Thriving in Uncertain Times: Real Skills For Living Off The Land
As we are seeing in the Occupy Movement and general swelling unrest throughout the United
States, a majority of Americans are dissatisfied with the way things are going. It's becoming
increasingly hard to meet our basic needs, and we see our economic and governmental leaders
failing again and again to respond in any real way to the constant emergency that seems to
pervade our world. The Living Skills Immersion offers you some tools to take back control of
your life, find a meaningful niche in your community, and begin living out your values in
harmony with the earth.
Reconnecting everyday life to fundamental natural laws and community self-reliance, Wild
Abundance, a cutting-edge school for simple, independent living, and Living Systems Design, a
regional leader in permaculture planning and education, are offering a ten-day immersion
program, Living Skills Immersion: Permaculture Taught Through Ancestral Skills, March
22nd through April 1st, outside of Asheville, North Carolina.
“In the frenzy of our modern culture, most people meet their basic needs through abstractions,
working to buy the things they need and want instead of actually making them,” says Natalie
Bogwalker, (co-founder of the program). “When we learn to meet our own basic needs through
our own abilities, and implement those skills in daily life, it allows our bodies and spirits to
thrive in new ways.”
The Living Skills Immersion teaches permaculture design through ancestral skills. Without use
of modern technology, students will learn the basics of growing food, finding water, making
medicine, creating shelter, and living with multi-generational relationships, all from a
perspective that promotes truly sustainable use of our natural resources.
“It’s a totally unique course,” says Zev Friedman, founder of Living Systems Design, regional
permaculture teacher and consultant, and co-founder of the program. "We designed it to teach
the principles of whole system design – from valuing diversity to creating landscape elements
with multiple functions – by doing rather than lecturing. We have students focus on handcrafts,
primitive skills and traditional arts in a fun and creative environment."
Permaculture is a design system, a way of thinking and approaching life, that is available to
anyone. It helps us to learn the language of nature and translate that language into human affairs.
Instead of living in human systems that work against natural laws, practitioners design their
homes and gardens, their businesses and their lives in a way that leads to greater efficiency and
long-term viability.
To teach Permaculture principles, the immersion will explore a wealth of ancestral and primitive
skills, including:
* homesteading
* wildfoods foraging and cookery
* fire building and tending
* forest gardening
* firewood selection and splitting
* cooking on fire
* bonecraft
* compassionate farm animal slaughter and wasteless butchering (optional)
* and of course much, much more
“We are also teaching community building skills such as functional communication, because no
matter how self-sufficient you become, no skill is created or exists except within the context of
community,” continues Bogwalker. “It’s through community that we excel and create systems
for simple living.”
The Living Skills Immersion: Permaculture taught through ancestral skills
with Natalie Bogwalker, Zev Friedman, and guest instructors including Doug Elliott and Chuck
Marsh.
March 22-April 1
Located in lovely community setting 20 minutes outside of Asheville, NC
$650 or $590 for early registration (before 2/15/12)
Camping included
Food is organic, mostly local, and partially wild. Meal pass $200
For more information and to register go to
www.wildabundance.net
Also visit www.livingsystemsdesign.net for information on other permaculture education and
services.
Find the Living Skills Immersion on Facebook by searching ‘Living Skills Immersion.’
Living Systems Design is a Permaculture and whole systems design, planning and educational
training group dedicated to the creation of unique productive environments that meet the needs
of humans while restoring abundance, health, and diversity to the landscapes we occupy.
Wild Abundance teaches people how they can tap into nature's bounty. It puts on events like the
Firefly Gathering and offers classes throughout the year. It is currently putting together
curriculum for a year long program on homesteading with concentrations in permaculture,
primitive skills, communication, and self-reliance.