[Cob] Natural Building Colloquium East, Bath NY

[Mark Piepkorn]

I go to this regional natural building colloquium 
every year... so this can be considered an 
endorsement, for whatever that's worth.

This year the scope is being expanded to include 
more permaculture and life-choices presentations 
and information... stuff that can be put to use 
*now,* in any living situation. I'm particularly 
excited at the prospect of hanging out with Jim 
Merkel, who wrote the excellent book Radical 
Simplicity (which could just as easily have been 
titled Common-Sense Simplicity). And one of my 
heroes, David Eisenberg, will be there again this year. See below for more.

- - - - -

Tuesday, July 31 ­ Saturday, August 4, 2007
Natural Building and Sustainable Living Colloquium
hosted by The PeaceWeavers :: Thunder Mountain ­ Bath, New York
http://www.peaceweavers.com/bws/

 From natural building and permaculture 
techniques to water and energy conservation... 
from alternative fuels to sourcing your food 
locally... this event is important for everyone 
concerned about how their lifestyle impacts our Earth.

It's the fourth year that the PeaceWeavers have 
hosted this family-friendly event at the Thunder 
Mountain Retreat Center near Bath, New York, 
offering very full days of teaching, learning, 
building, and networking. Top experts, authors, 
educators, innovators, designers, and builders 
offer hands-on experience and educational 
presentations with close-to-the-earth building materials and lifestyle choices.

But in the end, there's one really important 
thing that makes these events amazing. Sure, 
there's all kinds of new, fun, valuable things to 
learn ­ tactile, hands-in-the-mud stuff that you 
just don't get from the books or the internet. 
Sure, people can pick up tricks and tips to save 
precious days and months of misdirected time and 
effort, as well as thousands of dollars of 
misspent money, on their own projects and in 
their lives. Sure, there's the great food, the 
beautiful natural setting, the music, and so much 
more. But in the end, the most rewarding and 
inspiring thing is the rare privilege of being 
with so many talented, smart, caring, willing, 
extraordinary people... some of whom just happen 
to be world-class natural builders, sustainable 
thinkers, and do-gooders. It's the people ­ all 
of them ­ who come together at Thunder Mountain that are the best thing of all.

Join us for our 4th Natural Building 
Colloquium!  ­ a hands-on event with an emphasis 
on natural building and sustainable living in the 
northeastern climate. Meet and be inspired by 
some of the movement's foremost natural builders, 
designers, and sustainable living educators.

Workshops, demonstrations, and presentations 
include such topics as: Strawbale · cob · 
cordwood · timber framing · earth sheltered 
buildings · straw-clay infill · permaculture · 
community-supported agriculture · living roofs · 
thatching · renewable energy (wind, solar, and 
more) · natural plasters & finishes · building 
with hemp · alternative fuels · log cabin 
construction · international building projects · 
building codes · and much more...

For registration and more info:
http://www.peaceweavers.com/bws/

Invited presenters include:
Laura Bartels
   http://www.greenweaverinc.com/
Larry Brown
   http://www.dailyfreeman.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=18304214&BRD=1769&PAG=461&dept_id=81974&rfi=6
Dan Chiras
   http://www.chelseagreen.com/authors/DanielDChiras
Aaron Dennis
   http://www.tugleywood.com/
Sam Droege
   http://www.thelaststraw.org/backissues/articles/52_31.html
David Eisenberg
   http://www.dcat.net/
FoodRoutes
   http://www.foodroutes.org/
Sarah Highland
   http://www.theithacajournal.com/news/stories/20040713/localnews/831753.html
Joe Jenkins
   http://www.josephjenkins.com/
Tim Owen-Kennedy
   http://www.vitalsystems.net/
Sigi Koko
   http://www.buildnaturally.com/
Mark Lakeman
   http://activistarchitect.blogspot.com/2005/11/mark-lakeman-communitecture-and-city.html
Sarah Machtey
   http://www.potkettleblack.com/natbild/sarahtree/
Chris Magwood
   http://www.flemingc.on.ca/Full-time/ProgramDisplay.cfm?ProgramCode=SBD
Jim Merkel
   http://blogs.salon.com/0002007/2003/12/01.html
Darren Molnar Port
   http://www.state.nj.us/dca/dh/gho/
Mark Piepkorn
   http://www.google.com/search?q=%22Mark+Piepkorn%22
Ed Raduazo
   http://www.cobbuildersforum.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=16
Mark Shepard
   http://www.centerforsustainablecommunity.org/Events/Permaculture/ShepardBio.html
Ben Simpson
   http://www.google.com/search?q=+%22Ben+Simpson%22+%22Growing+Places%22
Kim Thompson
   http://www.naturalbuilding.ca/

Presenters, workshops, & presentations are not final and are subject to change.

Photos from previous years
Natural Building Colloquium East 2004 - 2006
   http://www.potkettleblack.com/natbild/building-with-spirit/
Peaceweaver's photoblog ­ 2004 (you may need to 
reload the page after it loads the first time to 
get it to land at the right spot)
   http://peaceweaving.blogspot.com/2005_02_01_peaceweaving_archive.html#110781369711134258
Peaceweaver's photoblog ­ 2005 (you may need to 
reload the page after it loads the first time to 
get it to land at the right spot)
   http://peaceweaving.blogspot.com/2005_07_01_peaceweaving_archive.html#112457127267181719
Peaceweaver's photoblog ­ 2006 (you may need to 
reload the page after it loads the first time to 
get it to land at the right spot)
   http://peaceweaving.blogspot.com/2006_09_01_archive.html#115815026590410856

For registration and more info:
http://www.peaceweavers.com/bws/