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| What color is Clear Sky? |
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| "Green," we hope, or certainly as "green" as we can manage! |
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| January 2005 |
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Hi, friends!
Just a brief update on some interesting new developments we've
had with the Clear Sky Meditation and Study Foundation property in
Cranbrook, B.C. (Please see links at the end of this email for more info.)
We're negotiating a consultation to have the property analyzed from a
*permaculture* perspective. One definition of "permaculture" is:
"Permaculture, or permanent (agri)culture, means working with natural forces
- wind, sun, & water - to provide food, shelter, water & other needs with
minimum labor & without depleting the land. Permaculture is a holistic
approach based on traditional agricultural practices."
We're hoping that the fruits of the analysis will give us good ideas for how
to move forward, including where to site buildings, where to build water
catchments (aka., a pond, stream and/or waterfalls), what kinds of plants to
grow and how, and so on. We are thinking in terms of seven generations (at
least) down the road, so the "without depleting the land" and "holistic
approach" parts of permaculture are appealing. Since there will likely be
stretches of time with lots of people sandwiched between stretches of time
with very few people at Clear Sky, the "with minimum labor" part is very
appealing also.
The Japan sangha has some experience of permaculture, gleaned mostly by
osmosis. We realized in January that the retreat property we've rented for
the last several years was designed based on permaculture principles. Since
we already knew the property well, we had a good chance to learn about how
permaculture works in a short space of time -- once we knew what to look
for, there it was for us to see!
Thanks to help from supporters, we've also been looking into *sustainable
building practices.* Our first forays into this world are research currently
underway for sources for non-toxic paint and an energy-efficient gas range
for the kitchen. We are looking forward to all of us breathing easier and
cooking cleaner. Wish us luck!
Last but not least, we're looking into different species of
medicinal/therapeutic plants to cultivate and sow in the "wild" at Clear
Sky. Our initial research has revealed that many of the plant
tinctures/extracts sold as health supplements are taken from the wild,
without (necessarily) being replaced. Populations of many other species --
both recognized and those not yet recognized for their health benefits --
are being depleted by things like timber and development.
Sowing such seeds at Clear Sky could provide invaluable benefits for future
beings, for the ecosystem(s), and may also be able to provide us with some
income to, for example, build meditation cabins on the property. We're
currently looking into what kind of species native to the Kootenay bioregion
would be good candidates for such an undertaking, or, alternatively, what
species from other areas might grow well there. We're also looking into the
positive and negative ramifications of introducing non-native species.
After many years living in the land of the rising sun, the Japanese concept
of "living in harmony with nature" has rubbed off on many of us, and we've
realized that we have quite a lot of plant knowledge between us. Our sangha
in Japan has talented gardeners, nutritional cooks, a landscape designer,
ikebana (flower arrangement) aficionados, home remedy devotees, etc. So
plants are a great "bridge" for many of us in the Japan sangha to learn to
feel at home in the wilds of southeastern B.C.
If you feel, after reading this, that I don't much about permaculture,
sustainable building, and growing medicinal plants, you would not be far
from the truth. After all, many of us in the Japan sangha have spent the
last 10-20 years living in homes designed to last only 25 years (no
kidding), with gardens no larger than a cat's forehead (*kinda* kidding). We
are traveling uphill on a steeeeeeeeep learning curve. But wow! Is it
interesting! Here's hoping it benefits many beings!
If you're interested in taking part in any of these projects, please let me
know. If you'd just like to be updated on our progress in a particular area,
we'd be happy to keep you updated that way also.
Thanks for your support!
Best regards,
Catherine
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Additional information:
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