Saturday, Oct. 20, 2012
9 a.m.  to 5 p.m. (Schedule & Registration)
Meet Cal-Earth & Midwest Permaculture Teaching Teams as Well
.PDF Flyer of Event – For Printing, Posting and Forwarding Along

Greening the ‘Mojave’ Desert

Many of us were introduced to Geoff Lawton of the Permaculture Research Institute - Australia through the very popular 6-minute film Greening the Desert.  It is the story of a reclamation project in one of the hottest and driest environments in the world — the Desert Jordan, just above the Dead Sea in the Middle East. 

Over 250,000 Viewings of this Classic Permaculture Video

Nadia’s Work in Jordan – BEFORE

Nadia’s Work in Jordan – 2 Years After

Midwest Permaculture and Cal-Earth have invited the Lawtons to join us at the end of our joint Permaculture Design and Earth Building Certificate Course to share of their experience with desert climates.  More specifically, we will ask Geoff and Nadia what lessons could be applied from their ‘Greening the Desert’ experience to the Cal-Earth site which sits along the edge of the Mojave Desert in Hesperia, California.

 

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Home of Nader Khalili’s Seminal Work 
Cal-Earth (California Institute of Earth Art and Architecture) 

When we learned that Geoff and Nadia would be in the US to deliver a 4-day workshop in Castro Vally, CA (San Franciso area), we invited them down to visit the site of Cal-Earth (Near LA) and learn first hand of the lifetime work of the late architect, Nader Khalili.

Nader (born in Iran) devoted his life to the timeless art of using arches, domes, vaults and apses to enclose space with a sense of permanence, economy, safety and beauty.   Combining this ancient building knowledge with modern techniques and materials he developed the concepts behind  Superadobe while living in the US.  

It was in Hesperia that Nader settled and founded the California Institute of Earth Art and Architecture (Cal-Earth).

From his elemental work and designs, now even the poor can build a home that is even stronger than those of the ancients.  The superadobe building method is being adopted in locations all over the world.

 

Meet and learn from Geoff and Nadia Lawton.  Nadia and Geoff Lawton Since 1995, Geoff has specialized in permaculture education, design, implementation, system establishment, administration and community development. In 1996 he was accredited with the Permaculture Community Services Award by the permaculture movement for services in Australia and around the world. Since 1985, he has undertaken a large number of jobs, consulting, designing, teaching and implementing in over thirty countries around the world. Clients have included private individuals, groups, communities, governments, aid organizations, non-governmental organizations and multinational companies. In October 1997 Bill Mollison, upon his retirement, asked Geoff to establish and direct the Permaculture Research Institute of Australia (PRI Australia) which has become  a global networking center for permaculture projects. Nadia Abu Yahia Lawton was born and raised in the Jordan (Dead Sea) Valley, in the lowest and one of the driest places on earth. She completed her PDC with Sindhu Webber in Jordan and went on to complete a Permaculture Diploma in Education and Site Design. She regularly travels with Geoff for aid projects and permaculture consulting work, and assists in teaching permaculture design courses. Nadia established PRI Jordan and the Jawasari Permaculture Society. If you are interested in seeing what 10 years of permaculture design can do to a piece of property, do visit this blog post on the PRI website on the growth and development of the PRI campus, Zaytuna Farm.  It’s truly amazing. Students attending this all day event will also meet: Sheefteh Khalili (Nader’s daughter who carries his work forward along with her brother Dastan) Ian Lodge (Director at Cal-Earth) Becky and Bill Wilson (Founders of Midwest Permaculture).

 

Schedule for the Day

  8:30      Registration –  Informal Gathering
  9:00      Geoff and Nadia Share Lessons of Desert Agriculture – Updates on ‘Greening the Desert’ 
11:00      Walk Cal-Earth Grounds and Brainstorm Desert Permaculture Applications
12:30      Lunch   (List of local restaurants will be provided.)
  2:00      Further Explanation of Permaculture Applications to Desert Designs
  3:30      Geoff and Nadia on “Hopeful Permaculture Stories from Around the World and Next Steps.”
  5:00      End 

 

Registration – $100

Register on the Cal-earth website …. or call 760-956-7533
For Students of our Joint PDC and Earth Building  Course:  Half-price ($50)

Consider Joining us for our 2012 Joint PDC and Earth-Building Course
October 8-19th, 2012 at Cal-Earth
A Rare Opportunity to Receive Both Certificate Trainings at One Time
Hosted by Midwest Permaculture and Cal-Earth 
Registration Still Open 

 See Picture Summary of Above Course

• Directions/Map to Cal-Earth
• Closest Airport is LA/Ontario International – 38 miles to Cal-Earth