OSU students at the Corvallis campus are eligible for up to $500 per academic year to participate in professional development opportunities. The Student Sustainability Initiative are seeking proposals that benefit OSU students and the SSI’s mission of “Advancing student efforts to create a culture of sustainability at OSU through opportunity, education, and action” are preferred.
This Spring Break I had the opportunity to spend four days practicing permaculture in the heart of the Columbia Gorge country. This course took place at Windward, an intentional community and sustainability education and experimentation center in south central Washington.
Windward boasts a variety of homesteading features, including:
- a well-managed second-growth forest of Oak and Pine
A view of Windward’s Orchard, looking south. - a large chicken run
- rabbit hutches
- pens for goats, sheep and pigs
- several small, seasonal, man-made ponds
- various aquaponics systems
- a developing food forest
- and a large annual garden
The occupants at Windward are even experimenting with wood gasification, a process which turns raw wood chips into a replacement for propane gas.
During this course I had the opportunity to make a hugelkultur bed, which is basically a mound of earth containing woody debris which provides nutrients to plants as it decomposes, much like a nurse log. I also got to plant trees and shrubs in a silvopasture system which integrates trees and pasture into a cohesive unit. In addition to these hands-on projects, a majority of the time was spent discussing how this community manages to thrive in such a harsh climate where a lack of mid-summer water, and extreme cold throughout the winter severely restricts the amount of species that can be grown on the land. Perhaps most interesting of all, I participated in a “natural burial”.
Through my ongoing stint of “eco-tourism”, I have found that regulatory labyrinths are a common hurdle for communities like Windward seeking a more sustainable lifestyle through avenues such as natural building. For example, Windward falls under a “timber” tax classification, which results in a tax break on much of the land that is actively growing timber to be harvested and sold. Yet, despite their location in the midst of a productive timber forest, all of their structural buildings must be constructed of certified lumber purchased from off-site.
The residents of Windward have found a way to use America’s complicated political atmosphere to their advantage. Several years ago they struck upon the idea to turn a portion of their land into a natural burial cemetery, which will prevent unwanted future development on their land. This allows them to fully invest their hearts and resources into establishing a productive ecosystem on the land without fear of their efforts going to waste.
Natural burials are also less resource intensive than burials in traditional cemeteries. The management of turf can require lots of fertilizers, herbicides and water, whereas Windward’s “HerLand Forest” is a beautiful, self-reliant ecosystem. Tombstones quarried and trucked in from off-site are arguably unnecessary. Windward’s graves will be marked with small plaques designating a generous 20 square foot site for each grave. The energy embodied in fancy caskets soon to be buried forever can also be minimized by placing the body in a biodegradable, non-toxic cardboard box sized for the purpose.
This was Windward’s first burial in the HerLand Forest. The first “guardian”– as Windward’s residents are calling those buried on their land – was declared deceased the day that I arrived. Originally I was hesitant to participate as this event was rather unexpected, but eventually I resolved to attend for a good story to tell if nothing else. Although I refrained from any of the labor involved in actually burying the body, I did take pictures and maintain a presence during the rites. I found this experience to be richly rewarding.
I have never been to a burial before. In general, I think that our society is quite disconnected from the process of death and dying. This is evidenced by the rampant exportation of elders into assisted living homes where they are often segregated from family, charged exorbitant rates, and amped up with drugs to eke out the last bit of life despite their body’s obvious and natural inclination towards for the restful resolution of life. Contrarily, buying a plot in HerLand Forest is funding conservation work, an act which may be soul soothing to those easing their way into Earth’s bosom.
I hope that I inspire others to follow in the footsteps of Windward – or at least head in the general direction of sustainability and social awareness – through this story of my experience. In this vein, I declare my intention to provide the outgoing elders in my life with a rich social context and physical environment in which to say their goodbyes. Please join me in creating a more socially satisfying world by making contributions in areas which you see a need.
This trip was made possible by a Professional Development Grant through the Student Sustainability Initiative (SSI). The SSI paid for the course registration as well as gas and mileage to the rural location. Any OSU student can apply for funding of up to $500 per year for costs including air fare. The SSI is sponsoring a presentation on Windward by Andrew and Lindsay, two of the core members, on Wednesday, April 6th at 4:30 – 5:30 p.m. in MU 212.
If you would like to get involved in on-campus landscaping projects, please contact the author of this article, Micco Emeson, at SSI.landscaping@oregonstate.edu
CATEGORIES: Academics Events and Outreach Natural Features and Landscaping