June 19, 2014 – Sustainability Doings – “Transitions U?”
[Note: links to dated events are not provided.]
Reading Sustainability Doings is revolutionary activity . . . because it’s about doing sustainable things collaboratively!
Given our society and its tendency to disconnect us from one another, it’s a work against our habitualized nature to learn, think, and plan in grassroots-based, collaboratively organized structures. But there are now in process a number of alternative organizational structures that may enable us to break the old habits, to take us away from acting as singularities. (There’s more about them in the “Here are some collaborative, organizational structures and processes” section below.) Transitions U is one of them.
Transitions U can provide a way to make accessible to people and organizations, throughout the Lehigh Valley, courses, workshops, whatever, for learning, exploring, and mastering both the skills and the thinking needed for sustainable living. How? Well, one way Transitions U would operate would be to let folks know about the learning ops already out there. Like about healthful food. Interested in having the skills, know-how, hands-on training to forage, grow, prepare healthful food? Well, see some of the ops below.
It is important to note that alternative structures, like Transitions U, would also be set up to get organizations (!) to work collaboratively. They would not be just for us individual alienated muddlers.
Case in point. A number of the recipients of this “Sustainability Doings” are organizations and businesses listed in the 2014 “Directory of Organizations and Businesses That Promote Sustainable Communities”. These organizations and businesses are, for the most part, separate entities interested in building their own, separate constitutencies. Which is a good thing! But it’s not enough if we are to develop serious clout.
What is to be done to engage those organizations and businesses in building the connectedness with each other that would help muster the serious clout?
Note: The “Directory” is a major section of our 2014 Sustainable Lehigh Valley available for free pickup at many locations throughout the Valley (and if you’d like to get a bunch, send an email to directory@sustainlv.org). The Directory is also available online. See some featured listings below.
Transitions U: Some Food/Nature Reskilling Ops
A variety of individuals/organizations/communities provide reskilling ops. Transitions U will help to publicize them. Some examples:
Saturday, June 21, 2014:
Wild Food & Herb Workshop – led by Steve Hoog – at Arlene Schar’s The Art of Nature Journaling – led by Pam Ruch – at Edge of the Woods Native Plant Nursery.
Sunday, June 22, 2014:
Oyster Mushroom Workshop – led by Rob Aptaker – at the Trout Healing Collective
And the courses and workshops of:
Penn State Extension
Rodale Institute
We are in the process of assembling information about Transitions U kinds of reskilling and rethinking (!!) courses/workshops/whatever.