Marc Williams
Marc Williams is an ethnobiologist. He has studied the people, plant, mushroom, microbe interconnection intensively while learning to employ the different kingdoms of biology for food, medicine, and beauty. His training includes a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies concentrating in Sustainable Agriculture with a minor in Business from Warren Wilson College and a Master’s degree in Appalachian Studies concentrating in Sustainable Development with a minor in Geography and Planning from Appalachian State University. He has spent over a 15 years working at a multitude of restaurants and various farms. His travels include adventures through 24 countries in North/Central America and Europe and all 50 of the United States. Marc has visited over 100 botanical gardens and research institutions during this process while taking thousands of pictures of representative plants. He is also Executive Director of Plants and Healers International www.plantsandhealers.org and on the Board of Directors of the Appalachian Institute for Mountain Studies. He has taught hundreds of classes about the marvelous world of plants, people and their interface while working with over 50 organizations in the last few years and online at the website here. Marc’s greatest hope is that his efforts may help improve our current challenging global ecological situation.
Marc N. Williams, Ethnobotanist Executive Director, Plants and Healers International
www.plantsandhealers.org
www.botanyeveryday.com
Woody Ethnobotany: Food, Medicine and Beauty
We will take time to focus on the big long lived beings of the plant world; trees and shrubs. These plants play a central role in any ecosystem. We will cover common and more obscure uses for woody plants that may support overall health, well-being and sustenance while we walk. Some plants will be nibbled directly, others enjoyed for their fragrance.
Wildflower Walk
On this walk we will take note of the flowering plants of spring. Plant family patterns will be discussed that can enable one to demystify proper botanical identification. We will also explore how these patterns help elucidate whether a species might be used for food or medicine.
Josh Fox
Fox has built a life around the healing powers of plants, people, and community. He weaves herbs, song, and acupuncture into his private healing practice, and shares this knowledge as a faculty member of Daoist Traditions College of Chinese Medical Arts and the Blue Ridge School of Herbal Medicine.
Find out more about Fox at http://www.foxhealing.com
Healing Through Song
We will use the power of voice, song, and community to open ourselves up and allow personal healing.
Plant-Human Energetics
This walk will focus on the energetic qualities of the many amazing medicinal plants we have in our bio-region, also looking at our own energetics and how we can best connect to these plants.
Mateo Ryall
J.D. Burnette
I am 26 years old, I have been living in East TN my whole life and I have been studying permaculture, transition and regenerative techniques for the last 4 years. I believe this to be my life’s calling. I got into it all for my own needs but the more I get into it, the more it becomes about others. I’ve always had a LOVE of nature. I enjoy camping, hiking, backpacking, climbing, bouldering, caving, and fostering life enhancing systems.
Intro to SPIN farming: Empowering you to funding, fuel, and enhance your transition experiences
SPIN Farming http://www.spinfarming.com
Permaculture Life Hacks: Easing the Struggle for Transition and Regeneration
This is more of a discussion based workshop but the topics I want to explore are:
· Minimizing fossil fuel and energy consumption: Appropriate Technologies, Localization, Transportation, and Housing.
· Assessing Embodied Energy in “green” technologies: A focus on solar and heating
· Reducing landfill waste and building top soil: Chickens, Composting, Hugelkultur,
· Water conservation: Slowing, Storing, Spreading, and Soaking H20
· Decentralized, People Powered Programs: Uber, Couchsurfing, Crowdfunding, Upcycle, etc
Some of these topics will include how to on DIY things like eco-friendly space heaters, rocket stoves, Top Lit Up Draft Stoves, Heating Water, house design and making small life adjustments for big impact.
Sid Maley
Sid Maley is a travelling beekeeper who speaks for the bees. With seven years of bee-tending wisdom, he has developed a passion for illuminating and inspiring reverence for the honeybees through ancient bee lores. Sid is often found spinning stories at festivals and workshops with a humming observation beehive at his side.
Honeybee Wisdom
Learn the Past, Present, and Future of honeybees and beekeeping; the past will be spun with lores and myths around the history of the bee, the present focused about the importance of honeybees to the balance of Earth, and current problems/concerns in regards to agriculture (GMO, pesticides, etc) as well as in the beekeeping industry (migratory/commercial beekeeping, artificial insemination, etc). The future will be highlighting tips on how to save the bees with simple living solutions such as: planting more flowers, living/eating organic, not using pesticides and such.
Jonathan White
Cob Building Workshop
Come play in the mud and learn one of the oldest and simplest natural building techniques in the world. Cob is a mixture of clay, straw, and sand and is super strong, durable for hundreds of years, and has zero carbon footprint. After this class, stick around for the rocket stove class and use the cob to build a simple rocket stove
Rocket Stove Construction Fundamentals
Learn how to build high efficiency wood-fired stoves for heating, cooking, and baking using simple DIY technology. Rocket stove technology is revolutionizing heating and cooking around the world and is the coolest thing ever!