The Two Week Program You wake up to early morning birdsong, light spilling in through the window slats.   You can hear the sounds of your host mom making coffee in the kitchen.   It’s your fourth day here, and you’re looking forward to both breakfast and your Spanish class because you’re really able to communicate with your family!   The Gallo Pinto  and coffee hits the spot, and you’re soon off, ready to get started.   Later that morning you have a workshop about observation and design in garden-making, and in the afternoon you’ll be putting the designs to test – digging and planting a kitchen garden for the elementary school.   The days are rushing by too fast! The sun has risen over the mountains, but the mist that settled in the valley overnight still hangs there, golden around the edges, hiding the green slopes on the other side.   The three neighbour kids in navy and white school uniforms are giggling and waving at you from the front of their bright blue house, and two older boys are punting a beat-up soccer ball up and down the steep hill.   It all feels so familiar; the rough roads, the lingering dewy scent of night flowers, the crayon-box houses.   Have you been here before?   Have you lived here forever?   You wave back to the kids and call out to them, “Buenas dias!”   As you open the gate into Casas Rio Chiquito , the Spanish school, Alvaro, your teacher is coming out to meet you.   “Buenas dias,” he replies with a smile. The two week program gives you time to explore, to really dig into the concept of sustainability and uncover the region’s charm.   You’ll spend 7-8 days working and learning with Cultivating Communities and our partners in La Flor, and the rest of the time touring the province – with us and on your own.   You'll always come 'home' to La Flor to spend your nights.  The two week program includes an introduction to Permaculture, a sustainable design system originally developed by Australian ecologist and Professor Bill Mollison.   We’ll discuss the origins, ethics, and principles of Permaculture and put them to work in various locations in La Flor.   We will also delve into the topic of organic agriculture.   From the basics, like what organic really means and its relationship to sustainability, to why thousands of farmers, gardeners, and food consumers turn to it, to methods and instruction on how you can practice it on a small or larger scale.  Garden design, planting, weeding, harvesting, compost, vermiculture, small scale gardening and farming,  diversity, tree planting, seed collecting, painting, building, recycling, solar energy, wind power – these are some of the other topics or projects that might be part of your two week program.   Below is an example of a typical day: 6:30am – 7:15am: Breakfast with your family 7:30am – 9:30am: Spanish class with Casas Rio Chiquito (CRC) 9:30am – 10:00am: Coffee break at CRC 10:00am – 12:00pm: Workshops, buzz sessions, tours, or front porch banter with Cultivating Communities or our Partners 12:15pm – 1:15pm: Lunch with your family 1:30pm – 4:30pm: Field work with Cultivating Communities or our Partners 4:30pm – 6:00pm: Free time 6:00pm – 7:00pm: Dinner with your family 7:00pm: Free time / organized activities On other days, we’ll visit the region and some of its recreational sites: The Irazu Volcano National Park The Tapanti Rain Forest Finca Cristina Coffee Mill and Beneficio CATIE Botanical Gardens Two-week programs will run on the following dates in 2008.  If you want to stay longer, or plan to travel at a different time of year, please contact us for alternatives. January 7 - 20, 2008 January 21 - February 3, 2008 February 4 - 17, 2008 February 18 - March 2, 2008 March 3 - 16, 2008 March 17 - 30, 2008   Learn more... Spanish Classes...