Past Events

Welcome the 2014 new year by getting out into the desert at this beautiful time of year!  Notice early signs of renewal as small plant sprouts carpet the ground, and native trees, cacti, and shrubs begin to stir energetically.  Ramble through rock-lined washes and low foothills of the Tucson Mts to observe desert life during the Winter.  Look high and low at lichen, wildflower sprouts, limber bush, moss, ferns, fairy duster, legumes, cactus areoles, and other amazing desert wonders.  The…

Speaking in terms of Earth's seasonal cycles (in physical terms, its axis to and orbit around the Sun), we mark various turning points on the continuous wheel of time we call the calendar, including the four (Roman calendar) seasons Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall, and Lunar Holy Days from ancient Gaelic/Celtic practices: Summer and Winter Solstices, Autumnal and Spring Equinoxes, and mid-season points Imbolc, Beltane, Lammas, and Samhain.   Seasonal celebrations of most cultures cluster around these same natural turning points throughout the…

WHAT: The International Sonoran Desert Alliance (ISDA) invited and funded me to come teach cob (hand-built earthen construction method) to staff and youth interns.  They hope to use this new knowledge and experience to construct other cob projects at the same and other ISDA locations.  The cob bench is the central focal point of a garden labyrinth, the path of which will be defined by herbs and other plantings.  The bench is an S shape with seating on 2 sides,…

As part of the Community Food Bank's Desert Harvest series, information and demonstrations will be provided about how to identify, harvest, and use wild greens that are often plentiful in gardens and wild places this Spring season.  Lambsquarter, chickweed, prickly lettuce, wild mustard, and espinaca are all nutritious edibles that may be used to spice up salads, pestos, sandwiches, soups, etc.  Chickweed may also be used medicinally in salves and tinctures. At Santa Cruz Farmer's Market, located in St Augustine…

Renewed by warmer weather, plants bursts forth into activity and Spring arrives, a major seasonal turning point.  Beginnings, rebirth, fertility, eggs, and other symbols of potential and new growth are honored.  Christians celebrate Easter, Jews, Passover.  Equinox marks the time when light hours equal dark hours in the cycle of a day: 12 light, 12 dark (recall that Winter Solstice, the shortest day, had only 10 light hours, 14 dark).  And each day from this point of balance increases in length,…