Kim holding Sitka Spruce branches she harvested in the Wolf College lawn which we've now started to convert into a garden. Kim played here as a kid when the property was her grandparent's old homestead.
Over the course of the academic year we will offer monthly workhops to learn more about sustainability, self-sufficiency, permaculture and herbalism where you can put education into practice. Monthly topics will be recommended by those who attend and may include:
• Landscape design
• Permaculture zones and sectors
• Creating a garden with healthy soil
• Wildlife and its importance in your yard
• The impact of water
• Herbalism, including processing the herb of the month
• Raising chickens and other farm animals
• Creating a naturalist "phenology" calendar
• To till or not to till
• Composting with and without worms
• Beneficial insects including Mason Bees
• Growing fruit trees and berries
• And more
Learn to create a sustainable lifestyle in your own home!
Kim & Chris Chisholm have moved Wolf Camp and the Wolf College to Kim's grandparent's old homestead next to Clark's Creek Park, and are using the Principles of Permaculture to return the property into a sustainable farm with herb gardens, fruit and berry production, and chickens. We're on this journey to turn the Wolf Campus into an herbalist’s delight, a wildlife sanctuary, and a sustainable home that will provide food for family, students, neighbors and community. Our goal in sharing our process is for you to take home new knowledge and skills so that you, too, can create a more self-sufficient landscape around your own house or apartment.
Workshop Itinerary:
12:00 Noon Potluck: Please feel free to join Permaculture Graduates & Workshop Alumni who will ring a dish to share in our library of nature books and self-sufficiency guides while we get to know one another, catch up and talk about at least one Permaculture Principle, which in April will be "Obtaining A Yeild."
1:00 PM Workshop Start - Seed Exchange & Permaculture Principle: Obtaining A Yield. After reviewing the principles of permaculture, including the principle of "obtaining a yield," we will review what we learned last month, and discuss ways in which a permaculture design can help you obtain a yield. Everyone will share how they plan to obtain a yield over the coming year, then we'll talk seeds and do a seed exchange (so bring seeds to share and envelopes!).
2:00 PM Rolling Up The Sleeves for Gardens, Orchards & Wildcrafting: We like to focus on one wild plant per month, and in January we plan to make a healthy, cold-fighting tea using our native Sitka Spruce. We will begin preparing our garden for the coming planting season which in January will focus on planning and imagination, using both hind- and foresight to attain the best yield. We'll consider the benefits of crop rotation and the utilization of plant guilds. We will also learn to properly transplant berries and fruit trees as part of our forest garden.
3:00 PM Enhancing Animal Habitat – Survival, Health & Safety: We also like to identify at least one wild animal on site and consider their benefits, but in January we'll focus on many by discussing the importance of overwintering insects and how to provide and maintain essential habitat. We'll also spend time "hangin' with the peeps" which in January will include new digs for our 12 week old chicks and their introduction to the "big girls" (our year-old hens) and Mr. Sunshine-roo. We'll end on a serious note discussing biosecurity and disease prevention (both of which will help you continue to obtain a yield).
4:00 PM Questions: Throughout the workshop, we encourage questions, plus suggestions on future topics you'd like to learn or practice in this workshop series, with Kelda drawing from her work as a Permaculture Teacher, Chris drawing from his childhood in nature and 20 years of professional experience, and Kim drawing from her historical connection to this land, her Wildlife Science degree, and her recent Permaculture Design Training.
Please Bring:
• Gardening or work gloves.
• Hats and clothing appropriate for the weather.
• Waterproof or rubber boots.
• Your favorite field guides on herbalism, gardening, permaculture, etc.
FUTURE DATES - Sustainable Homes & Gardens Workshop Series
April 15, 2012 October 14, 2012 January 20, 2013 March 17, 2013 May 19, 2013 October 27, 2013
Costs are listed with each description, and if you would like to ensure a space in the class(es) you like, then be sure to RSVP. Our refund policy is written just above where you sign your registration form. It reads that if we cannot accept your registration due to closed enrollment or other reason during the application process, you will receive a full refund on deposits. Otherwise, deposits are not refundable. If you need to cancel after making further payment, you may receive a credit for a future program, minus a 25% administration fee of your total payments, in case of emergency. Of course, you will receive a full refund if the program you sign up for is canceled and not rescheduled at a time you can attend. Participants may be asked to leave at any time for inappropriate behavior or unresolvable match to camp, and no refund (nor credit necessarily) will be given for the portion of the program which is missed.
Transportation & Packing List for Weekend Outings
Adults may buy one of our Frost Mora survival knives for $15 if you wish. Youth need to pass our Level III safety test before buying a knife. We also have journal materials, binoculars, field guides, instruments, extra sanitary supplies, water bottles, rain ponchos, compasses, blankets, and of course sunscreen available when necessary for use. Many products are also available in our camp store, with all revenues donated to the WOLF Foundation - Max Davis Scholarships.
Most important is a good night’s rest and a really good breakfast every day. In particular, if young people stay up late before any camp day, they will most certainly have difficulties the next day with us. Everyone should get a very tired camper back at the end of the camp day, but we often find that sleep deprivation or malnutrition are common causes of fatigue or behavioral issues before 3:30 in the afternoon.
Most important is a good night’s rest and a really good breakfast every day. If you have a favorite item you want to bring, even if we've said you don't need to, just let us know before the day starts or whenever you need them during camp. Otherwise, these are the items to pack:
___ Day pack that is comfortable and functional, with a full, small water bottle that will not leak. Also, bring two oversized plastic garbage bags to cover your gear in case of rain.
___ Lunch, using zip-locks, tupperware, and other reusable containers to reduce trash.
___ Sunscreen, sunhat, and hat for warmth, thermal socks, thin gloves, water shoes for those rocky shores, and shoes or boots that can get dirty. Please make sure you have broken in footwear in advance to avoid common blisters.
___ Although we always try to keep clothes and footwear as dry as possible, please allow the clothes to get dirty and become "naturalist" clothes for forest exploration. Take a trip to Value Village or the Salvation Army or another used clothing store to find such clothes if necessary. Also, remember that it's not the same temperature by the water or in the wooded areas, and we often crawl through thick vegetation, so long-sleeve pants and a long-sleeve shirt are required, although you should also bring a pair of shorts for days we stay in the lawn area. Earth-tone (natural) shades of clothing (e.g. browns and greens) are best and clothes which are "quiet" as they brush against things.
___ An entire change of clothes and shoes is a good idea days when it might rain, but please balance this with thought about what can easily be carried in a backpack and what might get lost, such as one of the shoes falling out of the van door unnoticed. Adults even have a hard time keeping track of items in vans! Also remember that cotton clothing is comfortable, but worthless if it gets wet. Rain gear is optional and loud, but it can be stored in our vans if you are unsure what to send along on any given day.
___ Fleece, wool, polypropylene, or nylon pullover. We provide emergency rain ponchos when necessary.
___ Work gloves, harvesting sack, journaling materials, favorite field guide.
Lost & Found Policy: You can pick up lost items from the Wolf Camp store up to 90 days after your camp is over. Otherwise, forgotten items will be picked up by charity. To help avoid loosing things, please put your name on every item you bring. For clothes, print your name on the tag. Thank you!
