Wilderness Awareness School’s ANAKE annual visit to Quail Springs

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by Merilee Bradford Quail Springs Onsite Program Coordinator, and Permaculture Farmer The Wilderness Awareness School is a 8 shields based school in the Northwest that focuses on connecting people to the natural world, community and self through a variety of programs for all ages.  For many years now the Wilderness Awareness’s adult program, called The Anake Outdoor School, has been …

Cuyama Valley Residents Plan for the Future

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Quail Springs’ Jan Smith and Brenton Kelly are proud to be involved with the core working group that is helping to launch the newly formed Cuyama Valley Community Association, conceived in order “to build community among the residents of the Cuyama Valley, serve as a forum for discussing critical community issues, and advocate for the health and well being of …

Interview with Craig Sponholtz Watershed Artisan

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September 2014 What originally inspired you to become a Watershed Artisan? And what continues to inspire you as a renowned Watershed Artisan who has done international restoration work?  I didn’t originally set out to be an artisan in the field of land restoration.  First I was simply drawn in by the need to heal the degraded land I saw everywhere.  As …

Permaculture, Innovation & Black Sheep

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By Warren Brush of Quail Springs Permaculture and Casitas Valley Farm and Creamery Over the past few years, I have had the honor of being able to teach at least eight permaculture courses a year at home and all over the world.  These learning and sharing journeys have weaved my story with others from places in Africa, Europe, the Middle …

Cuyama to Kenya: Interweaving Permaculture & International Development

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Zeya Schindler [email protected] On a spring day in 2011 I sealed a thick envelope containing my freshly printed master’s dissertation and dropped it in a mailbox, bound for the Centre for Development and Emergency Practice in Oxford, England. The title of the paper was “Designing for Disaster: Evaluating the Potential for Permaculture Design in Development and Emergency Practice”. The project …

Quail Springs Circle of Support

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Thank you one and all!   Our heartfelt gratitude goes out to all who have given of themselves to sustain Quail Springs.   Below we’ve listed names of in-kind supporters and financial supporters for 2012 and 2013.  This is a partial and growing list.  It is impossible to keep up with the outpouring of support!  We’d also like to thank …

Warmth, Light and Good Cooking

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Reducing Fossil Fuel Dependence with Renewable Energy A fruitful year has taken us a few steps further toward a sustainable human settlement. With our new rocket stove in the commons providing both space heating and cooking, we’re reducing dependence on fossil fuels, particularly propane cooking. A small insulated ‘hay box’ is included in the heated bench for finishing rice, soups, …

Hand-Made Shoes with Full Hearts

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      In late October, we gathered for a full and magical weekend of story, craft and remembering, as nine students poured their hands and hearts into a two-day intensive of old-time shoe-making. Even the freshest hands, most of which were new to moccasin making, fully dove into the detailed work with inspiration and creativity. I was inspired by how the students worked together to create …

Permaculture Movement Cross-Pollinators

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Our Gratitude to Margie Bushman & Wes Roe   I’d like to express our deep gratitude for Margie Bushman and Wes Roe, co-founders of the Santa Barbara Permaculture Network. This dedicated permaculture duo have been midwives and caretakers of the local and international Permaculture Movement for over three decades now. We sincerely appreciate Margie joining Quail Springs’ Advisory Board, after …

Garlic Planting Time with Permaculture Design Course Students

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  It’s garlic planting time at Quail Springs! Forty students from our annual fall Hands-On Permaculture Design Course are making a big job into a fun afternoon’s work. There is a slight coolness in the air, a high-desert blue sky overhead, and dappled light filtering through the leaves of young trees. We’re preparing the seed garlic, sorting it for size, laying out the planting pattern, …