Sustainable Living and Natural Building Internship

Course Dates: September, October, November 2011

Full group on its way!

Internship Overview:

Mama Roja is offering an in-depth internship program to individuals interested in getting hands-on experience in the different aspects of Sustainable Living: organic gardening, natural food production, earthen and natural building, seed saving, and community living. Participants will have the opportunity for personal growth through shared learning and responsibility for providing for ones basic needs. The internship consists of full days of learning, problem-solving, discussing, and exploring in a positive working environment of like-minding people. The program also provides opportunity to have ample breaks, swim in the waterfall and rivers, practice yoga and meditation, and eat delicious foods.

Topics of Focus:

• Natural Building: We will be constructing an Earthen building with our hands and feet! We will explore and play with various natural building techniques: bamboo, wood, earth, including adobe bricks, cob, and wattle-and-daub. We will cover foundation, design principles, wall construction, plaster and natural painting, roofing, and creative use of site-found and salvaged materials.
• Organic Gardening: We will be making garden beds, composting, amending the soil, planting and transplanting. Other topics we will explore: seed saving, companion planting, natural pesticides, and more.
• Extended Sustainable Ideas: Jarring and preserving, milk-product making (cheeses, yogurts, etc), fermentation, cultivation of micro-organisms for health and garden, alternative refrigeration, alternative energies, “appropriate technologies,” reforestation, chicken care, and herbal medicine making. There will also be plenty of space to explore projects of personal interest and intrigue, and for practicing yoga, meditation, massage, medicinal plant searches, nature hikes, waterfall and river swimming.