That new building, the one that looks all brown and modern sticking out at Dragonfly Gardens, that is a classroom and a small kitchen and bathrooms. It was a big expense and a lot of work, but now, as a result, Dragonfly is offering classes! On all kinds of things.
For example, on April 1st, and for the following two Saturdays, April 8th and 15th, Peter Henry will be teaching classes on The Power of Trees. Mr. Henry is a published author, an educator, a rancher, an entrepreneur and he is going to share insights and themes in regard to what is probably the most profound relationship on the planet: humans and trees.
April 1st: A hop, skip and a jump through the way trees show up in literature, myths and across cultures. From the Wizard of Oz to the Book of Genesis, how have trees been depicted and what role have they played over time in the development of human civilization: their uses, their powers and their foundational contribution to human civilization. Trees are the very example of awesome.
April 8th: What trees are “in play” here in northwest Wisconsin? And, how can we plan ahead and sketch designs that would maximize their impact on our homesteads, lots and farms? Thinking ahead to shape our lands over many decades. Each participant will be working, hands on, to sketch out ideas on graph paper, using the different tree families to build resilience, utility and increase property value.
April 15th: How to prepare a site, plant and maintain trees over time. The ins and outs of getting the dirty work done around trees: from transplanting to seeding, and over many years, caring for trees.
The classes start each Saturday at 10:00 a.m. and cost just $10. And, each participant will receive a coupon for $10 off on their purchase of a tree from Dragonfly Gardens.
This is just the start, but a good beginning nonetheless, in pursuit of ecological excellence that is fast becoming the most important issue on the planet: how to work with Nature to offset the ravages of climate change. We can each do a little, and the public needs to do a lot if we are going to avoid the worst impacts of a changing climate.
