2012 Upcoming Programs
♦ please call 618-466-5004 to register ♦
Ecological Discussion Group
Ongoing, 2nd Tuesday and 4th Thursday evenings, 7:00 − 8:30 pm
Currently discussing articles from YES! Magazine that offer powerful ideas and practical actions on behalf of our planet.
Cost: order your own magazine subscription
Registration is important; please call 618-466-5004. All are welcome!
Basketry: Weaving a Handy Tote Bag
Saturday, February 11, 2012, 9:30 am – 5:00 pm
Weaving your own tote bag out of reeds is a wonderful way to exercise creativity while making a functional carryall. This tote features decorative cloth over-the-shoulder handles.
Program includes detailed instruction, materials, refreshments and camaraderie!
Cost: $30. Please bring a bag lunch.
Call 618-466-5004 to register.
Hungry for Change: Food, Ethics and Sustainability
Six Session Discussion Course during Lent
Fridays, February 24, March 2, 9, 16, 23, 30, 2012, 10:30 am - Noon
Participants in this course will: Explore the interconnected nature of food systems and our relationships to them, examine the impact our food choices have on our health, the health of others and the health of our planet, and consider the ethical and political implications of our current food system and our personal food choices.
Cost: $30 for guidebook which includes thought-provoking readings and discussion questions for each session. Registration form must be received by Friday, February 10 so books can be ordered.
NOTE LOCATION: The Family Center, 602 W. Kirkham, Webster Groves, MO 63119
Awakening the Dreamer, Changing the Dream
Saturday, April 14, 2012, 9:00 am − 12:00 pm (registration begins at 8:30)
For those who have a deep concern for our world and want to make a difference, this symposium brings inspiring voices inviting us to change our dream to one of justice, peace, and ecological sustainability. The process includes viewing inspiring DVD presentations along with engaging group interaction.
This workshop simply presents facts about what the situation is in today's world and how it came to be. It then helps participants explore their own experiences to imagine different options for the future.
Awakening the Dreamer Symposium Trailer from Pachamama Alliance.
This event is presented by the Friends of the Center for Spirituality & Sustainability and LaVisa Ecological Learning Center. Download a flyer here or call 618-466-5004 for more information.
Location: The Center for Spirituality and Sustainability, SIUE Geodesic Dome, Located west of the Morris University Center on S. Circle Drive (next to Visitor's Parking Lot B)
Suggested donation: $15 (No charge for students with school ID.) Refreshments will be served.
Registration: Send your name and check to La Vista Ecological Learning Center, 4300 Levis Lane, Godfrey, IL 62035
PAYPAL: Payment may also be made through PayPal. This allows you to pay using your PayPal account, VISA, MasterCard, American Express, or Discover Card. A PayPal account is NOT required for credit card payment.
Arun Gandhi presents "Lessons I Learned from My Grandfather, Lessons for the 21st Century"
Saturday, April 21, 2012, 9:00 am
Presentation and book signing
Self-guided prayer pilgrimage
Lunch with the speaker (Added $15 per person)
Arun Manilal Gandhi (born April 14, 1934) is the fifth grandson of Mohandas Gandhi. Following the footsteps of his grandfather, he is also a socio-political activist.
Cost $20 (With student ID: $10)
Register online at www.snows.org/gandhi. (Please register only through Our Lady of the Snows Shrine.)
NOTE LOCATION: Our Lady of the Snows Shrine, 442 S. De Mazenod Drive, Belleville, IL 62223
Tai Chi for Flexibility: Moving Meditation
Thursdays, April 12, 19, 26, May 3, 2012, 9:00 - 10:00 am
Practice the ancient art of Tai Chi and unite with the energy of the universe as you experience gentle meditative movements that increase range of motion in joints, aid in circulation, soothe anxiety and depression and help lower blood pressure and hypertension. Our instructor also incorporates Qi Gong breathing movements that help with memory and alertness, as well as TaeBo for strength in the arms and shoulders.
Mary Ann Pitchford is a certified Tai Chi instructor and a certified lecturer/instructor of Senior Programs for the National Arthritis Foundation.
Cost: $28.00 for four sessions
Praying Our Dreams, Finding the God Within - A Retreat Day
Saturday, May 5, 2012, 9:30 am - 4:00 pm
Dreams open us into our inner landscape. Using a Jungian approach, we will learn about symbols and archetypal themes found in our dreams. We’ll also use alchemy as a metaphor for the individuation process experienced in our dreams. Come for a day of retreat with your inner guide.
S. Olga Wittekind is an Oldenburg Franciscan, a Jungian Analyst and Director of the Oldenburg Franciscan Retreat Center in Oldenburg, Indiana. She is both a retreat director and spiritual director who enjoys sharing psychology and spirituality.
Cost: $55 which includes vegetarian lunch.
Exploring the Sacred Universe: An Earth Literacy Program
6:00 pm Tuesday, June 5th - 1:00 pm Tuesday, June 12, 2012
All around us evidence is mounting that our current industrial perspective is harmful both to Earth and to humans. The corrective that is needed includes not only practical lifestyle changes, but also a shift in our basic understanding of what it means to be a human being on this rare and precious planet.
The purpose of the Earth Literacy program is to provide an opportunity to explore the implications of this more expansive understanding of ourselves in the evolutionary process and our embeddedness in Earth’s web of life.
The insights of Thomas Berry, Brian Swimme and Miriam MacGillis provide the foundation for the week.
Throughout the week you will -
AWAKEN to the mystery of our origins and of our place within the evolutionary process
CONTEMPLATE the sacredness of the Universe Story as a new transforming context for our lives
CRITICALLY EXAMINE the perceptions that fashion our cultural world view
PARTICIPATE in guided activities, instruction, dialogue, reflection, journaling, art, ritual, cooking, gardening and field trip
BE IMMERSED in direct experience of the natural world
DEVELOP practical skills for a more ecologically conscious life
SHARE expertly prepared vegetarian meals
Call 618-466-5004 for information.
Cost: $550
Herbs and More - A Workshop Series
Crystal Moore-Stevens and Eric Stevens are our farmers at the Community Supported Garden at La Vista. They have taught herb classes at the Ozark Natural and Cultural Resource Center and children's classes at the Bonebrake Center of Nature and History in Salem, MO. Colleen and James Smith will be cohosting the workshops, sharing their home-steading knowledge, and vibrant creativity. They bring with them their passion for utilizing the materials around them while living in harmony with nature.
Advanced registration required. Please call 618-466-5004.
Cost for each workshop: $25
Natural Household Cleaners
Saturday, May 12, 2012, 1:00 - 5:00 pm
Save money and help the environment by creating your own household cleaners using simple, non-toxic ingredients. Learn how to make dish soap, laundry detergent, and scouring powder.
Medicinal Herb Walk & Herbal Remedies
Sunday, May 27, 2012, 1:00 - 5:00 pm
Join us as local herbalists lead a medicinal herb walk and reveal the medicinal properties of many “weeds” found in your own back yards. Learn how to stock your medicine cabinet with hand made natural remedies for minor ailments.
Growing Herbs for Health
Sunday, June 3, 2012, 1:00 - 5:00 pm
Discover the medicinal properties of culinary herbs. Learn how to grow your very own tea garden and how to create a kitchen herb garden for your back yard or back porch.
Cooking Naturally Outdoors
Sunday, July 22, 2012, 1:00 - 5:00 pm
Calling all foodies! Wood fired, fire roasted, Tuscan style baking, skillet seared - you name it. Taste the distinct flavors of cooking with wood in the outdoors. This workshop combines the nostalgia and aromas of campfire cooking while achieving the culinary bliss of local and gourmet foods. Held right here on the grounds of La Vista Farm where vegetables literally will be harvested from the field moments before. We will be cooking a seven course meal together using farm fresh ingredients and then feasting together on the beautiful grounds of La Vista.
Healthy Foods, Healthy Families
Sunday, August 26, 2012, 1:00 - 5:00 pm
Don’t miss this opportunity to create healthy meals your whole family will enjoy! Learn how to make your own baby food. Discover how to get creative in the kitchen with your older children. Create traditional meals that kids love using healthy ingredients such as black bean brownies, mac n cheese with sweet potato cheese, and pasta sauce using several fresh raw veggies. Learn how to make incredibly healthy treats to indulge your sweet tooth Join us for a life time of healthy eating habits for you and your children!
Building with Cob
Sunday, September 16, 2012, 1:00 - 5:00 pm
Learn how to combine clay, sand, water and straw to create a sustainable building material called cob. We’ll use this mixture to demonstrate how to build your own cob oven. Discover ways this mixture can also be used in smaller eco-friendly building projects and even modest homes.
Natural Dying with Plants
Sunday, October 7, 2012, 1:00 - 5:00 pm
Plan out a Dying Garden to plant in the Spring and learn how to dye fabric using three native plants. Bring your own cotton garment to dye. This workshop will be messy so dress accordingly.
Seasonal Celebrations
Spring Equinox - Saturday, March 24, 2012, 2:00 - 4:00 pm
Summer Solstice – Saturday, June 23, 2012, 2:00 – 4:00 pm
Autumn Equinox – Saturday, September 22, 2012, 2:00 – 4:00 pm
Winter Solstice – Saturday, December 15, 2012, 7:00 – 9:00 pm
"“The sun, with all those planets revolving around it
and dependent on it, can still ripen a bunch of grapes
as if it had nothing else in the universe to do." − Galileo
Our one wonderful sun not only holds the planets in place and ripens grapes, but also gives us four distinctly beautiful seasons as it shines on a planet that is tilted on its axis.
Join us each quarter as we celebrate the power of our one Sun and our one lovely planet. We’ll spend time giving thanks, immersing ourselves in the special gifts of each season and enjoying delight in the natural world.
Optional donations for the seasonal celebrations are welcomed and appreciated.
