[Peace-discuss] Earth Day at Stelle

[Ken Urban]

Gina and I and the kids are planning on going to this, anyone else
interested in going with?  Looks like a fun (and informative) time.

Ken

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Ken Urban
Assoc. Prof., Computer Science
Parkland College

Office: B129A
           (217)-353-2246
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If you have not yet made plans for Earth Day, the residents of Stelle
having their 
Annual Earth Day Celebration from 10 am to 4pm on Sunday, April 25.
Located an hour 
and twenty minutes north of Champaign,Stelle is a unique fixture on the
Central 
Illinois Landscape. 

Founded in 1973, the 44-household community is filled with examples of
renewable energy use from solar panels on homes to the community's
partially
wind-powered water treatment plant. Stelle also owns its own totally
solar
powered telephone company and ISP, stelle.net. Just as
importantly, the community is a model of cooperative living. Residents
reduce
their needs for goods and services through cooperatively sharing
tools,
gardens, childcare, and other resources.  

As part of this year's celebration, Stelle is hosting David Blume,
an
internationally recognized permaculture educator and host of PBS'
"Alternative
Fuels" series. Blume will be giving presentations at noon and 2 pm.
For those
new to permaculture, it is a form of landscaping that uses native and
other
suitable plant species to provide food, fuel, materials for home and
shelter,
as well as habitat for livestock. Blume will be returning in July to
teach a
2-week permaculture workshop at which all meals will feature food from
the
Moores' farm. The Moores' farm also may be included on a workshop
farm tour as
an example of permaculture. 

A sliding scale donation is requested for the talks ($5 to $15).
However,
several other events for adults and children are free:

~ Animal Petting Area for the Children
~ Games and Earth Friendly Activities by Local Brownie Troop # 163
~ Displays and Sales by Local Producers of Pasture-Fed Beef and Lamb,
Grass Fed
Chickens, Whole Grain Breads, Natural Desserts, Herbs and Herb
Products, & Etc
~ Tours of Solar Powered Telephone Co. Operating Off the Grid & World s
First
Solar-Powered Internet Service Provider
(<www.stelle.htm>www.stelle.net)
~ Straw Bale Home Tour (Jon and June Haeme,
<http://www.stellecommunity.com/haeme81.pdf>http://www.stellecommunity.com/

haeme81.pdf)
~ "Walk-By" 11 Homes Using Solar Energy in Various Sized Systems
~ Hay Ride Tour of Stelle Community Vegetable Gardens   
(<http://www.centerforsustainablecommunity.org/garden.html>http://www.cente

rforsustainablecommunity.org/garden.html)
~ Plants/Flowers for Sale
~ Community-Wide Sidewalk Recycle (garage) Sale (6 families or more)
~ 2 Open Houses for homes on the market 
~ Miscellaneous Other Attractions and Educational presentations
~ Lunch, snacks, and beverages will be available in the Stelle
Community Center

Stelle's Earth Day Celebration is open to the public.  Folks can get
more
information and directions to Stelle at
http://www.centerforsustainablecommunity.org/earthday.html.

 
I would also be remiss if I didn't alert you to the fact that David
Blume, a pioneer and expert in the area permaculture, will not only be
in Stelle for our celebration but, he will also be right there in
Champaign for two talks this Friday.  The schedule for his talks is at
http://www.centerforsustainablecommunity.org/blumetalks.htm.
 

A word about David.

"Farmer Dave" Blume -- a successful Organic Farmer, Ecological
Biologist, land designer, and president of the International Institute
for Ecological Agriculture--has been a leader in educating the public
in
permaculture and alternative energy for decades. His lectures and
workshops have taught thousands of people how to provide themselves
with
abundant organic food and all sorts of alternative energy using safe,
renewable, pollution-free methods. Dave Blume is a frequent teacher
and
speaker at ecological and agricultural conferences internationally.
Dave's book, Alcohol Can Be a Gas!, will be in stores in January 2005.


A word about Permaculture.

Permaculture is the art and science of ecologically designing human
beings' place in the environment, incorporating agriculture,
hydrology,
architecture, forestry and economics. Far beyond landscaping,
permaculture integrates food, shelter, energy, water, trees/plants,
wildlife, livestock, weather, waste management, economics and social
sciences. Permaculturists reclaim devastated lands, roll back deserts,
sustainably produce 16 times the yield of industrial agriculture, with
food containing up to 3 times the nutrients, run their cars on
43-cent-per-gallon biofuels, build just social/economic systems &
design
planet-based livelihoods.

David will also be interviewed live on WILL tomorrow (Wednesday, 21st)
at 11:00 on Focus580. 

Thank you for your consideration in sharing this with others and if
you
or anyone else you know makes it up to Stelle, please look me up.  I
will be at the CSC building giving a few talks.  (I will also be at
the
evening meal and talk on Friday at Laurence Mate's home.)

 

Bill Wilson

CSC Director

 

Center for Sustainable Community

123 Crescent Lane

Stelle, Illinois 60919

email  csc at stelle.net 

website www.CenterForSustainableCommunity.org