Photo Gallery » Quail Springs Permaculture

We are as diverse as the blooms of the desert. De

We are as diverse as the blooms of the desert. Dear @vinegaralleyfarms, Thank you again for your question as well as patience for our response regarding our post on gender expansive pronouns. We understand the concern for children. Indeed, concern for children is something that binds most of humanity. What we believe is that children are superbly capable of understanding the complexities of the world especially when guided by compassion. We value open communication with children led by mentors willing to discuss questions that arise for them in the ever-changing landscape of the social world. Globally as well as here in the US, gender expression takes countless forms, today and historically. We support language that reflects these forms, and we believe all of us, including children, are just as capable of learning gender expansive pronouns as we are of learning the pronunciation of our names and learning about the life stories we are willing to share. Because many of us at Quail Springs know the dangerous struggle of growing up queer or genderqueer in this world that repeatedly seeks to silence us, we are personally invested in protecting the rights of the vulnerable, including children, to celebrate who they are without fear of being physically or emotionally hurt. We invite our fellow human beings to celebrate with us. It’s long overdue that our political and linguistic reality reflects our societal reality, so that fellow human beings may express their varied and nuanced experiences of being human without putting them in harm’s way. In this vein, it’s important to note that gender expansive pronouns aren’t mere preferences. They are linguistic tools to more clearly share who we are. The beauty of having multiple pronouns is that children have the opportunity to identify in ways they feel best support their development, in binary or non-binary ways. Identity formation is a challenge for children and adults alike, and having gender expansive pronouns allows us to meet that challenge with inclusivity. With appreciation,
Quail Springs

🌀medicine garden at quail is magic🌀 Yarrow d

🌀medicine garden at quail is magic🌀
Yarrow dances in singing breeze, as nettle stretches their prickly leaves
Lemon balm soothes and mugwort dreams,
As silver sage flowers burst and beam
Elderflower tells tale of ancestral story, as chia lends to deep desert memory
Cottonwoods giggle and wave their sparkly hands
singing potent medicine to this holy land ✨

Pre-registration is now open for our 2022 online N

Pre-registration is now open for our 2022 online Natural Building Course. Through a combination of live sessions and pre-recorded lectures and how-to videos that you can watch at your own pace, our instructors @earthenshelter and @nomadicbuilder will guide you through the basics of analyzing site soil, mixing and building with cob, and building a small project. You’ll have instructor support and access to all content including start to finish how to videos on rocket stoves, cob ovens, earthbag, cob, and adobe for six months. You’ll also get to tour all of these Quail Springs homes. Cob, strawbale, and other earthen hybrids. Pre-Register or learn more through the link in our bio, or ask any questions in the comments below. Which house is your favorite? #quailspringspermaculture #naturalbuildingworkshop #naturalbuildingtour #rocketstove #coboven #cob #earthbag #adobe #naturalbuilding #naturalplaster #clayplaster #superadobe #woodfiredoven #gardenwalls #permaculture #localmaterials #sustainablebuilding #accessiblehousing #firesafehousing #nontoxic #pizzaoven #retainingwall #tinyhouse #tinyhousetour #cobhouse #cobhousetour #offgrid #cobworkshop #tinyhousedesign #cobovenworkshop

We’re past the peak of the spring penstemon bloo

We’re past the peak of the spring penstemon blooms, with their warming red flowers and beautiful upright stems lighting up the driveway and roadsides all over this land. Amidst the drought, the past few months have still been an incredible time for wildflowers at Quail Springs and the surrounding landscape. We’re grateful for the variations of color that ask us to take notice and look around more closely to see the subtleties of the season🌼

Beauty prevails. Beauty is many forms. Beauty is a

Beauty prevails. Beauty is many forms. Beauty is a function. Beauty remains.
🌼🌵💧
What’s your favorite way to enjoy tuna fruit or nopales paddles?

Chumash Earth Day! Free and open to the public! S

Chumash Earth Day!
Free and open to the public!
Saturday May 21 10am-2pm
At Kitiyepumu’ Park
On the Santa Ynez Indian Reservation
100 Via Juana Road, Santa Ynez Hosted by the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians’ Environmental Department Quail Springs is honored to have been invited to table at the event to share about our work, our online programs, and also engage children and families with fun activities! Please join us! The zero waste event will feature activities for all ages, including arts and crafts, a raffle, appearances by Woodsy Owl and Smokey Bear, and a food truck with tacos and fry bread for sale. Photo Credit:
Diego Cordero, environmental technician for the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians, helps a child plant a tree during a previous Chumash Earth Day event. (Courtesy Photo)

Dancing weaving unraveling explorations in the gre

Dancing weaving unraveling explorations in the greenhouse …our dear new garden systems director, Haris, has brought his beloved plants from Northern California, two of which being a Bosnian Lily (from Bosnia!) and Light Root, or Dioscera batatas//Chinese Yam. We’ve been waiting for them to open and watching them grow. These marvelous creatures are bursting pollen and heavenly scent, and climbing up towards the tip top of the greenhouse. Blessings amongst us this day!

Our online Natural Building Course is now open for

Our online Natural Building Course is now open for Pre-Registration! This course will cover the basics of natural building, while also exploring the larger issues we face with our built environment, the changes that need to happen, and how to make those changes. Through a combination of pre-recorded lectures that you can watch at your own pace, as well as live sessions with instructors @earthenshelter and @nomadicbuilder , you will be guided through the basics of analyzing site soil, mixing and building with cob, and building a small project. Pre-registration is free and if you choose to enroll, you’ll receive 15% off tuition. Follow the link in our bio to learn more about this course, and pre-register. Or ask any questions in the comments below. #quailspringspermaculture #naturalbuildingworkshop #naturalbuildingtour #rocketstove #coboven #cob #earthbag #adobe #naturalbuilding #naturalplaster #clayplaster #superadobe #woodfiredoven #gardenwalls #permaculture #localmaterials #sustainablebuilding #firesafehousing #nontoxic #pizzaoven #retainingwall #tinyhouse #tinyhousetour #cobhouse #offgrid #cobworkshop #tinyhousedesign #cobovenworkshop

How to Make Chard Paneer Still from 2 minute vide

Our dearest @earthenshelter and @nomadicbuilder ar

Our dearest @earthenshelter and @nomadicbuilder are announcing in person natural building workshops up in NorCal 🐻 🌲 ⛅️! They will be co-teaching 2 natural building workshops this summer in Willits CA, with Michael Smith. The first one is: 🔥Rocket Mass Heater workshop - July 9-13 - We will be building a front loading batch style rocket mass heater. The workshop also includes general natural building instruction: a range of high-insulation and thermal mass natural building systems including cob, straw bale, light straw-clay, and slipsquatch (redwood bark and clay.) We will also install the drainage layer and the first pour of an earthen floor.
✨Sept. 12-16 - Earthen Plasters and Floors workshop-
A great opportunity to develop your skills and understanding of earthen finishes, including:
• straw-clay base coat plasters for sculpting and protection
• endless variations of clay finish plasters for durability and beauty
• durable, water-resistant earthen floors These techniques are suitable for natural buildings including straw bale and cob, as well for renovation of conventional homes, where they can add natural beauty, thermal mass for increased energy efficiency, and health-enhancing moisture modulation. Plus they are fun, artistic, and inexpensive! These workshops are at Abuelas Gardens. See their website for more information https://www.abuelagardens.com/ and on instagram @abuelagardens #naturalbuilding #naturalbuildingworkshop #naturalbuildingworkshops #rocketmassheater #rocketstove #earthenplaster #cob #lightstrawclay #quailsprings #permaculture #quailspringspermaculture #willits #norcal

Beauty carries us through these strange days… Th

Beauty carries us through these strange days…
The chaparral yucca are on the verge of blooming once again: a bright and staggering highlight of spring in the high-desert.

Driveway surprises: Respect boundaries, admire bea

Driveway surprises: Respect boundaries, admire beauty.

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