—Excerpts from students blogging about their academic and field experience of sustainability—

Once we finally reached IPEC my eyes and mouth were stuck open. A quick walk over a homemade suspension bridge, and the awe really began to set in. The place is beautiful! Every little area of the village is full of spirit and wonderfully designed. I can feel how much fun and care went into creating each room, building, and courtyard. Each building has multiple purposes, and all are interconnected in one way or another. The place is a permaculture haven, complete with composting toilets that eventually feed the crops. I can't wait to explore and learn more about the endless interwoven designs incorporated into every inch of this dream of a place. -Chris Hamel, UMass Amherst (Brazil Summer 2007)

 

The first 2 weeks of this course have been a real whirlwind of experiences, with site visits to shade-grown coffee, chacras, the co-op's processing plant and cupping laboratories, primary forest, the local market, and so much more. We've engaged many senses - tasting strange fruits, smelling chocolate, touching bags of dried coffee, listening to roosters each morning, and watching the ever-spectacular clouds roll across the mountains. -Ana Vollmar, Teaching Assistant (Peru Winter 2009)

 

So what is this permaculture business? One might say it is "design for human integrated ecology." Another way of saying it is a "design system that meets human needs and increases ecosystem health. Simply put, it addresses and potentially solves issues such as global warming, rising gas prices and world hunger (small goals :)). Together we are talking about solutions rather than problems. -Samarrah Fine, Hunter College (USA Permaculture Summer 2008)

 

Auroville (including Sadhana Forest) is interesting because it is a community based on spirituality without religion. Instead of a religious focus, the spiritual center is a place for those searching for the divine consciousness to gather. The attributes of kindness, brotherhood, and unity are focal points for mental development in order for people to find this divine consciousness. Whatever the divine consciousness is remains unstated, ungendered, and untied from any singular idea. The atmosphere of the Matrimandir, Auroville's spiritual centerpiece, is merely a quiet place to aid those in search for enlightenment. -Samantha Balmes, Vermont Law School (Sadhana Forest Winter 2009)

 

In just one week I've learned so much about permaculture and what it means to be an active member of a society aware of its surroundings. We have already started designing gardens for clients and becoming familiar with the amount of work and labor that goes into designing them. Some of the gardens that we have learned are a forest garden, an edible garden, an orchard, and more. All these wonderful things are so simple, yet for some reason, they are not widely accepted by the masses. I've been able to experience lectures from the people who started the movement, back before people were paying attention to this type of idea. I have been able to hear how they did it and learn from their experiences. Being a part of this group of people, who all have the same ideas and intentions and are willing to share them, is like stepping into utopia. -Amber Shearer, Pasadena City College (USA Permaculture Summer 2010)

 

Before I came on this trip I was aware of the global problems we face, but now I know I can make a difference. By living in a real, functionable, sustainable community I realized that it is possible to change. The past two weeks I have kept in my mind something our professor, Steve, told us; "humanity is like a sinking ship, are you going to be the one in the bar consuming all the goods, the one who feels sorry but helpless, or the one who will be there with a bucket bailing out the ship?" I have made the decision to be the one who gets us out, and now I have the tools to be part of the solution. -Andrea Scobi, UMass Amherst (Sadhana Forest Winter 2009)

 

It is nice to have a semester where everything we do is so related to our group, the Findhorn community, and the human challenge of sustainability. We are encouraged to challenge the thought practices that are in place to "deal" with sustainability issues: Einstein did say it best "you cant solve problems using the same mindset that created them." -Seth Mansur, UMass Amherst (Findhorn Spring 2007)

 

I really love the attitude towards learning here. It feels so supportive and so completely different than anything I've ever experienced in traditional school. We're surrounded by adults who want to inspire us and who want to understand our individual needs and interests. -Emily Vail, UMass Amherst (Findhorn Fall 2008)

 

It feels so wonderful to be [doing my service learning] working with food, especially when you know it's come from a garden right in your neighborhood, and it was probably even classmates of yours who harvested it. -Emily Vail, UMass Amherst (Findhorn Fall 2008)

 

We toured chacras (individual farms) and saw coffee, cocoa, palm, plantains, yucca (cassava), mangos, and other things, growing together in a biodynamic, mutually supporting way. We were then treated to fresh coconut milk and pineapple! I personally felt spoiled! -Alison Cebulla, University of California Berkeley (Peru Winter 2008)

 

The buildings and infrastructure of what is built on this land is beyond comprehension. There are edible forest gardens, multiple acres of organic food production, houses made from straw bale, huge community center structures all made by hand from timber pulled from the land we stood on, and so much more. All set off by the most amazing scenery of lush green forests in mid June. After experiencing what has been made here out of a true deep commitment from a few people, I am deeply inspired. There is no doubt that I am in the perfect place, and with true commitment and dedication, anything is possible. All this and it's only the first day. -Shaun Smith (USA Green Building Summer 2010)

 

The student design project that we will be working on for the remainder of the course will be a plan for a passive solar greenhouse to be built in one of the community's gardens. After meeting with members of the community to determine what features should be included in the new greenhouse, we will be splitting into groups of three to create our own design plans. At the end of our time here at Sirius we will apply our newly acquired knowledge and skills to present each of our plans to the community and anyone else who would like to attend. -Nate Warren, SUNY College of Environmental Science (USA Green Building Summer 2010)

 

Today we took a field trip to my house. Students got to interact with materials, tools, and projects of all sorts. There was a trellis-building station with rot-resistant black locust logs, which will soon have hardy kiwis or other delicious vined-fruit hanging down upon visitors as they enter a food forest. The bark was stripped all morning and by mid- afternoon, the structure was raised! On Station 2, there was a multi-barrel rainwater catchment system being erected. The gutter system was directed into the newly created system and we now have the ability to collect and store 165 gallons of water when it rains! Inside the house, Collins demonstrated what energy auditing is all about: how to air seal with a spray foam gun and we used a thermal imaging camera to see through the walls into areas that might have inadequate insulation. We had about $8,000 - $9,000 worth of green building equipment being used today; quite fascinating stuff! Lastly, we had Llani Davidson making a door for the opening at the bottom stairway of the basement bulkhead. That huge hole in the foundation was an extraordinary air leakage spot in the house, and by sealing that up with a 2 1/2" thick door; a lot of energy is being saved. It's truly amazing what 18 green builders can do in just a day's time. -Ryan Harb, Faculty (USA Green Building Summer 2010)

 

Here is the group at the end of their straw bale house-building day. Each year, after some theory and a classroom seminar on the topic of building with straw bales, the groups start with a pile of bales and turn it into a small house within a few hours. -Leah Zigmond, Faculty (Israel Fall 2008)

 

It's hard to believe the program is only starting its third week. We've been incredibly busy learning about our new home in Auroville, India and beginning our academic work. Topics include: Group building: Sharing "Life Maps", "Base Group" sharings, Full group sharings, Community meetings, One-on-ones with faculty advisors, and seminars on Decision- making, Norms and agreements, and Non-violent communication Auroville Orientation: Visitor's Center, Solar Kitchen (and learning about it's 14m solar collector), Philosophy of Sri Aurobindo, Matrimandir, Tour of Kuilyapaliam (our neighboring village) Academics: Overview of Living Routes, Pedagogy, Courses, Assignments, Assessment, Intention setting and "Individual Learning Plans", "Sustainability in Action Research Projects and Presentations", and Seminars on Ecovillages, Systems thinking, and Cross-cultural understanding Site Visits to Potential Service Learning Sites and Community Stays: Center for Scientific Research, Life Education Center, Solitude Farm, Buddha Garden, Kottakarai Organic Food Production Unit (KOFPU), Auroville Radio, WELL Paper, Upasana Design Studio, Verite Community, Thamarai School, Botanical Gardens, Revelation Reforestation Project, Sadhana Forest Bioregional Explorations: to Mamallapuram (where we visited historic sites and watched an Indian Dance performance) and Pondicherry (where we visited the Sri Aurobindo Ashram and the local temple) Wow! Having written it all down, now it's even harder to believe. In addition, we volunteered at Auroville's first all-day "Litter-Free" event, started morning yoga and meditation practice, watched a Tamil movie, and - somehow - found a few days to relax...The students are wonderful (and healthy!) and it's a true privilege to be doing this work together! -Daniel Greenberg Faculty (Auroville Spring 2010)

 

...We were invited to stay in a Bedouin family's house and begin a permaculture project on their land...we gave the family an area for leisure and food production without spending a penny. The resources...were already on site or in proximity to the site...during this process we taught them as much as we could about permaculture and the reasoning behind every aspect of the project. The most amazing aspect of this project was that we gave the family an area for leisure and food production without spending a penny. The resources we were presented with were already on site or in proximity to the site. -Alison Gross, University of Colorado Boulder (Israel Fall 2008)

 

Two days ago we got to see another kibbutz whose members cherish their independence and creativity and freedom so much that they devote their lives to maintaining a community together. It's a life full of unwritten responsibility and difficult decisions. They construct beautiful homes made out of garbage and mud. One was pink and round and looked like it belonged in Dr. Seuss. Is this a farmer's paradise? -Ellena Baum, Smith College (Israel Fall 2009)

 

I'm doing my service learning at WELL Paper...WELL stands for Women's Empowerment through Local Livelihood...The ladies go through a workshop to learn business skills and how to make WELL products, which are sustainably made from recycled newspaper and natural glue. Then they start their own business units in the village where most of them live...All of the women are very welcoming and inclusive. -Jamie Miller, University of Delaware (Auroville Spring 2009)

 

...The immersion portion of the course has suited me well. I have been spending part of my time at a local cultural center in one of the surrounding villages, part time at an organic food processing unit, and part time working on inner personal discovery and transformation...All fourteen of us [are] spread out in different directions, focusing on different projects and learning different concepts to enrich our lives. -Madeleine Tuson-Turner, Lewis & Clark (Auroville Fall 2006)

 

I have been sweating and playing in the dirt at the Solitude farm. Each day is full of new information and exciting insights to what I want to do at home...These women are amazing and inspiring. -Jessica Smith, UMass Amherst (Auroville Fall 2006)

 

My service learning was with The Learning Community, which is a new and small school of 7 students ages 7-10. Adorable! The teachers are parents and other teachers who were interested in changing the present school systems. The school uses Montessori tools in order to allow the children to learn what/when they need to. It was amazing... -Molly Williams, University of Vermont (Auroville Spring 2010)

 

Not every day is easy, but all of the days come together to make a phenomenal experience. I feel like I've learned more than I have in college so far, and I can't wait to soak more up in the upcoming weeks. -Molly Williams, University of Vermont (Auroville Spring 2010)

 

I was struck by how quiet and peaceful it was in the forest and how richly diverse it is. To think that only some forty years ago, Auroville was deforested parched land and none of this existed! The regenerating capacity of the earth, when cared for, is incredible. -Priya Reddy Faculty (Auroville Fall 2009)

 

I am doing my service learning with a new organization in Auroville called the Green Center... I collect data, and write different articles for the paper, which will be printed for the first time sometime in April, I believe.... I chose to work with the Green Center because I wanted to explore the idea of sustainability within Auroville. I enjoy learning from the different people I interview, because they each have such strong passions for different aspects of sustainability. It has really opened my eyes to different ways I can live more sustainably and the dedication it takes to stay committed to living a sustainable lifestyle... -Helen Sandy, Loyola New Orleans (Auroville Spring 2010)

 

Instead of simply theoretical models or textbook based study, we got a chance to experience how things are being done on the ground, and therefore to learn the unique and embodied lessons that emerge from actual implementation. After experiencing each of these presentations, I almost always heard someone say something along the lines of "Wow, cool. I could try that myself!" -Karl Steyaert Faculty (Auroville Fall 2008)

 

I had a very valuable encounter with Svante, one of the founding members of Huehuecoyotl. We spoke at length about differing political climates, immigration trends, and issues plaguing the country. This was extremely insightful and eye opening and has even assisted me in writing an essay for an upcoming course back at my home university. -Melicia Morris, UMass Amherst (Huehuecoytl Winter 2009)

 

Learning about the way a chacra (subsistence garden) works is an integral part of this course.... I feel incredibly grateful to be able to work in the garden with Moises (the head gardener at the center). I find empowerment in growing my own food at home, and feel equally empowered here to be able to help provide food for our own group and for future communities who stay and learn at the ecological center. -Ariel Marx, Hampshire College (Peru Winter 2009)

 

It is funny how one lifetime experience can begin to piece the puzzle together, realizing that part of what you've been learning all along fits into one whole system. The Crystal Waters Permaculture Design Course has helped me piece many of the concepts I've been learning about relating to sustainability during my undergraduate career in Environmental Planning, such as green and LEED certified building, the importance of relocalization, alternative energy and design methods, into one new outlook and concept called permaculture. -Meghan Rodier, Plymouth State University (Australia Summer 2009)

 

We got back from the home stays last night- I had such a wonderful time and as far as I can tell, so did everybody else. The community I visited is called Chirapa. We were greeted with an indigenous festival upon arrival, which included lots of dancing, funny local costumes, and a pinata type thing on top of a wooden pole. We were truly welcomed into the communities. After a few days, it felt like home. -Alison Cebulla, University of California Berkeley (Peru Winter 2008)

 

Today, we visited Barry Goodman, a local, who actually helped found Crystal Waters. In our short time with Barry, we learned about the design of his house and how he takes advantage of alternative energies...Barry's way of living really sparked an interest in me. Listening to his life path and how he got started in permaculture motivates me to live my life in a similar fashion. He didn't plan on living this way or even go to school to do something like that, but he followed his heart and he ended up here, in Crystal Waters. For me, knowing where I want to go or what I want to do seems so far away from reality, but Barry reassured me that my inner hopes and dreams will lead me to a comfortable life. -Dave SooHoo (Australia Summer 2009)

 

I got the opportunity to work on Sachamama's Bio Huerto Project to produce an organic compost of soil that regenerates the land rather than just depleting it. The project is in its development and demonstration stages now, and I was glad that Living Routes gave me the opportunity to be a part of it and learn more about an ecologically alternative way of agriculture. For my final project for class I am going to dive deeper into this subject for the next 4 days and produce a report full of pictures that I have taken while I was here in Peru. -Jacob Ruiz, Humboldt State University (Peru Winter 2010)

 

A woman named Lucimarie lives with her two children right outside of IPEC, and the center decided to take on the job of building her a house and yard using permaculture principles...Some of us were digging swales for proper water dispersal to avoid soil erosion, some working on the layout of a keyhole garden and herb spiral, and some leveling earth for a table and benches...Although some of the work is a bit tedious and the sun is hot, it was impressive to see what so many eager hands can do in a short amount of time. One thing we were told at the beginning of the course was that permaculture is not about producing products; it's about systems and processes...I loved having my hands in the mud. -Emily Antoszyk, University of North Carolina Asheville (Brazil Summer 2008)

 

To utilize water to its fullest, the creators of IPEC have developed several strategies for water capture and reuse--ranging from giant rainwater collection tanks to grey water systems. During the past week, we devoted a morning to understanding the inner workings of one particular grey water system, which was undergoing repair...We helped to clear some of the greenery and spread it as mulch in the food-forest-allowing us to locate the leaky spot in the system and later patched it. It was a great follow up to the in class discussion of grey water. -Wesley Bascom, University of Vermont (Brazil Summer 2007)

 

Our new project, our final design task, is to combine all of the concepts of permaculture and design a sustainable school. The school will have to meet the traditional, government-sanctioned curriculum, however, it will have an environmental focus...The building designs will also be efficient, "green," and will be built with natural materials; designed by us. This is a huge task-our design groups are jumping into this project like one would into freezing water. It's a daunting task, but we have to do it. We want to do it! It's amazing that we are being given this opportunity. -Rain Araneda, Hillsborough Community College (Brazil Summer 2009)

 

A trip to "the outside" made my surroundings real. In an effort to encourage environmental education for local children, we ventured to the nearest village to bring some kids to the Forest for the day. Some grabbed our hands; happy to go wherever we led them. Others ran ahead to tell more children that we had come to take them to the Forest. It was then that I realized the power of Sadhana Forest. -Cassie Wagler, University of Iowa (Sadhana Forest Winter 2009)

 

We used our human pedal power on the power generation bikes to make electric power, all while singing songs...it was such an empowering experience to truly understand the work necessary to run devices and write emails. I am sure that we all will not take electricity for granted, at anytime in the near future. -Caitlin Digman, University of Iowa (Sadhana Forest Winter 2010)

 

Everyone here is so committed to living closer to the land and helping the environment, it's truly amazing. Not only that, but they are all committed to cooperation and nonviolence, which is really essential when so many people are living and working together. I have never been surrounded by such a community, much less lived in one. It's incredibly inspiring. -Maggie Keating, Ithaca College (Sadhana Forest Winter 2010)

 

I introduced the idea of making bike carts here at Findhorn...to create low cost trailers that can empower people to use their bicycles more, and use their car less or not at all. Several people in the community have shown interest, and last night we had our first work session in the shop. [Seth went on to develop a bicycle transport prototype and green business back home in Massachusetts] -Seth Mansur, UMass Amherst (Findhorn Spring 2007)

 

The start of our second week found us getting our hands dirty. Dan showed us how to construct a stone foundation for the bench. 8 inches of gravel were spread evenly into a trench 14 inches deep. Then, we placed stones as small as plums and as large as hatboxes. Through careful stone selection and the use of hammers and chisels, we built a flat- topped stone foundation up 6 inches above grade. Soon, this will be covered with cob and sculpted just so, and eventually beautiful stones and colored glass will be embedded into the surface of the bench. The evolution of our cob bench echoes the development of our group over the past week. We have laid our foundations. Now we dive deep into the building process, and soon: we decorate! -Nathan Aldrich UMass Amherst (USA Green Building Summer 2010)

 

Wild and windy with hills covered in heather and ferns. There are no trees just rocks and scrubs. And you almost always have a view of the sea. We saw Balfour Bay and climbed down to a sea cave that I bet was a pirate hideout in days past. We climbed to the high point of the island and climbed onto the wishing rock to make wishes guaranteed to come true. Erraid Island really is a magical place. -Hannah Eubanks, Missouri State University (Findhorn Fall 2009)

 

...We can go back from whence we came and realize that gardening is not so different in different climates. Getting to know one's local plants, local soil, weather patterns, and sectors, or energy that flows through the site, are the most important principles and apply no matter where you live. -Macrina Newhouse, Marlboro College (Israel Fall 2008)

 

With Lotan and Living Routes, the PowerPoints are for reference or to backup a lesson. They are not the sole teachers of the course. We have class in the garden, discuss liquid compost and then make it together, to be used next week on the plants that we previously planted. This is how I learn. I learn by building a mud bench, feeling the differences in the 2nd layer mud vs. the 4th. I learn by going outside to look at the sun and experiment with the placement of windows and overhang to best heat or cool a house. These are the ways I learn best. Even when not in class, I have experimented with various things being taught. -Arielle Aronoff, SUNY Geneseo (Israel Fall 2009)

 

The past two days have been devoted to student seminars, and I am simply amazed at the talent, thoughtfulness and intelligence that is manifested through the collective mind of the group. I have so much respect for each and every person with whom I am living. -Deborah Krug, University of Vermont (Auroville Spring 2007)

 

I met peace activists deeply connected to their religions, and was inspired by their deep compassion in action, their commitment to finding joy in human connection even when their work was arduous. -Lucy Litvak, Stanford University (Israel Fall 2009)

 

There have been permaculture workshops, presentations, documentary showings, yoga classes, open stages, and great class discussions. I am a lot busier than I anticipated, but I am constantly impressed by how much I am experiencing. -Ben Jones, University of North Carolina Asheville (Auroville Spring 2010)

 

Since joining the Fall 2009 Living Routes semester in Auroville (India), my spiritual development has blossomed. Simply put, I have since learned that many of my previous philosophical thoughts could have been considered a part of my spirituality. My views on the importance of environmentalism and ecology, even in topics as seemingly foreign to ecology as economics, have become a part of my spirituality. My overall view on the environmentally and socially destructive nature of our modern industrial society has also been incorporated into my personal sense of spirituality. Another way of putting this is that "a human's correct place within the natural world" has also become a part of my spirituality. -Jake Horgan, Evergreen State College (Auroville Fall 2009)

 

Our Service Learning: Patrick is working at Savaram, making musical instruments and teaching guitar. Emily and Aaron are living at Sadhana forest planting trees while also attending a 10-day Buddhist mediation retreat at Sadhana. Joe is living at Buddha garden an organic farm and working there in the mornings and spending the afternoons at Thamari. Andrew and Levi have been living and working at Fertile Farm, they haven't been farming but they have been making props for an Auroville children's play that was last night and was amazing! Ian and I are living and working at Solitude permaculture farm were we spend our time playing in the dirt and learning about natural farming. -Jessica Smith, UMass Amherst (Auroville Fall 2006)

 

It is when you move beyond accepting new situations and to looking for the good in them that traveling is life changing and a true learning experience. -Emilyn Fox, University of Vermont (Auroville Spring 2010)

 

I cannot think of this experience as purely academic; I have learned so much about the consensus process, but also so much about myself and about other people. I have learned to observe other's actions, and my own responses to those actions. I have learned to be patient, to pace myself, and when to compromise. I have had so many wonderful and expanding experiences beyond just learning about consensus, such as facing the reality of many Mexicans while in Chimalacatlan, climbing mountains to visit ancient pyramids such as Tepotzteco in Tepotzlan and sensing the labor required to build such a structure and the power of the past society that designed it, to chatting with those who live in Huehue and learning about their fascinating life experiences and worldviews. -Emily Wheeler, Mount Holyoke (Huehuecoytl Winter 2007)

 

I must admit that my favorite part of being here is the incredible focus on broadening my-and everyone who visits Crystal Waters-perspective. Our perspective on how deeply interconnected we are. And from such a perspective we can better work with the natural patterns, cycles, and systems-towards the betterment of life for all beings, not only the enrichment of human life. Personally, putting myself into such an environment, so lightly trodden on by humans, has really created an amazing sense of appreciation for life in all of the forms by which it tries to express itself. -Gregory Cerrato, University of Tampa (Australia Summer 2009)

 

I came to Huehue with such a clear plan for my academic career and my life. Now I realize that the world is so much larger than I could have ever anticipated; there are so many experiences waiting for me, more things to learn and people to meet, and this does not necessarily come through traditional (or Western) schooling. It is important to have a plan for life, but it is also important to be flexible, to listen to the wind and, if tempted, to move with it. -Emily Wheeler, Mount Holyoke (Huehuecoytl Winter 2007)

 

I found it incredibly valuable to discuss and build the primitive hut in the same day. I can tell that the curriculum was well planned and that everything we learn will be valuable and applicable to what we do; no bogus busy work like in most classes. I can already tell that our stay at Sirius will be an life changing experience and that the bonds we form will be everlasting. This place brings me true joy and replenishes my faith in humanity. Spirits are high as we progress into the course and everything feels right. -Melissa (USA Green Building Summer 2010)

 

Every time I learn something new I can't wait to get out there and start trying it out. My yard in Amherst is going to be transformed into a permaculture / edible forest garden...this will be my first time designing and implementing, but what is great is that all of the local people in the class (UMass Amherst and Hampshire students) are going to help me with the design. -Ryan Harb, UMass Amherst (USA Permaculture Summer 2009)

 

Here we were, a bunch of sustainably-driven individuals, most of which have been dependent on electricity their entire lives, embarking on a completely new journey. Cell phones died and couldn't be recharged, the nights were dimly lit, and water usage had to be rationed to avoid exhausting the solar powered water well. Yet, moods didn't drop off, instead people remained cheerful and excited about our experience at hand. Knowing we could rough it a little, free ourselves of the unsustainable lifestyles society has fabricated, and fully embody the green ideal was empowering. -Eric Dorenzo UMass Amherst (USA Green Building Summer 2010)

 

Living in Kibbutz Lotan has not only taught me a lot about creative ecology...but has increased my love of this field and has suffused creative ecology into my thinking. Permaculture is practical ecology that makes logical sense. It challenges conventional (or normal) organic agriculture and makes you think about what is really the most sustainable way to not only grow food, but to live. -Ben Weinberger, Colby College (Israel Fall 2008)

 

...the Living Routes India program offers the out-of-the-classroom learning experience that I find most effective. Additionally, I think it is great that Living Routes provides programs that allow students to evaluate themselves as human beings on this planet. I consider humans to be another part of nature, not above the natural world, and I want to practice what I believe by living in a sustainable community. -Helen Sandy, Loyola University New Orleans (Auroville Spring 2010)

 

Traveling in India has been such an intense - sometimes saddening and enraging - and other times totally blissful and exhilarating experience, but through each and every moment here I have learned a little more, grown a little more, become a little more open, and a little more strong and am grateful for every moment that has been given to me to experience this wild enchanting country. -Rachel Moore, Evergreen State College (Auroville Fall 2009)

 

Huehuecoyotl itself is an aesthetic wonderland filled with stained glass, tiled walkways, paintings, flowers, fruit trees, architecture, and mountainside landscape. Here we have grown on both individual and group levels, learning more perhaps than any of us could have predicted. The community has graciously accepted us into this space, a place that very quickly felt like home and presented an array of wonderful, friendly residents. Living in an eco-village provided a living example of people committed to social and environmental change. -Danielle Connor, Mount Holyoke (Huehuecoytl Winter 2005) I am not usually one to gush the wonders of acceptance and respect without a more critical context, but I find myself so overwhelmed by the sense of community I have here, that this is what I want to write. This program is about both ecovillages and Consensus Decision Making. The definition of Consensus, for this class, is as follows: "Consensus is a decision making process which strives for non-violent revolution of conflict and the cooperative development of decisions that everyone can support." The Core Belief: Each person has an important piece of the truth. The goal of consensus: Unity, not unanimity. -Basha Smolen, Bard College (Huehuecoytl Winter 2008)

 

...if you want to be challenged in your assumptions, if you want to get a bigger picture of how our world is hurting and how you can be a part of the transformation; Auroville might just be the place for you, like it was for me. -Rebecca Hume, Cornell University (Auroville Spring 2010)

 

I learned more about my capabilities and myself in those three weeks than I have maybe in my whole school career. Working together with people for a common cause, living together, traveling, learning, and loving one another opened a piece of me. I learned to love each person for the wonderful attributes they brought, fell in love with the country and its people, and was inspired to my core with the work being done by Centro Sachamama. -Laura Williams, Southern Illinois University-Carbondale (Peru Winter 2010)

 

The last week has been filled with lots of thought, and a lot of hands on experience. We got to go to one of the local schools and design a new outdoor reading and play area for the children. Then we got to build it! Using some techniques we've just learned (super adobe, and sand/cement tank building), we have been putting our minds and muscles to the test. Getting dirty and working hard has been the best way for me to put all that we've been learning into a formulated idea of what one can really do with it. Working for the school was an incredible learning process, and the connections between permaculture and real life are just continuously growing right in front of my eyes. What an experience so far! -Chris Hamel, UMass Amherst (Brazil Summer 2007)

 

It is going to be very hard to leave this place. The residents, my fellow permaculturists, the energy... it is truly a magical experience here at Sirius. The past few days we have concentrated on the scale of permanence; specifically water and landscape. We learned how to use different equipment for mapping contour lines. We were also assigned our group projects - "to create the best permaculture design possible". -Ryan Harb, UMass Amherst (USA Permaculture Summer 2009)

 

I am more aware of a global perspective of environmental issues. I also gained a new perspective of home. When I drive through the built up mall, shop, and restaurant areas of Franklin, Tennessee, I think about how much more beautiful it would be if we could be more space efficient with our buildings and consumer society. I wonder what Tennessee looked like before hills were plowed through to make roads, before dams were built, and before sub developments sprouted from the disturbed ground? -Ashley Johnson, New College of Florida (Findhorn Spring 2007)

 

It's been over a month since we returned from Peru and my experience has affected me in ways I suspected it would and, in other ways, more than I had previously assumed. I have mouthed off to more than a few people on fair trade and what it means and why they should buy it and whom it helps and what it does. And in smaller ways, I am recycling more, using less water, and much more conscious of what affects I am having on my surroundings. -Becky Fromm, UMass Amherst (Peru Winter 2007)

 

Post program plans: About half the students from our Findhorn group are going to work on forming a sustainability center in Boston; Wes plans to start a community supported agriculture scheme in his hometown of Malverne, Pennsylvania. Rae is inspired to change the wastewater treatment system in Atlanta to make it more sustainable. KC is continuing to make her state of Alaska more self-sufficient in the area of food. I am going back to Bar Harbor, Maine in a few weeks with the hopes of strengthening the year-round economy there with a local currency like the Ekos I used at Findhorn. -Sarah Steinberg, College of the Atlantic (Findhorn Fall 2006)

 

In me I can feel a rising readiness to actively observe my environment, that natural, built, and strange intangible environment we have built through the centuries with our minds; encompassing currency and politics and territory - to find solutions that move the world towards greater unity. -Laura Zuckerman, College of the Atlantic (Israel Fall 2008)

 

If olive branches are symbolic of peace, then our picking olives off their branches that day was a small way of cultivating peace-both between Palestinians and Jews, and between the Palestinian's family and the earth that they depend on. It made me think that peace is certainly not the absence of conflict, but something that must be planted, tilled and enjoyed. As we picked green-grey olives one by one from the branches, it seemed that it could have felt like endlessly tedious work, but because so many of us were there together, Jews, Palestinians, and Americans, it felt like we were making noticeable progress constantly. -Lucy Litvak, Stanford University (Israel Fall 2009)

 

My time at IPEC is over but the experiences and questions I encountered there have planted themselves in small but vital niches within by thoughts. I feel that as time goes on, these seeds of experience are growing. I have already seen changes in my actions in my brief time at home. The program as a whole challenged the perspectives I hold about myself and the world around me, and especially the relationship between the two. The program effectively framed questions of personal direction and global responsibility in ways that led to very thought provoking internal and group discussions. This process affirmed some of my values and questioned others--leading to some very intense personal re-evaluation. They began with a brown patch of degraded earth and turned it into an oasis. Now what can we do with all the riches surrounding us? -Wesley Bascom, University of Vermont (Brazil Summer 2007)