Save the Date: VbC 2012 June 20th-24th. Village Gathering June 22nd-24th.
A free celebration bringing community members together to share vital skills for a changing world.
Village-building Convergence – a project of Transition Montpelier
June 20th-24th, 2012 In Central Vermont
SKILL SHARES*DISCUSSIONS*POTLUCKS*MUSIC*WORKSHOPS*PROJECTS*CELEBRATION
Events Include:
Wednesday, June 20th * James Howard Kunstler Talk * Venue and time to be determined – see details below.
Thursday June 21st at 7 pm * Summer Solstice Celebration * All Together Now (East Montpelier)
Friday-Sunday June 22nd-24th * Village Gathering * Twin Pond Retreat, Center for Wellness and Sustainable Living (Brookfield)
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Wednesday, June 20th * James Howard Kunstler Talk *
Help us kick off Village-building Convergence (VbC) 2012 in style with James Howard Kunstler, author of the peak-oil classic The Long Emergency, novels World Made by Hand and its sequel, The Witch of Hebron, and many others.
Kunstler will speak on Wednesday, June 20 in Montpelier, Vermont (time and venue TBA). His 90 minute talk will cover “the convergence of resource scarcity with financial disorder and how these conditions will compel us to re-organize life differently in the US – in particular: more local, smaller scale, with agriculture closer to the center of economic activity.”
Kunstler will also read a short excerpt from one of his novels. Several of his books will be available for purchase.
While the talk is free (as are all VbC events), the VbC organizing committee is asking for a sliding scale donation of $5-20 to cover the costs of the 100% volunteer-run Village-building Convergence.
VbC is sponsored by: Transition Town Montpelier, Vermont Center for Integrative Herbalism, Twin Pond Retreat, Woodbelly Pizza, Vermont Commons, Local Banquet, Seven Days, Kellogg-Hubbard Library
VbC supporters include: Burlington Permaculture, Vermont Natural Resources Council, REACH Care Bank, Wisdom of the Herbs School, Yestermorrow, North Branch Nature Center, VT Bicycle & Pedestrian Coalition, NOFA-VT, Rural Vermont, and Food Works at Two Rivers Center.
All VbC events are offered by donation! You can support the VbC through offering donations of money, volunteer time, and participation. All organizing efforts and workshop offerings are volunteered so that we can make this accessible to all who are interested in creating community resilience through sharing skills and knowledge.
Want to get involved? Have questions? contact jennifer@twinpondretreat.com
The Village Gathering
June 22nd-24th- click here for rideshare info.
Creating Community Resilience through Sharing Skills and Wisdom
The Village Gathering is a Skill Share Weekend at Twin Pond Retreat, Center for Wellness and Sustainable Living in Brookfield, Vermont for people of all ages working to create resilient and well-connected communities. It is an opportunity to live and learn together for a whole weekend!
This is a Do It Yourself event, you get to help create the Village with us! Pack in everything and pack it out with you! Bring Your Own Tent, Food, Water Bottles, Dishes, Chairs if you need them, Instruments, and whatever you need for the weekend and to contribute to the Village experience. Please do not bring dogs.
Pot Luck followed by Building the Fire of Community:
The central fire is a symbol for the heart of our community. Circle round the bright heart fire with Ivan and Fearn of the Green Mountain Druid Order, to honor the sacred nature of what we are building and healing together. Bring offerings for the fire; these can be physical such as flowers, food, tobacco, or creative such as a prayer, poem, story, or song. Followed by Fireside Music (bring your instruments!)
1pm on Saturday – Dolly Wagglers will perform a cantastoria and a cranky show during lunch
Saturday Night- Pizza Party!! Woodbelly Pizza will turn out delicious pizzas
from their mobile wood-fired pizza oven! We have received generous donations from Cabot cheese, Manghi’s and Red Hen. We have the basics and we need your help! Bring a topping to share, and a plate for your slices. Followed by Music with the Shanty Rats and Bonfire…
Saturday Free Swap - Please bring gently used, clean clothing and usable objects to give away during lunch.
Children’s Program at the Village Gathering!
Children aged 7 and up are welcome to join experienced teachers and mentors from our community for a few hours or a full day of learning, nature exploration, crafts, and fun while their parents attend scheduled workshops. Activities may include: exploring the landscape, circus yoga, shelter building, awareness games, nature inquiry, frog catching, and much more! Three sessions are planned. Sessions I is Saturday 9-12, and session II will be from 2-5. Sunday, Session III will run from 9-12. Children are welcome to join any one or all sessions. Attendance for the session in its entirety is requested. Children should come ready to be outdoors all day, with snacks and the appropriate clothing to get dirty. Lead mentors have experience gained from work with Outward Bound and EarthWalk, and are certified in wilderness first aid and CPR. Parent volunteers are welcome. Children must pre-register, contact Abbi to register abbi.jaffe@gmail.com
Join the Bike Brigade from Plainfield or Montpelier and we’ll shuttle your gear for you
Please try to carpool to the Village Gathering click here for rideshare info
Past Projects
Projects Map for 2011 Projects
All Together Now – Wattle fence garden structure
Another Way – Permaculture Installation
Fair Food Farms – Commercial Root Celler
National Life – Food Pantry Garden
Barre Community Garden Cob Shed
Click here for detailed project descriptions.
View VbC Vermont 2011 in a larger map
Past Discussions
Wellness/Healthcare
How do we re-skill health and healing? While many of us are adept health consumers,
we must also learn to cultivate skills in self-care. A holistic model of healthcare encourages personal responsibility and community collaboration. This panel will discuss how we can gain skills to improve individual, family, and community health. We will also discuss the effects of health equity and sharing in the power and responsibity of healing.
Moderator: Erica Koch, N.D., M.Ed., Naturopathic Doctor
Dr. Christopher Hollis – Naturopathic physician, Licensed acupuncturist, Master of Science Oriental Medicine
Suzanne Richman – Goddard College Health Arts and Sciences Faculty
Larken Bunce – MS, Clinical Herbalist, Co-Director, Vermont Center for Integrative Herbalism
Nick Petterssen – Playground Director at The Confluence Community Fitness Center
Heather Pipino – Vermont Workers Center representative for the HealthCare Is a Human Right Campaign
Shelter – Practical Solutions for Sustainable Shelter
What do we know really works in terms of making our homes and buildings more sustainable. There is so much talk about potential and great ideas that will save the planet; green this and that. But the reality is that people have lived in sustainable homes for years. What can we glean from the years of experience from builders, owner-builders and people who live in sustainable homes that will guide us into the transition away from the oil-centric housing of today.
Moderator: Ben Graham
Brad Vietje – GreenWorks Solar Store
Robert Riversong – Designer/Builder/Consultant
Jim Malloy – owner/builder
John Snell – The Snell Group
David Cain – energy specialist
Food
Moderator – Robb Kidd from Rural Vermont
Guests:
Annie McCleary – Director of Wisdom of the Herbs School, teacher of wild harvesting
Nicko Rubin – owner of East Hill Tree Farm in Plainfield, specializing in fruit and nut trees and bushes
Alan LePage – Local organic fruit and vegetable farmer and host of “The Curse of the Golden Turnip” on WGDR
Taylor Newton – from Central Vermont Food Systems Council, he will report on the status of our local food system security
Energy Descent Action Plan
The Transition Vermont EDAP is comprehensive planning for a resilient and sustainable Vermont, with a particular focus on Central Vermont and Montpelier. It is the big picture view of the scope of the solution, as a necessary response, to global problems like Global Warming, and the depletion of fossil fuels. It is a positive, cooperative vision. The Transition Vermont EDAP Committee, formed in November of 2010, will present its preliminary findings of a draft plan covering an introduction and overview; a 2 year contingency plan; and a 10 year plan and timeline review of a resilient Food system and Energy system.
Moderator: Carl Etnier
EDAP Introduction, Overview presenter: Jackie Ritke Jones
Food Team presenter: Janice Ohlsson
Energy Team presenter: Mikayla McDonald, Jim Buckley
2 year Contingency Plan presenters: Deborah Lisman and Craig Royce
Summer Solstice Celebration at AllTogetherNow! in East Montpelier (170 Cherry Tree Hill Road)
Thursday, June 21st from 5pm onward
Join us! For details, contact Janice 454-1461 or 223-1242 jwalrafen@myfairpoint.net Please carpool
All VbC events are offered by donation! You can support the VbC through offering donations of money, volunteer time, and participation. All organizing efforts and workshop offerings are volunteered so that we can make this accessible to all who are interested in creating community resilience through sharing skills and knowledge. To get involved and organize with us contact jennifer@twinpondretreat.com. To volunteer during the event contact Sarah sarah.vecci@gmail.com
The Mad Pie Hoedown Fundraiser was a success! Thanks to everyone who helped out. We raised over $600 for the VbC and we didn’t shake down the Plainfield Coop!
Click here to check out WCAX’s story on the event.
