Earth Stewardship

We’re cruising into episode 19 of “The Positive Fantastic” podcast with Earth Stewardship on our hearts and minds. I arrived at Abuela Gardens and marveled that this conscious community and educational center is actually a very short distance from my own home as the crow flies.

Enjoying the connection of being backyard neighbors, I walked the land with Blair Phillips, the primary steward of the land, along with his two goats C3PO and BB-8. We discussed the restorative and regenerative techniques that are in process at the site from woodland berms and basins to the flourishing gardens around the homestead.

Blair and I finally sat down to record this podcast episode in the communal yurt building, both grateful for the opportunity to riff on our collective pool of stewardship skills. 

After I graduated from college and eaten my share of intellectual soup, I embarked on a journey to learn more earth based practices. My knowledge quest led me to a natural building oasis in the desert of mainland Mexico and then to a woman-led project that was a veritable fusion of natural building techniques. I immediately began implementing what I had learned and have spent the last fifteen years experimenting, learning, and practicing the craft of building with earthen resources.

I believe that natural building sits firmly in the council of practices that make up the paradigm of sustainable living. And so it is with great pleasure that I get to share this podcast with you with Blair Phillips, who has spent the last decade exploring natural building in his own right, on the land where he hangs his hat.

In the spirit of making these skills accessible, Blair has organized a Natural Building series of workshops for the summer of 2021 to help people get their hands in the clay, literally, and feel the medium firsthand. His line-up of teachers is impressive, and this is a really valuable opportunity for Mendonesians to get dirty and learn a lot. If that wasn’t cool enough, Blair’s planning a Watershed Regenerations series of classes for 2022 that I believe are on the cutting edge of ecological stewardship in Northern California. 

Part 1 of our podcast interview focuses on Earth Stewardship. Part 2 will focus on Watershed Regeneration. I hope you’ll enjoy these mini-series that I’m creating when one podcasting episode isn’t quite enough to really cover all the terrain that needs to be explored about a given topic.

Or you can call Blair for more information about his community and classes at: (707)272-2929 or email him at handsintheearth247@gmail.com You can follow Abuela Gardens on Instagram @abuelagardens

As of the release of this episode, there is set to be a class called “The Art of Plaster” with master natural builders Atheena Steen and Michael Smith September 14th-19th of 2021. If you desire more clay in your life, this is the workshop for you! I highly recommend that you spend some of your interweb time surfing at www.abuelagardens.com to see the awesome classes and offerings that Blair is hosting here in Mendocino County.