underground or surface sources. Although all of this water falls at rain at some point, very few people actually collect it at the point of use. Also, most water is only used once in any given household, to brush teeth, flush a toilet, wash clothes. Often, this water is laden with nutrients and can be valuable if used appropriately in the landscape. This seminar will explore the principles and legalities of using rainwater catchment and greywater systems, so that interns can learn about the wiser use of our most precious resource: water.
Sewage, septic, humanure, blackwater -- Describes human wastes as incredible resources for nutrients in garden, forest, and agricultural systems. It is only when they become concentrated that they become potential pollutants. This seminar will discuss the ways that our liquid and soild wastes can be safely and effectively used to enhance our ecology, from our homes to our cities.
Compost! -- The materials generated from kitchens are full of nutrients and the requisite materials for decomposition. If composted correctly, they can serve as rich sources of fertility for home garden and other agricultural operations. This seminar will explore the different methods of composting, aerobic, hot, worm, windrow, in vessel systems, and more. Participants will gain an understanding of which scale of composting is most appropriate for households, communities, and municipalities, and will look at strategies being developed to reduce the waste stream moldering in dumps, and increase the fertility of our agricultural soils.
Bicycle Culture – We will take a critical look at what it will take to switch from a culture designed around the automobile to a bike culture. This will help you become familiar with bicycle touring, bicycle mechanics and bicycle hauling devices, including the ability to build you own bicycle buckets.
Field Trips
- Cottage Grove and talk with Hal Hartzell
- CG Water Sources and Draft Horse-powered farm
- Microhydro and Emerald People’s Utility District
- Tour: Landfill, Recycling Center, and Sewage Treatment Plant
The Village Building Convergence
The time that we spend at the VBC in Portland, Oregon will be spent involving ourselves with their projects, sharing what we learn with each other, and exploring the pathways towards an ecological society as we synthesize our internship experience in its last week. They have hands-on sustainable projects during the day and nightly forums. Aprovecho will man a booth during the nightly gatherings. We will provide housing (camping), one meal per day, and the entrance fee. You will be expected to cover any additional costs—though they promise to be minimal.
What is the VBC?
The Village Building Convergence 2007 (VBC7) is a 10-day event from May 18th – 27th, 2007 in which neighborhoods activate to build shared public places that they have envisioned, designed, funded, and will maintain for themselves. Projects are created as a way for neighborhoods to craft physical places that express their local relationships, culture, and facilitate gathering and communication. All projects are built through collaboration, community conversations and commitment of a neighborhood to strengthen itself. Projects are founded on developing strong local relationships, social capital and equity, placemaking and ecological design, and supporting our local economy.
VBC is powered through an all-volunteer effort and established by partnerships between neighborhoods and local schools, government agencies, businesses, organizations and individuals. Projects are funded through grants, in-kind and monetary donations and creative neighborhood fund raising efforts.
VBC7’s theme is 7 Generations Beyond: A 200 Year Story of Portland. Let us be reminded of the impact that we will have on generations to come and the impact past generations have had one us today. As always, VBC seeks to develop long-term partnerships and expose the links between our Village Centers. Through effective communication, feedback, creative resourcefulness, education and hands-on learning, we will continue to envision a city that is built on all our previous hard work. We also encourage existing VBC sites to continue developing their community with new cycles of activity. This could include community gardens, non-monetary barter systems and, skills sharing.
Read More on their website: http://www.cityrepair.org/wiki.php/projects/vbc7
Cost: $1,600 - $2,600 (sliding scale). Includes instruction, housing, food, and class materials. Click here to enroll online or by post.
