2011 Freeschool Schedule (subject to change)
(Children's programming at bottom)
Thursday, August 25
2:00pm Arrival and set up time
4:00pm Farm tours with Rye and Sal
6:00pm Dinner feast
7:30pm The Troubling Rise of Militarism in Nova Scotia & Why it Should Concern You - Tamara Lorincz
9:30pm Music Jam by the Campfire
Friday, August 26
7:00am Early morning dance party
8:00am Breakfast feast
9:00am Opening and welcome
10:30am Break
10:45am Workshop Session 1
Thinking Through Process / Spinning Yarn as a Contemplative process - Owen Brush
Life or Gold: A case study of a Canadian mining company in Latin America - Kathryn Anderson
Humanure - Jen Stotland
Tractor Basics - Andy Hammermeister
Mapping the Future, Mapping Ourselves - Christine Parton
12:15pm Lunch feast
1:45pm Workshop Session 2
Justice in the workplace: how and why to organize in the workplace - Dave Bush
Stewards of Children (intro session) - Angela Johnston
Finish carpentry basics: How to trim a window - Desiree Jans
Fracking: What's the problem? - Barb Harris
Mouth Music - Brian Riley
A Psychedelic Salon - Nic Cornell
3:15pm Break
3:30pm Discussion Period 1
5:00pm Free Time
6:00pm Dinner (feast)
8:00pm Music with Tanya Davis
Saturday, August 27
7:00am Yoga
8:00am Breakfast ...um...what’s another word for feast
9:00am Workshops Session 3
Free Write - Alisma Perry
A Pessimist's Hope: Food and the Ecological Crisis - Pat Kerans
The Work that Reconnects - Allison Ulan
Forest Health, the Small Woodlot Owner and the Consumer - Benna Keoghoe
Using Active Transportation to Improve Quality of Life - Zac Crouse
Stewards of Children training part 1 - Angela Johnston
10:30am Break
10:45am Discussion Period
12:15pm Lunch
1:45pm Workshops Session 4
Cooperation, a way for media independence - Nicolas Falcimaigne
Transition Towns: towards a sustainable future - Av Singh, Ann Manicom, Wilf Bean and Michael Jensen
Getting back to our roots: reviving our herbal practice - Jean Steinberg
Finding ourselves through Mindful Drawing - John Wasteneys
Strategic visioning for social and environmental transformation - Dru Oja Jay
Stewards of Children training - part 2 - Angela Johnston
3:15pm Break
3:30pm Checking on the bees and physical activities
6:00pm Dinner
7:00pm Free time
8:00pm Music with Zulkamoon and Big Barn Dance Party!
Sunday, August 28
7:00am Meditation in Motion: Beginner Kripalu Yoga - Colleen Freake
8:00am Breakfast
9:00am Workshops Session 5
Saving the crop: Canning, fermenting and drying - David Hobson
Permaculture Discussion - Mother Oak Permaculture interns
Hey, where does my money go, anyway? - Josh Bates
Ecological Siting: Constructive Edges and Change - Josh Collins
Plumbing / Soldering for Everyone - Rob Aspinall
Developing and Strengthening a Permacuculture of Radical Social Inclusion: Sustainability - Tomislav Svoboda
10:30am Break
10:45am Workshops Session 6
Birth, Breast and Bed - Ume Hermanski (CHANGED: moved to discussion period)
Policy Matters: How to get the government policies a just and sustainable world demands -Miia Suokonautio and Chris Benjamin
The Origin of Soil - Andy Hammermeister
Food Sovereignty, A People's Movement - Miranda Cobb
Love Song - Suzanne Hollett
Poetry Workshop - Karen Houle
12:15pm – 2:00pm Lunch and Closing Ceremony
New this year: Children’s programming on Friday!
The children’s tent will be open all day with arts and crafts and games, along with the special kids’ Free School workshops below. Please note that parents/guardians are responsible for their children at all times.
10:45 - Radical Story Time for the Young and Young at Heart -Carolyn Blum and Ramm Hering
1:30 - Song and Action Circle - Ume and Lys Hermanski
2:45 - Creative Wandering: A Children's Workshop - Christine Parton
5:00 - Happy birthday to Sal!
7:00 - Movie in the loft theatre! Suggestions are welcome for a kid-friendly movie to show.
Workshop descriptions
Fracking: What's the problem?
Fracking is an environment issue, a health issue, a climate change issue, a water issue, an eco-systems issue, a rural development issue, a seventh generation issue, an issue which unites communities and divides them, a local issue, a global issue, an issue of corporate power, government coverups, and grass roots uprising.
Learn what fracking is, why it is bringing people into the streets in the Maritimes and around the world, and discuss what you can do to help protect Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec and our world against fracking. ~ Barbara Harris
Finish carpentry basics: How to trim a window
Thinking about renovating but not sure you have the skills? After 2 and a half years, starting with a complete gutting, we’re finally down to the last of the trim carpentry on our old farmhouse. I started out with practically zero carpentry experience but, by working alongside carpenters and lots of trial and error, I’m pretty happy with my emerging skills! I’d like to share some of what I’ve learned by showing you how to install wood trim around the inside of a window. We’ll go through design options and build a mock-up. And yes, there will be power tools! Anyone with their own renovating tips to share is welcome to join. ~Desiree Jans
Transition Towns: towards a sustainable future
Endless growth on a finite planet? We all know that our present industrial growth society is not sustainable, and that the time to make changes towards a less petroleum-based economy is now. But how do we get together to move towards a more just and sustainable future? This workshop will examine the concept of “Transition Towns” to mobilize citizens to acknowledge a near future of resource limits, climate change, and economic disruption, and make community plans to build a more sustainable, resilient, and more satisfying community. ~Ann Manicom, Michael Jensen, Av Singh, and Wilf Bean
Free Write
A collaborative writing workshop led by a struggling, procrastinating writer. I will introduce key ideas about writing, challenging participants to practice immediately through exercises. ~ Alisma Perry
The Troubling Rise of Militarism in Nova Scotia & Why it Should Concern You
Come to learn about the militarized economy in NS, defence spending in Canada, the Canada First Defence Strategy, lobbying by weapons companies, military recruiting of youth and how militarism is preventing us from achieving sustainability nationally and provincially. Find out about the Public Accounts of Canada and the Canada Lobbyist Registry and why we need
to demand an overhaul to the provincial lobbyist registry. We will also discuss the federal government's planned purchase of the Lockheed Martin F-35 stealth fights and of warships under the National Shipbuilding Procurement Strategy using at least $64 billion of our tax dollars over the next 20 years. These are the largest procurement programs in Canadian history. This session is timely as the annual arms show in eastern Canada, DefSec Atlantic, takes place in Halifax from September 7-9. Finally, we will explore ways to integrate peace analysis and activism into
your work for social change. ~ Tamara Lorincz
The Origin of Soil
Civilizations have prospered and fallen based on the quality and management of their soil. Healthy soil is the foundation of food security and nutritious food, and a sustainable income for farmers. Here we will all get dirty exploring what is soil and how did it get to be what it is. ~Andy Hammermeister
Finding ourselves through Mindful Drawing
This workshop uses art methods, or drawing to translate the moral-mindful awareness described in some Buddhist philosophy and contemporary ethics.
"Unborn emptiness has let go of the extremes of being and non-being. Thus it is both the center itself and the central path. Emptiness is the track on which the centered person moves." -Tsongkhapa, translation from Stephen Bachelor
To be open while mark making we can radically influence the manner we interact with the world. This mindfulness is a kind of awakening. This workshop is about translating sensory tactility into pure energy. Using charcoal and paper, this workshop will hopefully help to reassert our balance towards a more grounded state of mind- calm yet reflexive. ~John Wasteneys
Using Active Transportation to Improve Quality of Life
I recently completed a CD Release Tour from Ottawa to Halifax using a sea kayak and a bicycle for transportation. During the workshop I will discuss benefit & challenges of active transportation, and show clips excepts from my upcoming documentary about the trip 'Paddle To The Ocean'. ~Zac Crouse
Justice in the workplace: how and why to organize in the workplace
This is a presentation that is designed to give people the skills, strategy and confidence to organize unions in their workplace. The presentation will also address why unionization of workplaces is an elementary step towards fighting for social justice in our capitalist world. Recognizing the limits of unions in our society will also be exploring alternative organizing methods and objectives in the workplace. ~Dave Bush
A Psychedelic Salon
The workshop will feature readings from Terrence Mckenna, discussions of evolutionary theory, shifting consciousness, planning for harm reduction. ~ Nic Cornell
Hey, where does my money go, anyway?
While there’s no shortage of good ideas that governments could fund, where should this money come from? Come to this workshop, and learn how the Nova Scotia government pays for the services it delivers, participate in a discussion on the delicate balance between taxes and services, and share your ideas on how to get our elected representatives to better reflect those values important to you. ~ Josh Bates
Life or Gold: A case study of a Canadian mining company in Latin America
I will show a new DVD, Life or God: Recolonization and Resistance in Central America, which shows the negative impacts of Canadian mining companies in Central America, including Goldcorp in Guatemala and Honduras. The showoing will be followed by a discussion among participants re solidarity alliances and actions past, present and future (shareholder activism, attempts to change Canadian law, Urgent Actions, etc.) ~ Kathryn Anderson
Mouth Music
A chance to play with Mouth Music,Beatboxing and life speak! we'll host circle groove sounds. hoping to share and hold space, converse through less familiar means. We may push onward towards things like harmony and elements of spoken word. Bring a note pad or journal, and a pen if you can. ~ Brian Riley
Ecological Siting: Constructive Edges and Change
The workshop will begin in a presentation of my own architectural encounters with the built and natural environment in which I situate constructive acts within the context of dynamics ecological realities. The operative lesson is not to avoid change, but rather to encourage healing (such as the healing of a site) by situating oneself constructively within changing dynamics. The lesson is much broader than architecture. Hopefully this breath will lead to the oppertunity for the workshop to turn towards an interactive discussion. We will sit in a circle (I think). ~ Josh Collins
Tractor Basics
So you've never been on a tractor? Why not give it a try? here we explore the 'fun' and 'da mentals' of owning and operating a tractor. ~ Andy Hammermeister
Policy Matters: How to get the government policies a just and sustainable world demands
Miia, community programs director at Phoenix Youth Programs, and Chris, healthy lawns coordinator at Ecology Action Centre, have innocuous job titles that mask their journeys deep into the mazes of government, wherein dwells the bureaucrat, and the occasional politician. Both have suffered the vague agendas, the mixed results and awkward compromises and not only survived, but come out with some halfway progressive policies. What's their secret? Well, what's yours? This interactive workshop will share goals, objectives, ideas, strategies and tactics for changing the world - at a policy level anyway. We’ll go through a quick government structure 101, understanding policies and priorities, speaking in tongues and making your case. And we’ll highlight some neat wins of late in both homelessness and environment. ~Miia Suokonautio and Chris Benjamin
Food Sovereignty, A People's Movement
In an interactive setting, explore food security/sovereignty in Nova Scotia and take part in forming its future directions. Food sovereignty projects currently underway are creating radical community mobilization methods to re-inform our food system. ~Miranda Cobb
Thinking Through Process / Spinning Yarn as a Contemplative process
The intention of this workshop is to use the craft of spinning yarn as a contemplative practice. By learning to assemble and use a drop spindle using the most basic of materials and methods, students will be engaged in a process that challenges held preconceptions while also offering a haptic experience that can give insight into concepts of time, focus, presence and more. ~Owen Brush
Stewards of Children
I am an Authorized Facilitator of this workshop teaching adults to to prevent, recognize and react to child sexual abuse. I will offer one short introductory session, and I will then also be able to deliver the full 3-hr program to up to 10 participants. These participants would receive a certificate of attendance, workbook, guidebook, and list of resources. ~Angela Johnston
Birth, Breast and Bed
Gather to here stories and recommendations about Birthing, Breastfeeding and Co-Sleeping. We'll discuss the deepest details! ~Ume Hermanski
A Pessimist's Hope: Food and the Ecological Crisis
I will explain my pessimism: modern science (especially biology and economics) systematically foreclose any consideration of environmental impacts. My hope is rooted in the stories of food producers around the world who resist the systemic pressure of the globalized food system. ~ Pat Kerans
Plumbing / Soldering for Everyone
Basic soldering skills anyone can learn and use in many situations. ~Rob Aspinall
Strategic visioning for social and environmental transformation
What kinds of transformation -- social, political, environmental, economic -- have to take place in order to stave off ecological collapse and build a sustainable and just society? How do we bring these changes about. We won't save the world in this participatory three-hour session, but we'll learn some useful tools for thinking clearly about how to make effective long term plans for radical change. Using methods developed for direct action training and political education by expert facilitators, and armed with our collective expertise and experience, we'll work through the steps between our current predicament and an imagined sustainable future. ~Dru Oja Jay
Getting back to our roots: reviving our herbal practice
This discussion/workshop has two parts:
In part one, we will begin by exploring the history of herbalism and discussing the shift from herbal medicine that was once shared, collective knowledge, belonging to the people, to the commodified "herbalism" that dominates today. So much of current "herbalism" marginalizes and excludes people- particularly based on class, race, gender identity and ability. Further, a majority "herbalism" today is extracted, encapsulated & bottled. The product that ends up in peoples' hands is removed and distant from the plant itself, disturbingly identical to the pharmaceutical system. Together, we'll share our experiences of the current "herbal system", pockets outside of it, and ways to resist it.
After talking about the struggles in our current herbal practice, we'll fight back against the comodification of our medicines. In part two we'll take to the dirt and look for good herbals around the farm and in the forest. Please be ready to get dirty, personal and eat things fresh and delicious from the ground. ~ Jean Steinberg
Meditation in Motion: Beginner Kripalu Yoga
Kripalu yoga has traditional roots in the eight limbs of yoga. Each class has components of meditation, breathing exercises, postures, and relaxation. Beginner level is a safe environment for those who haven't tried yoga before or even experienced yogis and yoginis who are interested in the foundations of yoga. ~Colleen Freake
Permaculture Discussion
We have been at Mother Oak Permaculture Farm for 5 months and are doing, talking about, and living with permaculture principles in mind. We would love to share what we have been learning, starting with a discussion of what permaculture is, why we are studying it, and how people can incorporate it into their lives. Then open discussion going wherever participants want to go in the world of permaculture. ~Mother Oak Permaculture Interns
Cooperation, a way for media independence
The extreme concentration of mainstream media reveals the limits of the individual ownership model, especially on information independence. Is the cooperative model a solution to protect information independence in a globalized world? ~Nicolas Falcimaigne
Poetry Workshop
This workshop is for folks who like to write poetry and want to workshop a poem of their own. I'll talk about my writing process, some aspects of publishing manuscripts, and together we can talk about what makes a good poem, good. ~Karen Houle
Forest Health, the Small Woodlot Owner and the Consumer
There is a lot of media coverage on what industry and private landowners are doing to the forests of Nova Scotia which creates a negative picture of the forestry industry as a whole. How often are the positive aspects of forestry highlighted? This workshop will share how many small woodlot owners in Nova Scotia are stewards to their land, and that they have a place in conserving forest and wildlife health through sustainable and ecological forestry. I will also discuss the certification process and the effect it causes through the full system, from people to forests, to make the choice of purchasing FSC certified paper products. Finally we will take a short dip into the woods for a bit of ecosystem classification. ~Benna Keoghoe
Mapping the Future, Mapping Ourselves
A discussion and mapping/visioning exercise on the topic of The Future (of the world and our place within it) - including ideas/projections of climate-related crises, resource and population issues, and more personal objectives (vocation, housing, community building, etc.) as they relate to, or conflict with, our views of that future. ~ Christine Parton
Love Song
An invitation to spend time "being" in each others presence and communicating through a language I call the love language. This language is inspired by our innate wisedom within each of us. So I invite people to drop into there bodies and become relaxed. I then invite people to communicate from this space. This form of communication involves the entire self (body, mind and spirit). I intuitively encourage deep listening through different ways such as silence, touch and sound. I love to direct this form of communication by using an instrument to create a natural, harmonic, soul to soul conversation that I call the Love Song. ~Suzanne Hollett
Developing and Strengthening a Permacuculture of Radical Social Inclusion: Sustainability
Significant levels of social and economic instability and suffering in first world communities result from a social monoculture that features strong and persistent elements of exclusion and marginalization of individuals who do not conform to normative physical, mental and emotional standards. Examples of a growing permaculture of social diversity and inclusion abound and point to ways to increase well being, happiness and social stability in our communities. This workshop will explore, identify and practice through real world examples and exercises ways that we can radically repair ourselves and our communities by developing and strengthening a permaculture of social inclusion in our every day lives and in the communities that we are building. ~Tomislav Svoboda
Saving the crop: Canning, fermenting and drying
Preserving food is essential for increasing our self-sufficiency and it can be very rewarding! This workshop will cover: microbiology involved in food preservation; canning, fermentation and drying principles, basics and tools required. I hope to inspire everyone to do more home food preservation! I also invite any home-preserving gurus to pitch in with their tips. No live demos, but I will bring some equipment to show and tell. ~David Hobson
The Work that Reconnects
The Work That Reconnects has been developed by Joanna Macy (a scholar in Buddhism, general system theory and deep ecology) and addresses the emotional well-being of activists. Joanna is also a leading voice in movements for peace, justice and a safe environment. Since 1970's her workshop structures have been used in schools, colleges, churches and grassroots organization across North America. In the face of overwhelming social and ecological crisis, this work helps people transform despair and apathy into constructive, collaborative action. It teaches a new way of seeing the world - as matrix of our own bodies and minds - reversing assumptions and attitudes that now threaten the continuity of life on Earth. In this session we will engage in group, diad and individual techniques which involve meaningful discussion, expanding our viewpoints, role playing and vipassana meditation. ~ Allison Ulan
Creative Wandering: A Children's Workshop
A casual but organized walk with the purpose of seeing the world with fresh eyes. We will explore the area around Waldegrave Farm, sketchbooks and notepads in hand, with the intention of observing with our five senses, and reflecting upon our observances midway through by drawing, writing poems, or otherwise capturing something that inspired us. ~Christine Parton
Radical Story Time for the Young and Young at Heart
This workshop features story time with mindful, educational books for young children. It will be a casual sharing of stories, both oral and written, that have been found to be particularly meaningful in terms of peace, sustainability, justice, sharing and other progressive social messages. Participants are encouraged to bring their own books and/or stories to share. ~ Carolyn Blum and Ramm Hering