Live With Nature Oregon Permaculture and Green Building Expedition

We'll have the opportunity to take part in a wide range of educational hands-on activities. We'll work side by side with some of the region's best natural building communities and their creators. You'll pick up valuable first hand knowledge and time honored techniques, master skills no book or film could ever teach you and become part of building of a better, greener, more sustainable world

This trip is sure to be an experiential learning intensive for all those who participate. It's where theory steps aside and actuality begins. It's where the doing is the learning and the learning is in the doing.

During this tour you'll see what happens when true community takes over and individual lot fences come down and combine to create a true intentional community.

You'll have a once in a lifetime opportunity to meet Harry MacCormack the legendary framer of the USDA organic standards, founder of the Oregon Tilth organic certificate organization and renowned educator. You'll be elbow to elbow with the man who helped make organic what it is today and even help him harvest and take his spectacular crops to a local farmers market.

Along the way we'll be part of the permaculture transformation, helping to create a sustainable living system in an urban environment.

You'll learn the practical how's and why's of a rainwater catching system, organic gardening, permaculture landscaping, a photovoltaic electric system, a passive solar hot water system, constructed wetlands, composting, fluorescent lighting, and natural building practices like straw bale walls, earthen plaster, passive solar design, and use of recycled and sustainably harvested lumber.

You'll be building your knowledge as well with this up-close, hands-on living workshop so when you leave you'll be equipped to build a better world for yourself and your family.

We'll enjoy the natural beauty of ancient forest stands and learn about forest health and politics from an environmental watchdog group as we hike through an awe inspiring landscape

Then we'll MOOOve on to meet with a dairy farmer at the well known Organic Valley Co-Op, maybe even pull up a stool and milk some cows! It's a taste of a sustainable alternative to an otherwise ecologically destructive industry. In our homogenized modern world it's a side trip to a time gone by and a delicious one at that.

For even more inspiration we'll learn about and work with natural building and green LEED techniques and structures from earthen buildings to cardboard geo domes to high-end LEED platinum and "net-zero" homes. You'll see that you can live beautifully and still treat the earth beautifully when you work with and not against nature.

For all of you who want to see and experience a simpler, greener way to live, our live with nature sustainability tour is a once in a lifetime expedition with knowledge that will last a lifetime. Don't miss it

Please note: The reality of host logistics makes it impossible to absolutely confirm an itinerary. The above are planned events but are subject to change as necessary.

Route & Mileage:
Ride to Champoeg, OR and south on the Willamette Valley Scenic Bikeway (scenic, very low-traffic farm country roads!) to Eugene, OR. A number shorter rides allow us to visit hosts in this area and then continue north back to Portland. The majority of the biking days will be 20-60 miles/day. There will be some non biking activity days and some shorter ride days between hosts. Total mileage ~400 miles.

The one-week tour starts in Portland, and ends in Eugene.  We recommend taking Amtrak from Eugene back to Portland -- bikes are allowed on the train, but advance reservations for Amtrak are needed as space is limited. 

• Aprovecho Research Center - There's a place nestled in the foothills of the Cascade Range in western Oregon where people have been coming together for over twenty years to work towards a sustainable future. They are living at a place called Aprovecho Research Center. "Aprovecho" is a Spanish word meaning, "I make best use of." Eight on-site staff study and teach the elements of one approach to a more eco-centered lifestyle: sustainable forestry, organic gardening, and appropriate technology.

• Dharmalaya Yoga Center - a yoga retreat center in Eugene, OR thatis a true model of urban sustainability. Solar panels, incrediblystunning strawbale/cob building, composting toilets, greywater system and solar water heaters, and lots more. Really awesome.

• Lost Valley Educational Center - An incredible intentional community and nonprofit educational center dedicated to learning, living, and teaching sustainable, ecologically-based culture.

• Maitreya Eco-Village - intentional community in Eugene, ORhousing about 30 people at any given time, doing all sorts of verycool experimental green building -- cob, strawbale, etc. The guy whoruns it considers himself to be an 'eco-landlord' of sorts, reallyneat place.

• Organic Valley Farmer's Cooperative - We look at their model of keepingamerican farmers in business. The farmers actually own the company,it is a cooperative -- basically a giant brand. Classic case of thelittle fishies getting together, forming a giant fish to compete with the big fish.

• Sunbow Farm - Sunbow Farm was established by Harry MacCormack in 1972 as an intentional organic market garden operation. Harry wrote some of the definitions of organics in the US, and foundedthe Oregon Tilth, an organics certification body.

• Try/On Life Community Farm - Try/on Life Community Farm grows community learning in Portland while preserving common green space, restoring native ecosystems, and demonstrating sustainable urban density living

Your tour package includes:

• Comprehensive pre-trip training that covers safety, group dynamics, bike maintenance and background info on the areas we'll visit.

• Participation in service projects with hosts working on sustainability and progressive thinking.

• Three balanced and delicious vegan meals created from mostly local organic ingredients. (Sun-Fri)

• A support and gear (SAG) vehicle that carries all group and individual gear.

• Comprehensive directions and maps of the route.

Oregon Permaculture and Green Building If you've always wanted to live in a better, greener world, this sustainable cycling adventure is for you. It's a golden opportunity to enjoy the beauty of the north Pacific coast and learn about traditional methods for living in harmony with nature. We'll visit from of Oregon's most well-known eco- villages to learn about sustainable farming and natural building.

July 19 - July 26 Aug 9 - Aug 16 Aug 30 - Sept 6

rate: $995/person