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March Reading the Western Landscape news; April Selection

March 16, 2010

News from the Library

Here is my favorite passage from our March Reading the Western Landscape selection.

Cover of From the Ground Up
Amy Stewart's From the Ground Up (Chapel Hill, N.C.: Algonquin Books of North Carolina, 2001)  It is bottom of p. 235 onto p. 236.
     “When my Aunt D’Anna was in town from Dallas, I took her with me to see the monarchs.  D’Anna and I have always been close.  We understand each other, we speak the same secret language.  Even now, when I see her, she leans over and whispers to me, “You’re my child.  I loaned you to your father and he never gave you back.  He has all my Aretha Franklin records, too.”  I knew she would love the monarchs. 
     When we got to the eucalyptus grove, people were standing around in dignified groups, craning their necks up at the butterflies and whispering to each other as if they were in a museum.  The monarchs were mostly stuck together like wet leaves clinging to the trees, only the pale dusty undersides of their wings exposed, holding onto the branches for their lives.  But as the sun came out and warmed their wings, they shook themselves loose from their huddle and hundreds of them took flight at once.  The sky filled with orange butterflies soaring up to the tops of the trees, then drifting calmly down again.  Each wing appeared in sharp relief against the blue sky, a perfect symmetry of black, orange, and white, thousands of them floating above us.
     D’Anna and I lay right down on the observation platform, among the schoolchildren tugging on their parents’ sleeves and the nature enthusiasts snapping pictures.  Lying there on our backs, gazing up at a sky filled with fluttering wings, it was difficult to feel anchored to the ground.  They drifted down around us, landing on the platform, on our shoes, on the camera bag, then soared up again.  We felt suspended in the sky with them, as if we were flying ourselves.  Speech became difficult; we were in awe.”

The whole section is evocative of the west, but my really favorite part is the “You’re my child…” part.

Here are the questions I concocted for the book:

Tell me some parts of this book that resonated for you in terms of landscape.
Tell me some parts of this book that resonated for you in terms of gardening
Did any of the gardening adventures seem to feel especially western or “not” western?
Tell me about Amy Stewart’s growth as a gardener.
Tell me you favorite line or image from the story.

The next book is Gary Paul Nabhan’s Coming Home to Eat (New York: W.W. Norton, 2002)  Cover of Coming Home to Eat

Here is the WorldCat link to find it in a local library.

The next meeting is Thursday, April 1 at 7:00 p.m. at the Arboretum Library.

Permaculture Design Certificate (PDC) Course

March 11, 2010

News Items

Events & Classes

8  Saturdays; May 8 - June 26 and one Sunday (June 27)

8am - 5pm

Caitlin Bergman, Instructor—with special guest lecturers

COURSE FEE:  $200 non-refundable deposit –due by May 3rd - holds your place—and will be deducted from the $1200 tuition. Be sure to sign up early as course is limited to 30 registrants. Please call 626.821.4623 to register, or you may email jill.berry@arboretum.org 

Permaculture is sustainable land use design based on ecologically sound principles. Its aim is harmonizing habitats and inhabitants, creating richly productive food systems. Permaculture is an  eye-opening set of principles and concepts that make a tremendous impact on communities. This experiential course is a practical, project-oriented, support training.  It moves beyond theory to hands-on applications.  Participants will become certified permaculture designers upon successful completion.

More than a gardening program, this lively course covers:

  • Habitat restoration

  • Rapid soil rebuilding

  • Thriving food production

  • Rain and grey water use

  • Community integration

  • EarthworksSustainability

  • Urban food forestry

  • Recognizing landscape patterns

WHO SHOULD ENROLL:  Those interested in sustainable, solution-based design.

WHY:  This course is fun and applicable to real world experience, giving participants a solid foundation in permaculture design.   Our work changes lives as it changes the Earth. An environment of support and unity between classmates is fostered, which will enable collaboration in design projects and a strong network of fellow designers.  The subjects to be covered have the potential to generate green jobs and abundance of all kinds.

Caitlin Bergman is a Certified Permaculture Designer, consultant and educator, and a horticulturist and permaculturist at The Arboretum. She received her degree in botany from the University of Hawaii as well as numerous awards and grants.  Caitlin works closely with various colleges, schools, and residences to educate students and homeowners about putting permaculture into action.  With both international and local projects, she is passionate about green living, caring for the earth, and providing students with warm, solution-oriented information.  She delights in linking others to this rapidly-growing global sustainability movement. For more information visit: www.SayPermaculture.com or email cbergman@arboretum.org.

 

 

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