Thailand
If you're interested, register soon.

 "GET GROUNDED"
A Crash Course on Sustainable Living

Pun Pun Center
Chiang Mai, Northern Thailand

Come join us for this short internship program on sustainable living techniques.  We will together through hands-on instruction learn how to use the techniques we use at our farm and how to put these into practice in your everyday life. 

In this 10-day workshop we will cover the stages in natural building, earthen plasters, and homemade clay paints, organic gardening including making your own compost and liquid micro-organism fertilizers, traditional and new natural health techniques, making products, and a 2-day study trip to other sustainable living projects in the area.
Thai organic farmer/earthen builder Jon Jandai and partner Peggy Reents, along with other members of their community, will lead you through experiencing living in a more self-reliant manner, connected with nature around us.  Experience living in community with Thai and international members, eating homemade healthy delicious meals, and getting your hands dirty!

Course runs : February 11-20, 2011
Topics & techniques
The workshop will include introductions to:
Natural Building Techniques:

• Basic design principles for environmental citing, climatic considerations, and aesthetics  
• Adobe brick making
• Adobe wall construction
• Intros to other earthen building techniques including wattle-and-daub, cob, and earth bag
• Earthen plasters for earthen walls and strawbale walls
• Natural clay/starch paints, lime, beeswax and other options for finishing sealants, etc

Organic Gardening Techniques:

• Making your own IMOs (indigenous micro-organisms) for beneficial use in the gardens and health tonics.  Making these as liquid fertilizers and pesticides
• Making organic composts
• Tour of our gardens and names and uses of beneficial plants
• Time in the gardens with community members to see techniques in planting, making beds, etc\
• Seed saving of heirloom varieties

Natural Health:

• Traditional and new techniques using water, earth, heat, and other elements for personal natural healing and health

Products:

• Learn to make tofu, soymilk, jams, and soaps through simple techniques you can do at home

Study Trip:

• Visit two other sustainable living projects in the area, both with different focuses but who are working with community and making change at a grassroots level.  We provide all transportation, food, facilitation, and translation for these discussions.  We also tour their projects.

The Project
The course will be held on our center which is an organic farm, seed center, and sustainable living learning center.  We started the farm in 2003 and work to create a seed center to preserve our food biodiversity, grow our own food organically for ourselves in community and for those who come to stay with us, and host trainings and workshops on ways to convert to more self-reliant, sustainable ways of living.

General Schedule
A three hour morning and afternoon sessions will be held daily with occasional evening sessions.

Teaching team
Jon Jandai and Peggy Reents with other appearances from other community members

Living situation
Simple room in one of Pun Pun’s earthen or bamboo guesthouses. A thin futon mat, blanket, sheet, pillow, and mosquito net will be provided.
Fresh homemade meals will be shared and eaten in the communal kitchen, vegetarian and fish options will be available and we will try to use the most organic vegetables as possible from the farm.
Bathing options include an indoor cool shower, solar hot shower, or a dip in the pond.

Fee
$370/person (12,000 baht)

Registration
1) Contact Peggy Reents at pareents@yahoo.com.

2) Transfer in your deposit to hold your spot. A $150 US non-refundable deposit is due to us as soon as possible. The remaining fee will be due on the first day of the course in cash or if you chose you can transfer the whole amount beforehand.

Contact Peggy at pareents@yahoo.com for bank account information.

Please visit our website at www.punpunthailand.org for more information on us and our projects.