Green gatherings

There are many movements afoot that are working towards creating a regenerative future. Good opportunities arise to learn more about what people are up to when there are gatherings that bring the diverse strategies of regenerative endeavors together. With so many fronts to focus on to bring us into a more sustainable today it’s hard to keep up on what’s going on sometimes. You can read books, search the Internet and take classes to learn more about becoming a part of the movement to create a more sustainable culture. But how do you sift through all the information to find out what works best? A great way to get more connected is to attend an event that showcases sustainable living. I don’t know about you but I like to learn about things in person and first hand. That’s why this fall there are some gatherings that I will be attending that bring some of these strategies into the same arena.

Sierra Green Day is coming to Murphys, CA on September 21st. It is meant to bring together people that are interested in participating in a sustainable community. This year they finally moved the venue to a place that seems to fit the vibe of the purpose. Murphys park and the Native Sons Hall is a great place to commune with people of all ages. There will be two tracks of educational workshops. One that fits in seamlessly with the mission of a “green” event is the self-reliance and local resilience track. The other is a bit of a stretch with employment and business development track. I see the former as a integral part in a so called green event. However, the business track seems a little bit out of line with the purpose of such an event, perhaps I’m biased a bit and think the whole thing should revolve around self reliance and local resilience. I’m just not sure that all employment and business are “green” and the list of workshops doesn’t really line up with so called “green” living. I look forward to seeing how some of the presenters tie their presentation into green living. I see the importance of such an event in our community so I will be presenting two workshops here this year. The first one I’ll be giving is about how to incorporate permaculture principles into your lifestyle. The second one will be how to make seedballs. If you don’t know what seedballs are I suggest you come to my workshop and Sierra Green Day.

Coming up on October 18th-20th is the 24th annual Bioneers conference. This year the theme is ‘turning vision into action’. Held at the Marin center in San Rafael, CA, it is the premier gathering for people that are dedicated to creating a regenerative culture. Here is their mission “The overarching mission of Bioneers is the advancement of holistic education pertaining to global social, cultural and environmental issues. Bioneers identifies progressive yet nature-honoring solutions to rising challenges of instability, inequality, and unsustainable growth…”. The conference is a space for many people to gather around these issues. Being the premier conference of its type on the planet it showcases leading-edge innovators and their solutions for restoring people and planet. The conference attracts many like-minded individuals and offers a great place for networking. The workshops and plenary talks are inspirational to say the least. I like the way they organize the workshops and plenary talks, their categories include women’s leadership, restorative food systems, youth leadership and an indigenous forum. These are the voices we need to listen to more. I think they have done a great job of giving voice to these issues. I have been to this conference for the last 3 years and I come away feeling inspired and connected every time. I feel at home when I go there, soaking up as much new material that I can and networking with friends and colleagues. One of my favorite parts of Bioneers is the seed exchange. Several local seed companies donate seeds, as well as one of my favorite sources for seed, Tesuque pueblo from New Mexico.
Go check out one or both of these events. Join with others that feel the need to make sustainable changes. Take some of the knowledge you may learn and help spread it around the globe.