Top Bar Beekeeping 101- A Weekend Intensive

with Christy Hemenway of Gold Star Honeybees

February 25-26, 8:30 am- 4 pm                

natural wax

• • • • Wax Rendering
      • Comb Handling
      • Hive Management Methods
      • Mite Monitoring
      • Splitting
      • Honey Harvesting
      • Winterizing

Human Ecology: Reflections on Meaningful Livelihood and a Livable Future

with Dr. Richard Borden

Tuesday February 28, 4:00-5:30pm

Join us during Newforest's Social Ecology month for a free thought-provoking evening with College of the Atlantic professor, Richard Borden.  Dr. Borden will trace some of the history of ecological thought – from its scientific origins to its contemporary place in interdisciplinary education, international affairs and everyday life. The first part of the presentation will emphasize the value of an interdisciplinary perspective, while also noting the societal and intellectual obstacles to reaching this goal. The presentation’s second part will follow a more personal, anecdotal style – and hopefully lead to a group discussion of how each of us discovers our place in the living world.

Richard Borden holds the Rachel Carson Chair in Human Ecology at College of the Atlantic where he teaches courses in environmental psychology, personality and social development, contemporary psychology, and the history and philosophy of human ecology. 

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The Energy Efficient Home: From Design to Weatherization

with George Callas & Matthew O'Malia

Saturday March 3, 9 am- 3 pm

Join us for a unique 2-part workshop on energy efficient homes.  Start out at Newforest Institute for "Not Feeling the Heat: Heat Loss in Your Home & What You Can Do About It" led by George Callas of Build Green Maine.  He will discuss house weatherization & energy auditing.   Lunch will be on your own and then you will reconvene in Belfast where architect Matt O'Malia of GO Logic will lead a tour of the energy-efficient aspects of a GOlogic home being built at Belfast's Ecovillage Co-Housing community.

$15- $45 sliding scale  To Register: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or (207) 722-3625

George Callas is the owner and general manager of Build Green Maine, LLC in Brooks, which provides energy audit/home evaluations services & certification training for building science professionals across New England.  He teaches ecology and sustainability at Unity College and is the architect of iBrooks, one of Maine's first community-scale energy conservation initiatives.  He is co-founder of the Newforest Institute and serves as Treasurer for the Mid-Coast Magnet, Maine's leading creative economy organizer. Before moving to Maine in 2003, he spent 20 years in investment management in various capacities.  

Matthew O'Malia is a registered architect in Maine. He received a Bachelor in Environmental Design from Miami University, Oxford, Ohio. He worked for architects in Frankfurt, Germany and New York City before completing his post graduate studies in Architecture at the Staedelschule Kunst Akadame in Frankfurt Germany in 1997.  In 2008 he founded GO Logic with Alan Gibson.

Class Matters: Tools for Unpacking Privilege

with Sonia Acevedo

Saturday March 10, 9 am- 5 pm

Our current economy and culture creates conditions where some enjoy abundance while others struggle to meet their basic needs. These inequalities create an unspoken pecking order between the haves and have-nots called classism.  This day long series of workshops and activities is designed to increase understanding of class oppression, break down class barriers in activist groups, and help people break down communication barriers in their communities.  The workshops and exercises offered will be helpful tools for understanding your own background, living in community, and working for social and economic justice.

Sonia Acevedo lives at Tinderbox Farm, in Thorndike, ME, where she grows vegetables and raises poultry with a growing farm collective. She works with a group called No Class, providing workshops and presentations about classism and economic justice.  She has been active in political movements for the past 11 years, working on environmental issues, women's health, and social justice.

cost: $0 - $50, sliding scale
Sliding scales are a tool for building economic justice into our events and require active participation. People paying on the higher end of the scale make it possible for the event to be affordable for others. Practice economic solidarity and consider your class background and earning power when choosing how much to donate.

To Register: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or (207) 722-3625

2nd Tuesday Potluck

Future Electricity!

with Bill Drinkwater

Tuesday March 13, 6:00-8:30

 Join us at Newforest Institute on the 2nd Tuesday of each month for food, conversation, and a guided discussion on a theme.  March's speaker is Bill Drinkwater.

This discussion will be a comprehensive look at past, present, and future use of electricity in Maine.  Many simple, homemade solutions will be shown that will help us supply some of our own electricity. This upbeat presentation will offer much hope at a time when many are wondering just how to deal with a future that is likely to be very different from today.

Born and raised in Camden, Maine, Bill has been a well driller, soldier, professional college student, hippie, metal sculptor, industrial welder, full-time gold miner, paraplegic, and a computer teacher/ consultant/ software desdigner.  He has traveled through a dozen countries and is currently the Director of www.EVMaine.org which is a website about electric vehilcles in Maine.  He currently lives in Belmont, Maine.

June 23- July 1 and August 26-September 2