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LECTURE: June 3 @ 5:00 pm - FREE to the public REGISTER NOW
WORKSHOP: June 4-5, 9:00am - 5:00 pm
In Colorado, 2022 opened with a catastrophic wildfire that caused towns to be evacuated, hundreds of homes to be lost, and left families with little to reclaim from the ashes. The proximate causes? A perfect storm of drought, a downed powerline, and high winds. This all came just eight years after record flooding in the same area.
Today, many homeowners and small landholders are also looking for ways to future-proof their family homes and property from rogue weather and the unpredictable failure of infrastructure. Maybe you are among them.
As 100,000+ acre megablazes spread faster with higher temperatures, and fire seasons last later into the year, state and federal budgets are funding the need for fuel reduction. But in times of drought, even preventative pile burning can be hazardous.
It has become critical for land managers and public policy makers to find a new set of tools, a toolbox that can prepare forests and rangelands for frequent small burns and year-round water retention. We need ways to build resilient ecosystems that can support and protect the generations yet to come.
What if there was a better way to manage fire prone landscapes? Amidst all these constraints, what if we could reduce fuel loads, sequester carbon, reduce the air pollution that burning causes, increase soil moisture, restore forest health, and regenerate biodiversity? We have the technology, and we are developing the collective will to do just that. Read more.
In a proof-of-concept Fire Ecology field study the Permaculture Institute of North America (PINA.in) is working with small trained crews to combine conventional thinning and limbing of overstocked forest stands at four sites in western Oregon with biochar production using portable advanced flame-top kilns and on-contour redistribution of resultant biomass to retain water in the landscape. The long-term goal is a terrain safe from wildfire, and well suited to periodic prescribed burning similar to the traditional techniques used by indigenous peoples. We plan ongoing support for this emerging new industry by training new crews in this combination of techniques to meet the immense backlog of excess fuels across the West. (Read more about it here.)
And now PINA is taking these learnings to communities in other fire-prone areas, such as Steamboat, to demonstrate how biochar production and permaculture water management can improve YOUR land stewardship practices, protecting your home and family, all while improving the environment. Whether you attend the informational lecture or join us for the weekend of hands-on instruction and a deeper dive into the evaluation and design aspects of forest care, we guarantee you will come home with new ideas around fire ecology, land management, and fire risk mitigation.
FRIDAY EVENING PRESENTATION
June 3 @ 5:00 pm (VIP reception) 6:00 presentation
This presentation will take place at the Albright Auditorium at the Colorado Mountain College in Steamboat Springs.. It is on the third floor of the Academic Center. You can park for free in the Bristol or Brogue lots. There is an elevator if needed.
We invite you to join Dr. Ken Carloni, Gloria Flora, and the PINA team for an overview of the science and technology of biochar and the innovative use of portable kiln field production and on-contour application to protect watersheds. Presentation is free, and donations are welcome.
WEEKEND WORKSHOP
Saturday & Sunday, June 4 @ 9:00 am - June 5 @ 5:00 pm
Tickets: $350– $700
Join us at Elkstone Farm for a mix of lectures, demonstrations, and interactive discussion; you will learn best practices in the areas of:
Sunday afternoon enjoy a sneak-peek showing of PINA’s Fire Ecology Restoration documentary from the Oregon project. See these ideas in action. Followed by a panel discussion with Q&A.
Before you leave, don't forget to pick up a bag of biochar to experiment with on your own.
Practitioners Package (Limited to 8 spots) $550 after April 15th / $450 by April 15th
includes:
Optional: Bring a friend for just $150 more.
Standard Package (24 available) $450 after April 15th / $350 before April 15th
Includes:
Optional: Bring a friend for just $150 more.
LOGISTICS: For those joining us from out of the area, directions and local lodging suggestions will be sent after registration. While lunches are provided, lodging and other meals are not available through Elkstone. Due to logistical constraints, we cannot accommodate camping on site during the workshop.
OTHER OPTIONS for Participating:
Equity opportunities: If you are BIPOC working on indigenous managed lands or with Rocky Mountain BIPOC communities, and are interested in scholarship opportunities, please contact PINA Executive Director, Peter Bane, through info@pina.in
Work-trade opportunities: Are you a videographer interested in biochar or permaculture? We have openings available for this workshop. Please send a CV and example or your work to info@pina.in for consideration.
Dr. Ken Carloni, a pioneer in the field of on-site biochar production for ecosystem restoration, holds an M.S. in Evolutionary Ecology from the Univ. of Connecticut, and a Ph.D. in Forest Ecology from Oregon State. His doctoral research focused on the use of landscape fire by the indigenous peoples of southwestern Oregon. More recently he has turned his attention to ecological restoration and biochar kiln design as the Education Program Chair of the Yew Creek Land Alliance, Inc. where a 12-acre oak habitat restoration/biochar project on 380-acres with NRCS funding was recently completed. With Dr. Carloni’s direction the YCLA has also begun work on a US Fish and Wildlife Service-funded project to release another five acres of legacy oak and madrone from conifer encroachment, converting the resulting slash to biochar. He also serves as a key consultant on projects in Oregon, California, Massachusetts, and Guam.
Gloria Flora, currently serving as PINA’s Development Officer, holds a degree in landscape architecture from Penn State University and is a former USFS Forest Supervisor. Gloria founded Sustainable Obtainable Solutions and the U.S. Biochar Initiative (biochar-us.org). She has given over 100 biochar presentations and workshops. Gloria, along with Ken, was part of a national team which co-authored, Biomass to Biochar: Maximizing the Carbon Value, a new comprehensive report on application and research needs in this important and emerging field. Gloria and her husband created TerraFlora Permaculture Learning Center, demonstrating agroforestry and permaculture practices on 65 forested acres in northeastern Washington, and is a frequent contributor to Permaculture Design magazine.
PINA is turning the problematic conditions that facilitate catastrophic wildfire into a solution that regenerates healthy and resilient forests across the West by funding studies, educational outreach, and developing training programs for professionals. We invite you to join us and become part of a growing movement that focuses on earth care, people care, and investing in a prosperous future for all. Visit PINA for more details on how you can make a difference to the future of the planet.
Cosponsored by Elkstone Farm, PINA, Colorado Mountain College and the Yampa Valley Sustainability Council.
Your health and the well-being of our community are important to us. We encourage all participants to be vaccinated before they visit the farm or wear a mask and practice social distancing if they have not yet been vaccinated. We have upgraded sanitation protocols in place, and require that guests follow our policies, which are in compliance with all CDC and county guidelines.
