DAWN SouthWest Tucson, AZ 85735   Tel: (520) 624 1673 
email: dawnaz@earthlink.net   website:  www.caneloproject.com/dawn

We offer workshops teaching permaculture strategies, with projects such as rainwater harvesting, building affordable small structures with natural materials, growing & harvesting food in the desert, land restoration and more. Special workshops can be organized in advance for groups or upon request (minimum group sizes may apply). We have found that the workshops are a great way to learn about the history of our region and ancient techniques using materials that exist almost anywhere & skills that anyone can learn. Since some of these skills are being lost over generations, it's really rewarding to be able to bring these ideas back to life.  We accept work exchange and internships for most classes, and also offer natural paints, recycled building materials and other resources for building beautiful, creative, natural, low-cost extensions of the Earth.

This is your invitation to learn to live on the Earth in a way that takes care of the Earth, and people and can produce a surplus to share.  A conscious effort is made to introduce ways of thinking about the design of an entire site, while building and gardening and conserving water and other resources here in the Sonoran desert. We offer consultations on whole site design, & sustainable living in the desert !  Permies, WOOFERs and others interested in living sustainably are welcome to come and stay in the little straw bale casitas, as a quiet retreat space or as part of a work exchange/internship program at this developing permaculture site, as we try to set an example of how to live sustainably.

FALL 2007 & Winter/Spring 2008: Permaculture Strategies taught in a series of one-day hands-on, workshops ! 

Permaculture Strategies taught in an easy to do series:  An introductory session will be followed by hands-on workshops in which actual food growing strategies for the desert, site assessment, design & improvements, land restoration, rainwater harvesting, natural, and sustainable building strategies, appropriate for arid lands,  will be included. Instructor(s) are members of the Sonoran Permaculture Guild www.sonoranpermaculture.org . 
Instructor is a member of Sonoran Permaculture Guild & owner of DAWN SouthWest. 

TO REGISTER, follow directions in description.  

Introduction to Permaculture, Rescheduled Saturday, March 15, 2008, 9 am to 4 pm.  Cost reduced to $75 per person. Learn how to live, grow food and build sustainably in the desert, using permaculture strategies.  Tour permaculture site and see watershed and land restoration, sustainable design.  These strategies will include erosion control, swales, pit gardens, sheet mulching, biomass planting to slow stormwater flow and develop a "food forest".  Students will also learn about creating sustainable shelter, utilizing natural building techniques with few manufactured materials, found locally, & use of appropriate technologies.  Site assessment and whole site design, including elements which serve multiple functions including both the natural and human activities will be explored.  Learn about integrating all the strategies into whole site design. site: Dawn SouthWest.
TO REGISTER Call (520) 624-1673 or email dawnaz@earthlink.net.

Growing & Harvesting Food in the Desert: Composting, Mulching & Earth Worms, Saturday, September 15, 2007, 8:00am-noon. Cost $49 per person  Learn the techniques for successful gardening in the desert, how to conserve water and recycle your kitchen waste  & other materials while creating an inch of soil in that barren looking back yard that subdivisions are blessed with; or in any soil in this area.  If you thought you could never garden or get trees for shade, join us to counter that and put some earthworms to work.  They'll love you for it! Site: SW Tucson permaculture site.  (Cost includes simple starter earthworm kit). site: TBA.
TO REGISTER Call (520) 206 6468 or email communityed@pima.edu, ref: #62290;
You can also email  dawnaz@earthlink.net   for more information and directions.
Also offered on April 12, 2008 ref# 63575 

Simple, Easy, Low Cost Shade Structures,   Saturday,  September 22, 2007, 8:00am-noon. Cost $49 per person  Learn some great, practical, low cost, easy to make techniques to shade & extend your outdoor living space even in the hot weather!  Use of recycled and locally available materials to build seasonal shade "ramadas" and small window tretaments as well as larger shade structures. Build a shade/privacy structure on this site: TBA.
TO REGISTER Call (520) 206 6468 or email communityed@pima.edu, ref: #62294; 
You can also email  dawnaz@earthlink.net  for more information and directions.
Also offered on April 5, 2008 ref# 63573

Rainwater Harvesting Systems , Saturday, October 6, 2007, 9 am to 5 pm,. Cost $98 per person   Learn creative ways to collect rainwater to grow gardens, intercept stormwater sheet flow, stop erosion and restore the natural landscape. We will show you how to build simple, in-ground catchments which will slow the runoff and let the water inflitrate the soil where you want a garden, and techniques such as "rain chains"  and "French drains". We will also explore the possibilities of above ground cisterns, using metal drain culverts to capture rooftop runoff.  site: TBA.
TO REGISTER Call (520) 206 6468 or email communityed@pima.edu, ref: #61536; 
You can also email  dawnaz@earthlink.net  for more information and directions.
Also offered on February 23, 2008 ref# 63574

Introduction to Building with Natural Materials, Saturday,  October 20, 2007  9:00 am to 5:00 pm, Cost $98/person Adobe, cob, & straw bale, along with earth plasters & finishes will be used in a hands-on workshop to build & sculpt small structures, such as garden walls & benches. An overview of design , structural elements, protection from rain, solar orientation, shading, sizing   and scale will be given. Bring your own lunch. site: TBA.
TO REGISTER Call (520) 206 6468 or email communityed@pima.edu, ref: #61535;
You can also email  dawnaz@earthlink.net  for more information and directions.
Also offered on March 8, 2008 ref# 63578

Natural Paints & Finishes:  Saturday, November 3, 2007, 10  am to 2pm, Cost $49  Site TBA For the artistic, the earthen plasters can be used to create & sculpt whimsical and beautiful decorative elements on walls; learn how to apply finishes of clay and cob on adobe & straw bale;  try out natural paints made from only a few inexpensive ingredients such as  Clay - Natural Pigments - Casein - Lime - Natural Oils; add fillers such as straw & mica and apply them to almost any type of wall surface including latex, gypsum, cement, sheetrock, earth plaster,  or wood.
TO REGISTER Call (520) 206 6468 or email communityed@pima.edu, ref. #61537;
You can also email  dawnaz@earthlink.net  for more information and directions.
Also offered on February 9, 2008 ref# 63579 

Earthen Baking Oven Saturday, November 17, 2007, 9 am to 5 pm, Cost $98 per person. SITE TBA  Just in time for baking Thanksgiving dinner! Learn the basics of building and cooking in a natural, outdoor earthen oven that doesn't heat up your kitchen. We will build/sculpt and plaster the walls of an oven using clay & straw. Cooking with a wood-fired clay oven can add a distinctive flavor to pizzas, bread, pies, turkeys and casseroles. This is a great backyard project and introduction to working with natural materials. The skills required to construct an oven are simple and require no prior building experience
TO REGISTER Call (520) 206 6468 or email communityed@pima.edu, ref: # 61533; 
You can also email  dawnaz@earthlink.net  for more information and directions.
Also offered on March 22, 2008 ref# 63577 

Ongoing: INTRODUCTION TO PERMACULTURE/ OPEN HOUSE: Bring Your Own Brunch (BYOB) - GET DOWN TO EARTH/ DAY!  Site: rotates so, call to sign up & get directions! Get your hands in the mud and try out some earthen plasters on walls made of straw bales, adobe & cob. See demonstrations and get some hands-on experience: MUDDING FUN (EARTH PLASTERS), DESERT GARDENING, WATER HARVESTING, LAND RESTORATION PROJECTS, INCLUDING AFFORDABLE BUILDINGS & SMALL STRUCTURES WITH STRAW BALE ADOBE, & COB. Please note hours: 8 am to noon.

EMAIL FOR DATES & TIMES

EMAIL OR CALL TO SIGN UP & GET DIRECTIONS.

520 624 1673 or dawnaz@earthlink.net
Donations for materials, time & effort appreciated.

Thank you for building a more sustainable world!