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Additional information about workshops and training can be found on the websites of those listed in the Human Resource Listing section of the TLS website.

2009
Spring/Summer, Mission SD. Straw Bale Building Program at Sinte Gleska University, Rosebud Reservation. The first four-credit course of the three course program is titled Sustainability in Housing: Introduction to Straw Bale Building and will begin with students attending the Straw Bale Efficient Housing Symposium in Pierre. Courses in spring and summer 2009 semesters will be four credit hands-on lab courses in straw-bale building and natural finishes. Instructor: Laura Bartels. Sponsors: University and Intertribal Council on Utility Policy with funding from the Department of the Interior's Office of Indian Energy and Economic Development.

June 27-July 3, Gardner CO. Straw-bale Building Workshop. Build from start to finish (foundation to roof) a load-bearing straw-bale shed to house solar panels, batteries, and tools. Time permitting, will also plaster the outdoor kitchen. Open to 15 people. Contact for more information: Mark Schneider, Gardner, Colorado, 719.695.4114 <joinourcommunity@hotmail.com> Deposit requested to hold a place for you and a suggested donation ($105) for the week's worth of catered meals is appreciated.

June 29 to August 14, British Columbia, Canada. Natural Building Program includes a straw bale building component August 17 - 21, Straw-bale Workshop. Course covers theory and practical skills to build foundations, stack, pin and sew the bales, build window and door bucks, run electrical, plaster walls, and add finishing details - everything to build a bale wall from the ground up and is almost 100 percent hands-on. Program and workshop are both located at Kimberley Campus of the College of the Rockies, located in the Kootenays in southeastern B.C. Fees (Canadian $) and dates for these courses are: Full 7 week Natural Building Program - $2395, Straw-bale Workshop - $695. For more information and to register, go to www.cotr.bc.ca/natural/cotr_web.asp?IDNumber=162. More info can be found by visiting their Natural Building home page at www.cotr.bc.ca/natural.

July 1-7, Grafton NY. Straw Bale Construction Immersion. Straw-bale construction from start to finish of straw-bale installation. Includes 2-day workshop as well as a week of hands-on instructional experience. Opportunity for those interested in immersing themselves in the details and ongoing problem solving of straw-bale construction. $600-750. Space is limited. Inquire for application details. For more information, visit www.hvnb.net, Registration and questions <jonah@hvnb.net> or 518.229.1339.

July 4-5, Grafton NY. Straw Bale Construction Workshop. Hands-on workshop on stacking, customizing, windows and doors, electrical and plumbing, and problem shooting and discussion of design principles, prep, detailing, plasters, and the ever-evolving field of natural building. Workshop will provide experience in raising the walls of newly constructed timber-frame straw-bale home. $200-250. For more information, visit www.hvnb.net, Registration and questions <jonah@hvnb.net> or 518.229.1339.

July 4-5, Philo OH. Very, Very Basic Weekend Straw Bale Build. Basic overview of many skills necessary to build your own cabin in the woods. Other dates are available – check the web site. To register and more information, visit www.bluerockstation.com.

Web Class: Small Building, Naturally, four-part, hands-on weekend workshop series in Strawbale and Timberframe construction. A small, sustainable residence will be constructed by workshop participants. Workshops combine hands-on experiences, presentations, slides and discussions to answer questions about sustainable design, natural materials and methods, appropriate technology, how to build your own dream home or simple cabin. Enroll in all (for discount) or pick and choose. Workshop #1: Design and Planning, July 24, 25, 26, 2009 Workshop #2: Structure: Timber Frame, August 14, 15, 16, 2009 Workshop #3: Enclosure: Straw Bale Infill Walls, August 28, 29, 30, 2009 Workshop #4: Finishing: Earth Plasters, October 9, 10, 11, 2009 Location: Pollination Project, South Shore of Nova Scotia. Instructors: Kim Thompson and John Pece. For more information and to register: www.pollinationproject.org or call Camelia, 902.624.1979

July 25-26, LanderLand, Kingston, NM. Earth Plaster, Lime Plaster, Earthen Floor and Natural Clay Paint Workshop. www.LanderLand.com for more information. Contact Tom and Satomi Lander, <tom@landerland.com>, 575-895-5029

July 26-August 2, Boonville CA. Natural Building Intensive. Hands-on experience in up to 10 different natural building techniques including cob, straw bale, slipstraw or light straw-clay, slip-and-chip, clay wattle, earthen plasters, hand-made paints, and more; also be extensive tour of the most complete natural building demonstration site on the West Coast, with emphasis on ecological materials harvesting, off-grid lectrical generation, greywater reclamation, composting toilets, and more. Evening slide presentations and videos. Instructors: Michael G. Smith, Darryl Berlin, and friends. $760. For more information visit www.emeraldearth.org or email <workshops@emeraldearth.org>. To register, mail a check or postal money order payable to Emerald Earth Workshops, PO Box 764, Boonville, CA 95415.

July 18-24, Gardner CO. Put final clay alise coat on interior walls, seal and render floor, and plaster exterior walls. Time permitting, will also build an accessible footbridge across the river! Open to 15 people. Contact for more information: Mark Schneider, Gardner, Colorado, 719.695.4114 <joinourcommunity@hotmail.com> Deposit requested to hold a place for you and a suggested donation ($105) for the week's worth of catered meals is appreciated.

August 7-9, Minsk, Belarus. Sixth annual practical seminar for public (zero-energy, off-grid, round SB ecohouse with permaculture wastewater treatment). Seminar includes theory, some practice. August 5-6 excursion (tour) SB ecohouses of different types in/near Minsk (self- and industry made, with pools, solar/wind supply, etc.) For more information, contact Evgeny Shirokov, Head of Habitat National Centre and BD IAE, Minsk, Belarus, <iaebd@mail.ru>

August 7-9, Glen Ellen CA. CASBA Introduction to Straw Bale Building, Part 2 - Earthen Plaster. Hands-on workshop covers many aspects of earthen plastering, including sourcing and handling materials, tools and their technical uses, making and applying earth plasters, plus demonstration of finish plasters, decorative details and sculpting. $250. Instructor: Tracy Thieriot, www.TactileInteriors.com. More information on California Bale Building Association (CASBA)’s web site www.strawbuilding.org

August 10 - 15, Straw-bale Building Course. Designed to teach all aspects of straw-bale building, working alongside leading practitioner. Weather permitting, plan to complete small building. Curriculum includes: basic building techniques, handling and cutting bales, wall construction, splitting walls for stability, green timber carpentry for building the roof, introduction to clay and lime render. Instructor: Emma Appleton, MSC in architecture environment and energy studies from the Centre for Alternative Technology (CAT); currently production manager for Amazon Nails (a straw-bale design/builder company) running courses and managing projects on site and in training centres. Fee: $675 per person. For all enquiries, please contact Phil Howard, Another Greener World, <phil@anothergreenerworld.com> www.anothergreenerworld.com. All bookings
must be arranged with us, either by email address or phone +44 7843 712 311.

August 26-30, Belgium. ESBG 2009 – European Straw Bale Gathering. Location: in the region between Hasselt - Liège - Maastricht - Aachen. More information will be available soon through a flyer in English and an English ESBG-section on our Belgian website of Casa Calida, where you can find information and were you can register. Geert Goffin, Strobouwplatform België, 0032-(0)12-213 297 <info@casacalida.be> <geert.goffin@telenet.be> www.casacalida.be

August 29-30, LanderLand, Kingston, NM. Strawbale and Earth Plaster Workshop. www.LanderLand.com for more information. Contact Tom and Satomi Lander, <tom@landerland.com>, 575-895-5029

August 31-September 4, Paonia CO. Straw-bale Construction and Natural Plasters. Topics include qualifies of straw-bale buildings, all about bales, planning and design considerations, detailing for moisture, construction techniques, foundations, window and door openings, roof styles and techniques, building codes, insurance and financing. Natural and earthen plasters: mixing, finish plasters and tools, lime plaster and lime wash, repairing walls for plaster. visit www.solarenergy.org.

Late summer (two-day workshop), Grafton NY. Natural Plasters Workshop. Two-day hands-on workshop on natural plasters with focus on their application in straw-bale construction. For all skill levels. Gain basic understanding of prepping, mixing and applying a variety of natural plasters. Topics discussed include various mixing methods, tool use, properties of plaster components, material estimation, and how to approach different scale projects. This workshop couples well with the Straw Bale Workshop. $200-250. For more information, visit www.hvnb.net, Registration and questions <jonah@hvnb.net> or 518.229.1339.

September 5-11, Gardner CO. Finish the house! Workshop. Final electrical, plumbing, cabinetry, & tile work. Lots of details & creativity! Open to 15 people. Contact for more information: Mark Schneider, Gardner, Colorado, 719.695.4114 <joinourcommunity@hotmail.com> Deposit requested to hold a place for you and a suggested donation ($105) for the week's worth of catered meals is appreciated.

September 13-20, Boonville CA. Natural Building Intensive. Hands-on experience in up
to 10 different natural building techniques including cob, straw bale, slipstraw or light straw-clay, slip-and-chip, clay wattle, earthen plasters, hand-made paints, and more. Instructors: Michael G. Smith, Darryl Berlin, and friends; also be extensive tour of the most complete natural building demonstration site on the West Coast, with emphasis on ecological materials harvesting, off-grid electrical generation, greywater reclamation, composting toilets, and more. Evening slide presentations and videos. $760. For more information visit www.emeraldearth.org or email <workshops@emeraldearth.org>. To register, mail a check or postal money order payable to Emerald Earth Workshops, PO Box 764, Boonville, CA 95415.

September 26-27, LanderLand, Kingston, NM. Earth Plaster, Lime Plaster, Earthen Floor and Natural Clay Paint Workshop. www.LanderLand.com for more information. Contact Tom and Satomi Lander, <tom@landerland.com>, 575-895-5029

Sustainable Building Green Events Calendar:
http://www.greenbuilder.com/calendar/
Lists all types of green and natural events, workshops and training opportunities.

The Solar Living Institute promotes sustainable living through inspirational environmental education, offering hundreds of hands-on workshops on renewable energy, natural and green building, biofuels, and permaculture throughout the year. For more information, please call 707.744.2017 or visit our website www.solarliving.org

LanderLand workshop 2009 schedule
Please visit www.LanderLand.com

Details and registration form for weekend workshops in straw-bale building and earth building conducted at Whangarei New Zealand by Ian E. Redfern are listed at www.adobesouth.co.nz.

Curious about Strawbale construction and natural building?
Come join us for tours and hands-on workshops in north Oakland County, Michigan. Go to www.uheac.org and click on Strawbale Studio for dates and times of upcoming events. Or contact Deanne Bednar at 248-628-1887 or ecoartdb@aol.com.

Visit www.solarenergy.org/workshops for a listing of Solar Energy International's Workshops for 2006.

For a list of workshops in Australia scheduled through Huff 'n' Puff Constructions (John Glassford and Susan Wingate Pearse), visit
www.glassford.com.au/Upcoming.htm

Salt Spring Island, BC Canada. SIREWALL, Inc., rammed earth builders and designers offer eight different courses with 32 schedule options, varying from two-day introduction to rammed earth for homeowners to a month-long SIREwall Builders' Training for general contractor. ACU AIBC. For information, visit www.sirewall.com

Merritt College offers courses in permaculture design; natural building (hands-on building using materials such as cob, strawbale and earth; carpentry working on affordable and green housing; and construction management. 510.434.3840 www.peralta.cc.ca.us

Everdale, farm and learning centre located near Erin, Ontario, offers events and hands-on workshops in sustainable living. The Workshop and Event Schedule from straw-bale construction and earthen and lime plastering to making your own biodiesel is available at www.everdale.org/workshops or contact <lynn@everdale.org>

 

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This listing of strawbale/plasters events, tours, conferences, workshops and training opportunities is compiled from information sent to The Last Straw Journal by individuals, groups and organizations. Send information about events, conferences, tours, workshops and hands-on training to: The Last Straw, PO Box 22706, Lincoln NE 68542-2706; <thelaststraw@thelaststraw.org> or call 402.483.5135.

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