Stops Along the Way: Buffalo and Back Again

What Wood You Do?

2011-05-28T23:42:00.000-04:00

No, the Nickelodeon version of the 90's show hosted by Marc Sommer has nothing to do with the title of this blog post, nor does this blog post have anything to do with cream pies and the "Pie Pod." It does however, have everything to do with WOOD.

Since my return to Buffalo from Vermont I have been working on setting up a wood shop that is devoted to reclaimed lumber and incorporating reclaimed objects. In addition, it is my hope to someday be in a training position, hiring local kids and teaching them the ins and outs of woodworking. Woodworking is an incredibly personal experience; it teaches some patience, precision or quality standards and others it brings out an incredibly artistic side, bur regardless of what it means and what the individual takes from it, it means a job. Learning skills enough to sell work and make a living is priceless and I can only hope that there is enough demand to train several folks at a time...

Today was an especially exciting day at the woodshop...Michael was a champ and started installing the wooden floor (reclaimed T& G from a deconstructed barn) and a whole painting crew came in to start painting the wood shop mural!

More on the wood shop later, but for now...check out the cool mural (thanks Cayla/Marty!)

Muddy carhartts, straw in my hair

2011-01-08T21:09:00.007-05:00

There is something so wonderful about natural building...working with your hands, using non-toxic materials, and getting messy in the process! Today marks the halfway point of the Natural Design/Build class at Yestermorrow, and I am having the time of my life. There is too much information that I have written in my notes to post on here, so instead I am choosing to highlight some of my thoughts thus far:

In my travels across the country I have met many people in the natural building world, each with their own methods, each with their own level of experience, and each with their own definition of natural building. There are the extremists who compromise on nothing and incorporate no manufactured/industrial product, and there are the builders who are apt to use caulk or other methods of air sealing because they are more concerned with the overall performance of the building--both health and energy-wise. At the same time that there are these extremes, there are also things that most natural builders I have met have in common: they care deeply about what they do, they put a lot of thought into their work, and they are the artists of the building world.

Unfortunately, in comparison to the west it seems as though there are very few natural builders in the northeast. It comes as no surprise given the rough extremes of northeast winters and summers which make natural building such a challenge. That is perhaps the number one reason why I find the people doing natural building in extreme climactic places like Vermont so inspiring. They battle moisture infiltration, air infiltration, high humidity, a short building season...you name it, they work with it. They do not follow the tide of conventional building techniques, rather, they are the masters of rolling with the punches and following the tide toward healthier, happier living spaces.

Ace and Deva from New Frameworks are among the northeast builders, and coincidentally are the instructors for the Natural Design/Build class I am taking at YM. Couldn't have gotten better teachers...these guys know their stuff, are wonderfully patient, and display their intense curiosity and love for learning more about their field in everything they do. If I take nothing else from this class and from the instructors (which isn't possible since I have already learned SO much), it is that a large part of living a full life means finding what you are passionate about and pursuing what you love to do. I already knew that, but to see that same love for building and love for teaching that I have discovered in myself reflected in others really just reiterates and reconfirms that I need to continue to pursue it in some way, shape, or form.

As for the class...we are kickin' booty, putting up bales, carving shapes with chainsaws, mixin' mud, and gettin' it done! In my time here at Yestermorrow I have found this week to be by far the most intense, the most fulfilling, and the most productive. We've learned everything from basic bale sizing/reshaping to techniques for avoiding air infiltration to roof framing strategies for increased insulation. We've gone late into the night talking about moisture problems and thermal properties of buildings, and we've delved into drafting details for flashing, bale to roof connection, etc. Everyday is exhausting, but everyday I confirm that this is my calling. Natural building, building in general. Working with people to create a community that supports each other, working with people to provide healthy, rejuvenating, and inspiring places to live in...

The Art of Building (3 class set)

2010-12-07T12:44:00.000-05:00

Took classes a few weeks ago that I have yet to reflect on called math for building, structural design and codes/costs/contracts. Though the class wasn't the most exciting, I sure did learn...that I will always need to understand more about structures, load capacity, etc. and that the more I think I know about them, the more I will realize that no one truly knows how a structure will work...even the best of the best cannot predict what a structure will do 100% of the time.

Math for builders: There were some regular ol' public school teachers in the class, which totally allowed me to see the class in a different way. Instead of seeing it only as a tool that I can use, I was also able to see using building to inspire learning. Again and again I return to hands-on education. I am a visual and hands-on kind of learner, and the more I talk with people, the more I realize that that is the way that most people are. Listening to someone go "blah blah blah sine cosine tangent" at you for an hour is way less effective than having a school project where building the roof for a shed becomes a less in trig. All of the sudden BAM! the student that can't care less about trig is suddenly a whiz. She can do it because it is suddenly more relevant than finding the angles of a triangle drawn on a piece of paper. Things I found helpful and math-related: how to build risers for stairs and how to use a framing square (though not included in the class, it is something I think should be included in the math section)

Structural Design: Taking this class at Yestermorrow, you'd think there'd be some section of this course that relates to alternative and natural building. How do you calculate loads for strawbale buildings? What can a tire wall support? Despite that this was not the case, I still learned a lot about how buildings are built, how to figure out how much support is needed, etc. Going over my house as an example...I finally understand why it is not falling down when it seems like that is exactly what it should do given that there are major beams that have been entirely cut through. Yay for old style construction, old timbers, and old timers who overbuilt their structures! Interesting fact: Warren,VT has a higher snow load than Buffalo does.

Codes, Costs and Contracts: This is where I think I often run out of patience. The most critical steps in building are writing up a contract, giving estimates, and winning bids. It wasn't anything new, but the main message was to take time to do it right, but don't obsess over it. A bid is a bid...you'll win some, you'll lose some. Know how much time to spend on an estimate versus a full materials write up. Don't let potential customers take advantage of the work you do and your intellectual property. etc. etc. etc.

All in all, an okay class. Definitely helpful, and I think one which will become increasingly relevant as I leave Yestermorrow...

Something to brighten the day

2010-12-01T12:37:00.000-05:00

Here at Yester-campus there's a lot of cleaning to be done in between classes. So this week I have been vaccuming carpets, painting baseboards, etc. While cleaning the overhead lamps and dead spiders/bugs galore were raining down from above, I noticed this particular arrangement of the dead bugs in the lamp to the left. A smiley face! When life gives you lemons...

Cuckoo for coconut oil?

2010-11-01T22:46:00.004-04:00

Went to NYC this weekend and gave away some of my creations that I’ve made thus far…my cutting board and the very first spoons I’ve ever carved. In making these, I have become increasingly interested in how wooden objects are made, how woods vary, and how to maintain the wood in the proper manner. Who knew there was SO much to learn about wood? Though I knew it was the case, I am still surprised that there is life beyond a 2x4, ha!

Lately, I am into learning about different treatments for wood, especially for wood that will be used in eating, such as cutting boards and spoons. I have learned that once again, it is simply a matter of common sense; if I would not eat the oil, I should not put it on the wood I will be eating off of. Seems self-explanatory, no? Then again, susceptibility to rancidity must be taken into account. For example, I should not treat wood with olive oil since it is much more susceptible to rancidity than say walnut oil or almond oil. …but walnut oil is not extremely common, is it? I opted for coconut oil…I read it is a good way to treat wood due to its low rancidity…we’ll see how it works out. Secondly, something I did not even realize, which may be an extremely important topic to consider if giving wood gifts as a present, is allergies. If someone is allergic to walnuts, don’t treat the wood with walnut oil. Same with coconut. Makes sense, but if you are not allergic to any foods, it is not something that would immediately come to mind in choosing finishes.

So I am getting a good lesson in finishing wood, but what I really need to practice more is joinery…will hopefully practice and return with a post later in the week. The other thing I want to reflect on and discuss in a blog post is non-profit and for-profit structures, which has been a major discussion throughout my whole travels. I am wanting to evaluate the viability of something like Yestermorrow operating in a for-profit structure. I have much to say regarding this idea, and so perhaps there will have to be two posts this week! By the way, I will post much of the home repair stuff I am learning on the BuffaloBasics blogsite as well, just to continue to increase access to a wide variety of audiences...it will be the same post, but there may be additional information on upcoming workshops at my house in Buffalo. Taught by me, taught by Brendan and Pat, taught by Maura...a very loose free school structure!

Class 2: DIY Hot Water, the PAIN mound.

2010-11-01T22:25:00.009-04:00

Last weekend I took a class called DIY Hot Water Systems. The class was based on the idea of the Pain Mound, a concept championed by scientist Jean Pain, of France. A Pain mound, according to the instructor, uses the heat generated from the process of decomposition to heat water lines fed to your house, in turn decreasing the need for additional water heating appliances that consume fossil fuels.

How does it work? The simplest explanation is that water lines are buried within a tightly packed mound of decaying organic products, the water in them heats up as they travel through the mound, and they re-enter the house at a much higher initial temperature, thereby reducing costs for water heating.

Is it realistic? For Vermont, perhaps. A rural setting is preferred given that the space required for such a massive Pain mound would be the size of many city backyards. Also, in a rural setting there are no neighbors to complain about an unsightly mound whereas in the city, you can be sure to expect some inquiries from neighbors, not to mention inspectors.

Cost-benefit? At this point, the cost outweighs the benefit in my opinion. Though I have no evidence for it, it would seem that the cost of wood mulch, plumbing fixtures and piping and the labor involved in building the pile would be greater than the money saved on simply heating water using fossil fuels. If, however, the benefit of not being reliant on fossil fuels is more important than any costs associated with being off the grid, then perhaps it is worth it for you. For me? Not so much.

If you are interested in learning more about this concept, how it was built, the specifics of costs associated, the BTUs generated from the pile…I’d be more than happy to share documents…get in touch with me by leaving comments or by emailing me…

WfW, not WWF silly!

2010-10-17T01:24:00.004-04:00

I took my first class here at Yestermorrow this past week, and wouldn't ya know it was called Woodworking for Women (WfW)! A topic near and dear to my heart...women in "nontraditional work."

...hang on, who decides what is non-traditional anyways?? sheesh!

The instructor for the class was Lizabeth, a woman carpenter whose father was also a pediatrician! Funny coincidence! I spent the whole week making a shaker-style end table, learning about routers, mortisers, dado cuts, different kinds of finishes...it was a really good introduction to the woodshop, and now I feel totally at home creating furniture and other wood products.

Arrival at Yestermorrow

2010-10-08T20:31:00.002-04:00

I was home for a brief week and now I'm off again. To Vermont this time! The next 6 months of posting will be the documentation of the second half of my current journey: the yester(half)year.

Vermont is rural as rural can be. There is NO cell phone service, so I leave my phone in my bedroom, which caused me to spend the first 3 days searching for my cell to check the time. Even my phone's alarm clock fails to work out here. By the fifth day I have come to terms with it; I no longer have any sense of hours in the day and only judge times by my nose...I can smell meal times from the smells of the kitchen.

The Yesterfamily is an odd bunch. Only time will tell, but in the end I will most likely continue to conclude that I hope to never start a non-profit if I can avoid doing so. There are many inefficiencies that would simply not exist if this school were run as a for-profit business that remained socially responsible.

This posting will most likely become weekly at this point. By the time the day of chores and work is over, I'm too wiped to write a daily post. Coming up: what I'm learning and working on here at the Yesterplex.

Heidelberg Project

2010-09-27T21:30:00.002-04:00

I did not interview anyone from the Heidelberg Project, but I remembered speaking with the project's founder 2 years ago at the Great Lakes Building ReUse Conference in Buffalo and thought I should check it out. What a crazy/interesting place!

In the years of its existence, it has been a rather controversial project. Why? To some, Tyree Guyton's work is just prolonging the demise of the abandoned and unsafe buildings in their neighborhood. To others, it is a tragically beautiful depiction of the abandonment of Detroit. And to others still, it is an amazingly creative space and a spot of light in an otherwise destitute area. I myself am not certain how I feel about it.

The decorated buildings and sculptures made of old building materials at first look seem to suggest a different vision of the future--of what could be. Instead, I believe it is more an artist's depiction of the creative energy of people. Not an exact vision but more of a suggestion that even in the most forgotten and abandoned of places creative energy and hope still exists. I think that it is this powerful message that I connected most with while looking at the installations on Heidelberg Street. More than the artist's canvas and the political commentary behind the wild air vents snaking out of a ruined roof and the stuffed animals tacked on the side of a house, this message hits at the core of the current rebirth of Detroit. It is just one part of the message being sent through the Detroit: City of Hope (DCOH) campaign, but it is a strong one at that...yes Detroit has problems, yes many buildings are falling apart, but we can take back our neighborhoods, we can use our creative energy (which the Heidelberg Project has been instrumental in highlighting) and come up with realistic solutions that benefit US as a community.

Speaking of, DCOH is another entity on the list that I thought I should check in on. I contacted longtime organizer (and former autoworker)Rich Feldman to speak a little about this idea of a loose organization whose main goal is to connect businesses, nonprofits, people, etc. in order to create a network of caring Detroiters, excited to work with each other to achieve a better future for Detroit. DCOH and my visit with a pretty amazing lady will be in my next post.

For now my questions are: Why are artist communities seen to be an indicator of progress? Are they actually? Can you have artists move into an area without gentrifying it in the process? How do you get neighborhood artists invested in the area and community building rather than turning an area into a space that largely functions as an artists canvas with little to no community involvement? When is that ok and when do you need to integrate creation of art pieces and community?

Soup and Support

2010-09-25T01:44:00.000-04:00

I was supposed to be meeting my couchsurfing host Leeann at an event called Soup. If you're not familiar with couchsurfing...you should be. Anyway, I was invited to this event via facebook, and when I checked the event page I saw a link to another event during the day...Spruce up Spaulding. ...What is Spaulding?

This is Spaulding.

Glass bottles are broken in the planters, trash is sticking to overgrown weeds, and the building has been abused, set aflame, and subsequently forgotten. To many, Spaulding Court is an abandoned piece of junk. To the people working at Spruce Up Spaulding, the building is a treasure! You may not be able to see in the picture, but given the potential for future community interactions within this specially designed space, I tend to agree with the latter group. The building is essentially designed to smush people together, a design that I think can often be helpful in engaging people within a community since it forces increased levels of communication and tolerance for others. As I volunteered in cleaning up the planters and work on some plumbing, I pictured a future with food growing in the planters, implementation of smart retrofit techniques, etc. That's the beauty of Detroit nowadays...anything is possible. Learned how to use aquatherm, a material that surpasses pex in performance! Hoping it becomes more readily available in plumbing supply stores in the US...expands and therefore does not burst if/when water freezes in pipes, has straight runs like copper which are easier to install than the curved, bendable pex, melts together to form a tighter seal than pex, etc.

I went to Soup after volunteering at Spaulding Court, and loved the idea. Every Thursday this group gets together, makes soup, and charges $5 for dinner. The awesome part about it is that the money paid to get soup goes toward funding a community project. There are 2 people in attendance who have 3 minutes to pitch their idea and why they need start-up funding. The others in attendance vote on which group deserves to receive funding, and then the money is given to the winner! Sure, it's only a couple hundred dollars, but think of all the free publicity as well! Even if you don't win you still get the undivided attention of all the people in the room for 3 whole minutes, to speak about and sell your project.

Same Circle Syndrome

2010-09-25T01:24:00.000-04:00

I left Minneapolis early early morning (sorry I missed saying goodbye Andrew, you were a wonderful host!) in order to catch the ferry from Manitowoc to Ludington. It cost a pretty penny, but on the last leg of my journey…anything to keep from driving more, no? So I hopped aboard the S.S.Badger, cruising ever closer to the last stop on my 3-month road trip…DETROIT.

Detroit is everything I imagined only on an infinitely larger scale. In a way, the abandoned buildings served as a reminder of home—forgotten streets and forgotten neighborhoods fading into history—but there was a pervasive shift in the wind which was in no way similar to the some wind patterns in Buffalo these days. I’m speaking of the winds of change, of course. Perhaps that is an overly negative judgment of my hometown; there are plenty of amazing people and organizations within Buffalo, but there is less of a cohesive energy...? Less of view that the entire city is behind this shift in the wind?

The first people I visited with in Detroit were from two different training and conservation corps. Instead of speaking directly about their organizations, I want to mention something that came up in the conversation which has really gotten me to reexamine my own experiences in Buffalo and the role I want to play in the future. What we discussed was something I like to call "same circles syndrome." It's awfully easy and comfortable to find yourself surrounded by the same people who are working within the community building realm. We're all on similar committees, we hold events which we all attend in support of each other, and we see each other in both professional and informal settings. If we never wanted to, we could successfully avoid interacting with our actual communities at all! ...But how does that reflect the wants and needs of the community? How can we call a neighborhood or our work successful if we base success on numbers in attendance versus on who attends or how people are becoming engaged in the org and taking ownership of their own communities?

I noticed in Detroit this divide of sorts; one which I do not care to repeat. There is a major divide between one side--the "creative minds," the "community builders," the out-of-towners coming to try their ideas on a fresh canvas--and the other side--people who have been around forever, "the community." At many events I attended it was often a group of the former, the same circle people, mostly not reflective of the demographic in Detroit. And here I find it can be very much the same...is it unavoidable? I sure hope not. I have much more to say on this topic, especially concerning Detroit...how some people seem to get it and successfully avoid the same circle syndrome, while others are consumed by it...but I think this is enough to reflect on and think about now...

Grand Aspirations

2010-09-24T14:40:00.002-04:00

I spoke with Timothy, a leader of Grand Aspirations and Summer of Solutions, when I was in Minneapolis this past week. Grand Aspirations and Summer of Solutions seeks to capitalize on the energy of youth in order to develop and create green solutions for our uncertain future. I was interested in several things regarding this organization and the programs it runs/supports:

Big Ideas:
1. National versus local programming. Though my heart always shifts toward more localized solutions, I can see why there are national organizations. I was curious to see Timothy's opinion on this and the decision behind turning Grand Aspirations into a national org versus a Minneapolis-based organization. Timothy agreed that localization is always important, but that each local program need not create an entirely new curriculum or orientation/training for its leadership. Rather than each location around the country spending countless hours re-creating the wheel, the programs can focus more on their localized version of curriculum and local issues. It makes sense to have a larger org overseeing in this case, especially since different local chapters can network...though I still think a lot of attention has to be paid toward ensuring that the local chapter is in fact addressing local issues...

2. Educated, well-off participants versus at-risk, disadvantaged youth. This is something I personally struggle with. Being the former of the two I find myself torn. Sometimes creating programs for people who are well off are well intentioned...the idea that creative, educated minds can be a catalyst for change within a system rings loudly, but oftentimes exclusively. With programs only working with the first group it can become a very top-down approach which assumes that the disadvantaged have nothing to contribute to the conversation. On the other hand, working with only with the latter category may close off opportunities for new ideas to enter the space. By incorporating both I think there is more of a chance of diversity in knowledge, experience, etc. which could be more effective in producing realistic (rather than solely idealistic) solutions...

3. Training for job opportunities that don't exist (in the green jobs movement). This org focuses more on youth creating solutions rather than training them in any specific green job skills, which I think is an important aspect of this org. First we need to rethink how we approach problems and empower people to seek solutions. There needs to be a go-getter attitude, an entrepreneurial spirit which eventually, fingers crossed, creates the jobs through initiatives that are begun through programs like these...

Other things:
1. They have a cooperative model for investing in energy efficient upgrades. Called Cooperative Energy Futures, it started out of the Summer of Solutions, but it is essentially a revolving fund...all the returns from energy efficient upgrades goes to financing more upgrades within a community, making it affordable for a neighborhood to install otherwise expensive upgrades

2. Youth power! This can go two ways, actually. Yes, I think that supporting youth and giving them power in creating solutions is AMAZING. But are youth the only ones with the answers? Seems to me that other generations have answers as well. I'm not saying this organization should be intergenerational, because some orgs can simply support one age group, but I think this idea of intergenerational interactions is something that is very important to me in thinking about healing/creating/strengthening communities...and empowering members to be able to propose and realize solutions to issues that neighborhoods face...(be it crime, blight, climate change, whatever)

There is probably much more to say about this organization, but I need to continue on and type up other posts before I forget many of the conversations I had while in Detroit this past weekend (my stop after Minneapolis).

Throwback to Seattle

2010-09-24T10:30:00.002-04:00

I didn't have the picture to post at the time, but while I was in Seattle I met up with my longtime friend and teacher, Ken! Of course we can never rest and just hang out when we get together, so within minutes of my arrival...I was moving boxes and furniture onto a huge semi. Ha, typical!

Experimental College of the Twin Cities

2010-09-22T13:55:00.000-04:00

A common question on my road trip has been, "what is your background?" because people are often curious about how I became interested in community and sustainable building. I tell them, "I majored in environmental policy, though upon graduating I don't think I had a clue what it really meant..."

It seems that this is true for many people attending university; students become frustrated that what they are learning is in no way preparing them for the "real world," and develop a general jadedness toward official educational institutions. This jadedness is a main reason for forming an alternative skills building school. I was interested in interviewing a member of the Experimental College of the Twin Cities (EXCO) to understand their motivations and their processes for setting up this free school. There are two things in particular that I liked about EXCO...

1. Non hierarchical structures...like City Repair, there is no one leader in EXCO. This means there is more potential for more classes to be taught within a term, more of a pool of people to take classes, etc. I think this structure can often lead into trouble in getting time commitments from members, but if done well has an amazing ability to mobilize and motivate all members to claim collective ownership of the thing which they have created. Also to be lauded is their efforts in holding spanish-speaking only classes...I'm interested I think in a bit more history regarding that chapter of EXCO (named academia communitaria) and how they increase local participation

2. Their website is well done. In researching many organizations across the country I have come to rely almost solely on websites as my primary source for information. EXCO makes it super easy to sign up for classes online...no hassle, and its free! Question though...what about the people with little to no access to computers?

If I were to move, Minneapolis might be the place...

2010-09-21T11:48:00.003-04:00

Minneapolis-St.Paul...what a hidden gem! Perhaps it was the company I found myself in, but the two cities seemed extremely bikeable...? (HOORRRAAAYYYY) There is a greenway that runs through a large section of Minneapolis which people use to commute on their bicycles to work! Took a bike ride while there, on one of the last warm days of summer/fall before the cold sets in and it was a beautiful ride. On a tandem no less!

While I was in the Twin Cities I checked out Paint the Pavement, Grand Aspirations, Experimental College of the Twin Cities, and talked to some pretty awesome and inspiring people. The people I stayed with--Andrew, Rija, Hanah, Claire, Terence, Ryan (did I forget anyone??)--were incredible. Super welcoming, but more than that, they had/have enormous creative and positive energy which no doubt translates into creative and positive change in all that they do!

I mentioned Paint the Pavement in an earlier post, skeptical of the motivations for adopting intersection painting as a solution for building the St. Paul community. I'm not sure if I've resolved this issue, but it leaves a better taste in my mouth now understanding the whole story: the story is that a community member turned leader took this idea from CityRepair and ran with it, so for all intents and purposes it was a decision made internally, by the community/for the community, thus making it a more legitimate project to be adopted into this St. Paul neighborhood. I actually found that Paint the Pavement itself was not the important/interesting part of the organization; the program (LISN) that resulted in the creation of the project has drawn my attention far more as a creative solution to the lack of internal innovation of a community.

LISN, or Leadership in Support of Neighborhood, is a program that is no longer in existence, but no longer in existence because it was so successful! My basic understanding was that the program accepted interested individuals within the Hamline neighborhood, and working with Hamline University and the neighborhood group, they were trained in how to become community leaders and how to pursue ideas and create projects/businesses from them. It was a business incubator in a way, only it produced innovation on many different levels (non-profits, grassroots initiatives, businesses, etc), which resulted in an increasingly engaged and active community! Eventually the program shut down because there were too many successful projects, and there were no longer enough community members feeling as though they could not become involved in leadership/community decision making. I LOVE the idea of this...empowering community members, training them in personal & business skills, giving a stipend to complete a project...and seeing magic happen! No doubt with many ups and downs...but I definitely think there is something in this idea. Will have to speak further with the woman who ran the trainings...

Don't have time to post on the other 2 organizations I visited right now, but will post more later...

South Dakota is FOREVER.

2010-09-20T11:38:00.005-04:00

Drove through Montana and Wyoming before stopping overnight in Rapid City, SD. I saw Mount Rushmore lit up at night (sorry no picture, my camera broke). In the morning I drove through the Badlands. After that, there is just plains as far as the eye can see in South Dakota. Expect to drive 8+ hours before seeing anything higher than a few dozen feet above the ground. It's a little toned down in comparison to Texas, but South Dakota definitely has its fair share of kitchy roadside attractions...

1. Wall Drug (Wall, SD). World famous, mostly because it has signs all over the world. Here's an example of one in Amsterdam.
2. Corn Palace (Mitchell, SD). It's exactly what it sounds like...a building made of corn. Well, the building itself is not made of corn, but the facade is, and it changes every year. This year was celebrating the corn palace through the years...

It's not named Big Timber for nuthin'

2010-09-19T01:02:00.002-04:00

After leaving my friends Sean and Sarah in Portland, I set out for Big Timber, MT, a podunk town in the middle of a long stretch of the I-90. Why? To reconnect with my earthship friends!

The earthship crew was (is) building a large earthship on the outskirts of Big Timber, so for 3 days I got to hang out with these awesome folks. This time I learned a lot more about the roofing...how to cover the vegas, add insulation, etc. The first two days were gorgeous and it was a definite treat to work in the sun. The third day however, it was 37 degrees in the morning and windy/rainy. UGH. The weather was terrible, but all the crew on the roof suffered together so the general attitude was pretty positive. Our reward? A mostly finished roof, a doughnut/hot chocolate break, and Monte and Doug (the owners) treating us to Chico Hot Springs at night! I still think earthships use too many materials with high embodied energy (still a lot of cement, and the insulation was polyisocyanurate...if you can't pronounce it, it probably means there is a lengthy production process...). In terms of materials used for the roof...the amount doesn't differ from other buildings, and I think for the most part it is very necessary to use so much material...especially insulation. Your roof is your everything. Nothing else matters if it it is going to be ruined by water infiltration.

I had tons of fun, and it was super hard to leave, but the show must go on, so I'm headed out through South Dakota to Minneapolis...

Placemaking

2010-09-19T00:58:00.005-04:00

The more I read about community building, the more I become confused as to which direction I want to go in. What part of community building should be a 501c3 organization? What part should be a business? What part should just be a low-key community effort with no legal structures involved? There are the day to day neighborly interactions, there are community events, there are services offered…there are so many things a community needs and there are so many things a community does!

In Portland I was fortunate enough to meet up with Michael Cook, a volunteer for CityRepair and we talked a little about how and why City Repair was founded, how it works now, and some of the success and failures of their relatively non hierarchical organizational structure. This organization is an example of a 501c3 org that may do just as well without that registered legal status…

City Repair was founded by Mark Lakeman and focuses a lot around the idea of placemaking, “the creative reclamation of public space.” IT is an interesting story to follow--how the organization was started, how it flourished, and what it is doing today--but what I want to post on are several other things that came up in my discussion with Michael.

1. Non hierarchical structures. Thanks to Barnard EcoReps, I have had plenty of experience with nonhierarchical structures. Cons: No one has complete ownership, so often things just simply do not get done. A person suggests a good idea, but if they do not pursue it, the rest of the group usually will not make it a point to follow up. Pros? Everyone feels empowered. If they suggest an idea and it is accepted by the group, they can run away with it! So long as there are willing workers, anything is possible. There is more potential for endless numbers of projects to be completed all at the same time…if there is no hierarchy, there need not be a person on the top level who has to balance all of the projects, funds, etc. Finance your own project, run your own project, and the others will help (if you bug them enough).

2. Doing what works for YOUR community. While a van that offers free tea to neighbors and painting intersections may be what’s needed in Portland, something else may work better in Buffalo. I am hopefully talking with an organization called Paint the Pavement in Minneapolis…they took the idea of intersection painting and ran away with it! I’m not sure if they ever thought of this idea of doing what makes sense for your community…we shall see, but it seems that they were totally excited about intersection painting and simply decided that would be best instead of brainstorming their own solutions for placemaking within their own community. Perhaps this is a harsh judgment? Anyway, this has gotten me thinking a lot about…what is good for Buffalo? Is there a need for expanded artistic expression, a need for basic amenities, do we focus on bettering ourselves and self actualization of individuals or do we focus first on building a supportive community which then hopefully leads to supporting people in their ideas and self sufficiency?

3. Defacing of placemaking sites. I’ve learned in visiting with ArtStormLA and seeing murals in SF that graffiti isn’t necessarily as bad a thing as many people think; in fact, graffiti can be beautiful if properly directed! Michael mentioned that there has been graffiti and other shenanigans (stealing of mugs, tea, etc) at many of the City Repair sites. Isn’t graffiti a form of placemaking itself? An artistic expression perhaps of someone’s lot in life, or their involvement in one group or another, or their thoughts about a certain space? How do we work together, making both community member and graffiti artist happy? How do we come to an agreement on what is placemaking and what ruins the spirit of placemaking?

City Repair has been super successful, but I can see where at times it might be hard to lead something so informal and ambiguous. What exactly does City Repair do? A little bit of everything it seems, which in my opinion both works and does not work. It’s the same with the whole sustainability issue…there are SO many issues within it to tackle, but do you tackle them all at once or just focus on one? Do you have a broad scope which seeks to inspire further action and involvement of the community members and cannot hope to really address all problems, or do you have a smaller scope and make leaps and bounds in one particular area?

I have much more thinking to do on the idea of placemaking and what City Repair has tried, but I think I’ll save it for when I’m in Vermont. I’m traveling through cities and states too fast now to process everything…

Sister Sister

2010-09-19T00:43:00.005-04:00

Went to a Sisters in the Building Trades meeting just outside of Seattle this past Friday, and I was blown away by the energy and enthusiasm I saw there. Having only just become involved in the building trades a year and a half ago…I felt like this meeting was a place I finally belonged! Not because I am interested in becoming a union worker necessarily. I would say that my interest in sustainable building practices and the building trades in general are more in using it as a vehicle for addressing many issues facing my community. Regardless, I will be working right alongside the female union carpenters, welders, plumbers, etc. And gladly!

In my many meetings with community organizations and sustainable businesses, I have rarely been as moved as I was at this meeting. Each woman in the room seemed to be glowing with an inner strength, a knowledge that they had proven themselves and were working alongside men, despite some people’s efforts to discourage them. Strong, badass women shouting, “welcome to the workforce of the 21st century; we’re women and we’re here to stay!”

Now, wasn’t that what they said in the 20th century? Yes, and it needs to be repeated until it is accepted as fact. Sisters in the Building Trades is trying to promote that message through several routes:
1. Working in the trades themselves. When there are not a lot of women around the jobsite, it is easy to make jokes and play on stereotypes of women. There is an assumption that they are bitchy, hard to work with, too weak, etc.
2. Being mentors for incoming sisters. I've only had men as mentors and teachers, but I can only imagine how supporting this would be. Someone to commiserate with, to ask questions regarding pregnancy policy, etc. Not to mention getting tips on how to make tasks which require brute strength easier, how to make up for height discrepancies, etc. Basically a sister to guide you through turning a "male job" into a job in which both genders can be equally successful!
3. Providing co-ed trainings in which men walk out with a more positive attitude toward women than they did coming in. A bonus effect of having the sisters do trainings...because women are teaching, the thought of capable women in the workplace is automatically more in the forefront during trainings.

Of course, like any organization, they have problems with funding, volunteerism, lack of ownership of projects by members...but they work in spite of all of it. Upon leaving this meeting, I felt like the tension of being accepted into a male-dominated profession didn’t matter as much; I felt like I had been accepted into a sisterhood of builders who had already accepted me. This makes me want to realize the same for other girls…especially some women in my neighborhood who have been taught that the incredible power of their own bodies and spirits does not exist...

Ancient Giants

2010-09-13T11:21:00.009-04:00

After I left San Francisco, I visited my friend Erin in Petaluma for a nice lunch, and then off to the Redwoods! Got there mid day and was so entranced that I simply had to stay and explore. The fog settled in the forest throughout the night, giving it a mystical, magical feeling as I walked through the silent, ancient giants in the early morning. Of course I am terrified of getting mauled by a bear, so imagine this serene place being disturbed by a crazy chatting and whistling and singing girl...ha. It felt absurd...

Pictures of the journey:
1. The tunnel from SF towards Petaluma. Double rainbow...omg.2. The BIG TREE. Yes that's its name, and yes...it is in fact rather large.3. The marker at the top is when the redwood forest flooded back in the 60s. Wayyyyy above my car. Luckily, I've converted my car to a submarine (trust me, a great video to watch)!

San Francisco

2010-09-10T19:00:00.005-04:00

Surprisingly, I did not meet with anyone in the SF area. I drove up the coast with my brother on Saturday and spent Sun/Mon wandering with him and his friends in the many neighborhoods of San Francisco. And oh, are there neighborhoods in San Francisco! It amazed me that we could be walking in one neighborhood and have the local bars, shops, etc. and then continue into a different area of the city and find more local bars, shops, etc. There were no large gaps of only residential or only commercial buildings…I could walk anywhere and I’d still be in a mixed use area! Of course the parks were large expanses, but they were great places with a diversity of ballparks, fields, gardens, museums, etc. It’s weird though…there is not as much of a diversity of people as there is of residential, commercial and recreational facilities. Whereas in other cities I am more cognizant of being a woman wandering alone through unfamiliar streets, I felt as I could wander and not wander into much trouble. Naïve? Maybe, but I also think it is because SF has pushed out most of the diversity of classes…pushing out the lower and middle classes to live in Oakland or SF suburbs.

I picked the neighborhood I would live in if I moved to San Francisco…and no, I don’t expect to move to the west, but you never know. I would live in the mission district. Mostly because of the murals. There are murals everywhere and about everything! In alleys, in parks, on the fronts of buildings, the whole section of the city is filled and buzzing with artistic talent, though not in a starving artist, bohemia-style. Rather than certain murals standing out and outdoing the rest, the murals are all unique and inspiring in their own way. I spent 3 hours wandering in and out of alleys for murals on garages, tilting my head back for elevated murals, crossing the street for whole-building murals…and I could have spent 30 more. Many of the murals are sponsored by Precita Eyes, a non profit founded by muralistas (the women muralists), and I was lucky enough to stumble into their office on one of the streets in the Mission. They run a program that works with youth who have been caught for tagging...and makes them "tag," only in a more productive way. This program made me think of what ArtStormLA is doing...

Unfortunately I did not fully interview the folks running this organization, but I think I will follow up at some point because the art was just so...integrated into the community! It was like a living, breathing reflection of the beliefs and thoughts of people in the mission district...some controversial, some about love, some about family...all about life.

Two intentional communities, two very different approaches

2010-09-08T11:19:00.002-04:00

In my attempt to catch up with blog posts it seems I glossed over a place that I visited a few weeks ago...Arcosanti in the middle of Arizona, an intentional community/laboratory for urban living started back in the 70s by architect and artist Paolo Soleri. At the time, Soleri's theory of "arcology" (architecture+ecology) was revolutionary, and his thoughts surrounding urban planning were rather unique. Now however, much of his vision and the work continuing in Arcosanti seems rather outdated and rigid. When I arrived, the very first thing I noticed was that the entire structure is made of concrete! Yikes...if you've been reading my previous posts, it's the same criticism I had for Earthship Biotecture...everyone is using so much portland cement (a main ingredient of concrete), but it has an enormous embedded energy! And the plan for the building of the city called Arcosanti has not changed much since the obsession with concrete in the 70's (as my friend Dave pointed out, SIPA on Columbia's campus is one example too many of that trend in architecture...). That is mind boggling. All the best designs and ideas must change as they are further developed and articulated, no?
I will say there are some successes to be claimed by Arcosanti, one of which is the ability to shape and work with concrete...making silt-cast murals, forming amazing arches, etc. The other being a city (really a small commune, ~100 people) that champions artistic expression (they have entire spaces allocated for metal work, woodworking, pottery, concerts) and forces people to interact with each other. Perhaps force is a harsh word...what I mean is that the buildings are designed to channel people into central locations, with smallish living quarters and large communal areas.

The other intentional community I visited was recommended by David Eisenberg, called LA EcoVillage. The community is, of course, in LA, which is a huge contrast to the more rural intentional communities I've encountered thus far, and I can say that I liked it so much better! Maybe I'm biased toward urban lifestyles, but I also just think it was functioning better due to the higher density...for many, it becomes their refuge in the big city. Still, there were many rules which were sort of lax and ambiguous duties, so much of the garden seemed neglected.

The things I found most interesting at the LA EcoVillage were the following:
1. They ran a CSA out of their 40 unit building. Totally something doable within a community, all this requires is a coordinator that schedules volunteer times for the members...and I believe they offered shares to non-members in the surrounding area.
2. They petitioned the city for permeable pavement. Is this possible in other areas of the country?? When walking on it there was seemingly no difference, and frankly I could hardly tell it was permeable...I need to research that material...
3. They painted their intersection. Hooray! I love this idea...though it seemed they did not use road paint, since the paint was slowly fading.
4. They champion reuse AND actually demonstrate by doing...their fence is made of welded bicycle parts, they used old doors in their renovations, they have a giveaway table where people leave their unwanted items that are still usable (Arcosanti had a huge room for this purpose, plus an attached library)
5. The diversity of folks living there. I think this is somewhat by chance, but it was refreshing to see a mix of all ages, races, classes, etc. Maybe it is this way because it is LA? Maybe they're just lucky? This returns me to a question I am always interested in...how can a program be successful in having all kinds of people involved? Should one actively try to increase participation in certain cases for certain people?
6. They have set up a land trust...I need to look more into this...

After visiting both Arcosanti and the LAEcoVillage I still remain somewhat skeptical of the exclusiveness of intentional communities. The LA EcoVillage has definitely been more successful in involving people surrounding the buildings that they occupy, but...don't the gates around the building utter a silent "keep out?"

Painting circles

2010-09-07T03:20:00.000-04:00

Kyle (my brother) told me I was a crazy person when I complained about LA traffic and told me no one travels where I was going unless they live there. Also, those people know when to leave and what route to take in order to avoid traffic. Wish I had known that...it took me almost 2 hours to drive to Long Beach and meet up with the founder of Circle Painting, Hiep, but it was definitely worth it.

Circle Painting falls under the categories of community building and arts organizations. I find myself drawn to these types of organizations a lot lately (does that mean I care less about green building/women's empowerment orgs? I don't think so, but maybe those two things become a part of whatever community building stuff I end up doing...? Who knows.). It brings people together for large, interactive art installations and "...develop[s] leaders who will employ art to improve their communities..." Their 3 power words are connect, create and celebrate. How do they do these three things and how effective is it?

Connect: While it has the potential to connect people of similar socioeconomic status, faith, age etcetera, it also has enormous potential for bringing people together from all walks of life. For me, connecting cannot happen without communication of some kind, so there is also a basic level of communication going on in this type of activity. A downfall to this would be the one-time, single trial nature of the project...how can one build community when there is not continued connections?

Create: Much of this is referring I think to the creation of the artwork. Groups paint parts of the circle either on canvas or murals or whatever is around, pass it on to the next group and continue until everyone has contributed to each part of the artwork/circle painting. I take the word create to mean creating a sense of community. Yes, there is always some sense of community, but oftentimes it feels as though we need to recreate aspects of our relationships with neighbors and have a reminder on just how great communities can be! Getting people together with interactive activities is a good way to do so...

Celebrate: One of the more important lessons I've learned from organizations is HAVE FUN! Enjoy the work you're engaged in, enjoy the people you're interacting with, and celebrate each day you get to be a part of it! In talking with Hiep I realized what I would really like to see more in Buffalo and the east side is a celebration of what we like about our city. Change the way we look at things from negative to positive, because only then can there be progress made. A negative, defeated attitude only means more trouble...

Hiep told me about his 50:50 project, 50 cities in 50 states...an attempt to increase community participation in the arts and have circle painting installations in each place. Circle painting is not the solution to poverty, poor public school funding, high rates of teen pregnancy, etc. in Buffalo, but I see its potential in sparking an alternative to the negative aura that many Buffalonians have adopted when it comes to speaking about change in their communities...

ArtStorm LA

2010-09-06T03:12:00.000-04:00

When I would ride the subway around Manhattan as a little girl, visiting my Uncle Timmy, I would often try to count the number of different graffiti tags on buildings. As you can well imagine, the task was impossible; there are more tags seen passing by than is discernable and all that can be seen is a wall of paint and concrete blending together. Unfortunately, people often tag illegally, and 9 times out of 10 a tag is marked as a sign of blight.

…but have you ever seen an intentional mural-style graffiti-ed wall? Have you seen graffiti artists who are so incredibly talented that there is no way to label what they do as being remotely the same as illegal, unwanted tagging? ArtStormLA is an organization that I stumbled upon in LA that works to relabel graffiti as an acceptable art form called masterpiecing. In order to do that, the organization “…provides canvas, paint and safe and legal locations for young people to pursue their art…”

I met Steve Bagish in South Park this past week, a park in south central LA, which is a place still largely affected by the 90’s riots, to talk a bit about what he does and how his org got started. His invitation to come join him on a Thursday late at night was something to the effect of…if you want to be the only white girl for miles around in a rugged ghetto/barrio with a bunch of wild and screaming kids in a real life after-dark crime prevention program in the heart of homicide capital USA, come on down! I was surprised at such an obvious attempt to deter me from coming, but it occurred to me in speaking to him later that he had has his fair share of flaky “volunteers” who, upon agreeing to work with him, had bowed out because of this very reason. He used it as a mechanism for weeding out people who were not serious in their inquiries and involvement. Luckily, I am starting to know the things that I care about and that speaking with him and seeing the organization in action would be worth my time, so I showed up at 8:30pm on the SE corner of South Park.

I learned a lot about what ArtStorm does, but I think perhaps the best part about talking with Steve was when we were shooting ideas off each other. There was something that Steve mentioned that has gotten me to thinking about income generating models…

Picture a city grid, 1 street and 10 blocks long, with streets coming into the main drag on either side. At one end of the main street there is something called a permanent public art station with concrete blocks in the shape of easels that can support rather large canvases. Artists can set up shop for a day, paint away, and at the end of the day walk away with their canvas. At the other end of the ten blocks there is another station, on the opposite side of the street. Now, think of cars passing through…they see the first station and think: how cool! But they don’t stop. As they pass through to the other side of the 10 blocks they see the other station, and this time they decide to pull over and check it out. Maybe they offer the artist money for the artwork, maybe they don’t, but either way they are talking about the art, they are slowing down their cars, and they are spending a little more time in a neighborhood they might usually blow right through. Steve says he has successfully tried it at a temporary location, so I am wondering how and if something like this is possible on more permanent basis. For example, how can a station be legal? Is it like an adult playground in a sense? Regardless, I think permanent art stations are a pretty neat idea…

I love love love that ArtStorm works with guys who have gotten caught tagging to demonstrate how graffiti in certain contexts can be productive and even income generating if the artist becomes good enough (see my future post on Precita Eyes in SF). My only real concern for the organization becomes that it is largely a one man show…continue on that trajectory and you’ll end up wearing yourself down pretty fast, no?

Inside Out, Outside In

2010-09-01T13:37:00.002-04:00

Finally in LA and hanging out with my big brother! He has to work (he's a real person with a real job, not avoiding a job like me, ha), so I've been occupying my time with bike rides along the beach, yoga in the mornings, and leisurely lunches while catching up on reading (and blogging!). I've also set up a few meetings while here in LA, one of which I had yesterday...

Inside Out Community Arts is a non-profit based in Venice, CA that runs arts programs for kids throughout the LA area. As an arts organization, I felt it fell under one of the three categories of organizations I am talking with...environmental, art-based, and community-based. They run a performance arts program that teaches kids how to develop communication skills and to effectively deal with looming social issues in their lives. It was good to hear the work they're doing, but I mostly became interested in one particular, if small, part of their work...

The Community Action Project: A one-time day of action where the students involved in the program pick a controversial topic, approach people in their community about it, and say how they would work to change it. It is a lesson in activism and using art to provoke thought. I was interested in it because it uses art to engage a community, but what I was looking for wasn't exactly the main mission of that project. Whereas the CAP was created to start conversations and it is the kids approaching others, I was looking for more long term involvement of community. In my own life, I've come to realize that kids programs are secondary to my greater desire for an engaged and active community. That sounds harsh, but it shouldn't be...it's not that I don't care about kids...it's just that I feel that if the whole community is excited about learning and being engaged, then we have less to worry about not only in kids, but in relationships between generations, in drug use, gang violence, etc. If we really want to tackle all these issues, it needs to be a part of everyone's lives, not just the kids. The counterargument to this of course would be that it is easiest to reach parents and grandparents through their kids. Sure, but maybe then connecting with kids in programs like the one I interviewed shouldn't only be meant for their individual development, but also as a means to lift up and educate the larger community...?

Maybe we need to start thinking more laterally when it comes to communities. There is no step by step to an active community...it comes together from all sides with many different projects going on at once, and maybe only a few of those programs stick around in the long run, but they are more efficient and effective because they survived and outlived the other programs being tried at the time. We have to learn to be okay with potentially competing methodologies for community building, understanding that different methodologies work in different areas of a city, and trusting that the one that is successful in one community will outlive the others "competing" against it...

What? I'm no Scare-DCAT

2010-08-31T19:56:00.003-04:00

Met with David Eisenberg from the Development Center for Appropriate Technology (DCAT) in Tucson on Monday. DCAT does many things, though its focus in the past several years has been in "greening the codes." Instead of speaking of DCAT specifically, I want to post quickly on a few things David said that has gotten me thinking...

1. The way in which we as a society, but also we as builders talk about sustainability in our lives and in the built environment. Ineffectively, really. Many designers/builders that are pushing the envelope that I have talked with have spoken of the permitting office and building codes in a negative fashion. "They won't change, they are so hard to work with, they just don't get it, etc. etc." Instead of reframing how we look at green building and the current codes, we immediately blame a municipality and inspectors for not understanding. Well, building codes are here to stay, and the for the most part there is a reason behind why they were made...so we must rethink the way in which we talk about integrating green building into the codes. David gave a good example: most building codes require a plumbing system to tie into the sewer system, so greywater systems are often illegal. Instead of a knee-jerk reaction of "that's so dumb!" let's analyze this. Why was the code regarding sewage made? Probably because people were getting sick from blackwater. Well...taking relatively benign greywater, of which there is no documented cases of people getting sick from, according to the CDC, and putting it into a blackwater/sewer system...what does it mean? It means you are increasing the amount of blackwater, of which there are TONS of cases of people getting sick from, by requiring that the greywater is added to the blackwater. Instead of reducing a hazardous situation, you are increasing it 20fold. Now think of approaching building code officials with this argument, instead of the response of "that's dumb," and you have a more convincing reason for re-evaluating the code...

We can try thinking of other situations where this is the case, and we'll soon find a new way of thinking about building codes and how to approach thinking about a code...not simply naysaying, but having reasons why and ways to change it to make it more appropriate for modern technology and building methods!

2. Think laterally, not vertically. It seems in talking briefly with David that he has mastered thinking laterally...something I can appreciate, since we are trained in society to be vertical thinkers. What do I mean by this? In typical problem-solving, we tend to think vertically, or step by step to find the solution. ...Like a math problem where you cannot jump around, but must logically solve it step by step. Instead, we should try to think laterally...it is an exercise in increasing the number of potential solutions, trying them all and finding the right one eventually...even if it means you try several wrong solutions first. It is brainstorming different approaches, different ways of thinking about the codes, etc. I am reading a book by Edward de Bono called Lateral Thinking: Creativity Step by Step...a good, very basic read that has exercises in getting your mind away from traditional problem solving...

We of course talked about the progression of "alternatives" in the building codes, and there is some really exciting stuff being looked at nowadays...earthen structures, strawbale, etc. that are being reviewed and possibly added to the Intl Green Construction Codes, though many codes will need to be revised before they enter. I like the way David puts it...

...consider wood. As a material it is susceptible to rot, insects, and structural problems; if we were to introduce it today, there would be a million questions on type of wood, number of knots, age of wood, etc. that would prevent it from being accepted as a "safe" building material. And yet...it is the most widely used building material on the market today! It is only natural that strawbale, rammed earth, etc will take time to become accepted, but we should not rule them out! Considering the amount of research that has gone into wood as a material, we need to consider doing the same with "alternatives..."

Earthshipping, FedEx Style

2010-08-29T02:54:00.000-04:00

Just finished up my last week in Taos, working on Earthships, and am "shipping out"...
Here's the final review:

Structure: The tire pounding is both fun and exhausting, and it really results in a shared experience/hardcore bonding since no one else knows what it means to pack hundreds of tires full of dirt and repeatedly pound it with a sledgehammer. The tires are great because pretty much NOTHING could destroy those walls, and it is a reuse for the millions of tires that are lying around on our earth. That said, it is extremely labor intensive and in the end, the tires give you a wavy wall, so in order to smooth out the walls the builder must use extra materials (like cement and cans). Unfortunately, I see no way around that except for leaving walls wavy, which most people would not desire. The bottle walls--both glass and cans--I think are a little outdated. Not the idea of needing a filler in the cement, but the fact that they use recyclable materials. Sure, they were used once and often recycling them means shipping them overseas and having them melted down and reprocessed, but if we are talking in terms of embedded energy...aluminum is a material with one of the highest levels of embedded energy (also, portland cement...yikes)!

Water infiltration: I think one of the largest problems that the earthship crew needs to overcome. Vertical glass has been done forever, and it is relatively easy to waterproof around it. Slanted glass? Not so much. There seems to be always leaks, and the first thing to go in an earthship is the wood sills below the slanted glass. The newer earthships are building with that plastic decking material, which solves a lot of the problem, but I still see problems in the future with water infiltration. There are so many ways in which water can infiltrate (condensation in the greenhouse, roof flashing, gutter systems into the cistern, using silicone to fill in large gaps, etc.), and if the focus is on longevity of the house, then this is something that needs to be tackled.

Systems: Earthships are the furthest developed in the green building realm on integrating systems within their structure. I did not work much with the electrical side of the systems but spent a few days working on plumbing systems, and I am very excited by what I saw. There is a fully integrated rainwater catchment/cistern system which is filtered and used as drinking water with "waste" running into the greywater system that feeds the toilet, which then exits into a traditional blackwater system (septic/leech field). In my opinion, the composting toilet is a better solution, but I understand their reasoning for the blackwater (less maintenance, the balance of woodshavings to excrement can be thrown off if there are large parties thrown at the house, unintentional misuse of the composting toilet, etc). The earthships also include a glycol solar thermal panel system which both heats water for showers/sinks, and melts the snow off the roof in the winter. Combining all these systems is complicated, but it is incredible how well they work! The other AMAZING part of the systems....is that there is NO heating system. That is the most amazing and inspiring part for me, especially thinking of the $400+ heating bills people are paying in uninsulated homes in Buffalo...

Plastering: I hate stucco. Can't there be a more natural alternative? Yes, but if you are championing longevity of a product, the stucco may last longer than a more natural plaster/limewash finish...don't know how to choose on this one...

Cost/complexity: Originally, the earthship was designed to be able to be built by the common man. That is no longer the case...the systems are too complicated. Also, the cost ($200/sqft) is very prohibitive, though that is with hiring the crew to build the structure, so I can imagine it would be much cheaper building on your own. Though, if it takes 5 years to build your own...sheesh. These two factors are major inhibitors to increasing the number of earthships in the world...

Despite some things that need to change I think the earthships are headed in the right direction, and I give the crew and Mike Reynolds a whole lot of credit for designing these amazing structures. I will most definitely be taking all 6 elements of an earthship (thermal/solar heating and cooling, on-site energy generation, contained sewage treatment, reusing materials, water harvesting, and food production) and incorporating them in all future building/rebuilding that I do.

Rocky Mountain Youth Corps

2010-08-26T14:56:00.000-04:00

During my last week in Taos, I finally got the chance to meet up with Rosie from the Training Dept. of Rocky Mountain Youth Corps (RMYC). I was primarily interested in this corps because it is different from a job corps or a conservation corps in that they look at the whole development of a person rather than focusing on training for a specific job. Sure, they have trainings for the field crew in cutting down trees (fondly labeled the "saw crew") and conservation techniques, but they also have time on Fridays where they spend part of the day with Rosie and her cohort Jamie in team bonding exercises, personal development activities, etc. I think this becomes probably the most important part of this youth corps, and something to incorporate in all kinds of training corps, youth programs, etc.

There is always a burning question at the back of my mind while interviewing organizations like this one that are training youth...who is the target audience, and why? For RMYC it seems that there is a mixture of both educated college graduates applying because they are enthusiastic about hands-on programs and helping the environment, and locals who would be labeled as more or less "at-risk" that are in need of a job. I asked whether she felt as though hiring completely competent college grads for low-skills job decreased the number of people that RMYC was helping in terms of their hireability (in other words, should they only focus on hiring high need folks rather than letting in folks with a low need for this program). Rosie answered both yes and no...on one hand, the college grads have no hands-on experience exiting school and they can help raise the bar for the other people in the program, but at the same time hiring them decreases the number of spots available for an "at risk" population. It seems when forming a corps, you either have to be comfortable in reaching all types of people or reaching just a target population...but if you accept all types, would that mean eventually that the "at risk" might be crowded out of the program because of the number of qualified college grads applying? Or would it enhance the program, raising the expectation level? It seems like it would largely depend on the individual group, no? And how would you know that before, during the selection process, whether it would be one way or the other?

Last week in Taos

2010-08-25T08:53:00.007-04:00

Haven't updated in a while...spent the weekend being pampered by my wonderful Aunt Barb and Uncle Tom--they fed me nice dinners, took me to Red Rocks, and I even took a couple hot showers (what are they??) I was sad to leave, but I had to finish my LAST WEEK in Taos! Time flies, doesn't it?

On the way to Denver, I stopped in Great Sands National Park, and it is was incredible. There is something wondrous about them; butted up against the Rockies, river flowing past (during spring snow melt and summer monsoon), there are wetlands a mile away fed by an underground river, not to mention there are HUGE sand dunes no where near a beach! In addition, there is a phenomenon that happens few places in the world, where the river looks like it has a pulsating rhythm like waves, only it is not an ocean or lake!

After Great Sands, I drove straight to Denver and went out to dinner. The next incredible thing I saw was Red Rocks...an natural amphitheater made out of geological rock formations that are bright red in an otherwise brown desert-like plain. Seats and a stage were added with work done by the Civilian Conservation Corps, but what an amazing concert venue! Too bad we didn't have tickets to that night's Beatles tribute...
Got back into Taos Sunday night, to the most beautiful sunset. I sure will miss those next week when I leave this place.

Other things I've done this week? Learned about earthships systems so that I can start thinking about my own type of setups. Water filtration for cisterns, greywater, glycol solar thermal heating, etc. The picture I included are some parts for the greywater system. For cisterns I found out they use gigantic salad bowls to catch the water! How funky is that?? Anyway, all is well and I'm looking forward to seeing my brother Kyle out in LA next week! Soon I will be posting on the organization I'm visiting down in Tuscon, DCAT.

Tire pounding, in force!

2010-08-17T22:19:00.000-04:00

The week started off both crazy and nice...

On Sunday I took a trip to Pecos National Historical Park, just outside of Santa Fe. It is a pretty amazing place, site of the Pecos Indians ruins, but also the site of a civil war battle which essentially ended all hope of Confederate conquest of the west. There are incredible views, both of the ruins and the surrounding landscape. What's so crazy about a bunch of ruins? Well, nothing. I had just lowered myself into a kiva, an underground place of worship, when the sky opened up. Phew! I was protected. I waited until the rain stopped and exited the kiva with the intention of walking back to my car and discontinuing the hike, only, when I exited the kiva and was halfway to my car, it started pouring and lightning and hailing on me! Sheesh! I drove in this weather with the hail pinging off the car thinking I would get out of the storm and minute, but I just ran into more crazy/intense lightning storms with sideways bolts of lightning and something called virgas...when you can see the rain falling, but it evaporates and never quite hits the ground. I think that happens in the Sahara a lot too? Crazy. The nice part of the day was later on...I went to a BBQ at the Angel's Nest (an earthship) and finished the weekend with a good meal and great company.

Monday...same old, same old, working up in Arroyo Hondo on an addition to an earthship. I'm getting pretty good at plastering!

Tuesday (today)...we finally pounded a TON of tires (that's me, going at it!). Picture swinging a sledgehammer for 7+ hours in the hot sun. Yes, I am exhausted, but happy. Pounding tires is a lot of work, but when those babies are pounded, they are not going anywhere. We asked tons of questions, saw how an earthship can be laid out, and then got cracking. When the end of the day rolled around, I was ready for a nap...but back to the farm! I shoveled manure, planted some rye, and added bedding for and fed the chickens. A long day, for sure. Now making some kimchi and a cucumber/tomato/onion salad for lunch tomorrow...

Second week of work, and a RAINBOW!

2010-08-14T10:04:00.000-04:00

Nothing to report this week...continuing crazy storms. There was a TRIPLE rainbow. I still cannot believe it. (you can't see in the photo I included, but it was there...)
On the jobsite, it seems I am continually building bottle walls and mixing cement. Seth told me I could do something else next week, but I actually think I will stick to plastering the walls...I need to get better at it. Kind of like drywall--you gotta get rid of all the seams and make it look totally smooth. I am very impatient, and thus I am terrible at it. We'll see how I fare next week.
Thinking of going to Taos Pueblo today and walking through the galleries. Tomorrow I'm planning on spending the day in Great Sand Dunes...

Art in Santa Fe

2010-08-08T16:51:00.000-04:00

It's Sunday--the day before Monday (aka manual labor day)--and I've decided to spend it in Santa Fe. Santa Fe is about an hour south of Taos, but decided it was worth driving the hour there and hour back. Taos is cute but small, and I explored the area on Saturday, so I felt I could go somewhere else today...

I LOVE Santa Fe, or at least what I've seen of it (which is not very much). I drove here with only one mission in mind--to go to the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum-- but instead of immediately satisfying my desire to see art, I accidentally ran smack into the middle of an arts festival in the main plaza! It was very much like the Allentown Art Festival that happens in Buffalo, only picture southwestern style art, weavings, metalwork, etc. The town center itself is filled with shops, cafes, etc. almost in a New Orleans style...super concentrated, lots of galleries, live music in the plaza. Seems very walkable, at least in this section of the city.

After exploring and grabbing a fabulous gelato at Ecco, I went to the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum and was surprised and delighted by the exhibit. I hadn't realized how cool of a woman she was! There was a quote on the wall I thought my aunt Judy would appreciate...essentially...if all people were trees, then she could get along with them much better. Thought that was pretty funny. Anyway, being an accomplished woman painter when men were telling her she couldn't be is reason enough for me to like her, but what really struck me was not about feminism; it was how she viewed her art. Her abstractions of flowers or landscapes or shapes were how she felt about the object in question. Not a novel idea I suppose, but it struck me because I had recently been telling a friend about displaying what you feel in your everyday life...a bright colored vehicle isn't necessarily an indicator of "I'm a tool, I want everyone to notice me," and it very well could be that's the brightness they feel in their life (though not in every case...I consider yellow trucks just obnoxious attention grabbers). This idea of displaying happiness on the outside invites others to engage with your happiness, to share, and to make a connection...

The other part of why I enjoyed this exhibit so much was one of the quotes I read on the wall, about why she paints. Unfortunately I didn't write this one down either, but it was about how painting is the way that she gives back to the world...she did what she loved to do, and by doing that, she was contributing to the world in the best way she knew how. Exactly. Like my Nonna used to sing to me: "do what you love, love what you do..." It's like displaying your feelings in your everyday life; pursue something that you love to do, you will be happy, and through your own happiness you can contribute meaningfully in the best way you know how (again, not in every case...I doubt even if you loved to screw people over in business transactions that you would ever be contributing meaningfully...)

Headed back to Taos soon...meeting Jeff/Tania/Joe and visitors for a potluck dinner. Tomorrow is back to work, and SO looking forward to it!

Smoking Vans and Roller Girls

2010-08-08T02:50:00.000-04:00

End of my first week here in Taos and I can say without a doubt that Earthships and the crew working on them are pretty awesome. Contrary to what everyone believes of the internship (what? you mean they don't pay you??), there was minimal tire pounding and infinite opportunities to ask questions (why bottle walls? do you build a foundation before tires? how far down do you dig for the greywater system in the planters?). This week I got to build a bottle wall from cement and beer bottles, built into the side of the hill in order to backfill around the cistern which is buried behind the building. That task was pretty monotonous...3 parts sand : 1 water : 1/2 bag cement, plus a pinch of fibers...throw it in the mixer and BAM! start packing out the wall. Luckily, I had brought my chalk line along and was the only intern with a chalk line, so I was promoted to a more technical task...working on closing in the greenhouse roof alongside our foreman for the next 2 weeks, Seth. The weather is gorgeous, if a little sunny/hot. I am getting my fair share of a tan, despite my best efforts to smother my body in SPF 50, and I am now forcing myself to drink 2+ gallons of water a day just to stay hydrated. Ick, water STILL tastes gross. Working 9-430 heavy labor everyday in the hot, hot sun perhaps seems like a terrible idea to most, but I am enjoying the absolute exhaustion I feel at the end of the day, and my body is definitely getting stronger because of it.

Pictures/stories for this week:1. Joe forgot to put the oil cap back on his van...we were dying in the fumes (as Sean demonstrates)

2. Went to a roller derby match. Those girls are wayyy intense...some girl walked away with a neck brace, and another girl got her nose smashed up a bit, not to mention the HUGE bruises on the players' arms/legs.
3. Playing with fire...met the boys for dinner on Saturday at the Angel's Nest (a modified earthship) and made a frosty the snowman wax sculpture, sitting/melting by the fire!

I already have a million questions about earthships, but I think just one suffices for this week...
How does one decide between permanency of structure and natural materials? Much of the outside of earthships uses cement and stucco coatings...is the embedded energy of cement justifiable since cement will last longer? Typically, portland cement must be heated to extremely high temperatures in kilns before it can be sold as the final product...think of the carbon footprint involved in processing and shipping such materials, not to mention the toxicity of the exhaust from the kilns that often burn things such as tires or other industrial waste. There is something about the cement that feels wrong to me, but at the same time I understand the justifications for using it...it's a solution to not having to re-mud a building every year...but, cement doesn't breathe! It locks out moisture, or in (which can present problems), depending on if it's well sealed. Is there a medium ground? Not cement, but not adobe/mud that weathers more easily? Ultimately, do we want structures to last 100s of years? Or is it better to follow the thought that if not maintained, we would want these buildings to eventually be able to recycle themselves back into the ground?

My schedule in Taos

2010-08-04T01:11:00.000-04:00

Been here in Taos since Saturday/Sunday and have found myself falling into a more or less routine:
630 wake up in my yurt, with sound of ducks quacking and chickens squawking next door to me...make breakfast, see if Jeff is awake and needs anything done around the farm
8 leave for earthships, pick up the boys on the way (8 interns, 7 boys)
9 arrive on site, start working. Today I got to pound tires and I think the others were a little jealous...We are working on a mostly finished earthship, so there is a chance that is the only tire pounding that will be required during the month long internship. Tomorrow I will be building a bottle wall maybe? Everyday is a little bit different, but I am glad everyday is NOT pounding tires, because I think my body might give up if that were the case (SO tiring and tedious)
1ish break for lunch, listen to stories and guys telling...guy jokes...
430ish finish the day, relax and drink some beers with the boys (or in my case, a gallon of water...)
5-730...do whatever! Walk the plaza, pick up my bike from the bike shop, listen to the guy playing the guitar outside of a coffee shop who is there EVERYDAY, do something silly and totally spontaneous...
730 help Jeff for an hour on the farm
830 make dinner or go out for karaoke, or dancing orrrrr...any number of things!

Looking forward to the weekends...Joe and I have to man the booth at the farmer's market from 9-1pm on Saturday, but after that we are free to explore! Thinking of going to RollerDerby this Saturday, then maybe a leisurely bike ride and swimming in the river on Sunday?

Settled for the moment, and liking it!

2010-08-02T13:06:00.000-04:00

I've finally arrived in Taos, where I will be staying for about a month to complete my internship at Earthship Biotecture. Taos is a funny place; it is very New Mexico, but also very artsy....I'm not even sure what that means, since the two aren't mutually exclusive, but I guess it's just not what I expected. It's a thriving little mountain town with tons of art galleries, coffeeshops, etc. Like New Orleans, all this would not be possible without tourism...

I am living on a farm/garden called Talpa Gardens, home to Jeff and Tania, and it is a lovely little place. I sleep in a yurt, shower in a solar shower (with a short window of time for warm showers...usually 4-7pm), and have wifi, hooray! There are dogs and cats and chickens and ducks and manure/compost that smells something awful if you're downwind from it, and lots and lots of veggies. There is also another intern staying with me at Talpa, Joe, and we work ~1hr a day for Tania and Jeff to compensate them for staying with them. I've only been on the road for about 2-3 weeks, but it's definitely nice to be staying somewhere for more than a day or two at a time. I feel like I have a place I want to and can go back to everyday. In fact, I said "I'm headed home" today from work on the earthships, as though it were a more permanent thing...weird...

Fields of good and evil...

2010-08-01T12:52:00.000-04:00

Driving through Texas was…an experience. Flat lands going on forever and ever and ever…and ever. Hours and hours and hours…and hours. The most inspiring sight? Fields of wind turbines. The scariest? Fields of oil wells and lots and lots of feed lots.

Green job training and rebuilding in New Orleans

2010-07-31T18:05:00.000-04:00

I visited two organizations AND had time to explore New Orleans (see previous post). Definitely could have stayed many, many days, but I had to get out to Taos by Saturday/Sunday so Phil and I booked it across Texas…through Austin and Lubbock…

The first organization I visited in NOLA was called Build it Back Green, a program run through Global Green. Like many organizations, BIBG and Global Green started in New Orleans post Katrina and are involved in the green re-building of the city, primarily the 9^th Ward. What was on my mind constantly while talking with the woman at BIBG was: how were you accepted by the community? Both Global Green and Make It Right (the organization supported/championed by Brad Pitt) have a base in Hollywood…funny enough, Global Green is based out in Santa Monica, so maybe I’ll chat with a few folks there when I visit my brother in September. Also, Global Green’s main office is in downtown New Orleans, hardly accessible to many of their target population. So given this information, how were they accepted, especially as out of towners?

My sense is that any help immediately post Katrina was badly needed; so all incoming organizations were confronted with a mix of apprehension and acceptance. The fact that Global Green has survived and continues working within the community is what builds trust. An interesting twist though, from what I’ve heard from both this organization and the other one I interviewed (LA Green Corps), is that the money available for post Katrina clean up is starting to dry up and funders are experiencing something called “Katrina fatigue,” meaning as charitable as someone is, they are nonetheless tired of donating money and time 5 years down the line. Ask for support too many times, and the last time will be a no. It’s the same in other community orgs, even without a national emergency/natural disaster situation. How much is too much? How do organizations avoid donating fatigue? The way that Global Green and Make It Right have dealt with it—by holding fundraising parties with celebs and the rich in Hollywood for “those poor people in New Orleans”—seems a little unrealistic and snooty to me. Again, I return to funding for nonprofits…it is ALWAYS in the top 5 on an org’s priority list (or if not, they are either lucky or they are soon to be in trouble…).

Pretty much everything else I spoke with BIBG about was stuff I was familiar with, but I figure…the more lessons of funding and structure etc etc are pounded home, the less chance I will have of repeating mistakes that a lot of orgs and business make. At the end of the conversation, we started talking about the strength of religious organizations. What Global Green has realized is that if you’re trying to get anything done within a neighborhood, call all the pastors, go to mass, present your message, etc. How does an organization remain secular and still become heavily involved with churches? How does funding for churches work, and can that contribute/help non-profits (or only in a strictly partnering sense can they use money given by churches?)

The second organization I talked with was LA Green Corps. They are one of the luckier non profits that I’ve heard of in terms of funding because they received 1 million+ dollars to start a job training program for at-risk youth and disabled persons (CreateHere was also heavily funded in their start-up phase). 1 million +!!! Whew, what I could do with that money! LA Green Corps is very similar to Build it Green! in NYC and Buffalo ReUse in that they have a warehouse of materials taken from houses, they offer deconstruction services, etc.

When I first got to the job site/warehouse, I got a quick tour of the place. They were in the process of shipping out enormous cypress planks…I just wanted to grab them for myself they were so gorgeous! After a tour through the warehouse…more processing place versus store…I spoke with one of the teachers for the training program for disabled persons. I got the general scoop of how it was formed—three organizations formed an umbrella group which became the LA Green Corps—and talked to him a bit about his own training, how he works with his group, the day-to-day of job training, and the positives/negatives of the Green Corps’ setup.

It seemed from our conversation that teachers are hired mostly on their knowledge of construction, rather than their ability to work with kids. Of course many have an interest in being teachers, but there is no required “how to” training, which I think may be somewhat of a downfall. Having worked in NYC schools with kids labeled as “troublemakers,” it was obvious to me which teachers made the most difference in students’ lives; the teacher who was more interested in the kids and the kids’ lives than what they were teaching that particular day was always more successful. The green corps teachers are trained to teach the general construction curriculum, but the social worker was the one who was sent for when emotional issues surfaced. Perhaps a social worker is necessary, but wouldn’t it be more cost effective if all the teachers were trained in working with kids and the additional social worker wasn’t needed? Besides, doesn’t it create a divide between teacher and student if a social worker is called?

Another thing I learned was that the training program for kids is anywhere from 2-7 months. Both the teacher and I agreed that this was not enough time to unteach learned work habits and teach new things as well that would raise the hireability of a worker, but it all came down to FUNDING. How can a job training program afford to pay workers for longer than a few months? There needs to be an additional income generator…fee for service component and if you’re lucky, a supportive/rich donator. My other thoughts are…what if you were to teach skills to the kids, have them make value-added products and split the profit on whatever they make for x amount of time. They learn a new skill, have an incentive/way to make more money, and you come out with a profit that can fund part of the program. Certainly not a solution to the huge challenge of where to find all the money to fund teachers, kids, materials, etc, but every little amount of money generated counts, does it not?

I chatted some more with the teacher from Green Corps until the head of the organization came in. It is always interesting to meet the people who run the organizations, because oftentimes they are not what you would expect. Suzy, the woman who runs LA Green Corps, is every bit the businesswoman, whereas I expected her to be a more hands-on, construction gal. Suppose I only made that assumption because that’s sort of where I am coming from, but people who are most passionate about the actual work of the kids may not be the most effective in starting an organization and dealing with funders, outreach, etc. So maybe having a businesswoman like Suzy on the job makes more sense!

Suzy knew more of the technical/logistical stuff and directed me to several resources that I will check out when I have a few minutes. She told me that anyone looking to get involved in job training corps like the one she started should first connect with local businesses who are able to hire and WILLING to work with the kids. They did it sort of backwards and are now doing a little backpedaling and trying to create businesses that can actually hire their trainees. This makes sense, though I am wondering…if you have an income generating business, why do you need to have an attached nonprofit for the trainees? Perhaps you can do less community work as a business because you need to make a profit to float, but then you’d be truly selective in who you train. Though, if you’re training them in life skills rather than in specific skills pertaining to what your business does, I guess it makes more sense to have a nonprofit training component so you could focus less on your business as the be all end all for the person you hire and focus more on helping them achieve their own career dreams…

From talking to Suzy, one thing is for sure: I need to get better at networking. Talking to people in the trades, selling my ideas, getting people interested in seeing me succeed, because that’s when the money starts flowing and that’s how you magically find yourself on a path that’s headed somewhere (rather than just circling in your head)…

Her name was NOLA...

2010-07-31T17:28:00.000-04:00

I was in New Orleans on Tues/Wednesday (in Taos, NM now…), and was entirely blown away by the fact that NOLA is the SAME SIZE as Buffalo, yet there are people shopping in stores on every street, people playing music on the corners and in the plazas, and there are just people everywhere walking outside! Sure there are people out and about in Buffalo, but not en masse, and it seems odd that there are more people out in NOLA weather (hot/steamy) versus the wonderful summer weather in Buffalo. What makes NOLA different than my hometown?

Well, for one thing, any new builds or additions must comply with zoning regulations…in NYS there are certain setbacks, lot sizes, etc. I’m not familiar with the present codes in Louisiana, but the old New Orleans certainly missed the enactment of larger set backs and larger lot size regulation. Mixed use buildings everywhere, residential on top of commercial, buildings crammed in next to each other…all this helps to create a more communal space and makes people feel comfortable with living closer to and interacting with each other. Is that all? I think no, not entirely...there must be another reason. Maybe capitalizing on music and cafes? What section in Buffalo could be turned into a French Quarter or a Garden District? Is that even possible? The New Orleans of the Northeast?

At the same time that I am blown away by the amount of cafes, galleries, etc that are supported by this city of just 300,000 people (and the many tourists), I am also well aware of the disparity here. It's odd when the place we stayed was a GIGANTIC mansion-like house on Louisiana Ave and 2 streets over it looked like the east east side of Buffalo...abandoned buildings, collapsing structures and all. It’s odd that I spent all morning wandering the French Quarter, walking in and out of expensive galleries, and took a 5 min drive to meet with someone from an organization and all I saw around me were signs of reconstruction, of gutted homes and the people still trying to remake them…

Despite the short stay, there are a few experiences from my first time in New Orleans that I will not forget. The one that I most want to recreate is the music we heard the last night in town. Phil and I had visited two major music cities—Memphis and Nashville—but had hardly spent time in either, thus missing the reason why most people go and visit them. I couldn’t quite understand the importance that people lent to this idea of an energy filled music town, which makes for the heart of a city. In New Orleans I was hoping we would spend a bit more time learning the heart of the place, and luckily our host had a music venue in mind! I say luckily because it is rare to find people playing music solely for the love of music, and that’s what I experienced at the Candlelight Lounge in Tremé. The musicians came in and out throughout the night; new ones added, some left, but always a core group that brought the audience through the 2 sets. I watched each guy as he was playing his trumpet or tuba or trombone (yay trombone!), and the joy of playing was evident; each player was having a ton of fun egging on each other, which made it SUCH a great experience. For the first time I came to understand the deep roots that music has in Memphis and Nashville and New Orleans and how it can have a real power in bringing people from all walks of life together. Maybe just for 2 sets and a 20 min intermission, but there is something there that taps into our inner spirit, binds us together. I want to know…how can/does this tremendous power manifest itself in our day-to-day interactions?

Art in Arkansas

2010-07-30T15:23:00.000-04:00

Before I go into how I would move to New Orleans if there weren’t hurricanes and scary venomous things, I’m gonna post on ACAC. ACAC is short for Arkansas Community Arts Cooperative. The basic structure is that members buy into the cooperative ($20/yr) and receive access to other artists, to performance spaces, to gallery space and to an org who can publicize their work. I interviewed them mostly because I was interested in the issue of access to arts materials for poor artists and the idea of having engaged community involvement in the arts.

What I learned regarding these two points wasn’t necessarily interesting; ACAC lends tools to members who don’t have money upfront to afford certain expensive materials, and their engaged community thus far has mostly been their own paying members. What I found interesting in talking to this organization was board interactions and its decision-making processes, risk taking in trying to build a larger funding base, and how to convince people to take ownership of a collective.

Taking ownership in a collective is something that Maura and I have talked a lot about, but this organization was no further along in answering this question than we ever were in our conversations. Does a project have to start off as a collective, with a collective spirit, to be successful? Or can this collective spirit develop over time? The ACAC’s position is a little different given its non-profit structure with a board. That automatically makes a top-down triangle structure of leadership. What’s going on at my house is much more organic, but also in some ways much more intentional. It seems that in the present day, people are quick to write a check, but are less willing to become involved…luckily, I think Maura has been successful in inviting the right people in to learn baking and to take a more active role in contributing to the collective…but how does one nurture those few who could be the core, the solid base of something great? Encouragement only goes so far...

My thoughts are that there must continue to be a fun, light-hearted and creative atmosphere for people to want to stay involved in collectives of any kind. For me, that means most importantly that the solid core of the collective must be happy and healthy and not burnt out…no one wants to be involved if an environment is stressful and the people are strung out…

The second point I’m wanting to think more about in starting and running organizations is risk taking. For example, ACAC is taking a big risk in the coming months moving from an affordable space into one where they will have to find ways of generating more revenue in order to afford it. How much risk is too much, and how much is just enough? Can I learn to be a better risk taker? I like everything to be under control and often it is hard to let go…is this just something you learn to do if you’re interesting in starting your own venture? What the person from the organization said about this risk was two things: first, it is a calculated risk. Based on what they have in the bank and what he thinks they can fundraise, he thinks it is worth it. Secondly, he has adopted the opinion…if taking this risk does not work out and ends in the closing of the organization, then maybe they weren’t meant to stick around anyway. It’s sort of like the attitude that I encountered both at Against the Grain and CreateHere…the org will continue to exist if there is a need, but if things don’t work out we shouldn’t dwell on it and we should be off to the next thing! Wow, I should just let go and really try to adopt this attitude…

CHE

2010-07-28T20:15:00.000-04:00

I've been taking my sweet time writing about the various organizations that I've talked with down here in the south. Mostly because I feel I need a few days to reflect before I jump in with any thoughts or criticisms, but also...my brain does not function in weather that is hotter than 90 degrees. I don't remember the last time it was less than 95 degrees and humid. Like walking into a shower, only instead of rain...it's sweat, and it's not refreshing. Since there is no cooler weather in the future, I will attempt to describe the orgs I have visited, but you'll have to excuse my half-formed thoughts...

Right before staying at The Farm, we drove to Hohenwald, TN to meet up with a woman who started the Center for Holisitc Ecology (CHE). Unfortunately we were unable to meet person to person, but I had a good phone conversation instead. From what I learned about CHE, the few things that I took away with me were:

1. Do not take on huge projects alone. You can be the coolest, most ambitious, super hard working person EVER, but without major support...it will be the end of you, and ultimately the end of the organization you put so much time into. The woman who I spoke with has started most of the projects run by CHE and it is up to her to find the funding, do the ideas work, do everything promotion-wise, and STILL teach at Gaia University, the other endeavor she is a major player in. Sure, there are other people on staff, but only until September...then what? Instead of enjoying your life AND making a major impact, it would seem that neither can function well...stress and little sleep seems what you'd be signing up for.

2. Decide: Global? National? Local? An organization can be all three. It is really important though to maintain an organized structure, and if the organization is pretty global, there must be strateges in place for how to connect on a local level within a community you're working in. Reading about orgs making large impacts, one of the suggestions was to make the volunteers and the people who are cheerleaders for the organization feel like they are wanted. When others are convinced of what you're trying to acomplish, it is that much easier to convince local leaders that you are doing good work...you wouldn't have a lot of cheerleaders if you weren't well intentioned. I have become interested in organizations' sizes and am curious how EDs manage larger, more national/global organizations. I can barely handle keeping in contact with a handful of people, let alone a whole world! My worry is that big organizations, while they may have more capacity to help and often can make larger impacts, end up being really impersonal. But...impersonal for who? Perhaps the local chapter of an org has a good relationship with that specific community and people involved on both sides of the help feel completely engaged! Maybe it just ends up that the ED and the staff in the big national office are the ones who lose out on that personal interaction...

3. I am still interested in this idea of the role that women play in the green movement. The idea of the 7 sisters program started by CHE is all about telling the stories of inspiring women in the green movement. The hope is that other women reading these stories will be inspired to become engaged...but...who will read these stories? And stories are stories...not money for you, not a job, not a real life experience that makes you feel empowered, etc. I need to brainstorm what sort of program would work for me, make a bigger impact, etc.

4. Find an income generator! CHE conducts permaculture classes and makes other money somehow through grants, but hearing of their financial struggles in funding staff I immediately began thinking...couldn't they start selling the stuff produced at their permaculture farm? Couldn't there be a consulting/building component for strawbale housing or for even landscaping using permaculture techniques? I know the org is all about education, but there must be something that makes money...

Take that, Ozarks!

2010-07-26T10:46:00.000-04:00

According to Acadia, my college buddy and native Arkansan, the Ouchita Mountains are equal to if not better than the famous Arkansas Ozarks that everyone talks about. Well, I haven't seen the Ozarks, but I will say that the view from Flatside Mountain in the Ouchitas was pretty impressive. Especially with the sun setting and a huge lightning storm in the background!

We've been spending a few restful days in Little Rock. Boy, it's been nice not to drive. Admittedly, Phil has been doing a lot of driving...I've discovered that my lids start closing about 3 hours into driving and we have to switch places...but it all works out. The day before we got to Little Rock, we stopped off in Memphis, which is a city I'd like to see more of. Went to the Civil Rights Museum which was of course EMOTIONAL, especially given its location in the Lorraine Motel where MLK was assassinated, and after took a wander through Beale Street. The music street akin to Times Square in NY. If you're a tourist in Memphis you gotta go, but I would say probably good to avoid on a day to day basis as a local Memphis-ite. We got to Little Rock (3 hours away) and...ahhhhh rest at last. We've been staying here since Friday night and are headed out tomorrow morning to New Orleans.

So far, we've just relaxed. We visited Heifer International Ranch and saw the villages that are part of their educational program for students. Houses that are replicas of traditional homes in Thailand, Guatemala, Appalachia, etc. They also have animals which are examples of what sort of aid thety give to families across the world looking to live a more sustainable lifestyle. Meet Raj the camel!!

Afterwards, since it is SO UNBEARABLY HOT in the South, we drove to a watering hole and jumped in! The water was disappointingly warm and not totally refreshing, but worth it nonetheless. We ended the day with the hike up Flatside Mountain that I described above. Today has been about learning the city and meeting with local orgs. Met with ACAC, a local artist collective, and talked about their structure a bit. More reflections on them and CHE (the one in TN that I haven't talked much about) soon...

A Building School at The Farm

2010-07-24T14:53:00.000-04:00

While on the Farm, Phil and I stayed at the EcoVillage Training Center...when the huge split happened in the 80s where people either left or formed some sort of income generator or non-profit on the Farm, a natural building/earth-loving training center was a natural progression...

The whole place seemed in a state of "almost finished," but we later learned that it is because all of the structures being built are only worked on during classes or if the interns who are on-site make it their project to finish. This means there are so many cool projects that are half built. Not a problem really, but it does give the impression that the folks at the training center have a hard time wrapping things up. Does this matter? To me, no. Perhaps to funders looking to continue to fund their work, yes? As silly as it is, it always seems to come down to how projects are perceived by the funder or how they look within a community. In the urban landscape this becomes much more of a problem. If I were to have a training center within a cityscape...could I leave projects half finished? My inclination would be...no, since it could be an eyesore for neighbors and it may be dangerous if structures are only half finished and there are people wandering through at night. But, how are normal construction sites dealt with? Can't there just be temporary fences erected or something?

It was a neat place for sure and got me excited about building out in Taos. Can't wait to get my hands dirty! As I walked in and out of the structures and explored the waste treatment bogs/ponds I was reminded of why I want to be involved in this movement...it makes SO much sense! Human waste and food waste are composted and recycled back into the gardens, the gardens produce food to eat, the waste water is treated and then can re-enter the watertable, the water used in showers is heated by the sun, the chickens are fed by the food waste compost, etc, etc. Like the song in the Lion King: It's all a circle of life! (Duh.)

CHE and The Farm...in the middle of TN...

2010-07-23T08:34:00.000-04:00

I'm here at The Farm right now, in the middle of Tennessee. Uhhhh, where exactly? hmmm...I hope I'll find my way out eventually...

We got up at 7 in Nashville and Phil cooked breakfast at the place we were staying for that night...a bachelor pad of sorts, with these two med-techs who were SUPER friendly and totally welcoming. We got to eat some greens not dripping in oil and have real non-diner coffee! I had to be at the Center for Holistic Ecology at 11am, so we made our way out into central Tennessee on back roads after breakfast. The landscape has changed from beuatiful mountains, to farm valleys, to now just farm fields and forests, like home. When we got to CHE, apparently there had been miscommunication and the woman thought we would meet her in another location 30 minutes away at 11 when we thought we were meeting at the office...so unfortunately I had to conduct a phone interview. Ah well, such is life. After the phone interview (which I will talk about in a future post) we went for lunch at ANOTHER mexican restaurant (3rd one in 3 days). I think the one in Chattanooga was the best of the three...Taco Mamacita, and then Local Taco in Nashville, and then this place, really in the middle of nowhere. I'd rate it similar to Gramma Mora's in Buffalo. The other two places were fabulous though! GOOD Mexican and good portions and good/fresh salsa and guacamole.

Then took a leisurely drive out to The Farm, which is where I am now. It's an interesting place to say the least. If you're not familiar, they're an intentional community started back in the 70s based on principles of nonviolence and love for the Earth. An experiment in communal living, though these days their numbers are very much reduced...went from 1500 to about 200 over the years, though recently there has been a returning of 2nd and 3rd generation "Farmies." Anyway, it was very calming to be there, and I can see why folks would find it comforting to live there. What I question, though, is...what are the merits of an intentional community?? Isn't that already exclusive in its formation? How are we as a society supposed to lift each other up if we selectively leave out some?

One argument could say that bringing together an awesome bunch of people into a living situation could spur positive change within a larger community, but how is that the case if the intentional community is so far removed from the rest of development (say in the middle of TN for instance)? What if something like the Farm is transplanted into the middle of a city neighborhood? Would it still be insular, or would it reach out to the outside community? I have yet to find really good examples of intentional communities who effectively reach out to a wider community, though I am willing to accept it if someone knows of one...

Is there a way to create an intentional community that is part of a wider community? Is it all in what passes as the intention for forming?

Green design

2010-07-21T23:52:00.000-04:00

Visited a green supply and design company today to get a little bit of the business side of what I'm interested in. For some reason, it seems difficult to find a good middle ground between the for-profit feel of business and the money as secondary attitude of non-profits. Despite the fact that the actions of a business owner may be well-intentioned, the necessity of making money turns a warm, fuzzy feeling into more of a straight forward, clean cut business attitude. Not cut throat, but definitely no-nonsense.

The feeling inside n-habit was very similar to other supply businesses I've been in, which makes me question whether I really want something like that in the future. How does one integrate the business side and the non-profit? Is it about the atmosphere of a place or the way in which the person who runs it presents themselves and the space? Is it about offering some unprofitable programs and not batting an eyelash? How does a business make sure it is making money, but also making people in their community feel welcome to just stop by?

The thing I took away from n-habit that was most helpful for me is perhaps getting to talk to a licensed architect and asking her about that profession. What I've been wondering is...what types of licenses will be necessary for what I want to do?? There are many things I could be licensed or certified in (architect, BPI, LEED AP) but...where does that get me?

It's a funny game we play in the professional world. You could hire the least qualified person for a job just because he or she went and got a certificate that says they know more than perhaps the most qualified person who simply lacks a piece of paper that tells other that. I realize certifications are smart to have, if just for show, but there are SO many! I doubt one can get certified as an artist/builder/planner all in one? Darn, didn't think so...

Create Where??

2010-07-21T17:30:00.000-04:00

CreateHERE!!!!! (see previous post on the organization) This is the second of two organizations that I visited in Chattanooga. Walking into their workspace, you would think that you are walking into more of a play space than any type of office. There are folks bouncing balls and brainstorming on whiteboards, the conference table has a huge bowl of candy and there are large couches and plush chairs for people to crash on. My immediate thought was 'I want to work in a place like this!' Important to remember for my future plans: a creative space that nurtures innovation and provides an atmosphere for shooting around ideas. After being bounced around from person to person, learning about what each team within the org does, I walked away with both a positive view of the organization and a few...not so positive, though definitely not negative thoughts.

In all honesty, I find myself still unclear of what exactly CreateHere does. Or maybe, what it doesn't do? When it started, the organization was primarily to support artists as drivers of the cultural economy of Chattanooga. Move cool artists to the region, support artists within the region, etc. But as they grew bigger, they took on additional societal problems...the question for them became...do we deal with these issues, and if so, how? CreateHere functions on the idea that the methodology that they have created works in most cases on pretty much every issue, so they are able to tackle anything that is a certain size. I suppose the how, the method, is THE question for non-profits. Where is the line? When do you stop? For CreateHere, they stop in 200+ days. There is a time limit to the organization...something I've never really heard of before. What are the pros and cons of a timeline? Like I said in a previous post, many orgs that have been around for too long often lose sight of their mission and continue doing things just to be "doing things." Perhaps this is an alternative? With a set time limit, there is a need to find tangible solutions NOW and to act on them NOW. But after the time is up...has everything been put in place to continue that solutions-driven work? Do they expect a leader in the community to pick up where they left off? How can you be SO involved in creating solutions and then just pick up and leave? I've been thinking about this, and for the most part...I actually like their concept, but I think it only applies in certain situations. They are good at targeting specific problems within a community and fixing it, but I don't think this 5 year time limit works well when entering and committing to assisting with many social services...you can't give services, help people so they are reliant on your aid and then say "okay, time limit is up...goodbye!" That's like foreign aid. Not that I'm saying CreateHere is doing that, but more it is something that should be--and for the most part I think is--in the forefront of their minds when starting new initiatives...

Another question that arose when speaking with them about their mission was: well, what exactly is cultural economy? Is it the vibrant nightlife, public art, good concerts that exist in a region? Or is it that the economy has risen to such a level that the residents are able to support the arts/artists? Which comes first, the chicken or the egg? Artists that act as a boost for economy, or a boosted economy which will act as the supporter for artists? Like the chicken and the egg theory, I think it is totally circular; artists will bring their social commentary and their creative ideas to change a region's economy, and the economy does or doesn't support their continued stay. CreateHere talks a lot about cultural economy, but I am wondering...what about calling it the creative economy??

After leaving, Phil and I talked a little about what we thought of the organization and came up with a good descriptor: sleek. CreateHere is good at marketing themselves and they have an image which screams "we creative people will find a solution!" Problems seem like they are dealt with in a matter-of-fact fashion...if something works, great, and if it doesn't, throw it away and start on something new. On the surface, there is this can-do attitude, but for me, it all seemed a bit overwhelming, so I decided to go back to the basics of the organization to understand its structure and how it functions. The structure is very different from most other orgs I've encountered. As Sheldon explained, there is the "mom and dad" (the founders) and then there is everyone else. There is equal power in decision making for the most part, though each team has very well defined tasks and stuff they need to be working on so the decision making process, at least on the surface, does not seem to be haphazard. I like this model, only I worry about it's scalability. To a certain extent, they've proved it to be unscalable; last year they found themselves at 30 staff members and have strategically downsized to 15 this year, a more manageable number. With my experience in non-hierarchical structures (yay EcoReps!!), I'd say that's about right. Though it's a little different since the staff at this organization is being paid a little more than I was at the time, there is an issue of pointing fingers, becoming disorganized, and simply not being able to follow who is doing what and what tasks are being forgotten. To have a successful large non-hierarchical structure, there would have to be one person hired just to manage what all the groups were doing! All in all though, I thought that CreateHere had some really neat stuff going on...the only other thing I need to seriously think about is the tendency for gentrification to creep in with the kind of stuff they are doing...

Choo Choo

2010-07-21T16:47:00.000-04:00

Went to Chattanooga…I don’t know how I feel about it. Perhaps it is because we mostly saw the gentrified areas and talked to people about creating a better Chattanooga, but it all seemed a little too perfect. Bike friendly, pedestrian friendly, lots of public art…but no mixing of cultures, no bunches of people smushed together and forced to make things work. Too planned is the word maybe? Makes me wonder how effective having very clean cut development plans actually are. Everything seemed a-okay, but there must be conflict, no? And if there isn’t…am I uncomfortable with it because I don’t know what that could or would look like? I’m thinking it’s more of the former than the latter. I certainly hope if cooperation and beautification and celebration, etc. all worked in tandem that I would be intelligent enough to recognize a good thing when I saw it.

In any event, I met with CWLI (see previous post on it) today. Rather, I met with a woman named Marj, one of the seven founding members of the woman’s organization. It was interested in meeting her on two levels: 1) I learned some answers and more to the questions I had about her specific organization and 2) I learned a little about why she is so passionate about it, how it got started, and why she is still (13+ years later) just as enthusiastic about it as she was in the beginning. I’ll speak to the second point, since this is something I have been thinking a lot about lately…is it possible to remain just as passionate about and effective in an organization 5, 10, 20 years down the line? In many organizations that have been existing for what seems like f-o-r-e-v-e-r, I often find it the case that the employees are simply carrying out tasks that were invented and implemented ages ago, regardless of their effectiveness. That has less to do with personal passion and effectiveness, though I think the effectiveness and passion of the top runners often has a heavy influence on the attitudes and actions of the employees. From what I gathered from her conversation, she is passionate about women's issues because, well, she IS a woman. I'm curious though, even if leadership is something she still so strongly believes in, how can she continually be so convinced in the mission of her organization? How does one avoid burnout on an issue?

We talked a bit about organizational structure, which became much more relevant with interviewing additional organizations, especially women-focused orgs. I was correct in my previous blog post when I said I thought CWLI targeted natural leaders within a community, women already making something of themselves and working with them so that it hopefully trickles down to other women who are not so self-motivated and who I guess would be classified as the "down and out." This trickle-down theory...does it actually work? This is a question that I asked to an organization in Nashville today who works with the "down and out" population...and was not surprised to learn that though they may work with women that are lower on the totem pole, it still comes down to the fact that whoever is participating--either in CWLI or Against the Grain--has to WANT to be there. Has to volunteer themselves to change.

...really? What if someone wants to better their life, but it takes a program like AtG to figure that out? If AtG spends money on training a woman who fails their program and only relaizes after the fact that they need to do a complete 180...is that wasted resources? For the most part, I would think the answer to that would be no, not wasted, but it certainly puts a strain on the organization when proving success rates to funders...

Anyway, back to CWLI. It was certainly nice to connect with a woman in TN and hear the same issues that are in Buffalo are in TN, are in Iowa, are in...you name it. But I knew that. It's like the story that Marj told me about CWLI starting: everyone got together weekly to talk about things that has happened during the week, complaining about inequality, etc. but nothing ever came of it! What was more interesting to me was the topics that were discussed in the mentorship program that they run. Many of the topics were about using knowledge of the male-dominated world to the woman's advantage (...how to be politically savvy, using power, authority, and influence effectively in the workplace....). What this basically says to me is...act like a man to be accepted as a successful business/career woman in our society. Yikes. I understand that it can be necessary to use some of these tools and "act like a guy," but I believe this thinking is problematic. By assigning gender roles to specific qualities and by assuming that power and authority doesn't come naturally to some women, which it definitely does, we already have a huge gender separation! I don't know if there is much of an alternative and I think this argument is rather like the argument surrounding race (if you talk about it, it will continue to exist, but...if we ignore it, it may get worse because it doesn't seem like race and racism will disappear anytime soon...) In any event, meeting with Marj has gotten me to thinking about target populations, how an organization talks about and frames the issues it is tackling, and about teaching/mentoring models...

S.O.S.

2010-07-20T18:52:00.000-04:00

Apparently, we were all mistaken; the Titanic did NOT sink into the Atlantic on that fateful night almost 100 years ago. The Titanic was landlocked in Tennessee!

The drive into Great Smoky Mountains National Park is by far one of the most horrendous examples of capitalism and overstimulation imaginable. Think Clifton Hill times 300. One thousand even. You still will not understand what Sevierville, VA is like. In addition to passing a gigantic “sinking” cruise ship with fake floating iceberg, we were coughing and choking in the 100 degree heat, which seemed to only get worse as we sat through lines and lines of traffic entering Dolly Parton’s Stampede (the cowboy version of that Medieval Times place). Perhaps think a combination of Las Vegas, Clifton Hill, and any 1970s stop-off on the highway and you might just be getting an idea of what I’m talking about.

After suffering through the traffic and million billboards before the park--much of which I slept through since Phil was driving—we arrived desperate for any kind of physical activity to stretch our legs. The ranger pointed us in the direction of three hikes, of which we chose Chimney Tops.

Hey, I thought my roofing days were over!! The climb was very steep, basically hiking up the side of a mountain, but when we got to the top…geez, what a view. The mountain is made of this uplifted rock that is sometimes grey, but also shiny like copper at times. The surrounding mountains…indescribable.

We left the national park and were STARVING, so we stopped off for a bite to eat. Phil tried the fresh mountain trout…you just have to when you’re in the area, no? Unfortunately though, we finished much later than expected. Given that we had to be in Chattanooga the next morning, we were shooting to stay at a state park in the near vicinity. Welllllll, state parks close at 10pm and we didn’t arrive until midnight…slipped under the radar, though unintentionally and not for lack of trying...

Smokey the Bear says a low chance of forest fire...

2010-07-20T18:31:00.000-04:00

No need to worry about forest fires, because there has been a steady onset of rain the past two nights. The first night we got all the way past Beckley, West Virginia. The drive through West Virginia is breath-taking...very mountainous, cool clouds, etc. No sight of mountaintop removal, though I suspect they keep the dynamite and the unsightly coal mining production out of the sight of tourists. We certainly don't want the tourists connecting the idea of West Virginia with those terrible coal mining companies! *gasp*

We stayed in a state park almost on the state line between West Virginia and Virginia. There were these hummingbird feeders next to the check-in cabin, and right as we were checking in, there were no less than 10 hummingbirds at the feeders! They reminded me very much of seahorses since they are very awkward looking and seem to be very good at hovering. Something like 20-25 wing beats per minute for medium sized birds??

As we sat down to eat our dinner (thank you, Phil's mom!) the sky opened up. We took the food to the car and had our first official road trip dinner awkwardly munching and chatting over an open map. Our plans were to tackle the Great Smokys and then head towards Chattanooga for my first few meetings with folks there...

I'm like Spaceghost...coast to coast!

2010-07-18T02:00:00.000-04:00

Typical last minute packing...I don't have anything ready. You may assume that I was running off to the beach and hanging around at the Italian Festival...but you'd be wrong. Instead, I was reroofing up until 3 hours ago. Ick. The good thing is, that section of my roof is done! Anyway, I feel like I need a break from things that I am supposed to be doing, so I am blogging instead of packing...

FREEEEEEEEEDOOOOMMMMMM (as William Wallace would say)! I am leaving thoughts of responsibility behind. I cannot control everything around me and nor should I try...just go with the flow and follow the tide. For a minute I thought I'd be a little sad about leaving Buffalo behind, but...nope. You see, Buffalo's like an old friend; it will always be there when you get back from your adventures. Or rather, when I get back from my adventures. If you're reading this, then you're in for a hell of a trip. Through the back roads of Tennessee, down to Cajun country and then out to the desert of the southwest...never quite knowing what we'll see, who we'll meet, or precisely where we're staying that night...stay tuned for some (mis) adventures! Mom and Dad, I promise I won't faint and knock out my two front teeth this time...

CHE (outside of Nashville)

2010-07-16T00:45:00.000-04:00

The Center for Holistic Ecology (CHE) is exactly about what it sounds: a holistic approach through integrating self, social and ecological systems. Never environment over people or people over the environment...all together at once. To accomplish this approach, they capitalize on the power of networking--bringing people, resources, services and organizations together to get the conversations started.

Though it seems like they do take a really holistic approach to everything and they offer classes in my favorite thing (natural building, of course!), what I am more interested in is their Seven Sisters Program, though I don't know if it's through them, or if it is just another program...I was confused by their website. The first sentence on the "about" section of this particular program is: "...women please stand up—and take your place at the head of the green movement." Ummmmm YES, okay. The program seeks to provide support for women trying out inspiring ideas that help the planet. Support monetarily and emotionally. I really see this as a valuable component to their entire program since women have SO much to bring to the table, especially considering the independence and ambition of working women (not that it has changed, but that society has made it much easier over time...). Apparently though, no one is currently running this program, which is a bit sad to hear given that I wanted to interview them about their target group of women, their perspective on women in the green movement, etc. I will definitely ask them about this, but may have to focus more on other things given that the program isn't up and running...

Regarding the organization as a whole, I am curious in asking about location. Personally, I think it makes a lot of sense to be close to or in a city and teaching much of this holistic approach. In cities are where most people live, not to mention that there are enormous social problems (racial divides, one school district favored over another, poor/rich neighborhoods, vacancy...at least in Buffalo, etc) which seem to happen everywhere, but on a much larger scale in urban settings). To be sure, there are definite advantages in teaching permaculture in more rural settings, but I want to see what pros/cons were weighed in the decision process of CHE's place selection.

Lastly, I am curious to ask about what else but natural building. Natural building using what materials? Do they offer classes on it? Are their structures built using natural methods? From what it seems, CHE connects with the Farm who offers classes...

...The Farm? As in THE farm? If you've never read about it and about intentional communities, you should. I wonder if CHE is an intentional community like The Farm, or if it more mainstream, more of a classroom rather than a place for people to live, founded during the hippie era, etc. My friend Gwen just wrote a story on intentional communities like the Farm and Arcosanti (in AZ), so I am sorta curious to check it out. Maybe I'll stop by at The Farm on the way...

ACAC (Little Rock, Arkansas)

2010-07-16T00:27:00.000-04:00

Gettin' close to time of departure. T minus...2 days and less than 12 hours! I'm continuing researching organizations (last minute)...I have no organizations yet that I am visiting in Little Rock, but there are a ton that I want to chat with. I'm almost positive I'm meeting with Arkansas Community Arts Cooperative (ACAC), so I'll report on them...

I consider myself an artist of sorts. I am involved in the building trades, green construction, and material reuse...but I believe that nothing should be done unintentionally...building should be done in an artistic way because I believe that buildings can be both green AND uniquely beautiful! This is part of the reason why I am visiting arts organizations, because of my interest in the arts. The second is that I believe that artists make up a large part of a region's culture and thus supremely important in sustaining a healthy city.

In addition to simply being curious about this organization, what I am perhaps most interested in speaking with ACAC about is the issue of access since this is a topic that I have come across often. In the mission statement it says "resources to artists and the community including those who would not normally have access to them." I am curious to see what has been successful in terms of outreach, receiving money to do stuff like providing resources at low or no cost, etc.

The second thing that caught my eye on their website was encouraging involvement. This interests me primarily because I am looking for strategies for community development and I am wondering if they've used public art and involvement in large art installations at all to get conversations within the Little Rock community started.

If so, perhaps something to think about in Buffalo...large "art days" where it goes beyond lot clean up, brings together both artists and community members, and results in long-lasting art installations. Paintings, mosaics, building structures (see cityrepair website...village building convergence...) The important thing to be considered in that is...bringing together people in a fruitful way that focuses on INVOLVEMENT, not exclusivity...

(n)habit--environmental supply + design (Nashville, TN)

2010-07-13T23:28:00.000-04:00

(n)habit is the first BUSINESS I am visiting. I have chosen to visit a combination of both organizations and businesses because I am curious to judge the differences between the two. What makes sense as a business and what makes sense as a non-profit? Are there ways to do both? The whole field of socially-minded business seems to suggest that there is, but what ideas will actually work in the sort of set up that seeks profit (yet not too much) and helps the community (but only to the extent feasible)? Hard question to even begin to answer, yet it is always interesting to see what others have to say on the subject.

Specific to (n)habit: It is a green building supply and design company. They also offer some installation services...and they promote other businesses (where to get biodiesel, solar panels, etc)? A nice gesture, but also means that maybe they lean more towards information sharing and promoting a greener healthier future than ONLY seeking profit.

Looking through the products offered on their website, I find there are some products that would be considered questionable as a "green" product for many building professionals. It returns to the question that I and all people involved in green construction ALWAYS return to...what do you compromise on? Concrete retains heat very well and is used in many radiant floor systems, yet Portland cement is not the most eco-friendly of materials...do we compromise and use it? And should we offer tints for it? Where are those tints from? Are things locally sourced? Why sell paints in cans...could they mass produce natural paints which are even better than the manufactured ones and just tint that? The salvaged lumber that they list on the website...salvaged from where? Nearby? You get the idea.

It'll be interesting to speak with the people at (n)habit, for sure. There is a green supply store of sorts that just had their opening in Buffalo this past week (I couldn't go on account of the Fancy and Delicious Fundraiser...), and so it will be interesting to see how the two differ as they continue to grow....

Against the Grain (Nashville, TN)

2010-07-13T21:05:00.000-04:00

Against the Grain's mission: "...empowering single mothers and their children, enabling them to become responsible leaders in their homes and communities." Though I am certainly not a mother yet (...if ever...sometimes I think to the chagrin of my mother since she would LOVE grandkids), I can connect on the basis of women's empowerment and thus why I chose to look into what they do...

AtG's main program as it is presented on their website is 180, so called because women who enter the program have realized they must do a 180 in their lives in order to become more self-sufficient and successful or else they are doing themselves and their children a disservice. This program includes both life skills classes like Budgeting 101, parenting classes, Jobs for Life, Financial Stewardship, Purpose Driven Life and Self Esteem classes and referral services/educational opportunities (through scholarships and partnerships with several local colleges and tech-schools). It is a two year program, which is something that is unique and encouraging. My sense from having looked at other programs is that 6 months is way too short to turn someone's life around, so 2 years is a much better commitment--both on the part of the organization and the women enrolled.

Year one: The women in the program are partnered with a life-coach. Questions immediately arise...what is a life coach? How involved are they in a woman's life? Are there daily, weekly, monthly check-ins? How supportive is the relationship between the coach and the woman? Can it or has it ever become accusatory, or negative in any way? How are the life-coaches trained, if at all?

Year two: "the life-coach and the AtG staff work with the mother to ensure the implementation of the training and completion of their customized plan. The mother also becomes an encourager for a new mom beginning the program." How is year two different from year one? How is it the same? Does the mother get trained to be an encourager? Can they eventually become a life-coach?

In reading past newsletters and other pages on their website, I also came away with additional questions that I hope will be clarified once I speak with someone at the organization: in addition to helping the mothers, does the organization help their kids as well (what is the kids 180 program, what is the Image Builders Mentors Program)? How much does religion play into this organization? How are the women supported...financially, emotionally, with accomodations, food, etc. What are some examples of women passing through the program? What types of encouragement or check-in has proven to be most effective in leading to success and empowerment of women? What is the "incentive pantry"? Do life skills that are taught include homeownership and DIY projects?

CreateHere (Chattanooga, TN)

2010-07-05T08:56:00.000-04:00

In the ABOUT section of CreateHere’s website it reads, “we love our city for what it is, has been and could become.” Funny, since that’s what I think when I think of Buffalo. I see Buffalo for what it could be. So much potential! In stating this sentiment, the organization CreateHere could be anywhere, really—a city in Nebraska or a city in England, or wherever—because it is a universal sentiment: pride of place.

Pride of place. What does that mean? How does this idea manifest itself in an organization? Well, the idea of placemaking--of creating a space where people want to live and interact and invest in--has been around for ages, but what does it really mean to “make a place?” For CreateHere it seems as though making places comes with investing in the people of a place. Not necessarily first, but perhaps in conjunction with the beautification of an area, with supporting local businesses, etc. What caught my eye about this organization is the way in which they use their programs as a method to “harness the economic potential of creative individuals.”

Who counts as a creative individual? At face value, a creative individual might be an artist, a person who paints, sculpts, carves, photographs, makes t-shirts, and generally documents a place. The result of their work is a commentary or criticism on the place or the social happenings of that place. Well, what if we took those individuals and supported them monetarily? It would be a statement of: “we believe in fostering the creative culture in our city.” Not only that, but perhaps these rising artists within the community fostering the creative community may have a creative influence on other sectors of the city such as organizations, businesses, and even government. CreateHere has a program called MakeWork which grants money to individuals. Under the stipulations of receiving money, each artist must attend sustainability sessions through their other program SpringBoard.

Being an Environmental Policy major, I immediately thought sustainability in an environmental context, but what SpringBoard seems to be more is a peer-to-peer network of individuals who throw ideas around and come up with strategies for success. This can definitely help ensure the longevity of the influence that the artists have in the Chattanooga community, but I am also interested in my original thought. What if these artists had to attend environmental sustainability sessions? Would the materials and dyes and paints and methods become way less toxic? Would their work be influenced by this idea of environmental stewardship? If the economy is a “green” economy, what will that mean for the creative minds of a city in the near future? I think that CreateHere has their mind in the right place in supporting first, and then providing the artists tools for their continued success, because without those first 2 steps there would be no room for talking about toxicity of materials, etc. But I wonder…could there be a third step of environmental stewardship which would make the program increasingly unique and perhaps more attractive to a wider range of funders?

My second interest lies internally: how does the organization function? Who are the leaders? How do they do outreach? How do they give all this money to support artists?

All questions to be answered in an interview, but what I noticed immediately about this organization was that like the CWLI (see previous post), CreateHere believes in having good leadership to drive their mission and to drive change in the city they love. To this end, they have created a program called LeadHere. The program is made of fellows who are selected in an application process. The fellows enter into CreateHere and experience hands on community building efforts, which is something that I think is invaluable. How does one get experience in leadership and community building efforts by simply studying it? A person must become ENGAGED. The best part of this program seems to be that it fosters and encourages creative solutions to pervasive problems within the community, though that could be me just hoping that this is the main goal of the LeadHere program. Often organizations function very differently from what it seems like on the surface, so I will have to investigate upon interviewing them. I was thinking, though, that there needs to be something similar in Buffalo…an organization that gives creative people the power to achieve innovative solutions, since doing the same old same old often seems to fall a little short, no?

CWLI (Chattanooga, TN)

2010-06-25T19:59:00.000-04:00

The first organization that I am meeting with is the Chattanooga Women’s Leadership Institute (CWLI). Maybe it’s the fact that I went to a women’s college, or maybe it’s the fact that I’ve been asked no less than 7 times in one visit to Home Depot if I needed help with something—“honey, can I get that for you?” “are you looking for the paint section?” “are you sure that’s what you’re looking for?”—or maybe it’s the mind blowing stats about the number of teen moms in Buffalo (read the sixth bullet point) that are alone in providing for their children, but regardless, I feel a certain connection to women’s empowerment programs. Oh yeah, and I’m a woman…though some days I wouldn't know it with my carhartts and tool belt, up to my elbows in mud. This is not to say that there should not be men’s empowerment programs, because in fact, there probably should be. Men need as much encouragement in exploring non-traditional career paths as women do! Certainly not with the same priorities as women’s groups, but needed nonetheless.

In starting my search for this road trip, I had in mind a few people/orgs I wanted to interview: a) green/natural building companies b) non-profit community building groups and c) women-specific groups or businesses. Obviously, CWLI falls under category c.

CWLI is a non-profit organization that seeks to enhance women’s roles in our society by training leaders and coordinating women-only networking sessions, providing a comfortable atmosphere for females in which they can interact and see other women in successful career paths. For me, this seems important, though not totally (I think) in the way that they are approaching it. What seems most valuable is the inter-generational connection that this Institute could potentially provide.

The Women to Women Mentoring Program that is mentioned on their website that I thought I should mention in this post. From what I understand, the program takes women already involved in a career of some sort and engages them in training to become a mentor for other women. Beyond that though, it is unclear how these women further the idea of choice--of career, of partner, of whatever--and I do not see a mention of any real mentor program, just the mention of training mentors. What is the purpose of the group? To build equality among women or build women's role in society or helping individual women realize their potential or all of the above?

After reading through their website, I have a few more questions for CWLI:

Does the organization actively pursue job placement for their members?
Are eight 2-hour sessions enough for women to become mentors? And once they become mentors for other women, is there an established program that pairs people together? Or is it that they are just a mentor for other women generally in their everyday life?
Who is their target audience? It says on their website, “women of all ages, ethnicities, and backgrounds,” but who realistically can get to the workshops, can pay the dues and attend networking sessions?

I guess we shall see the answers to all of these when I visit! Next installment: CreateHere, a placemaking/art organization that supports community artists, beautification, etc.

Planning Stages

2010-06-20T11:18:00.000-04:00

I'm a curious person...despite the fact that "they" say that curiosity killed the cat; because really, I think that's a load of bull. Curiosity did not kill the cat; the lack of that 10th life did it in. Anyway, curiosity is what has driven me to start this blog. Not curiosity of how a blog works, but curiosity in other people, in social movements going on in the US, of green/natural building techniques, and of a woman's role in it all.

It is a blog of my journey around the United States, from Buffalo to New Mexico to Vermont and (eventually) back to Buffalo again. It is named "Stops Along the Way" because it is only in stopping and looking around that I will discover some answers to my curious mind. While I am traveling this next 8 months, I will try to highlight organizations, businesses and people I've met along the way. Praise people who GET IT and add thoughts about others that don't. This is a venue for observing, thinking about and questioning the way organizations and people in our society interact--generationally, socially, racially, religiously, economically, gender-wise, etc.--and a place to compile all this information so that I can look back in 8 months to reflect on how my perceptions have changed.

Below is the itinerary I have been planning for the first leg of the trip, from Buffalo out to Taos, New Mexico. For those of you not in the know, I am going out to Taos to learn about building Earthships. If you haven't seen the documentary Garbage Warrior, you should.

Buffalo --> Cincinnati, OH
Cincinnati, OH --> Chattanooga, TN
Chattanooga, TN --> Nashville, TN
Nashville, TN --> Little Rock, AR (visiting my friend Acadia!!)
Little Rock, AR --> New Orleans, LA (uh oh...oil spill anyone?)
New Orleans, LA --> Dallas, TX
Dallas, TX --> Lubbock, TX? (not sure totally, but need a destination between Dallas and Taos...)
Lubbock, TX --> Taos, NM

In the future I will be posting about individual organizations that I am visiting. As you can tell, I am more than excited to get going on this journey! Hope you'll join me either in person (fly out to a destination and meet me for a few days) or by reading this blog. Please, please make comments on anything you find particularly interesting...

Megan