Workshops & Schedule

The following is the list of workshops and the general schedule we have for the gathering.

Folks are welcome to make their own workshops on the fly if you're inspired, but let us know if you have a workshop you'de like to fit into the rest of the schedule.

Friday August 22
- people arrive in afternoon/evening
Set-up and dinner

Saturday August 23

10am – ALGONQUINS OF WHITNEY - HISTORY, TRADITION, AND CURRENT ISSUES

Education and discussion with Robert Craftchick, Algonquin Nation
Representative for Whitney, and traditional Firekeepers. Please, come
prepared to learn and also discuss your values and skills, and how we
can work together as good neighbours.

At the Dragonfly Greenhouse

Noon - Lunch

1:30pm – PAST AND FUTURE OF THE BACK-TO-THE-LAND MOVEMENT

Patti O'Stone shares "More Stories About Buildings and Food: With the
archives of Grub Magazine, a community newsletter for fifteen years in
this area, and through a look at some of the unique buildings that
mushroomed in the fields around here, I hope to tell some stories and
answer some questions." Then we open up a discussion...

At the Dragonfly Greenhouse

4pm – NATURE WALK

Stu Vickars of Dragonfly and Roger Powell, retired forester, will lead participants on a walk of the Dragonfly property past the beaver pond identifying plants and their uses along the way. We'll talk about the roles different species (including us) play with each other in the development of the local ecosystem.

Meet at the Dragonfly Big House

4pm - YURT DESIGN INTRODUCTION

Join the Black fly building committee and go over the plans for a DIY homemade yurt. Folks are encouraged to stay for the week and help build the yurt.

Sunday August 24

10am - ECO-TOUR OF INTENTIONAL COMMUNITIES, ECOVILLAGES, CSA FARMS AND ENVIRONMENTAL LEARNING CENTRES

Two years ago Shane Snell traveled North America and visited 100
land-based projects. Come hear about his experience on the road, with
a focus on Whole Village Sustainable Farm Community near Orangeville.

Meet the Conference Site Outdoor Kitchen

10am – CORD WOOD SAUNA CONSTRUCTION

Cordwood building is a method that lends itself nicely to the north bush where strawbales or clay for cob are not so easy to come by. The wood is stacked so your wall is like a woodpile filled with mortar and insulation, 9-10" thick. The building you'll be helping construct on a Dragonfly field is a sauna, for communal use. We'll be starting with post & beam construction before infilling with cordwood. Led by Joe and Sunday.

Meet at the Outdoor Conference Site, the build site is a 5 minute walk.

1:30 – RESISTANCE TO URANIUM MINING

Join Robin Simpson, founder of FUME (Fight Uranium Mining and
Exploration) to hear about uranium mining in the area, what community
organizations are doing to stop it, and how to plug in. First Nations
sovereignty issues, health effects, and how to protect your land from
mining exploration.

At the Dragonfly Greenhouse

4pm – OPEN DISCUSSION - BUILDING AND LIVING IN THE COUNTRY

Building codes and the legendary 10x10. Discussion on bylaws and
building and the realities of building yr dream castle in the woods.
How to make $$ living in the country

4pm -- 30,000 KM ON VEGGIE OIL

Shane Snell offers a demonstration and Q&A session with his Ford
Truck, which he toured North America in after converting it to run on
straight veggie oil from restaurants.

4pm – COMPOSTING AND WORKING THE SOIL

Get the dirt on dirt! Whether you're a weekend farmer, an urban
agriculturalist or have visions of growing your own food in the country,
here's what you need to know about the Soil Food Web - all the brilliant
life forms under our feet. Healing and building soil for food production with not a petrochemical in sight, and healing woodlot soils following poor forest management. With Sunday and Joe.

Meet at the Conference Site Outdoor Kitchen

7pm – DINNER

Monday 25th - Sunday 31st

DIY Yurt building - Come learn and help construct a low budget Yurt
out of local and recovered materials. (Out on Blackfly - 25 minute
walk in the bush)

Cordwood Sauna - The newest addition to Dragonfly farm, we'll be
assembling the stackwall this week.

Dragonfly Greenhouse - depending on interest and number of people we
may also reassemble the Dragonfly greenhouse system.