Learn more about low-energy living at Sunday's ReSkilling Festival in Ann Arbor
Whether you want to learn about organic vegetable gardening, worm composting, extracting and purifying water or about meditation, the ReSkilling Festival on Sunday is offering free classes in those subjects and many more.
Submitted photo
The festival, which takes place at Rudolf Steiner High School, 2230 Pontiac Trail in Ann Arbor, helps people learn skills for resilient, low-energy living related to what we eat, wear, use and live in. The purpose is to learn to provide for ourselves.
"Beyond helping individuals learn skills, we are committed to building a local network of teachers and learners devoted to low-energy living," said Laura Smith, co-chair of the ReSkilling Festival Organizing Team. "The event is very much about community building."
The festival was started in 2009 by a grassroots group called Transition Ann Arbor and is a concept from the global Transition Towns movement based in the United Kingdom. Smith says that typically 150-250 people attend the ReSkilling Festivals and that includes people of all ages. There is also a childcare co-op with activities for kids all day.
Some courses are back by popular demand including olla (an unglazed pot used for cooking and storage) construction and irrigation, financial philosophy, and work that reconnects. There will also be courses in perspective drawing, sustainable landscapes, and a rap for food writing workshop.
"We will have solar ovens set up in the school yard over the lunch hour for visitors to see different models, taste baked goods and chat with bakers," said Smith.
There is no admittance fee, and advanced registration is not required but people are encouraged to sign up for sessions on line to save a seat in smaller sessions and to let presenters know ahead of time that they have an audience. Doors open at 9:30 a.m. Sunday and the event runs until 5 p.m.
Comments
xmo
Sat, Jul 14, 2012 : 10:10 p.m.
Thank Goodness this was presented as an alternate life style fest instead of saving the planet! This sounds like like it has some interesting classes for those who want to do live life a little different!
Ricebrnr
Sat, Jul 14, 2012 : 10:04 p.m.
Knowledge especially that freely given and useful is always appreciated. Americans and especially Arborites can use a little lesson in self sufficiency. My son and I will be enjoying the fire making and water purification classes, you know for when the zombies come...
shepard145
Sat, Jul 14, 2012 : 9:39 p.m.
Low energy living? Lets sit in a circle and pound sticks on the ground, chanting "UGGG" every third beat! "…The purpose is to learn to provide for ourselves…" This sounds like a hint of panic among the "gimmee more" class that maybe those annoying workers are not keeping up with their long list of needs. The UK is a socialist disaster – they need low everything to survive in their economic mess. How about you skip the festival, get a job, do some work and provide for yourself. Done.
tom swift jr.
Sun, Jul 15, 2012 : 10:47 a.m.
When I was a kid there was this great aunt, Bertha, that used to come to every family event. She was ancient, hadn't read a book in 50 years, only watched religious programs on TV (never the news, she had no idea what was happening in the world). She would sit in a corner of the room at every get-together, scowling, muttering, and, to be honest, seemed to emit an oder of hate. No matter what we said, especially if it was said by a kid, Bertha would have a negative response, telling us we were wrong/stupid/ignorant/immoral/godless and on and on. She could burst any ballon that came into the room without lifting a finger. The funny thing is, no matter how 'wrong' we were, according to Bertha, even though we couldn't suggest or say anything that met with her approval, if she wasn't responding to us, telling us we were loathsome or ugly, she wasn't contributing anything. Not to the conversation, not to the event, not to her relationships, not to her own shallow life. I don't miss Bertha, not at all.
Patti Smith
Sat, Jul 14, 2012 : 11:19 p.m.
Um, I think the whole idea of being self sufficient is that you DO provide for yourself....???