Using the environment as a learning tool.

  In Agroecology we imitate what takes place in nature. By emulating the design of nature we can learn from it's models. This concept runs in parallels with permaculture design principles. Agroecology works with the flow of nature rather than try to dominate or control it. Creating a balanced ecosystem involves developing an intimate relationship with the land. This requires monitoring the woods, the fields, soils and streams. Learning where insects and animals live and the habitats that support them helps us to coexist with the dynamics of nature. Design with nature. Here are a couple of examples.  Introducing mycorrhizal fungi into the soils creates a network that not only stimulates growth but also ties the life of the soil together. It operates in symbiosis with other beneficial soil life and triggers changes similar to how our nervous system functions.  Birds can be useful and also damaging to crops. By monitoring bird populations one can find a niche where we can work with them. There are many species that have huge insect diets. Plant trees that attract them.  Wrens can have a 90% insect diet. They like to nest in mulberry trees. Warblers like mulberry, dogwood, sumac, grapes. Tanagers like mulberry, elderberries,  junipers. Catbirds like serviceberry, elderberry, viburnum, cedar, holly, dogwood. These understory trees can bridge the transition between the woods and the field.                       Our lifestyle has become increasingly separated from nature. We are more connected with the internet and websites than we are about where our food comes from. We do not know where the energy comes from to run our computers. Nature can be a great teacher of what our role on earth needs to be.                                                                                                                                                                    Leaning is not about memorization. It needs to be about a memorable experience that changes the way we view things. Most education is linear or one dimensional. You remember facts long enough to recite them on a test not connecting that information to everything around it. Three dimensional learning is experiential. That is why my workshops are hands on. All education needs to incorporate heuristic learning. This enables us to discover or learn something through the process by ourselves. This does not mean reinventing the wheel, more so taking what works and expanding upon it. If you don't learn why you do not have a clear understanding of how. In Biodynamics it means, to treat all components as part of an interconnected system that functions together as a living organism. Understand that the soil and the atmosphere above it are composed of billions of microorganisms that depend on each other. And that the entire ecosystem is an organism unto itself.  The diversity of natural order supports a symbiosis that works in harmony. This ensures resilience. The same applies to our bodies. Unhealthy bodies indicate an imbalance. An unhealthy lifestyle, especially one separated from nature, makes our immune system vulnerable to diseases, like the covid virus. The concept of what my non profit does: Our programs are designed to connect people with their environment. I am not trying to plant so many trees as much as I am trying to put people in touch with the power of regenerating land and the rewards that it brings. We all need to be better stewards of the planet. This is how to become a whole human being not fragmented beings operating in a disconnected society.