- Date: 23 March – 23 October 2015
- Location: Asheville, NC, United States
- Language:
- English
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Work Site: Ashevillage Sanctuary, Asheville, NC
Dates: March 23 – October 23, 2015 (with roughly 40 hours of preliminary online permaculture homework)
Schedule: Monday-Thursday (full days) + special workshops two weeks in the season — details below.
Room & board: Apprentices will live off site and make their own living arrangements. Leads on affordable housing will be provided.
Fee: Includes Permaculture certification, water retention landscape & natural building workshops, primitive skills gathering, weekly hands-on mentorship, field trips, and more. Apply by March 15th for the Early Bird discount.
ECO-URBAN HOMESTEAD & BUILDING APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM
A small group of apprentices will work together in a mentored team environment. The majority of your 32 hour week will be working on hands-on site projects with roughly three hours of structured learning ‘classes’. There will be several field trips over the course of the season. You will receive a Permaculture Design Certification, 1-week Water Retention Landscape Course, 1-week Natural Building Workshop, and a free pass to the annual Firefly Gathering. Free time generally includes three days per week (Fri – Sun), plus two weeks off over the course of the season. Applications will be considered on a first-come, first-served basis. We expect spots to fill, so apply soon.
WHO SHOULD APPLY
This apprenticeship might be for you if you are eager to: Learn with your hands. Understand, trouble shoot, and help establish a living water system. Engage in some natural building projects. Be an active member of a small team. Work hard. Show up each day with enthusiasm. Design as a systems thinker. Bring your positive attitude. Enjoy nature’s wonder while living in a small, vibrant, progressive city. Carry this work and knowledge into your own life and out into the world. Practice being a land listener, steward and partner….in a backyard neighborhood setting….with a mission of modeling an organic, integrated way of life. This program is not for you if you: Don’t like to sweat. Find the current state of the world and the direction our country is headed to be just fine. Focus on the negative. Are a grumbler and groaner. Are afraid of bugs. Aren’t comfortable communicating openly. Are a heavy smoker, toker, drinker. Otherwise, we look forward to hearing from you.
HANDS-ON LEARNING & SITE PROJECTS ALL SEASON
Apprentices will engage in daily hands-on work on real projects as part of a small, closely mentored team. A total of five apprentices will be selected to work with Ashevillage’s Site and Building Managers.
Water Systems: You will learn from, troubleshoot and refine an existing living water system. This includes analyzing, revising, and bringing the 30,000 gallon open rainwater-living pond catchment system to full optimization. You will also be participating in the Water Retention Landscape Workshop with the internationally recognized water wizard and permaculture designer/teacher, Brock Dolman. Consider how to approach water retention landscape design. Gain watershed literacy. Understand why, what, where, and how catchment systems make sense. See more details below.
Natural Building: You will be immersed in projects that cover: building systems, structural design, project management, optimization on small sites, site selection & passive solar design, material collection, intermediate carpentry, some natural wall systems, earthen plasters & paints, living roofs, wood-fired systems, timber-framing basics, deck construction, drystack stone & urbanite walls, window & door installation, and more. You will also participate in the preparation for, and week of the Natural Building Workshop. Join an instructor team that brings 100+ years of collective building experience! See more details below.
Educational Field Trips: We will visit some working sites, including organic urban & rural farms, an ecovillage, and a permaculture homestead.
Community Projects: As part of the demonstration site, you will also likely provide guidance to worktraders, volunteers, and/or visiting groups and tours at some point throughout your time at Ashevillage. You will also be likely to work off site on other projects with other lead mentors and teachers.
Time Off: Apprentices will have three days off per week, plus two more week-long breaks. Other than these two weeks, it is expected that you will be present for the entirety of the program. Regular tardiness or missed days may result in you being asked to leave.
For more information, please visit the event website.
