It’s in part the educational component that makes Cultivating Communities programs different from other volunteer and work exchange travel programs. There’s a lot to be learned from practical work experience alone, especially when you’re out of your element. We learned much of what we know by volunteering and apprenticing on organic farms, and more recently through our work with businesses and organizations that focus on organic food and sustainability issues. We know you can learn a lot about how to do something just by doing it. But we also believe that our scheduled ‘edu-sessions’ enhance this program immensely by providing a basis of information that supports the whys and hows of a sustainable lifestyle. Knowledge is power, and we want you to leave La Flor empowered and ready to take on the world - or your backyard.
It is important to emphasize that our sessions are more informal than formal, and because the projects that we work on change all the time, so do the discussion topics. Our edu-sessions take many different shapes. A huddle around the guts of a solar shower design for example, involves a discussion about water conservation and re-using grey water in the garden; or we might find ourselves enjoying the view and a glass of limonada on the patio at the main house while we discuss natural plant barriers that minimize chemical sprays from a neighbouring farm. There’s a lot to do, and a lot to talk about. You can be sure that you’ll get an intro to Permaculture design, and a good deal of information on organics and organic gardening. Other topics we focus on are food security, rural population decline in Canada, Costa Rica, and globally, urban farming, and more. You can also be sure that you’ll get at least 15 hours of dedicated educational sessions aside from what you’ll learn during field work, and you will receive a certificate on completion of the program.
If you are a teacher or a group leader or anyone else interested in a specific theme or project, please contact us. We can customize your program in a variety of ways. If you can use our program to further your own formal studies and we can help by writing letters to Teachers, Professors, Deans or others, give us a bit of advance notice and we’re happy to oblige.
Learn more... Field work...
