In this class, Scott Kellogg, Lisa DePiano and other sustainability experts give attendees a “toolbox” of techniques and knowledge usable by anyone wanting to create sustainable systems in their own communities. Through a combination of group hands-on activities and lectures, participants will learn how to build infrastructure for self-reliance that is simple, affordable, and replicable.  These systems can be applied in either urban or rural environments.

Typical topics & hands-on demonstrations

• Aquaponics: fish &plant integration
• Microlivestock: chickens and rabbits 
• Waste to soil: composting food wastes with worms and microbes
• Rainwater harvesting, greywater filtration, and urban hydrology
• Low-intensity bioremediation: cleaning contaminated soils using plants, fungi and bacteria for brownfield restoration 
• Edible mushroom cultivation
• Beekeeping and silkworms
• Microgreens production, raised bed gardening, and perennial food systems
• Bioshelters, greenhouses, and season extension techniques
• Kitchen culture: apartment-scale sustainability
• Reconciliation ecology: promoting biodiversity in the city
• Vertical and rooftop farming
• Autonomous energy: veggie oil vehicles, methane digesters, and bicycle electric generators
• Ecological micro-economies