Swale Building at Cornell’s McDaniels Nut Grove 6/11&12

Hello Friends of MacDaniels Nut Grove!

I sent those of you who are friends of the MNG on Facebook an email a couple of weeks back about the swale building and contouring workshops/workdays, taking place this Friday and Saturday (June 11 and 12).

Steve Gabriel, Program Coordinator for the Fingerlakes Permaculture Institute, will lead this exciting and educational hands-on event. While we would love to see you on both days, Saturday is a priority if you can only make it to one, since Steve’s permaculture summer apprentices will already be helping out on Friday.

Also, you are not required to stay for the full duration of either day, so feel free to stop by even if you cannot stay for too long. Steve will be teaching us how to use a laser level and A-Frame to mark contours, a very useful skill, and then we will install swales on contour which will help harvest natural flows of water and build the Nut Grove’s generally eroded soils on its slopes.

If you work on a farm, own land, or ever intend or ever intend to work a piece of land, swale building is an invaluable technique and an essential element of the permaculture toolbox.

Below is an outline of the rough schedule for the two days:

Friday, June 11

9:30 am to 11:00 am – TOUR of MNG with Ken Mudge to apprentices, any interested public
11:00 am – Discussion of design and work plan for hill side – begin clearing brush
12:30ish – Break for LUNCH
1:30 to 5:00 – Continue clearing brush, mark contours with laser level and an A-frame

Saturday, June 12
10:00 – Overview of project, contour swaling – Steve
10:30 to 12:30 – Finish any brush or contour work, begin mounding swales LUNCH 1:30 to 4:00 – Finish mounding swales, mulching, seeding and plants in ground

Please bring your own lunch and wear good, closed toe boots or shoes. If you have your own work gloves or any digging/raking tools, it would be wonderful if you could bring them as well. Otherwise, we will supply gloves and tools.

Hope to see you there!

Ari

Ari Rockland-Miller
(413) 687-2184
anr44@cornell.edu

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http://FLXpermaculture.Net
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The Finger Lakes Permaculture Institute
offers workshops, apprenticeships, and
permaculture design certificate classes.
http://www.fingerlakespermaculture.org
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