UPCOMING BOULDER COUNTY GOING LOCAL EVENTS

June 5 (Thurs.), 6:00 p.m., IN PRAISE OF SLOWNESS. Organic Orbit will host its first Art of Nourishment event, featuring Carl Honore, international best-selling author of In Praise of Slowness. Also represented will be Pachamama Organic Farm and Boulder County Going Local. Honore has been called "the unofficial godfather of a growing cultural shift toward slowing down" (ABC News). The evening includes a carefully crafted three-course dinner. Click here for details. Organic Orbit, 1200 Yarmouth Avenue. Reservations 303-440-8348.

June 5 (Thurs.), 7:30 p.m., DESIGNING THE TRANSITION: OPEN SPACE GATHERING. Please join use for the initiation of Transition Boulder County, an effort to begin designing pathways to transitioning our communities off of fossil fuels, becoming more resilient and self-reliant, and rebuilding the capacity to meet our essential needs locally. Now that Boulder County Going Local has been recognized as the first Transition Initiative in North America, we are ready to begin the process of developing an Energy Descent Action Plan and implementing projects that are consistent with Permaculture principles. Utilizing Open Space Technology, we will begin to unleash the collective genius of our community. The evening will also include an update on The Long Emergency by Michael Brownlee, and perspective shared by the founders of the Transition Network in the U.K. Boulder Meadows Community Room, 4500 19th Street (19th & Violet). Free, open to the public.

June 7 (Sat.), 10:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., HIGH ALTITUDE GARDENING, with Sandy Cruz and friends (The Great Reskilling). Learn to improve degraded mountain soils, select plants appropriate for high altitudes, use slope to advantage, extend the growing season, and protect gardens from hail, frost, deer and too much ultraviolet radiation. We’ll convert a hillside area into an instant garden bed and plant it. Registration $85, or $65 ten days in advance.

June 8 (Sun.), 9:00 a.m.-noon, MEDICINAL PLANT WALK, by Claire Zimmerman (The Great Reskilling). Join us for an early summer medicinal plant walk. We will discuss the traditional and modern uses of native plants found in our local foothills. Please come prepared for any type of weather; bring water, sunscreen and hat, layers, snacks, walking shoes, and a notebook and pen. This walk will be less than 1 mile roundtrip, and will be easy-moderate. Registration $30. Location:  TBD

June 9 (Mon.), 7:00 p.m., THE FUTURE OF SUSTAINABILITY: AN EVENING WITH AL BARTLETT. Come spend an intimate evening with a beloved national treasure, Al. Bartlett, Professor Emeritus of Physics, University of Colorado, as we kick off the Summer Sustainability Forum Series at Chautauqua (sponsored by Boulder County Going Local). This event features Richard Brenne, author of the forthcoming book, The Truth About Everything, as he queries, converses and jokes with Dr. Bartlett. Chautauqua Community House, 900 Baseline Road, Boulder. Admission $5.

June 16 (Mon.), 7:00 p.m., HOW WILL WE GET AROUND WHEN CHEAP OIL IS GONE? THE FUTURE OF TRANSPORTATION (part of the Chautauqua Summer Sustainability Forum Series, sponsored by Boulder County Going Local). As gas prices continue to rise, this panel discussion will focus on transportation options beyond one person per vehicle. Panelists include Chris Hagelin, GO Boulder; Drew Bascue, Boulder Office of Environmental Affairs; Karen Worminghaus, Boulder CarShare; Rich Points, Community Cycles; and Glenn Liebermann, Ski Carpool. Chautauqua Community House, 900 Baseline Road, Boulder. Admission $5.

June 19 (Thurs.), 7:00 p.m. INTRO TO EASY AYURVEDA CUISINE: COOKING WITH INDIRA (The Great Reskilling). Join Indira Bhatt Gupta, founder of Madrid to Madras Cooking School and co-founder of Institute for Personal to Planetary Wellness, as she shares tips on how to prepare easy, delicious dishes. Experience the delicate flavors of spices and hers such as ginger, turmeric, cumin, cardamom, garam masala, and exotic chutneys. Learn to enhance your agni (digestive fire) and increase energy for total wellness. Boulder Meadows Community Room, 4500 19th Street (19th & Violet). Free, open to the public.

June 21-22 (Sat.-Sun.), EARTHWORKS EXPO. Click here for full details. Boulder County Going Local will have a strong presence at the 2nd annual EarthWorks Expo (of which we are a sponsor), at the Denver Merchandise Mart. Besides having an exhibit booth, Michael Brownlee will be presenting two workshops: "Relocalization: Making Friends with an Unthinkable Future" (Sat., June 21, 4:40 - 5:50 p.m.), and "The Global Future of Food is Local!" (Sun, June 22, 1:40 - 2:50 p.m.). Hosted by Michael Lindemann, EarthWorks Expo is a sponsor of the BOULDER COUNTY GOING LOCAL! Campaign. Please visit us at our booth.Denver Merchandise Mart, 451 E. 58th Avenue (at I-25).

June 23 (Mon.), SISTER BEE! Documentary film and panel discussion (part of the Chautauqua Summer Sustainability Forum Series, sponsored by Boulder County Going Local). "Sister Bee" is a lyrical documentary by Boulder beekeeper Laura Tyler about six beekeepers who find beauty and spiritual truty in their work with honeybees. The panel will include director Laura Tyler, and beekeepers Suzanne Connolly-Howes, Julie Finley, and Tom Theobold. Chautauqua Community House, 900 Baseline Road, Boulder. Admission $10.

Click here for all Great Reskilling events.

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SPRING PERMACULTURE WORKSHOPS
with Sandy Cruz and friends

(Presented by Boulder County Going Local)

Mar. 15 (Sat.), GARDEN DESIGN AND PLANNING A LA PERMACULTURE. It’s time to begin creating this year’s garden! Learn to imitate Nature by establishing garden polycultures that produce a diverse mix of vegetables, fruits, herbs and flowers. We’ll take a virtual tour of Sandy’s garden, consider springtime gardening priorities, and look at strategies for working with our local Rocky Mountain climate. Using Permaculture design principles, we’ll consider where to place the garden, how to build it, what to plant in it, and where to obtain seeds, bedding plants, shrubs and trees. Participants will plant seeds to take home, and will learn how to care for young bedding plants.

Apr. 26-27 (Sat.-Sun), SOLAR GREENHOUSE DESIGN WEEKEND. Learn to design an integrated, sustainable greenhouse using passive and active solar architecture, slanted or vertical glazing, and earth-friendly building materials. This weekend we’ll cover solar design principles, along with the nuts and bolts of greenhouse materials and technologies. We’ll consider the strengths and weaknesses of several existing greenhouses, and demonstrate Permaculture site analysis and brainstorming techniques. Then we’ll create a solar greenhouse design on site.

May 17 (Sat.), THE BOUNTIFUL PANTRY. The season of surplus food will soon be upon us. Plan now! We’ll look at how to acquire, preserve, store and use an abundance of fruits, vegetables, culinary herbs and medicinals. In addition to freezing and canning, we’ll explore nine simple, timeless, low-energy methods to preserve the harvest. We’ll experiment in the kitchen, making pickled veggies and other delights.

June 7 (Sat.), HIGH ALTITUDE GARDENING. Learn to improve degraded mountain soils, select plants appropriate for high altitudes, use slope to advantage, extend the growing season, and protect gardens from hail, frost, deer and too much ultraviolet radiation. We’ll convert a hillside area into an instant garden bed and plant it.

INSTRUCTORS: After transforming her mountain garden, Sandy Cruz founded High Altitude Permaculture in 1992 to demonstrate strategies for working with Nature in even the harshest conditions. She holds a Diploma of Permaculture Design from the International Permaculture Institute, has taught extensively, and has been widely published and interviewed. Several new Permaculture teachers-in-training will assist Sandy at these workshops.

LOGISTICS: All workshops 10:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Locations vary, carpools will be organized. Registration $65 per day with 10 days advance registration, $85 per day with less than 10 days notice. Full payment is due at the time of registration. To register Call Boulder County Going Local at (303) 494-1521, or go email lauriel@bouldergoinglocal.com. Register early, class sizes are limited!

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RELATED EVENTS

BOULDER SUSTAINABILITY EDUCATION CENTER ("Inspiring and empowering folks through hands-on instruction to take more steps towards sustainable living"--spring and summer classes now available.)