Please enjoy this short message from Ben about our Earth Day planting and the vital role that humans and trees play in the hydrologic cycle.

Spring has been crazy busy --- and lots of fun -- here at the REED Center! Our Earth Day Weekend celebration events brought 300+ volunteers to Morning View Food Forest over a three-day period, and almost 3,000 trees and shrubs were planted! These young plants will now be protected by over a mile of deer-fencing that was erected in February and March in preparation for this huge planting. We thank everyone who donated time, energy, and financial support to make this possible.

Due to rain, our Earth Day concert and some of our workshops had to be postponed, but we plan to reschedule -- so please stay tuned.

Next weekend's event -- Mind, Body, Earth -- has been scaled back a bit, but the tree plantings, yoga, camping, and some workshops are still happening. More details below.

PDC courses are continuing -- see full listing below. The next on-site PDC Class is May 13: The Ground is Alive: Understanding the Soil We Stand On. Sign up here.

The Introduction to Permaculture webinar was recorded and is available here for anyone who missed it or wants a refresher.

If you'd like to be kept in the loop on additional volunteer opportunities on-site, which sometimes pop up on short notice, please add your name here.

In addition, a "Films in the Forest" documentary series is in the planning stages, partnerships are being built with local colleges, and the Tree of Life project is set to begin in the fall. We encourage everyone to check out our website periodically for updates and new opportunities to get involved.

Please read on for details about our next event, our PDC classes, volunteer days, and more...

Mind, Body, Earth (Lite)

This event is designed for people who are looking for a deeper connection with the land and with each other. Activities will begin with a continuation of our Earth Day Celebration tree planting, and flow into workshops centered around building community, sharing knowledge, and reconnecting with our roots in nature. As the day transitions into the night, we will host a drum and fire circle for you to continue to connect with friends, both old and new, feeling into the rhythms created when good people come together to make good music.

Feel free to bring your own coolers with food, snacks and beverages. If you are camping overnight, please note that our sites are primitive. There are no showers or conventional bathrooms, though there are composting toilets throughout the site and running water is available. If you do plan to stay overnight, we are kindly requesting a donation of $20 per campsite. Click here for camping donation.

Additional donations for this event are most welcome and will be used to help support our multi-year Tree of Life Project, which will begin its implementation phase in Fall of 2023. We encourage participants to make donations at a level that fits their lived reality, whether that is $20 or $20,000, or something in between. The first $15,000 in donations will be matched by an anonymous donor, so your contribution will be effectively doubled. If you would like to support this project -- whether you're able to attend the Mind,Body,Earth (Lite) weekend offering or not -- please donate online here.

Weekend schedule of activities:

Saturday, May 6th

11:00 - 3:00: Tree Planting

4:00 - 6:00: Eco Workshops

7:00 - until it ends: Drum and Fire Circle

Sunday, May 7th

10:00 - 11:00: Gentle Yoga (with Toni Wilhelm)

Join us

Permaculture Design Course (PDC)

Take all the classes or choose the ones that fit your passions. We offer each class to be taken individually or as a bundle--either way you can earn your way to a PDC certificate in your time...or skip the certificate and enjoy the educational journey.

Remaining Classes for 2023 -- Sign Up Now

May 13 | The Ground is Alive: Understanding the Soil We Stand On **
May 27 | Hydroecology: Partnering with Water on a Landscape Scale **
June 10 | Supporting the Bees
June 24 | Designing Landscapes for Insects and Birds
Aug 26 | Agroforestry using Native Plants
Sep 9 | Taking a Long-Term View: Forest Gardens & Food Forests **
Sep 23 | Advanced Permaculture Landscape Design
Oct 14 | Decomposition & Renewal: The Nuances of Coppicing, Mulching, and Mycology **
Oct 28 | Fall Permaculture & Remembrance Gathering
Nov 11 | The Winter Blanket: Natural Land Prep

** designates a required course for PDC certification

PDC Requirements

You will need to complete 72 PDC-credit hours to complete your PDC and receive your PDC certificate from the REED Center. Some classes are required in order to receive the certificate, while others are optional and may be selected based on interest and relevance. The classes that we offer that count for credit towards your PDC will always be marked on the event page on the website. Please note that classes are open to all, whether pursuing a PDC certificate or simply pursuing general interests.

Work Trades and Sliding Scales Available

More Info & Sign Up

More Ways to Participate

Volunteer Work Days

On the first and third Saturdays -- March to November-- we invite land caregivers of all experience levels to come out to Morning View Food Forest and help with whatever tasks have been prioritized for that day. It might be planting trees, building fences, removing invasives or any other timely task. Whatever the task, it's always great fun to be outdoors and working with others, as we continue to build community.

Help us Spread the Word

We need all the help we can get spreading the word about what is happening at the REED Center this year! We'd love for you to share our newsletters with anyone who might be interested and share our posts on social media! We have a Facebook page and Instagram.

Check out this video short about the different sites on the land at the REED Center

Visit our Website

DONATE

THE HYPHAE

May 2023