(above: Daiva and her mom, Sylvia) Daiva came to Quail Springs in 2017 for a natural building internship, where she learned how to combine straw, sand, and clay to create earthen homes that are beautiful, affordable, and made of locally-sourced materials. Since then Daiva has built earthen homes in Mexico, Bolivia and California, and has taught earthen building in Oaxaca. …
Written by John Orcutt Greetings, and thanks to all of you who joined us at Quail Springs this fall to help us move forward on a few natural building projects. We accomplished so much! We have just posted a new job opportunity at Quail Springs for a Hosting and Volunteer Director. This individual will be creating and inviting you all …
Written by Juna Muller I live in a mud house. Technically, it’s a mixture of clay, sand, and straw (also known as cob). And although it’s mud, I can say that it’s the most beautiful house I’ve ever lived in! People around the world have been building with clay, sand, straw and other natural materials for at least the past …
We believe in climate-resilient and dignified housing for all. This year, Quail Springs is playing a key role in the movement to make earthen building legal and accessible to everyone. We’ve already taken the first steps to establish our site as a fully permitted world-class demonstration center, featuring legal, fire-safe, low-carbon-footprint earthen buildings. Now is a critical time to help …
Written by Kolmi Majumdar Greetings this Autumn! I’m excited to introduce you to Quail Springs’ new Co-Executive Directors, Sarah and Daniel, along with our new Development & Operations Director Steven! They will be joining the long-term staff and the Board of Directors in stewarding Quail Springs through this pivotal time, as we work to make a greater impact than ever …
We are excited to announce a groundbreaking collaboration with Cal Poly SLO to do earthquake testing on cob walls! Many things have fallen into place to make the project happen, including a woman who is doing her thesis on this project, and Cal Poly’s generous offer to support this public benefit project with deeply discounted access to earthquake testing equipment …
We are grateful to share some good news. Phase I of the Quail Springs Capital Campaign to buy the land is complete. The enormity of this collective action cannot be overstated, and we extend infinite gratitude to all of you who contributed and helped us raise the money to buy these precious 450-acres. We are humbled by …
Thanks to the beautiful, gentle summer rains last week, the land feels less parched than it sometimes does at this time of the year. As we gather acorns from oak trees – more laden then they have been for years, and the summer heat has subsided, we are preparing for a full fall program season. We will be welcoming college …
Nature writing has largely ignored the fact that humans are natural, & that their environments are a part of nature. In The Urban Ecology Almanac, excerpted here, biologist & permaculture designer Laine MacTague strives to inspire us to think of where we live as habitat, and to begin to lavish the love & care upon it that we tend to …
by Andrew Clinard I first met Joseph Ntunyoi when I picked him up at LAX in 2013. “Joseph, we can get on the road now and sit in traffic for three hours, or we can get a drink at a bar and wait it out” I surprised him by asking in Swahili. Luckily, he chose the latter, and we since …
