Ann Arbor Winter 2012 Reskilling Festival

a2reskilling.com is our new website!

2012-01-09T21:06:00.004-05:00

Go to our new website a2reskilling.com to see all the sessions for the 2012 Festival coming up on February 4th, 10am-4pm!

Call for Presenters - Winter ReSkilling Festival 2012

2011-11-28T10:24:00.002-05:00

Hello!

We are excited to announce the Ann Arbor Winter ReSkilling Festival and are again seeking enthusiastic volunteer presenters to share their skills. Mark your calendars for Saturday, February 4th, 2012. Registration will begin at 9:30am and presentations will run from 10am-4pm at the Rudolf Steiner High School, 2230 Pontiac Trail, Ann Arbor, 48105.

Do you have a sustainable skill or effort that you can share? Please submit your session through this online form. Please forward the link to friends who may also be interested. There are many different presentation types possible - from hour-long, hands-on sessions to 6-minute "Minis" (mini presentations) in a lunch hour TEDx-like format!

The deadline for session proposals is WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 4th. In the interest of firming up the schedule in a timely fashion, please do not send proposals later than this date. (And please email or call me if questions/problems with the online submission system.) We will be in contact with you in early January or sooner to confirm the scheduling of your event. If you have multiple sessions to propose, please submit one at a time through the online survey system.

Some *reskills* of interest may be: Planning and preparing your garden, winter survival skills, knitting, sock darning, yoga, soup-making, winterizing your bike commute, spinning with a drop spindle, hoop houses, indoor games and activities for children, music making, identifying trees in the winter, how to make kombucha, neighborhood connections, campfire cooking, wood carving, meditation...the possibilities are endless!
FYI, link to our July 2011 ReSkilling Festival to give you an idea of the event:
http://a2reskill.blogspot.com/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lolo730/sets/

We look forward to working with you!

Rebecca Streng - ReSkilling Festival Organizing Team rebecca.streng@gmail.com
734-846-8024 (c)

Upcoming ReSkilling Wednesday Sessions!

2011-09-02T11:52:00.003-04:00

For September 2011: Meditation and Mending Your Own Clothes...
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MEDITATE TO REGENERATE
Wednesday, September 14, 7:30 - 9:00pm at Rudolph Steiner High School
Gaining a connection with our inner self is the first step of a successful meditation practice. The presentation will guide the audience through the steps of becoming connected with the Spirit through the ancient self-realization process of Natha Yogis in India, called Sahaja. After the meditative experience, Vic will share information on how to continue learning through options of online courses and local meditation meetups.

Vic Divecha
Vic has been conducting meditation workshops in Ann Arbor, Detroit burbs and Windsor. He has arranged free-of charge retreats, meditation courses and seminars for encouraging self-sustaining meditation practices. He co-authored has authored seven meditation CDs, which are made available at no cost to participants as mp3 downloads or online listening.

(More about my group: http://greatlakesmeditation.org. Meditation CD Co-Authored: Disc 1 http://www.meditatewith.us/first/i/. More about the meditation: http://sahajameditation.com/)
Additionally, here is a testimonial from James, one of the attendees at the summer meditation meetings in 2010:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpUsJ70kgrs
And some "what is this meditation about" type videos:
http://www.youtube.com/sahajameditation

RSVP HERE

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MENDING YOUR OWN CLOTHES
Wednesday, September 28, 7-8:30pm at 716 Hiscock St, Ann Arbor, MI 48103

I will teach the most basic hand stitch for mending, the backstitch. It is used for sewing two pieces of cloth together and looks like the stitch made by a machine. We will also cover needle handling, threading, and knotting skills. More specifically, we will focus on your own mending projects, so bring something that needs mending and you'll gain practical experience mending your own clothes. This session will be hosted out of my home, so there will be additional materials to meet your mending needs! This session is limited to 6 people, so please RSVP at

Donna Estabrook I learned my homemaking skills from my mother and my aunt. Their mother, who married in 1909, did just about everything "from scratch." She made clothing for herself, my grandfather and her 5 children. She had a yeast culture going constantly for making bread. She cooked on a wood stove. On and on. I have inherited, through my mother and aunt, some of these skills. Basic hand sewing is an extremely useful skill. It can save you money and is also satisfying to be able to mend that dress or shirt and wear it again. Not for women only!

RSVP HERE

How to get there and what to bring!

2011-07-15T22:52:00.002-04:00

Wondering about logistics? See this post from our Winter festival that sums it up! We look forward to seeing you there!

SCHEDULE RELEASE!

2011-07-09T14:33:00.015-04:00

What does the Summer 2011 Festival look like?!?!?
See the full day-long event schedule here!

Notice that session links are clickable from this schedule. A list of the sessions is also provided below. We look forward to seeing you soon for an awesome day of reskilling fun...

Primitive Wilderness Living Skills

2011-07-09T14:05:00.004-04:00

Participants will see demonstrations on a range of skills such as thatching (roofs, shelters), a plant identification, and hand-drill fire starting.

Jason Hogans / New Culture Earthskills

I have been studying and practicing wilderness living skills for about seven years. I wish I could walk into the woods and never have to leave! Teaching wilderness living skills gives me goosebumps and I wish I was doing it full-time. I started to study and practice after realizing that our modern way of life has a much shorter life span than I'd previously thought, but now it's just what I love to do. There's something incredibly satisfying about being in touch with the natural world around me and knowing how to meet my needs with what it offers freely.

Connecting to the Earth - Traditional Processing of Maple Sugar

2011-07-09T14:03:00.003-04:00

Maple sugar was once THE natural sweetner, and was produced in great quantities by the Potawatomi in lower Michigan. Sugar is made by boiling down maple sap past the syrup stage and then stirring it in large wooden troughs. At this workshop we will make maple sugar using traditional techniques. Maple sugar will be available for purchase at the workshop.

Barb Barton (Where the Wild Foods Grow/Great Lakes Lifeways Institute)

Barb Barton is a singer/songwriter and endangered species biologist and who lives with her beagle Tiny on Lansing’s Northside. She has harvested wild foods since she was a child and practices and promotes traditional harvesting and processing methods. She has been involved in the conservation of wild rice since 2007 and is a member of the Native Wild Rice Coalition, and she is active in a regional effort to assess, restore and preserve wild rice in Michigan. Barb has served as co-instructor and outreach coordinator for numerous wild rice camps in Michigan. For her efforts, Barb was awarded the 2009 Cultural Diversity Award from MSU Extension. Barb also has five CDs and performs contemporary folk music in the Great Lakes region.

Discovering Detail, Magic and Beauty in Nature through Sketching and Drawing

2011-07-07T22:50:00.001-04:00

A heightened interest in details of nature. Things that you've been looking at but never really saw will come to life with new appreciation for the natural world and its inhabitants.

Please bring a sketchbook, pen and pencil or use our clipboard and paper.

Riccardo Capraro (Rudolf Steiner High School & Talking Colors Art Studio)

Riccardo grew up in Michigan and lives with his family on a 150 year old farm in Howell. He is self taught and has been working as a professional artist since high school. He is known for extreme detail and realism and finding beauty in the tiniest aspects of nature. He loves taking the extra time to rediscover the often overlooked and unseen gifts of Mother Nature.

Landscape Painting in Tempera

2011-07-07T22:48:00.001-04:00

Play with color, learn new techniques and enjoy new ways of seeing, for ages 6 to 106. Also learn ways to enjoy paper, brush and simple colors that you can use to add dimension to your local vacation. All materials provided, no experience necessary.

Elena Townsend (Rudolf Steiner High School & Talking Colors Art Studio)

Elena grew up and received her training in the arts in Russia. She has taught for 13 years at RSHS and brings fun and inspiration to creating art and new ways to look at the world around you.

Connecting to the Earth - Traditional Processing of Wild Rice

2011-07-07T22:44:00.010-04:00

Wild Rice (Manoomin) is a nutritious grain that was once widely harvested in Michigan by the Anishinaabe people. The Traditional knowledge of harvesting, processing, and re-seeding is now being taught at wild rice camps across the Great Lakes Region. At our demonstration wild rice camp, participants will learn about the cultural and ecological significance of wild rice, how to craft ricing sticks from cedar, parch, dance, and winnow the rice, and understand how rice is harvested. Wild rice will be available for purchase at the camp.

Barb Barton (Where the Wild Foods Grow/Great Lakes Lifeways Institute)

How to make sure your Home & Family are Healthy, Comfortable, & Energy Wise!

2011-07-07T22:42:00.007-04:00

There is a lot of confusion about how to have a healthy, comfortable, & energy efficient home. The seminar will provide the skills on what to watch out for and what to include in analyzing one's home. They will gain a much better understanding of home health & safety issues plus what it takes for comfort & energy efficiency. We will also talk about Net Zero Deep Green homes right here in Ann Arbor where the homeowner pays nothing for their utility bills. In some cases the utility company actually pays them. Imagine that! Meadowlark Energy based right here in Ann Arbor has been named Michigan's 2011 Green Leader. Gary M. Kade is their director of Energy Innovation.

Gary M. Kade (Meadowlark Energy)
Gary, a licensed building sincer 1982, has completed over a thousand custom sunroom building projects using cutting edge enery saving techniques long before it was popular to do so. Today, he specialized in Energy Auditing, making homes more comfortable and saving homeowners lots of money on their energy costs.

Real, Raw Kombucha at Home

2011-07-07T22:39:00.003-04:00

Learn how easy it is to make raw, probiotic kombucha (fermented tea) in your own home. In this session you will learn the basic procedures for making kombucha and techniques for changing the flavor and texture of your tea. Also, you will learn about the history and the health benefits of drinking kombucha. You will see the process of making kombucha, get to sample pre-prepared kombucha, and walk away with your own SCOBY (Symbiotic Colony Of Bacteria and Yeast) from this session to start your own batch. Please bring your own glass jar (pint- to quart-sized with a wide mouth) to transport your SCOBY home (you will also need a half-gallon-sized container for the fermentation process at home).

Andrew Sereno

I work as a fractal engineer at Ann Arbor's Biotectix during the day and transform into a permie at night. I love barefoot living, raw food eating, and forest gardening.

Hand-Tying a Quilt

2011-07-07T22:38:00.000-04:00

Come and help hand tie a quilt and learn how to do it in the process! It might be helpful to bring a thimble.

Blanche Price

Living in Transition

2011-07-07T22:34:00.002-04:00

All of us are impacted by the "long emergency" as we face the challenges of finite natural resources, economic instability, and climate change. How can we live with this awareness without feeling overwhelmed? How can we find resilience and courage? In this session, we will share what is in our hearts about the state of our planet. Drawing on the work of Joanna Macy, we'll explore ways to overcome psychic numbing and release energy for creative action.

As a way to enter into the challenges of the "long emergency," participants will hear a brief introduction about the Transition Towns concept that spurred ReSkilling efforts in Ann Arbor. Additionally, participants will learn some basic ideas behind the Transition Movement, and experience the power of simple paired conversations.

Laura Smith & Jeanne Mackey

Laura is a commercial interior designer, novice gardener, and generally
concerned citizen. She is currently pursuing a PhD in Architecture and Environmental Psychology at the University of Michigan, and has been volunteering on the initiating team of Transition Ann Arbor since May 2009.

Jeanne is a co-founder of Transition Ann Arbor, and recently created a program of original stories and songs on the occasion of turning 60.

Making Herbal Shampoo

2011-07-07T22:32:00.004-04:00

Participants will learn how to brew the herbs and add the ingredients to make a fabulously simple shampoo. Recipe cards will be available. For $4, participants can make their own mix to take home. (Save a dollar by brining your own container).

Laura Smith

Laura is a commerical interior designer, novice gardener, and generally concerned citizen. She is currently pursuing a PhD in Architecture and Environmental Psychology at the University of Michigan, and has been volunteering on the initiating team of Transition Ann Arbor since May 2009. She learned to make her own shampoo from a reskilling festival 2 years ago, and has been doing it ever since!

Preserving Fruits and Vegetables through Canning

2011-07-07T22:29:00.003-04:00

Participants will learn the basics of canning fruits and vegetables, which includes: materials and equipment needed, steps and hands on practice for preparing the fruit or vegetable, canning jars and the hot water bath.

Wendy and Arika

Wendy and Arika both work for Growing Hope in Ypsilanti, and are passionate about life quality through gardening and healthy food access. Wendy organizes groups around sustainable gardening, and Arika is in charge of outreach and volunteers. Both want to share the basics about canning vegetables and fruits for first timers. Wendy first learned to can at a reskilling festival 2 years ago.

Human Power-Practical Solutions for Daily Needs

2011-07-07T22:25:00.002-04:00

Participants will be exposed to a variety of devices that have been created to utilize human power for practical applications such as grinding, pumping, blending, and beyond. They will receive a list of sources to plan and assemble their own human-powered devices at home.

Barry Wauldron

Barry Wauldron teaches geography at U of M - Dearborn and holds a Masters in Urban Planning from EMU. His primary interest is facilitating the transition to a post-carbon lifestyle that is more secure, sustainable, and rewarding than cheap energy consumerism. A cyclist, gardener and former mechanic, Barry believes the best future energy source is us! and has explored effective ways to employ human power to meet many of our practical needs.

Event Schedule Coming Soon!

2011-07-05T12:43:00.002-04:00

Please hang tight for a few more days while we cinch up the FINAL event schedule! Check again at the end of the week for a detailed schedule of the day's events. We have a great line-up of presenters, and can't wait to share it with you!

Seeking Volunteers

2011-07-05T11:00:00.001-04:00

We are seeking a volunteer corps for the July 16th festival. Can you donate an hour of your time? We will need help with set-up, registration desk, and clean-up on the day of the festival. Your help is much appreciated! Please let us know your availability and email address through this poll.

Contact Laura Smith for questions (lolo730@yahoo.com), and mucho thanks!

Green Hand Reskilling

2011-06-30T21:50:00.002-04:00

In the Green Hand Reskilling Initiative, community members advertise their availability to share skills and ideas to promote resilient local economy and community cohesion through the posting of a Green Hand sign. Signs will be made of salvaged scrap sign material donated by a local sign manufacturer.

This presentation and workshop will multiply the effect of all the other workshops by focusing on "pay it forward"-style sharing of all that event participants learn within their respective communities. Participants will be introduced to the Green Hand concept and create physical Green Hand signs to take with them.

Clifford Dean Scholz (Green Hands Reskilling Initiative)

A longtime gardener and environmental educator, Cliff Scholz is active in Transition Oakland County and is the founder of the Green Hand Reskilling Initiative. He has presented on Peak Oil and climate change, as well as energy conservation and renewable energy for Michigan audiences ranging from preschool to university-level, and is now focused on practical action in community building and skill sharing.

Intro to The Work of Byron Katie: Learning to Love Reality

2011-06-30T21:47:00.002-04:00

The Work is described at www.thework.com. Participants will be provided with a "Judge Your Neighbor" worksheet to fill out and will have the opportunity to be guided through the work by me.

Participants will learn the four simple questions to ask themselves in response to stressful thoughts (about people, the world, the economy, anything) and how to turn the thought around and find their personal truth and freedom. With regard to transition in particular, people might have stressful thoughts about the future.

Steve Bean

The Commons: A User-Developed Park on the Library Lot in Downtown Ann Arbor.

2011-06-30T21:29:00.004-04:00

This workshop will describe how the Library Lot in Downtown Ann Arbor can become a user developed commons. We will discuss possibilities for its use as a central park for Ann Arbor area communities, a learning, teaching, and healing place for a green way of living, and a place to engage the many skills of the community, (including what those who come to the workshop have to offer.) I will describe the history of the struggle for the commons, both in general and in downtown Ann Arbor in particular, and the current state of the campaign for the commons. Hopefully, most of the time will be spent engaging participants in ways they and the public can participate and create a "paradise" atop of 4 floors of underground parking, instead of paving it over for yet another parking lot, nor to selling it to the highest bidder.

Alan Haber (a2c2, Ann Arbor Committee for the Commons, Movement for a Democratic Society, Megiddo Peace Project)

I am an Ann Arbor based activist-woodworker of 57 years political experience, an initial organizer of the Students for a Democratic Society in the 1960's, current organizer for the Movement for a Democratic Society, the Megiddo Peace Project and the Ann Arbor Community Commons.

Growing Backyard Tree Fruit Basics

2011-06-30T21:25:00.005-04:00

Preparing, planting and caring for fruit trees with emphasis on apples, peaches and pears. Handout will be provided.

Ginny Golembiewski

MSU Horticulturist passionate about growing fruit.

Call for Presenters: DEADLINE EXTENDED TO JULY 1st!!

2011-06-26T16:04:00.016-04:00

Do you have a low-energy skill you would like to share?

We are excited to announce the Ann Arbor Summer ReSkilling Festival and are again seeking enthusiastic volunteer presenters to share their skills. Mark your calendars for Saturday, July 16th, 2011. Registration will begin at 9:30am and presentations will run from 10am-4pm at the Rudolf Steiner High School, 2230 Pontiac Trail, Ann Arbor, 48105.

If you have a sustainable skill you would like to share, please fill out the online form. We will be in contact with you in early July or sooner to confirm the scheduling of your event. Please forward the link to people you know who may be interested! If you have multiple events to propose, please submit one at a time through the online survey system. The deadline for this event has been extended to Friday, July 1st. Please send in your entries soon!

What is cooking for July 16th? The following is a list of the sessions that we have so far for the Summer 2011 Reskilling Festival! Click on the link to read session descriptions.

Green Hand ReSkilling

Intro to the Work of Byron Katie: Learning to Love Reality

The Commons: A User-Developed Park on the Library Lot in Downtown Ann Arbor

Growing Backyard Tree Fruit Basics

Nature Powered Cooking

JouneyDance

Spinning Wool with a Drop Spindle

Mend Your Clothes

Change the Story, Change the World!

Wild Edibles

Learn How to Be On the Right Side of the Great Transition

Better First Aid Kits

Singing Rounds

Nature-Powered Cooking

2011-06-26T16:00:00.002-04:00

How can you cook using the power of the sun? This presentation will introduce you to solar cooking. You will learn how it works, tips and recipes, and a variety of ways to capture this natural, carbon-free resource!

Participants will learn how solar ovens work, how to set one up, what kind of recipes work best, what type of cookware to use, and a few solar oven options are available, including making their own.

Deb Heed (Clean Energy Coalition)

As a project manager, Deb Heed is responsible for the organization and operation of the Clean Energy Outlet and Energy Demonstration Center. Through those projects, she is able to offer information, advice, and products to the public to increase the implementation of clean energy technologies. Deb is currently working on her dual master’s degree from the Erb Institute at the University of Michigan, combining an MS from the School of Natural Resources & Environment with an MBA from the Ross School of Business. Ms. Heed is excited to apply her new insights to her responsibilities at Clean Energy Coalition.

JourneyDance

2011-06-26T15:57:00.004-04:00

JourneyDance is a grooving celebration that will have you loving your body and loving your life! Weaving simple, guided movement sequences and free exploration, JourneyDance reconnects you with your innate state of joyous well-being. Your mind becomes clear, free, and positive, and your body feels supple, energized, and powerful. Practiced to inspiring world music, your dance is an empowering journey to self-acceptance and transformation. This is a chance for you to learn how to incorporate the chakras, natural elements and your own ritual, imagery, music, creativity and affirmation in your dance!

Melody Brink

I am very passionate about life and love learning about this world and how I can contribute to healing it. So many things fill me up with joy, and dance is certainly one of them. I have a background in latin, african, and belly dance, and was recently certified to teach JourneyDance. I just graduated from Free Columbia's year long course and am currently studying Anthroposophy in Harlemville, NY. I will work with a lazure artist in the fall and will be a teacher's assistant in the 2nd grade. Life is grand!

Spinning Wool With a Drop Spindle

2011-06-26T15:55:00.002-04:00

Participants will learn to prepare wool for spinning, and to create yarn from fiber on a drop spindle.

Alexandra Sarkozy

Mend Your Clothes

2011-06-26T15:50:00.003-04:00

I will teach the most basic hand stitch for mending, the backstitch. It is used for sewing two pieces of cloth together and looks like the stitch made by a machine. We will also cover needle handling, threading, and knotting skills. You can bring something that needs mending or you can use the practice materials I will have at the workshop.

Participants will learn to thread a needle, knot the thread, handle the needle correctly for ease of use, make a seam using the backstitch. We will discuss related information such as when/when not to use this stitch, fabric weights, needle size, etc. At the end of the workshop participants should be able to mend a seam in an article of their clothing.

Donna Estabrook

I learned my homemaking skills from my mother and my aunt. Their mother, who married in 1909, did just about everything "from scratch." She made clothing for herself, my grandfather and her 5 children. She had a yeast culture going constantly for making bread. She cooked on a wood stove. On and on. I have inherited, through my mother and aunt, some of these skills. Basic hand sewing is an extremely useful skill. It can save you money and is also satisfying to be able to mend that dress or shirt and wear it again. Not for women only!

Change the Story, Change the World!

2011-06-26T15:48:00.003-04:00

The process of Reskilling may involve changes in our worldview. We humans are story-making creatures. Some stories serve the status quo; others open us to new ways of being--individually and collectively. In this session, we'll learn a few tools to identify what stories we're living (both familial and cultural) and how to make conscious choices.

Jeanne Mackey
A co-founder of Transition Ann Arbor, Jeanne recently created "Drop the Knife: A Memoir-in-Song"--original stories and songs on the occasion of turning 60.

Wild Edibles: Preserving, Preparing and Enjoying what you Harvest

2011-06-26T15:46:00.005-04:00

Preserving, preparing, and enjoying what you harvest.

The participants will learn storage ideas and be provided with some recipes. This is also an introduction on how to dry, freeze, pickle, can, and preserve the many wild foods that are abundant in our area. Once you have the wild food, you need this information on how to enjoy it year round. We will talk about methods for preserving food and also medicinal plants.

Linda Diane Feldt (holisticwisdom.org)

Holistic Health Practitioner, writer, teacher "Providing an integrated approach to holistic health care since 1980."

Learn How to be on the Right Side of the Great Transition

2011-06-26T15:42:00.003-04:00

Wicked problems of economic instability, peaking resources and a changing climate point to serious future decisions about how we will power our societies. A substantial amount of planning will be needed as we move through this Great Transition. Join us as we discuss this
life transforming event, and how it will impact everyone from our local farmers to our medical services. Learn about why food and energy prices keep climbing higher and how other forms of energy stack up to each other. It’s not the end of the world – just the beginning of a new era. The first half of the presentation will be an overview of our current economic and energy situation. The second half of the presentation will be used for small group discussion as we break down this new reality into decisions about how we will begin to transition
our lives.

Participants will have had the opportunity to learn and share with each other how high gas prices and/or rationed gas supplies will effect their daily living decisions. During the group breakout session we will ask them to discuss how $5/gallon gas will affect them and also how a
supply of only 5 gallons/week would affect them. We will then have each group report out on some of their creative ideas.

Bill Wright & Angela Barbash (A. Green Financial Group)

About us: We are arguably the only financial advisors in the area that are educating our community about what is REALLY happening with our currency, our economy and our markets. We generally like natural resource themed investments, and advocate the ownership of REAL assets. Additionally, we are helping our friends and family transition off high energy use, re-skill and become more self sufficient in an effort to build a more resilient community during these uncertain times. We are located in Downtown Ypsilanti off Washington St., and
have been here for 19 years.

Better First Aid Kits

2011-06-26T15:37:00.002-04:00

With just a few additions, you can vastly improve the capability of your household first aid kit. Participants will learn the difference between a first aid kit and a comfort kit, gain an understanding of the breadth and depth of kits, and also review over-the-counter products for dealing with trauma.

John Hritz

John Hritz has had a long time interest in self-reliance starting with Cub Scouts and a similarly constant interest in alternative fuels and alternative transportation. John lives in Ann Arbor with his wife Angela and two cats.

Singing Rounds

2011-06-26T15:31:00.005-04:00

Singing two-part, three-part or four-part rounds is great fun for adults and kids. Plus it teaches vocal independence! This workshop is for singers at all levels, from shower-singers to those with lots of vocal experience. We'll sing rounds both familiar and obscure, rounds that are silly, beautiful, or profound.

Jeanne Mackey

Jeanne has been making music most of her life. A co-founder of Transition Ann Arbor, she recently created "Drop the Knife: A Memoir-in-Song"--original stories and songs on the occasion of turning 60.

2011-06-05T22:58:00.012-04:00

June

Do you have a low-energy skill you would like to share?

We are excited to announce the Ann Arbor Summer ReSkilling Festival and are again seeking enthusiastic volunteer presenters to share their skills. Mark your calendars for Saturday, July 16th, 2011. Registration will begin at 9:30am and presentations will run from 10am-4pm at the Rudolf Steiner High School, 2230 Pontiac Trail, Ann Arbor, 48105.

If you have a sustainable skill you would like to share, please fill out the online form. We will be in contact with you in early July or sooner to confirm the scheduling of your event. Please forward the link to friends who may also be interested. If you have multiple events to propose, please submit one at a time through the online survey system. The deadline for event proposals is Monday, June 20th. In the interest of firming up the schedule in a timely fashion, please do not send proposals later than this date!

Wednesday ReSkilling Sessions! - April-May

2011-04-07T18:23:00.005-04:00

APRIL
Make Your Own Reusable Bag
Date: Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Time: 7:00 - 8:30pm
Location: Steiner High School, 2230 Pontiac Trail Rd.
Admission: Free
RSVP HERE

Do you use disposable plastic or paper bags? Do you use reusable bags but find you never have enough? Ever find it ironic that they mass produce brand-new bags in order for us to reuse them? Come and learn how to make unique reusable bags out of materials readily available in your own home. There will be little or no sewing involved - people of all ages and skill levels are welcome. If you'd like to try making your own bag, bring a clean, sturdy T-shirt or pillowcase, a needle, thread, and sharp scissors (if you have them). Extra needles, thread, and scissors will also be available for use during the session.

Teressa Streng
Teressa began sewing as a teenager because it was cost-effective and challenged her creative side. When her children were little, she enjoyed making items for them out of clothes she and her husband no longer wore. Now, she's sharing how to make reusable bags out of all kinds of household items.

MAY

Making Kombucha

Date: Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Time: 7:00 - 8:00pm
Location: Steiner High School, 2230 Pontiac Trail Rd.
Admission: Free

How to, hands on kombucha making. Starter kombucha scobies (every one who wants one will get it for free!) and instructions provided and other materials (half gallon jar, organic tea, sugar) available for purchase or you can provide your own. If participants want to buy the materials from me so they are ready to go, the prices (at cost) are as follows: jar ($2), 5 tea bags & sugar ($1).

Mary Goode

Mary Goode has been making kombucha for several years. She is a substitute teacher at the Steiner lower school where her daughters attended.

Come to our Wednesday Evening Series!

2011-03-01T20:36:00.002-05:00

Following the festival, four of our presenters have graciously offered to be part of our Wednesday evening series on select Wednesdays in February and March.

See a larger version of the above WEDNESDAY SERIES FLYER.

February 16: A More in-depth approach to Planning a Home Funeral
March 2: Hanging out (the laundry) with Lisa
March 16: Certified Passive Homes, New or Retrofit
March 30: Meditate to Regenerate

Also, mark your summer calendars for JULY 16, 2011, the next scheduled day-long festival.

FABULOUS

2011-02-06T11:38:00.014-05:00

What a wonderful day. A huge-normous THANK YOU to all of our presenters, attendees, organizers and volunteers at the 4th Ann Arbor ReSkilling Festival. We hit a record attendance of 210! (Up from 150 as our previous record).

DO YOU HAVE PHOTOS TO SHARE? We created a Flickr group called "ReSkilling Festival Winter 2011" that you can join to upload photos. We would love to see them!

Also, want to hear sweet AUDIO SEGMENTS from the day? Check out Jeff Tenza's radio program that airs Monday, February 7 from 12-1pm on WCBN 88.3. (Listen live online: wcbn.org/listen.html, Listen Later: http://farmeranna.blogspot.com/)

Don't forget...if you missed this event or these particular sessions, there is another chance to reskill on upcoming WEDNESDAY EVENINGS.

Also, the festival made the NEWS. See the coverage here!

And mark your calendars for the NEXT FESTIVAL, planned for Saturday, July 16, 2011.

How to get there and what to bring!

2011-02-02T12:19:00.005-05:00

Gearing up for Saturday's festival, we wanted to provide further information about how to get to the Steiner High School, and what to consider bringing!

DIRECTIONS
Steiner High school on a Google Map.

Car: From Pontiac Trail, you will find the entrance to the Steiner High School on your right if you are coming from downtown. Enter the circle drive and see if there is parking available in the school's parking lot. If it is full, see this map with street parking suggestions highlighted in yellow. No parking on Pontiac Trail Rd!!! Please consider carpooling.

Bus: A bus adventure is the perfect way to compliment a day of low-energy skills! The AATA Bus #1 leaves Blake Transit Center downtown once an hour and takes you directly to the school! It also picks up at the school on the hour going back in the downtown direction. See bus #1 schedule here. You will find information for both to/from downtown, and be sure to read the SATURDAY portion of the schedule, since it differs from weekday service!

Bike: If you are feeling even more adventurous, bike parking abounds. :)

WHAT TO BRING

Your awesome self

Clean and reusable clothing for donation: Any clothes you would like to donate to the clothing freecycle. (We will have a table set up for clothing donations and scavenging! All left-over clothes will be dropped off for donation.)

Items for particular sessions: Read up on the sessions you would like to attend to see if they recommend bringing anything -- such socks to darn, clothes to mend, or a little plate for sampling vegan food.

Adequate clothing for outdoor sessions: Thinking about going to one of the outdoor adventures? Be sure to bring good boots and adequate clothing!

Food: Snacks and lunch will be provided, but if you have special diet needs or desires, you may want to bring your own grub.

And maybe a little bit of cash: Crazy wisdom will have books for purchase to support skills available at the festival. Also, several sessions cost a little bit of money ($4-10), a fee that will be collected by the presenters. Last, food is available for purchase, and proceeds go toward the 11th grade class.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Listen to us on the Radio Monday!

2011-01-29T11:57:00.004-05:00

One of the festival organizers, Laura Smith, will join Jen Johnson and Rachel Chadderdon on the air from 12-1pm, Monday, January 31st, on WCBN-FM 88.3 for "It's hot in here radio." The whole hour will be dedicated to the ReSkilling Festival and the ReSkilling concept in general!

Listen Live: wcbn.org/listen.html
Listen Later: wcbn.org/hotinhere

We believe that there will be chances to call in, so if you are listening in on Monday, and have your phone handy, please join the conversation!

List of all the sessions at Winter Reskilling Festival 2011

2011-01-25T13:44:00.003-05:00

The following is a list of the sessions that will be offered at the Winter Reskilling Festival this February 5th from 10-4pm. Remember to come at 9:30am to register for all the sessions that you want to partake in. Looking forward to seeing you all there!

Midwinter Medicines
Winter Field Botany
Grow More Food
Veganize Your Favorite Dish!
Sourdough Bread Baking
Real Good Food
Intro to Food Preservation
Meditate to Regenerate
From Puppetry to Hugelkultur: Kids (& Adults) Teaching Kids (& Adults) about Climate Change Action
350 Garden Challenge
Building Community with the Enneagram
Certified Passive House, New and Retrofit
The Process of Renovating a Home for Health, Safety and Energy Efficiency
First Green
Winter Bicycle Community and Maintenance
Mend Your Clothes-Basic Skills
How to Have a Home Funeral
Not All Energy Audits Are Created Equal
Tea Brewing and Sampling
Singing Rounds
Living in Transition
Mend and Weave the Grandmother's Way...Sock Darning
Hanging out (the Laundry) with Lisa
Cuckoo for Cocoa: Preparing Dry Cocoa Mixes for your Pantry
Winter Bike Commuting Skills
The Past, Present, and Future of Electricity in America
Permaculture in Michigan
Kombucha, Sprouts and Yogurt

Midwinter Medicines

2011-01-25T13:34:00.003-05:00

Join herbalist Jim McDonald for a walk round winter woods and fields to explore the many plants still offering medicine even as they sleep under their snowy blanket. We'll discuss both medicial uses and how to use your senses to tell if something is medicinally potent (even if all the books and websites you've ever read say you need to pick it up in the summertime). Dress warm and wear boots suitable for walking in unshovelled snow.

Fee: None

For sale: Items will be on sale at the festival at the discretion of the presenter.

Jim McDonald

I'm an herbalist in SE Michigan focusing on the uses of medicinal plants of the Great Lakes bioregion. I teach classes and offer presentations on the identification, medicinal use, history, folklore, ethical collection, and wild cultivation of native and naturalized herbs of this region, feeling that the plants that grow at our feet, as a part of our community, are often the most potent and effective of medicines for us to rely upon to restore and nourish our health and well being.

Winter Field Botany

2011-01-22T13:24:00.003-05:00

I will be taking participants outside and helping them identify native and invasive species of plants as we tour the Steiner School's grounds. Please dress warmly, boots recommended!

Fee: None

Liana May- University of Michigan School of Natural Resources and Environment

I am from the Traverse City area and have been working as a botanist in northern Michigan for the last few years. Currently I am enrolled in the SNRE's Conservation Biology MS Program, but out of school I enjoy traveling to warm beaches, birding, and skiing.

Grow More Food

2011-01-22T13:17:00.004-05:00

Ask an expert on planting tree fruit, pruning berries, harvesting herbs, creating a bigger garden or any other horticulture questions. This will be a casual drop-in table set up in the commons.

Ginny Golembiewski- Early Bird: Argo-Eco Specialist

Graduating this Spring with a degree in Sustainable and Organic Horticulture from Michigan State University, I am ready to help people grow more food. I'm passionate about fruits, berries, vegetables, herbs, compost and permaculture.

Veganize your favorite dish!

2011-01-22T12:32:00.003-05:00

I will do a cooking demonstration and will prepare red beans and rice with vegan sausage. I'll show how to make the dish from beginning to end but people can drop into the session whenever they like. I ask that you bring your own plate or dish to eliminate waste.

Fee: $3 per person

Anat Belasen- University of Michigan School of Natural Resources and Environment (M.S. Candidate)

I'm a current Master's student at U of M specializing in Conservation Biology. I have been a vegetarian and wildlife enthusiast for over ten years and love to reinvent well-known dishes and try to trick my friends into thinking they're eating meat! Although I am a native of beautiful rural upstate New York, I spent the last five years in New Orleans where I picked up some Cajun flavor.

Sourdough Bread Baking

2011-01-21T12:35:00.003-05:00

Getting started and what to expect.

Fee: None

Eric Moore- River Street Bakery

I live in Ypsi. I've been baking sourdough breads at the River Street Bakery for five and a half years.

Real Good Food

2011-01-21T12:28:00.003-05:00

How cooking enough to share can help you cook less and eat better. Part 1: Introduce Real Good Food, who we are, how it works, and answer any questions. Part 2: Cooking like a Restaurant, how home cooks can employ common restaurant strategies like "invisible work" and other time-saving ways to make and store components of great food.

Fee: None

Devin McIntire- Real Good Food

I am an avid cook and I love to share my food with others. This love of cooking, sharing and eating led to the development of Real Good Food. I'm also a first year MS candidate in the School of Natural Resources and Environment at the University of Michigan.

Intro to Food Preservation

2011-01-18T16:32:00.004-05:00

Canning, freezing, dehydrating, root cellaring, and pickling. Learn the skills, equipment and costs needed to store food and eat locally all winter! Food safety and choosing the best method for your favorite foods will also be discussed.

Fee: None

Emily Springfield- Preserving Traditions

As a girl, Emily wanted to be Laura Ingalls when she grew up. Now that she is grown up, she wants to find a way to balance Laura's food skills with the realities of living in 21st century America- realities that include full-time jobs, corporate monopolies and a rapidly-changing energy, environmental and political situation. She's been teaching food production and preservation classes since 2007.

Meditate to Regenerate

2011-01-18T16:21:00.005-05:00

Gaining a connection with our inner self is the first step of a successful meditation practice. The presentation will guide the audience through the steps of becoming connected with the Spirit through the ancient self-realization process of Natha Yogis in India, called Sahaja. After the meditative experience, Vic will share information on how to continue learning through options of online courses and local meditation meetups.

Fee: None

Vic Divecha

Vic has been conducting meditation workshops in Ann Arbor, Detroit burbs and Windsor. He has arranged free-of-charge retreats, meditation courses and seminars for encouraging self-sustaining meditation practices. He has co-authored 7 meditation CDs, which are made available at no cost to participants as mp3 downloads or online listening.

More about my group: http://greatleakesmeditation.org/
Meditation CD co-authored: Disc 1 http://www.meditatewith.us/first/i/

More about the meditation: http://sahajameditation.com/

Additionally, here is a testimonial from James, one of the attendees at the summer meditation meetings in 2010: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpUsJ70kgrs

And some "what is this meditation about" type videos: http://www.youtube.com/sahajameditation

From Puppetry to Hugelkultur: Kids (& adults) Teaching Kids (& adults) about Climate Action

2011-01-18T16:09:00.005-05:00

We offer a puppet show about the meaning of 350, created and performed by parents and children. One way to get back to that most important number, the healthy number of parts per million of carbon in our atmosphere, is to create food gardens in our yard. The children who helped build one in the front yard of Blossom Home will do a hands-on demonstration, either indoors or outside (dress warmly!), of building one kind of raised bed, a Hugelkultur garden. Participants will make a booklet of instructions to take home. All ages welcome to this presentation. This session will likely last about an hour.

Fee: None

Jeannine Palms- Blossom Home Preschool

Blossom Home focuses on offering young children opportunites to interact with the natural environment. Most experiences are informal and spontaneous as we spend a healthy part of each day outside. Some experiences become the foundation for a long term community project, such as the Buhr Park Children's Wet Meadow Project. Some experiences are integrated into a larger existing effort, such as the international 350.org and the local 350 Garden Challenge which focus on community action in response to climate change. Larger environmental issues are introduced only if there is a direct local relationship that offers opportunities for young children to respond in ways that empower them.

350 Garden Challenge

2011-01-15T16:29:00.007-05:00

It's a new way of making gardens, without digging. For my event I plan to show people how they can make their very own "no-dig" garden. It involves mixing dry/dead plants and green plants in order to create a composted and fertile area for which a garden can be planted.

Fee: None

Marcus Haynes

I'm a 17 year old Huron High School senior. I have worked with the Buhr Park Children's Wet Meadow Project as a kid, but now have moved on to the 350 Garden Challenge. I've now made several gardens on Easy street and would like to educate more people about this fun and exciting activity.

Building Community with the Enneagram

2011-01-15T16:23:00.006-05:00

The Enneagram and its understanding of nine distinct interrelated personality types can
provide valuable information on how we can work together in community. Patterns of attention, behavior and motivation as well as strengths and weaknesses of each type will be covered.

Fee: None

Su Hansen- Enneagram Center of Ann Arbor

Su is a certified Enneagram teacher in the Narrative Tradition and a psychotherapist. She does workshops, individual and group sessions to help people learn to use this map of our different personalities to enhance their own life as well as their interactions with others.

Certified Passive Houses, New and Retrofit

2011-01-15T16:17:00.004-05:00

The Passive House Standard is the world's most stringent building envelope efficiency standard; peak heating demand is about 1 watt/sq foot, so that a typical modest residence can be heated by an electric heating element the size of a hair blowdryer, after the contributions from the sun and people. Learn how buildings can become energy sippers instead of guzzlers.

Fee: None

Christina Snyder- Equilibrium Energy Spaces

Christina is a registered architect, licensed builder and Michigan's first Certified Passive House Consultant. She is principal of Equilibrium Energy Spaces, doing solar site assessment and passive and active solar designs for residences and commerical buildings, new or retrofit. She was advisor to LTU's 2007 Solar Decathlon team.

The Process of Renovating a Home for Health, Safety, and Energy Efficiency

2011-01-15T16:11:00.006-05:00

Thinking about renovating your house to become more energy efficient? Come learn how to protect your family by properly sequencing your renovations. Prevent furnace back drafting, mold growth, poor indoor air quality, and structural deterioration of your home.

Chris Petit- Regenerative Design Solutions

Chris, principal for Regenerative Design Solutions, has designed and managed energy audit programs for municipal, commercial, and residential buildings. He has personally audited over 250,000 sq ft of commerical and residential building space and is a certified HERS Rater. Mr. Petit has conducted research at the Center for Sustainable Building Research on sustainable renovations and procedures used by top U.S. universities. He also researched the best practices for the sustainable design of transportation systems in conjunction with the American Institute of Architects and the Center for Transportation Studies. Mr. Petit has a Masters of Science in Architecture-Sustainable design-and over 7 years of experience conducting energy analysis using energy modeling software.

First Green

2011-01-15T16:06:00.005-05:00

A 30-minute contemplation of Botticelli's Renaissance Masterpiece.

Note: Only 10 spots are available so early registration is highly recommended!
Fee:None

Margot Amrine- Rudolf Steiner High School

History and Humanities teacher at the Rudolt Steiner High School and Director of Waldorf Institute of Southeast MI.

Winter Bicycle Commuting and Maintenance

2011-01-15T15:53:00.007-05:00

Commuting by bicycle in the winter can be daunting to the uninitiated, so we're here to provide initiation! We'll have a panel discussion focusing on the specifics of riding bikes through snow, sleet, and ice and opportunities for hands-on bike education with Common Cycle's tools. Come learn how to add fenders to your bike, check out studded tires for riding through snow, and learn our strategies for combating the cold. Heather, Sandy and Eric are all avid winter commuters that enjoy sharing their love of bikers via Common Cycle's workshops, mobile repair stand, and events like the Reskilling festival.

Eric Jankowski, Heather Kofke-Egger, and Sandy Bledsoe- Common Cycle

We're all avid bicycle commuters who have been helping with Common cycle in some capacity over the last year. When not riding their bikes through snow or teaching people how to fix bikes, Sandy makes coffee, Eric makes science, and Heather makes public health.

Mend Your Clothes - Basic Skills

2011-01-15T15:37:00.005-05:00

Learn some basic stitches and tips for mending your clothes. We will cover hem stitich, hand "machine stitch" and sewing on buttons. Materials and tools will be supplied but please bring your own small mending jobs if you wish.

Fee: None

Donna Estabrook

As an "Air Force brat" I moved with my parents and sibs every 2 or 3 years, all over the US, Germany, and Canada. I learned how to cook from my Mom and how to sew from my Aunt. I moved to our great city of Ann Arbor in 1976 with m 10 year old daughter and ran a boarding house for grad students (cooked 12 meals a week) for a few yeasr and then worked for the University until I retired in 2004. I made all my daughter's clothes until she entered middle school when she declined my services. I now work for the Ann Arbor District Library. I live with my husband, Lou, on the north west side of town in a small house with a big yard. I love gardening, making music, cooking, sewing, and lots of other things.

How to Have a Home Funeral

2011-01-15T15:27:00.006-05:00

Caring for your loved one at home after death is simple and straightforward with good planning and a circle of support. Average cost: $1000 (compared to $8000 for conventional funeral.) Information will also be provided about local green burial options.

Merilynne Rush- After Death Home Care

Merilynne is a nurse and midwife with 25 years of professional experience who educates and consults about natural death care options, including home funeral and green burial. A "home funeral" is a noncommercial, family-cenetered response to death that involves the family and its social community in the care and preparation of the body for burial or cremation. A "home funeral" may occur entirely within the family home or not. It is differentiated from the "institutional funeral" by its emphasis on minimal, noninvasive care and preparation of the body, and on its reliance on the family's own social networks for assistance and support.

Not All Energy Audits are Created Equal

2011-01-15T15:14:00.005-05:00

There is a lot of confusion in the marketplace about Energy Audits. How can one audit be free, another $100, some $400-500, and even other $800 and up: What's going on ? Homeowners will leave the presentation knowing what should be included in a comprehensive audit, how much to pay, and why it is smart to always "Test before you invest." Companies are actually replacing windows and furnace equipment that doesn't even need to be replaced. The presentation will give homeowners the valuable information they need to be wise consumers.

Fee: None

Gary M. Kade- Building Performance by Design/State of Michigan Licensed Builder

Gary, a licensed builder since 1982, has completed over a thousand custom sunroom building projects using cutting edge energy saving techniques long before it was popular to do so. Today, he specializes in Energy Auditing, making homes more comfortable and saving homeowners lots of money on their energy costs. He offers participants the opportunity to schedule audits.

Tea Brewing and Sampling

2011-01-15T15:03:00.005-05:00

Heather Brumwell

Heather has studied and worked with herbs and natural health for the past 20 years. One of her passions is tea, both for its health benefits and for sheer enjoyment. She is a volunteer with Grass Lake Sanctuary and works in natural health retail.

Fee: None

Singing Rounds

2011-01-15T14:08:00.006-05:00

Fee: None

Jeanne Mackey

Jeanne has been making music most of her life. A co-founder of Transition Ann Arbor, she recently created a program of original stories and songs on the occassion of turning 60.

Living in Transition

2011-01-15T14:01:00.013-05:00

This session will begin with a short introduction to the Transition Movement that started in the UK in 2005, followed by a paired conversations about what it feels like to live in a world in Transition. How we can move toward healing our planet, community and ourselves? This session will give us a moment to reflect and share thoughts.

Fee: None

Laura Smith

Laura is a commerical interior designer, novice gardener, and generally concerned citizen. She is currently pursuing a PhD in Architecture and Environmental Psychology at the University of Michigan, and has been volunteering on the initiating team of Transition Ann Arbor since May 2009.

Jeanne Mackey

Jeanne is a co-founder of Transition Ann Arbor, and recently created a program of original stories and songs on the occasion of turning 60.

Mend and Weave the Grandmother's Way...

2011-01-15T13:53:00.005-05:00

Come darn with me. KISS Keep It Simple S...just the basic all you need to do is wear socks you love and don't want to throw out. No sweing or other skills needed. Bringing a pair of slightly holey socks is requested.

Fee: None

Ayron Nancy Smith-Douglas

I am an ecstatic grandmother of twins and a delighted resident of Ypsi for more than twenty years. I am still here after many incarnations as a "back to the lander" initiate, a Mother Earth News injester, and a surviving Haight-Ashbery resident. Simple is enough.

Hanging Out (the Laundry) with Lisa

2011-01-15T13:48:00.004-05:00

Learn some of the tricks and technology of using a clothesline instead of a dryer for your laundry. How do you hand up the clothes? What's a good drying day? How fast do clothes dry? Will my clothes be "stiff?" What if it rains? And what about winter drying? All these and more questions answered...

Fee: None

Lisa Bashert - Transition Town Ypsilanti

Lisa lives and works in Ypsilanti where she is involved with all things sustainable. She is a co-founder of Transition Town Ypsilanti, gardens with Growing Hope, is a beekeeper and marketing corrdinator for the Ypsi Food Co-op, and runs the Local Honey Project. Her home includes a root cellar, raised bed and edible landscaping, water collection systems, permaculture-inspired urban farming, top-bar beehives, and much more.

Cuckoo for Cocoa: Preparing dry Cocoa Mixes for Your Pantry

2011-01-15T13:39:00.006-05:00

This session will cover a good, basic, dry cocoa mix (for purists), as well as a few "spiced up" specimens that will be available for tasting too! Each participant will be able to create and take home a small pouch of cocoa mix, which can be enjoyed or given as a gift (Valentine's Day will be right around the corner!)

Fee: $3, which will cover the tasting ssamples and the pouch of dry hot cocoa mix each participant will take home

Winter Bike Commuting Skills

2011-01-15T13:32:00.004-05:00

Pete Hines - Washtenaw Biking Walking Coalition

I'm a certified bicycle safety instructor. I commute to work and shopping by bicycle most of the year. I have taught a number of bike safety and commuting skills classes as well as classes on winter commuting and bike lighting systems.

Fee: None

The Past, Present, and Future of Electricity in America

2011-01-15T13:12:00.013-05:00

Includes segments on discovery/invention, commercialization, the farm and wind electric industry, present usage analysis, and renewable energy technology for homes and businesses.

Fee: None

For sale: book, t-shirts, historical reprints, DVD

Craig Toepfer

After 40 years as a successful clean energy and transportation professional, including AWEA, Windependence Electric, Windworks, Jacobs Wind Electric, For/Think, and IEC, Craig Toepfer is an author and leading authority on wind energy. His book "The Hybrid Electric Home-Clean, Efficient, Profitable" (Schiffer Publishing-2010) provides a historical study of electricity from discovery to ubiquity with a special focus on the American farm and wind electric industry from 1916 to 1947. This historical background serves as the basis to analyze how we use electricity and makes a compelling case for the clean energy economy of tomorrow.

Permaculture in Michigan

2011-01-15T13:05:00.004-05:00

How to produce more than you consume. This is a talk derived from Nathan's upcoming book titled "Permaculture and Our Energy Conscious Future: From Consumers to Producers." Participants will leave with lessons, knowledge, and skills in how to take responsibility for their food, energy, water, building, transportation and waste needs.

Fee: None

Nathan Ayers

Nathan Ayers is a Permaculture Design educator born and raised in Ann Arbor, MI. He is the founder of the Burns Park Green Energy Association, and cofounder of Transition Ann Arbor. He is certified in Permaculture design, organic gardening, and NABCEP trained in solar photovoltaic systems. At any given moment, Nate is also a musician, surfer, and dog lover.

Kombucha, Sprouts and Yogurt

2011-01-15T12:51:00.004-05:00

Written instructions and kombucha scobies are provided as well as samples of kombucha, sprouts and home made yogurt. "Equipment" available for purchase at cost (jars for kombucha and sprouting, sprouting lids, sprouting seeds, tea and sugar.)

Fee: None

For Sale: If participants want to buy the materials from me so they are ready to go, the prices are as follows:

For kombucha-

jar ($2)
5 tea bags & sugar ($1)

For sprouts-
jar ($1.50)

bad of seeds (40 cents)

commercial sprouting lid ($4.50-though I may be able to provide some home-made lids)

Mary Goode

I'm an alumnus parent and substitute teacher at the Steiner School. I attended the training for Transition Initiative several years ago and have become very interested in reskilling. My own at home low-cost food projects are kombucha, yogurt and sprouts which I'm happy to share with others!

Last Call For Presenter Sign-Up!!!

2011-01-07T14:18:00.002-05:00

We have extended our deadline to sign up to present a sustainable skill at the Winter Reskilling Festival. Our new deadline is this Wednesday, January 12th! Please submit your sessions through our online form.

Please stay tuned for an event schedule!

Also...stay tuned for a festival announcement this coming Monday at 12:55pm on 88.3 WCBN FM Radio Free Ann Arbor!

WINTER RESKILLING EVENT: FEB 5th

2010-10-28T21:27:00.002-04:00

In the coming months, this blog will be updated with juicy information about our next event. In the meantime, see information below for the WINTER RESKILL, and feel free to browse sessions that were hosted back in balmy July.

Ann Arbor Winter ReSkilling Festival
Saturday, February 5, 2011
10 am – 4 pm (registration begins at 9:30am)
Rudolf Steiner High School
2230 Pontiac Trail, Ann Arbor, 48105
Festival Info: bprice@steinerschool.org, 734-669-9394
Sponsors: Transition Ann Arbor and Rudolf Steiner School of Ann Arbor
www.transitionannarbor.org, www.steinerschool.org

Free admission. Materials fees apply for some sessions.

Learn skills for resilient, low-energy living. This day-long ReSkilling Festival will focus on winter skills, which could include sessions such as sock darning, bread-making, cold-weather commuting, indoor play, and of course planning a preparing for spring gardens! Part of the Transition Towns movement, the concept of reskilling is about preparing for our low-energy future by acquiring new skills related to what we eat, wear, use, and live in. As Transition Towns founder Rob Hopkins points out, “We no longer have many of the basic skills our grandparents took for granted.” Reskilling means providing for ourselves and our communities by growing, preserving, creating, building, and teaching.

The last Ann Arbor Reskilling Festival, held in July, was a rousing success, with over 150 participants choosing from 30 different sessions on such topics as home energy efficiency, primitive wilderness living skills, home funerals and green burials, canning and preserving, sun ovens, singing, crocheting, making yogurt and cheese, beekeeping, and foraging for wild salad.

Thanks to all for a Fabulous Event!

2010-07-27T23:30:00.003-04:00

Thanks to everyone that came out and became part of yet another successful event!

Photos to come.

Also, check out this feature story about the event from AnnArbor.com!

AnnArbor.com Article

2010-07-13T17:40:00.002-04:00

Check out this article that was published on AnnArbor.com about our upcoming ReSkilling Festival!

AnnArbor.com Article

Complete List of All Events for Reskill 2010

2010-07-13T17:07:00.003-04:00

Here is a complete list of all of the sessions that will be at the upcoming ReSkilling Festival. If you would like to see the schedule, click on the link at the top of the page. If you would like more detailed information on an event. Click on the event and it will direct you to the description posted on our blog. We can't wait to see you there this Saturday!

We Raise Our Song Again: Singing Simple Chants Together

2010-07-08T14:20:00.001-04:00

We Raise Our Song Again: Singing Simple Chants Together
Singing together is a wonderful way to open our hearts, connect with others, and re-align. We'll sing simple chants and rounds with earth-honoring and healing themes. Beginners welcome.

Jeanne Mackey (former member of Transition Ann Arbor initiating team)
Jeanne Mackey is a lifelong musician, community-builder, and change-maker. She produced "Home to the River of Love", an album of simple chants for everyday singing.

Low energy living - simpler than you think.

2010-07-08T14:15:00.000-04:00

Low energy living - simpler than you think.
A participatory, free-form discussion on how to prepare for a future with less energy via the path of least resistance: simplification. Perhaps the greatest hurdle on this path is a cultural conditioning that tells us something is lacking; something is missing in our lives. So let's take a look not at the cause but at where the effect might surface; what might be done to reduce the belief that "something is missing" in our lives; and how we might benefit as individuals and communities in a world where less could give us much more in return.

Brandon Marshall
Brandon grew up in rural Missouri in a considerably self-sufficient, hands-on, extended family and culture. He enlisted in the Navy, and later worked as an engineer. Intermixed with energy-related engineering and research have been stints as a landscaper, wilderness guide, janitor, apprentice organic farmer and draft horse trainer, and intern-resident at several intentional communities and Eco-villages. He has lived without a car for nearly five years and continues to search for ways to simplify his life while connecting with people and place.

Enveloping the Earth with Your Love

2010-07-06T21:41:00.000-04:00

Enveloping the Earth with Your Love
There are so many feelings and wishes we all have for the earth. Some of them are happy memories of time in nature, others are favorite aspects of the earth's beauty. Also there are a lot of feelings that are harder to come to grips with. Feelings of hurt or fear or anger about what is happening to the earth because of people's choices. Let's envelope the earth with all the things we wish for her! Express all the feelings you have... the love, the care, the concern, the sadness and anger, the joy. During this skill-shop we will write, draw, color, create and add all these feelings thoughts prayers wishes into the envelope of your love for the earth. You can keep your envelope private or share it. Take this home with you and keep adding to it as all the things you love and wish for the earth keep bubbling up.

Tamara Wendt (Grass Lake Sanctuary)
Tamara Wendt is a volunteer with Grass Lake Sanctuary and author of the year long blog project "52 Ways to Fall in Love with the Earth." Born in San Juan, Puerto Rico - the Atlantic Ocean was and still is one of her best friends.

Wild Salad

2010-07-06T21:36:00.000-04:00

Wild Salad
This fun playtime takes your around the grounds to find edible weeds and wildflowers to make a ‘wild salad’ on the spot for us to enjoy. You’ll learn to identify some common weeds and wildflowers that make tasty, delicious and even colorful additions to a ‘wild salad’ that is packed with nutrition – and then make and eat the salad we create.

Bronwen Gates
Bronwen Gates has a lifelong passion for plants as well as a Ph.D. in Botany, and enjoys teaching people how to enjoy plants for food, medicine and well-being.

350 Cookbook: Recipes for Neighborhood Resilience

2010-07-06T21:29:00.000-04:00

350 Cookbook: Recipes for Neighborhood Resilience
Join us in exploring recipes to involve your neighbors in activities that build community while reducing our dependence on fossil fuels. There will be a number of recipes available to explore and to discuss ways to implement them. Also participants may develop additional recipes to add to the cookbook. Take home a recipe and the “ingredients” to mix up some resilience in your neighborhood!

Ann Arbor 350 members (Ann Arbor 350)
Ann Arbor 350 began as a local group of 350.org in November 2009. Several groups of folks have been meeting since then to both raise awareness and to create ways for others to act.

Low-cost/No-cost Playthings for Adults and Children

2010-07-06T21:26:00.000-04:00

Low-cost/No-cost Playthings for Adults and Children
Come out and play! Fun activities for balancing and strengthening healthy "old-fashioned" physical and "new-fangled" neurological development for adults and children alike.

Barbara Boeheim (Rudolf Steiner School of Ann Arbor)
Barbara has enjoyed recycling, repurposing, and creating simple toys and tools for all ages to support healthy development in body, soul, and spirit. Her clients experience increased joy and success in work and play. Barbara is a certified Waldorf teacher and Therapeutic Support for the students, teachers, and parents at the Rudolf Steiner School of Ann Arbor. She has a private practice in occupational therapy, is certified in Bal-A-Vis-X, and Extra Lesson and uses Brain Gym and sensory integration techniques in her business.

Furthering Fermentation: Dosas, Idlis, and Gundru!

2010-07-06T21:18:00.000-04:00

Furthering Fermentation: Dosas, Idlis, and Gundru!
Learn some lesser-known fermentation techniques for full flavor and preservation. Dosas and idlis are traditional South Indian rice and lentil "breads". Gundru is a unique Nepalese ferment made from greens.

Andrew Brix
I started baking bread seven years ago, brewing beer and wine three years ago, and have recently branched out into some lesser-known fermentation techniques.

Basic Bicycle Maintenance

2010-06-28T11:52:00.000-04:00

Basic Bicycle Maintenance
According to the AAA (2006), the annual costs of operating and maintaining an automobile ranged from $5K to $10k. The annual operating costs of a bicycle might be a new wardrobe given that reduced waistline. But what about bicycle maintenance costs? We can reduce these costs for our ourselves, our families, and our community through some basic inspection and tune-up skills. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of CO2 emissions.

Brandon Marshall
Brandon grew up in rural Missouri in a considerably self-sufficient, hands-on, extended family and culture. He enlisted in the Navy, and later worked as an engineer. Intermixed with energy-related engineering and research have been stints as a landscaper, wilderness guide, janitor, apprentice organic farmer and draft horse trainer, and intern-resident at several intentional communities and Eco-villages. He has lived without a car for nearly five years and continues to search for ways to simplify his life while connecting with people and place.

How to have your Home & Family be Healthy, Comfortable, and Energy Wise!

2010-06-28T11:50:00.001-04:00

Not all Energy Audits are Created Equal
There is a lot of confusion in the marketplace about Energy Audits. How can one audit be free, another $100, some $400-$500, and even others $800 and up; What's going on? Homeowners will leave the presentation knowing what should be included in a comprehensive audit, how much to pay, and why it is smart to always "Test before you Invest". Companies are actually replacing windows and furnace equipment that doesn't even need to be replaced. The presentation will give homeowners the valuable information they need to be wise consumers.

Gary M. Kade (Meadowlark Energy named Michigan's 2011 Green Leader)
Gary M. Kade, a licensed builder since 1982, has completed over a thousand custom sunroom building projects using cutting edge energy saving techniques long before it was popular to do so. Today, he specializes in Energy Auditing, making homes more comfortable and saving homeowners lots of money on their energy costs.

Winter Harvests

2010-06-28T11:48:00.000-04:00

Winter Harvests
If you are interested in harvesting your own fresh veggies from late fall through winter to spring then this session will provide suggestions for varieties to try and methods to use.

Shannon Brines (Brines Farm, UofM SNRE, and various NGOs)
Founder/owner/farmer of four season farm in the area that first started utilizing hoophouses extensively in 2004. Active in local food movement including as local food summit creator/organizer.

Choosing Fruits for Organic Home Production

2010-06-28T11:45:00.000-04:00

Choosing Fruits for Organic Home Production
Learn which fruits may best meet your needs and fit your particular growing environment. Some factors in selection are personal taste, disease resistance, ease of growth and storage, and local soil and climate suitability. Tim will share his own experiences and knowledge as a small-scale fruit grower. He will also discuss unusual and "forgotten" fruits that grow well in Michigan.

Tim Utter
Tim Utter and his wife grow many varieties of fruit on their land in northern Washtenaw County. Their most recent love being blueberries and asian pears.

Backyard Chickens 101

2010-06-28T11:39:00.000-04:00

Backyard Chickens 101
Demystify the concern that keeping backyard chickens is difficult or takes a lot of time! You will be walked through all parts of the process, from procuring chickens, setting up a coop, feeding them, the deep litter method of maintenance, and of course talk about the eggs!

Corinna Borden Parker
Corinna manages the Westside Farmers Market, works at Zingermans Deli, writes about food for annarbor.com, authored I Dreamt of Sausage (a cancer memoir), and keeps backyard chickens.

Cook Renewably with a Sun Oven

2010-06-28T11:34:00.000-04:00

Cook Renewably with a Sun Oven
Come to learn how to cook using a Sun Oven, a solar cooker that uses the power of the sun to create temperatures of up to 350 degrees! Find out more about how it's built, how it works, and how you can use one in your everyday life. Keep your kitchen cooler and your utility bills lower this summer!

Deb Heed (Clean Energy Coalition)
Deb is a project manager at the Clean Energy Coalition. She manages CEC's Energy Outlet, Michigan's first energy efficiency store. They offer information, products, and advice on creating a more energy efficient home, business, and lifestyle. The Energy Outlet is located in the front half of their offices in Ypsilanti's Depot Town.

Milk: Three Ways

2010-06-28T11:31:00.000-04:00

Milk: Three Ways
Learn to make butter, creme fraiche, and mozzarella.

Holly White (Detroit Zymology Guild)
Gardener, canner, fermenter, vermicomposter, knitter, spinner. If the skill is something a 19th century housewife could do, She's probably tried it.

Primitive Wilderness Living Skills

2010-06-28T11:28:00.000-04:00

Primitive Wilderness Living Skills
Discussion of primitive wilderness living with demonstrations and the opportunity for practice.

Jason Hogans (New Culture Earthskills)
Jason has been intensively studying and practicing primitive wilderness living skills for five years. He recently attended Jim Miller's Michigan Outdoor Skills School to practice a wide variety of traditional skills such as thatched shelter building, hide processing and bark baskets. He is especially proficient at wild plant identification and friction fire starting with the hand drill technique. He loves wild nature and is motivated by the fact that learning and practicing wilderness living skills gives people a deeper respect for the natural world and compels them to do more to protect and restore it.

Beekeeping 101 - Small Scale Backyard and Rooftop Hives

2010-06-28T11:26:00.000-04:00

Beekeeping 101 - Small Scale Backyard and Rooftop Hives
We will discuss all that is important to the beginning beekeeper: Building your hive, comb components, choosing tools and protective clothing, acquiring your bees, deciding on a location, feeding and watering the bees, and how to harvest. All tools, clothing, and equipment will be on-hand for inspection and demonstration.

Beekeeper Bob
Beekeeper Bob learned beekeeping from his father. He got back into keeping bees after he received a hive as a wedding present.

Knot Tying

2010-06-28T11:17:00.000-04:00

Knot Tying
An introduction to tying useful and ornamental knots.

Zachary Brym
Zack Brym is a terrestrial ecosystems Master's Student at the University of Michigan's School of Natural Resources. His current academic endeavours give little indication of his nautical past. A student of the New Haven Sound School, he has worked passionately at knots for the better part of his adolescent years. He is excited about inspiring others in the art and utility of knot tying.

Chickentainment - All About Back Yard Chickens

2010-06-28T11:14:00.000-04:00

Chickentainment - All About Back Yard Chickens
Glee will share with you her experiences in the world of back yard chickens.

Glee Bohanon
Glee lives on a small farm NE of Ann Arbor. She is a writer, a horsewoman, an organic gardener, a keeper of chickens, a grandmother, a good cook, and and all-around good sport.

Making Toys From Old Clothes

2010-06-28T11:10:00.001-04:00

Create beautiful toys rather than garbage. Learn simple stitches to make and take home your own finger puppet. Bring a pair of worn out socks and make them into a stuffed dog. A stained t-shirt can easily become a nature bag. Become inspired by everyday materials and fill up your craft bin rather than your rubbish bin.

Composting: Turning Refuse Into Gold

2010-06-22T16:29:00.000-04:00

Composting: Turning Refuse Into Gold
Table Event: Answering individual questions about outdoor, 5-gallon bucket and worm bin composting.

Lisa Perschke (Washtenaw County Consortium for Solid Waste Management (compost task force))
Advanced Master Gardener; Master Composter Instructor; Conservation Steward; Master Citizen Planner; Lakes and Stream Leadership Institute Alumni of 2007; Business Recycle Coordinator for Recycle Ann Arbor; Huron River Wastershed Council member and volunteer and AmeriCorp Groundwater Educator 2005-2006.

Quilts

2010-06-22T16:27:00.000-04:00

Quilts
This session will demonstrate making a 5 or 7 inch patch work square and using it to construct a potholder.

Jo Ludema & Ruth Mieras
Both Jo and Ruth are grandmothers and creative homemakers who have made many quilts over the years. Both have been Ann Arborites for nearly 50 years.

How to Meet Many of Your Transportation Needs by Bicycle

2010-06-22T16:23:00.002-04:00

How to Meet Many of Your Transportation Needs by Bicycle
This presentation will show people that it is possible to accomplish many of their daily tasks by bicycle rather than using a car.

Peter Hines (WBWC Chairperson)
Peter is a certified bicycle safety instructor and commutes year-round by bicycle. He is chair of the Washtenaw Bicycling Walking Coalition - they work with local government agencies to improve bicycling and walking facilities throughout the county. He can teach bicycle safety classes, commuting classes, basic bike repair, ways to haul lots of stuff on your bike, etc...

Crop Mobbing: Critical Mass meets the Old-Fashioned Barn Raising! How to Host or Attend a Crop Mob.

2010-06-22T16:23:00.001-04:00

Crop Mobbing: Critical Mass meets the Old-Fashioned Barn Raising! How to Host or Attend a Crop Mob.

Crop Mobbing is kind of a cross between the traditions of Barn Raising and a the more recent bicycling events known as "critical mass." The idea is to gather around when a farmer or community garden needs some help as a way to build relationships, learn and share knowledge, and to show support for viable agricultural stewardship initiatives. The trend of Crop Mobbing did not start in Michigan, but the MYFC is hoping help keep the momentum going for this vital community event by sharing what we've learned so far! Participants in this reskilling workshop will walk away with the basic how-tos of hosting a crop mob and some great state-wide and national resources for sustainable food and communities.

Michigan Young Farmer Coalition

The Michigan Young Farmer Coalition is a networking and advocacy group for new and young farmers. Our mission is to empower Michigan communities through viable agricultural stewardship. Our goals include building strong, face-to-face regional networks of young farmers and gardeners and our advocates, as well as generate a stronger voice for food justice in the State of Michigan and beyond.

Basic Homebrewing: Making your own beer that is local, tasty, and cheap

2010-06-22T16:22:00.001-04:00

Basic Homebrewing: Making your own beer that is local, tasty, and cheap

This workshop will teach participants how to brew their own beer, either starting from malt extract or following the all-grain process described in intermediate homebrewing. It will cover ingredients, equipment, sanitation, and process.
Chuck Warpehoski (Ann Arbor Brewers Guild)

Chuck Warpehoski (Ann Arbor Brewers Guild)
Chuck Warpehoski has been brewing beer for three years and has experience making beer, mead, fruit wines, and hard cider.

Intermediate Homebrewing: All-Grain Homebrewing

2010-06-22T16:19:00.000-04:00

Intermediate Homebrewing: All-Grain Homebrewing

This workshop covers how to take malted grain, some basic supplies, and prepare that for making your own tasty beer. It will include where to find grain, how to prepare it, and what equipment to use. It does not cover the boiling, fermenting, and packaging steps discussed in the beginning homebrewing section. It is appropriate for people new to homebrewing who will stay for the beginning homebrewing class to follow. (The intermediate homebrewing presentation will be followed by a beginning homebrewing presentation. People new to homebrewing should attend either both or just the beginning. People who already do extract brewing may attend just this section.)

Crocheting for Charity

2010-06-22T16:18:00.000-04:00

Crocheting for Charity

For all skill levels, even those with no experience. We will crochet squares for Luba's Blanket, a charity offering gifts of warmth and love to children in hospitals as well as the elderly in nursing and rehabilitation homes. If possible, please bring any color 100% Acrylic/Worsted Weight yarn and a G hook. Supplies will also be provided.

Teressa Streng
Teressa has been crocheting since she was 9 years old. It is an enjoyable past time, and sometimes keeping her hands busy helps my mind focus. More than anything else, she loves to create things that she can give to others.

Natural Detergent Made in Your Kitchen

2010-06-22T16:17:00.000-04:00

Natural Detergent Made in Your Kitchen

The presentation will start by talking about the ingredients their uses. We will go over where to buy the ingredients, break down the costs, and explain different options if there are allergies. Then, you will be walked through the process of making homemade detergent. People in the workshop will participate so that they get hands-on experience. We will also talk about the dangers of bleach in the water supply and why optical brighteners and stain blockers are bad for the skin. All the participants will receive a small sample of detergent so they can see the finished product and take it home to try.

Desiree Winans

Desiree is an environmentalist, an herbalist in training, and an avid gardener and cook. She likes to buy local. If she can, she likes to "make it" and "do it" herself! She started making her own laundry detergent from a recipe online and not only do her friends and family love it, SHE LOVES IT. It's a really inexpensive and fun way to make less of an impact on the environment. For one thing, reusing plastic detergent bottles with laundry soap that you make from raw materials saves A LOT of plastic. Recycling is good~ Reusing is better:) Her detergent has 6 earth friendly ingredients: 1).sodium borate: an important boron compound, a mineral, and a salt of boric acid. 2).sodium carbonate: domestically well known for its everyday use as a water softener and used as a food additive for enhancing browning in pretzels. 3).baking soda: versatile cleanser with relatively little environmental impact: 4). Shaved Castille Soap 5).Water: 6).Essential Oil. We spend anywhere from $10 to $20 on a container of detergent depending on size and brand. We pay for the plastic to make it (which is made from petroleum). We pay for the petroleum to get it to the store, then to our houses. We pollute our waterways with bleach and other chemicals, enzymes, & detergents. We suffer from allergic reactions to these detergents. The workshop that I want to teach is a simple, earth friendly and money saving skill that is useful for anyone to have.