Creating Sustainable Communities: The Ecological Dimension July 7, 2006

This weeklong workshop offers an introduction to the ecological foundations of designing and living in more life-enhancing ways. We will learn from hands-on involvement with EcoVillage at Ithaca, (an award-winning, internationally recognized example of sustainable community development), the Ithaca region?s flourishing sustainability movement, and the learning community that course participants create.

http://www.ecovillage.ithaca.ny.us/EcoVillagePrograms/training.htm

This highly participatory, capacity-building workshop will introduce and link:

? Connection to Bioregion and Place
? Sustainable Land Use Strategies (from Smart Growth to Permaculture)
? Organic Agriculture, and Local Foods
? Green Building and Sustainable Energy Use
? Personal Sustainability & Culture Change

In addition, the social and economic dimensions, which are integral to any sustainability process, will be woven in throughout the training.

The emphasis will be on a balance between brief presentations of core concepts and information, skill building practice sessions and hands-on projects, field trips, tapping into participants? experiences as a learning community, and personal reflection and integration.

This course is part of a month-long curriculum created by Gaia Education, an international organization created by ecovillage founders and educators from every continent. The curriculum is endorsed by the UN Decade for Education on Sustainable Development, and UNITAR, the UN Institute for Training and Research.