chuckanuttransition.com
  • Home
  • About
    • Contact Us
    • Newsletter sign-up
  • Sustainable Samish Garden Tour
  • Rural Rhythm Revival - Blog
  • Events & Workshops - Blog
  • Resources
    • Commercial Kitchens
    • Classifieds
    • Transition Book Store >
      • Seeds For A New Day
      • Serving The Skagit Harvest Cookbook
    • Newsletter Archive

Community Gathers To Eat, Learn and Celebrate Bugs, Connecting to Place and the Return of Spring

2/12/2015

0 Comments

 
Picture
"Dragon Fly" burn sculpture by Chuck Nafziger
February 2nd 2015 at the Alger Community Hall between 50 and 60 people attended Chuckanut Transition's Presentation on  Black and Yellow Bug Presentation: Predator, Pollinator, Prey and What To Do About Them In Your Garden. 
The potluck before hand was delicious.  The presentation given by Chuck Nafziger and myself, Sarai Stevens, received rave reviews.  Chuck conveyed a sense of wonder and mystery that was deeply personal and inspiring.  The photos and information he had compiled were both beautiful and richly educational.  I spoke on permaculture gardening, community, Transition and of course bugs.  Afterward, Chuck and I each burnt a sculpture in celebration of community and the returning light of spring. 

Here are my closing words from the presentation that I would like to share with you:
But most of the time I don’t do anything.  I plant 10% extra to share.  If I have extra for pests fine.  If I have extra for humans even better!  I am not the best gardener in the world.  I have three kids and other interests.  Despite this I have a fairly productive garden that supplements my grocery bill year round.  I will someday become a much better winter gardener, but fortunately for now I am pretty good at preserving and putting food by, and because of my neighborly networks through my market and community I have many gardening friends that share their surplus with me and my family.

So this is not only about how I garden and deal with black and yellow bugs, but also how I interact with my whole community.  Which leads us to the final permaculture concept I will bring up this evening called “Nesting Functions,” which is the title of one of the sculptures we will be burning tonight.  Nesting Functions is the idea that everything we do should have multiple              purpose and benefit.  This presentation is not just about bug identification and gardening, it is about learning to see again and connecting to our place.  It is about recognizing our solitary efforts are a part of a large and miraculous whole.  And it is about manifesting abundance, hope and joy.  

My sculpture "Nesting Functions"  is mostly made from the invasive morning glory vine.  Foraging goats and chickens got rid of most of the morning glory on my property, but unfortunately it stubbornly clings to a few areas in my yard and I have to regularly pull it up through out the summer.  I can’t compost the vines so historically the morning glory goes into the garbage can.  This stopped when I learned the vines were good weaving material and got the idea to begin building nests with it.  Suddenly, pulling morning glory wasn’t a dreaded garden task that I resented and avoided but instead an indulgence of my inner artist.  An action focused on the destruction and death of my sworn enemy evolved into an act of creation and vision…and now by sharing and burning it with you this evening an act of community and celebration as well.  And in this way, it is my hope and blessing that all our concerns and fears transform into seeds of flourishing community and positive action.

In search of spring,
Sarai Stevens
Feb. 12, 2015
0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Chuckanut Transition Community

    We're all rural, independent and capable people learning to live cooperatively with one another and with our natural surroundings while recreating our lost village economic network.

    Archives

    March 2017
    February 2017
    October 2016
    July 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012

    Categories

    All
    Building Local Economy
    Buying Groups
    Cider Pressing
    Community Action
    Community Resilience In A Rural Area
    Conservation
    Cottage Industry
    Ending Childhood Hunger
    Food Security
    Harvest
    Local Food To Schools
    Market
    Natural World
    Natural World
    Non-gmo Project
    Rural Life
    Rural Life

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.