TW Newsletter, 4/18/10
We've had many new members join in the days immediately preceeding and following the Great Unleashing. We hope you're all beginning to find your way around the community network website and connect to others.
About Us
Transition Whatcom is all about rebuilding community resilience and self-reliance as we face the triple threat of peak oil, the climate crisis, and economic instability. The "About Us" pages on the website are designed for folks to proceed through one at a time in order, but they can also be browsed on an "as needed" basis. To get the quickest understanding of what Transition is about, please check out the pages on The 7 Principles of Transition and the 12 Steps of Transition. For further understanding we have longer documents here (The Purpose, Principles and Guidelines of Transition Initiatives) and here (TW Guidelines).
Great Unleashing In the News
Shelby Tay, the Communications Coordinator for Transition US, attended our Great Unleashing. Below is her report from the Transition US Newsletter and Website, with comments from some of our Initiating Group members. You really have to check out the Transition US site to see the inclusion of great photos by our members Rebecca Meloy, David Waugh, and Ben Kunesh: http://www.transitionus.org/stories/transition-whatcom-countys-grea...
After many months of dedicated work, Transition Whatcom County, the 17th Official Transition Initiative in the US, held their Great Unleashing on the sunny weekend of April 10-11th in Bellingham, Washington. The two-day event was enjoyed by hundreds of people from the community and was also attended by members of nearby Transition Initiatives including Vancouver, BC, and Portland, OR.
Day 1 began with a parade across town to the main venue, Bellingham High School, followed by a recorded presentation by Rob Hopkins. The rest of the day featured 24 workshops from community currencies to gardening in small spaces to health care and transportation -- all led my members of the community -- and three keynote presentations by Vicki Robin, Trathen Heckman and Frances Moore Lappe.
Day 2 saw the formation of working groups to begin getting into the nitty-gritty of how to address the critical issues facing the community and start the process of articulating an Energy Descent Action Pathway.
Here is a delicious recap of the Great Unleashing through the eyes of a few members of the Initiating Group.
Chris Wolf: "The People-Powered Parade was a total blast and a huge success. We had about 100 people join up-- on bicycles, on foot, kids on tricycles, scooters, a pedaled contraption made from old appliances, an elder in a wheelchair carrying our banner, pedicabs, big wigs (literally), a dog, a unicycle, a juggler, a giant chicken, a giant carrot yelling chants into a megaphone, and all sorts of fun and carrying on. Without a doubt, everyone we passed watched us go by and thought, 'Those people are having more fun than I am. Maybe I should leave what I'm doing and join them.' PEOPLE! POWER!"
Cindi Landreth: The Great Unleashing was a Grand Success!! Between 700 and 800 people attended Day 1 - with 24 sessions and 3 incredible keynotes - Vicki Robin, Trathen Heckman and Francis Moore Lappe!
There were over 30 exhibitors, valet bike parking and the People Powered Parade! Oh my, that was fun! Chris had us all chanting as she bellowed with a homemade megaphone...on the back of a flat bed pedicab! We had a 92 yr old woman in a wheel chair, a recumbant bike made from appliance parts, some costumed children and wigged out adults,....about 40 or so people enriched their Saturday morning for this!
Day 2 we expected about 80 people to show up to start working groups - we were blown away when it turned out to be 180!! Working groups have been formed and membership on the website is jumping up quickly! It won't be long until we hit 600! -- Hoorah, Whatcom County!
Rick Dubrow: WOW! 700 - 800 of us showed up on Day 1 of The Great Unleashing, with 180 returning on Day 2. But that's just a 'quantity' report. Quality? From the TWIGs' point of view, the weekend proved stellar, surpassing our wildest dreams. I have never expereinced such a community-building event in my life..... we, together, have branded a memory in my cerebrum that can never, ever be erased.
http://www.transitionus.org/stories/transition-whatcom-countys-grea...
See also:
Mitch Olsen's article in the Western Front, and
Rob Olason's forum post on our website
Groups Forming from Day 2 of the Unleashing
There were at least 18 potential Project Groups formed out of the Great Unleashing! For info on these groups and how to connect with them, please visit the Transition Whatcom "Work Group" Group and look for the Comment posted by David MacLeod.
http://transitionwhatcom.ning.com/group/workgroup
It's also worth checking out Angela MacLeod's discussion on "Work Groups Purpose":
http://transitionwhatcom.ning.com/group/workgroup/forum/topics/work...
Stay tuned for more discussion on distinguishing Work Groups, Project Groups, and Interest Groups.
Events
Heart & Soul Potluck
Event Date: 4/18/10
6-8pm at The Ground Floor, 1105 State St.
At the Great Unleashing this past weekend a group gathered around the issues of mental, emotional and social ecology and living with uncertainty. Following a desire to connect more, we planned a pot luck this Sunday April 18 at "The Ground Floor" at 1105 State St. All are welcome!
Earth Day Dance
Event Date: 4/22/2010
Time to gather in Community and Dance our body, hearts and spirits in celebration of the Earth.
Earth inspired music will be played in a Wave. This event is co-sponsored by the 5 Rhythms
community and Transition Whatcom. All are welcome. All
that is needed is a body that is breathing and heart that is beating
and feet that are dancing.
*A large portion of the
proceeds go to support Transition Whatcom & the community working
groups that came out of the event “The Great Unleashing.”
Cost: $12 suggested, but no one will be turned away for lack of funds.
Pay what you can.
From 7:15pm to 9:15pm, Location: Presence
Studio, 1412 Cornwall Avenue,
Bellingham, WA 98226. Website: http://www.presence-studio.com.
Phone: 360-223-5449
Event Date: 4/25/10
5pm to 7pm, Dale and Kelly Krause's house, 1589 Mt. Baker Hwy. Phone: 676-2740.
Let's all get back together for food, fun, and discussion of initial plans. All FOOD volunteers from TGU and any new ones are welcome. Please RSVP via this (TW) site to help us plan.
Transition Fairhaven Startup Group
Tuesday, April 27, 7-9 PM in the Fireplace Room at the Fairhaven Library.
This is a meeting for everyone interested in starting a Transition
Initiative to include folks who live in Fairhaven, Happy Valley, South,
South Hill, and Chuckanut neighborhoods.
Transition Columbia: 'Diggin' Sundays' (or Saturdays if you please)'
'The Garden of the Hour' Events planned during May 1 through October 10,2010 within the Columbia Neighborhood.
The Theory and Practice of Masanobu Fukuoka's Natural Farming
Event Date: 5/10/2010
Larry Korn is a soil scientist, agriculture consultant/activist and permaculture teacher who currently lives in Ashland, Oregon. He lived in Japan for
four years, two of them on the farm of Masanobu Fukuoka. Larry will
discuss Mr. Fukuoka's farming techniques and his unique natural farming
philosophy. Larry translated and edited Mr. Fukuoka's landmark book, The
One-Straw Revolution from Japanese into English. He also traveled
with, and translated for Mr. Fukuoka during his two 6-week visits to
the United States including stops in the Pacific Northwest. The talk
will include slides of the farm as well as personal anecdotes and
stories which help to give insights into Mr. Fukuoka's personality.
Asking $5 to $10 donation, no one turned away. Bring a garden tool
in lieu of payment, help BUGS grow. Sponsors Include: BUGS, Inspiration Farm, Earthcare Garden Designs, CEA, Transition Whatcom, Sustainable Bellingham, Nearly Wild Garden.
7 - 9 PM. Location: Center
for Expressive Arts and Experiential Education
Street: 1317 Commercial St.,
Bellingham. Phone: 778-1759
Spring Fling a Seed Ball and Natural Orchards
Event Date: 5/11/2010
May 11th, All Day
Co-sponsored by Inspiration Farm, Earthcare Garden Designs, BUGS, CEA, Transition
Whatcom, Sustainable Bellingham, Nearly Wild
Garden
Special Guest Larry Korn
Translator and editor of One Straw Revolution. Seed Balls are a method inspired by Masanobu Fukuoka (author of One Straw Revolution) for
planting without tilling or planting in harsh environments. Bring seeds
if you have them and we will make a variety of seed balls with the
mixture of seeds on hand. Then in the afternoon we will walk around
Inspiration Farm and talk about natural orchards, food forests the
Fukuoka method, fling some balls and more.
$10-$20 donation Please
RSVP so we know how to prepare. Location: Inspiration
Farm, 619 E. Laurel Rd., Bellingham.
Website or Map: http://www.inspirationfarm.com.
Phone: 360-398-7061
Event Date: May 15
10am to 3pm, Inspiration Farm, 619 E. Laurel Rd., Bellingham
Website or Map: http://www.inspirationfarm.com
Phone: 360-398-7061
co-sponsored by Inspiration Farm and Transition Whatcom
Sell your weed wacker and pick up a scythe!
Learn the sharper points of this elegant tool. Scythes are thought to be
old school, but sharper and lighter blades, and an ergonomic set up for
your body makes them one of the most efficient tools out there. Learn
what makes a good scythe, how to properly maintain and use it. Mow your
lawn, trim around trees or fence line with ease. Maintain your body not
your weed wacker or lawn mower.
Several different scythes will be available to try. If you have one, bring it along.
$30 - $60 sliding scale, Life Dollars accepted. Funds go to presenters.
Training For Transition
Event Date: June 19 - 20thBellingham Unitarian Fellowship
A two day workshop designed to introduce you to a community engagement model for responding and adapting to the threats of climate change and fossil fuel dependence.
“…I become fascinated by how we apply these principles to whole towns,
whole settlements, and in particular, to how we design this transition
in such a way that people will embrace it as a common journey, as a
collective adventure, as something positive…How can we design descent pathways which make people feel alive,
positive and included in this process of societal transformation?”
—Rob Hopkins
This is the Transition Training curriculum that was passed on by the Transition founders in the UK. Each officially recognized Transition Initiative is requested to have at least two members who have taken this training.
Saturday 8:30 am to 5pm
Sunday 9:00 an ti 5 pm
$150.00; Max attending 25; MIn. attending 15; 2 partial scholarships available
Sponsored by: Bellingham Unitarian Fellowship Green Sanctuary Program
and Transition Whatcom
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