May 2007

Natural Building, May 20th

On Sunday, May 20th, the Lasquiti Island Mud Girls will join the Denman Community Vegan Potluck series for an evening discussion about natural building and energy efficiency. The MudGirls are a natural building collective aiming to empower people with self-sufficiency skills to build both shelter and community.

Specializing in cob- a mud made of clay, sand and straw that is sculpted into form for use in building everything from outdoor clay ovens to outhouses, cottages and homes- the Mud Girls have expanded their horizons recently to include building to-code hybrid projects that can incorporate elements of adobe, strawbale and earthbags.

Says MudGirls member Amber Hieb: " Because I come from a long line of builders who were all men- my brothers, my uncles, father and grandfather- to be able to reclaim building for myself, in a way that is using what is readily available and accessible around me is rewarding on many levels". Although the group offers courses for both women and men, there is an emphasis on women for this very reason: to change not only what is built, but also how.

"Where presently we have a more rigid, square, hierarchical model of construction, the MudGirls represents the shift towards a more fluid, feminine, cooperative way of building- from the bottom up", says member Julie Chadwick.

"We seek new and ancient ways to live in harmony with the earth and have a singing dancing laughing good time while doing it," adds founder Jen Gobby.

Please bring a 100% plant-based dish that all may share to the 6:30 pm potluck in the BackHall (vegan-friendly means no eggs, dairy, honey or gelatin, please). Admission is by donation, suggested $3. And thanks for helping keep our events scent-free so folks with chemical sensitivities can also attend.

Link back to the potluck website to find information on this issue, and lots of other details about the potluck series. And see the relevant link also in the column to the right of this blog entry to access the Mud Girls fun website!