Spring's on its way

in
Spring greetings from Carraig Dulra!

"The sun was warm but the wind was chill.
You know how it is with an April day.
When the sun is out and the wind is still,
You're one month on in the middle of May.
But if you so much as dare to speak,
a cloud come over the sunlit arch,
And wind comes off a frozen peak,
And you're two months back in the middle of March."
- Robert Frost

Second year growth builds on the previous year's. At Carraig Dulra this is true for the land, the living things on it, and the activities taking place. Our community is growing and seeds sown last year are taking root. New planting is under way so please share this newsletter with your contacts to help develop the network of people meeting each other and tending their own ideas at Carraig Dulra.
With the help of our first international volunteers for this year, and also from our first few volunteer days, we've planted broad bean, potatoes, peas, and Jerusalem artichokes and lots more seeds in trays. The garden lazy beds coninue to expand. Luci's successful willow course also left us with a beautiful willow structure and a fedge around the garden area.
We are repeating and expanding popular courses and events from last year. Our full course & event schedule is here: http://www.dulra.org/schedule and a calendar view of the same courses & events is here: http://www.dulra.org/calendar. Or if you'd just like to see what we're up to and meet other people, or want to get your hands in the soil, we have regular volunteer days on the first Wednesday or last Saturday of every month (until Oct). Please contact us for directions if it is your first visit.
Here's what's coming up over the next few months. If you're interested in a course or event, please book as early as possible to ensure you get a place and that we can give sufficient notice to our tutors.
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Coming up very soon
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Solar, Wind and Water – an introduction to alternative energy
12-13 Apr 2008 (days can be booked separately) €170 (includes camping & organic meals)
Aimed at beginners, the emphasis will be on solar, because it’s most useful for everyone, and wind, because people are most fascinated by it. Site requirements, planning issues, installation, costs and output of solar panels and wind turbines will be examined; also the option of hydro power. Wood boilers and heat pumps will also be touched on. The first day will end with site visits to look at working examples of wind and solar installations close to Carraig Dulra. On day two we will construct a simple solar system from basic materials.
Booking through The Organic Centre, Leitrim (071) 985 4338

Garden Complete (continuing, you can attend any selection of days)
Day 3 - 16 Apr - Composting, weed control, and companion planting.
Day 4 - 21 May - Growing in tunnels pest and disease control.
For the rest of the schedule, see our course calendar: http://www.dulra.org/calendar
Booking through The Organic Centre, Leitrim (071) 985 4338

Permaculture Design – an introduction
10-11 May €170 (includes camping & organic lunches)
Permaculture is a sustainable design method based on an understanding of natural systems. This introductory 2-day course will show how the principles of permaculture design can be applied in the garden, the home and the community in both rural and urban locations. Participants will gain some practical hands-on experience as well as learning how to apply permaculture in their lives as an empowering response to social and environmental issues.
Booking through The Organic Centre, Leitrim (071) 985 4338

Junior Naturalist Programme - for children accompanied by an adult or older sibling.
Three Fridays, 2nd, 16th and 30th May, from 3:30-6:00pm. €35 per child (includes all 3 sessions and some learning materials)
For children (supervised by parent/grandparent/guardian). Part-funded by Local Agenda 21 Environmental Partnership Fund 2007.
This afternoon program will introduce children ages 6-12 to direct observation of nature, and expand their awareness of plants, eco-systems and habitats. Families are welcome to accompany their children and explore the farm and nearby woods, or just picnic and relax.
Booking directly with Carraig Dulra

Bushcraft / Primitive Living Skills
24-25 May €170 (includes camping & meals)
A return of this popular course (featured on Morning Ireland and The Irish Times). You will learn the basics of bushcraft and primitive technology, including skills such as friction fire-lighting, tracking, shelter building and awareness. We will be making some necessary survivial items such as bowls, spoons and cord.
Booking directly with Carraig Dulra
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Advanced Notice for Summer Programmes-more may be added
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Weekend on the Mountain - in Association with CELT
14-15 June €165 (includes camping)
Come camp with us for a weekend while taking your choice from courses in environmental and ecological trades for all levels. If you already have basic skills in one of these areas, you are welcome to develop your skills further with the guidance of highly qualified tutors. Courses are open to age 14+. The children's woodcraft course is open to children 8-14. Proposed courses include: Dry Stone & Lime Mortar Walling, Coppersmithing / Tinsmithing, Felt making, Native trees and intro to Coppice Crafts, Steam-bending wood, Herb-lore, Ti-pi making, Basket Weaving, Greenwood Furniture, Wood Carving, Spinning and Weaving, Stone Carving / Cutting. Also woodcrafts for youngsters (8 - 14 yrs) and music workshops. Full course descriptions are here: http://www.dulra.org/weekend_on_the_mountain
Booking directly with Carraig Dulra

Primitive Living 1 - Living the Skills
5-10 July - course fee not finalised, please contact us
By request from students of the weekend Bushcraft/Primitive Living Skills course, we are now offering this more intensive 6 day course for the first time at Carraig Dulra. No previous experience is necessary. It will start by making you feel comfortable in the wilderness as soon as possible without any society-manufactured tools such as knives, sleeping bags and matches. We will be studying skills such as friction fire-lighting, tracking, shelter building and awareness. We will be making bowls, spoons, cord and a variety of other necessary survival items. Then, we will build on this knowledge with advanced skills such as pottery, weaving, bow-making and flintknapping. However, instead of just learning the skills once, we will be encouraging you to use the skills learned on a day to day basis, enabling us to bring you a lot deeper and learn many additional skills. The aim of this course is to start in a “camping” fashion, but attempt to discard most of our equipment during the week. This means we will encourage you to move into your shelters and store away your sleeping bag. You will be lighting our fires by bow-drill only, and eat from bowls and cutlery you made yourselves. This course is by far the most popular course at our instructor's training centre, Wild-Live. No previous experience needed. Please note that participants must be 15 or older.
Booking directly with Carraig Dulra
Introduction to Sustainable House Design and Construction
19 July €85 (organic lunch included)
The workshop will allow students to understand the process of creating a personal, sustainable house design. You will learn about economics, planning, passive solar design, alternative energy systems, the use of timber and other natural materials as well as self build with an overview of on-site organisation, tools & equipment, ordering & storing materials, construction techniques, costings and setting up an on-site workshop.
Booking through The Organic Centre, Leitrim (071) 985 4338
The Art of Seeing: Tracking / Permaculture, (Camping over the weekend forms part of this program)
2-4 Aug (Bank Holiday weekend) €230
We are excited to be working to with The Tracking Project (TTP) based in Corrales, New Mexico, to create this three day course. TTP has worked with community educators and Native elders from around the world to design a series of teachings which aim to connect individuals directly to the natural world, combining ancient nature awareness skills with new concepts such as permaculture. This program includes an introduction to a wide range of skills—from traditional tracking and survival skills to direct observation and permaculture site assessment techniques. These are essential skills in understanding what is going on around us and are used by people living close to the earth the world over. With help from visiting instructors from the USA, we will learn to use all of our senses to perceive patterns at many scales: the tracks of animals, the landform, and human/cultural influences. In this long-weekend course (over the August Bank Holiday), we will use exercises, hands-on activities, games, and conversation to explore traditional observation and tracking skills as well as the basics of Permaculture. We will further develop the site plan for the development of Carraig Dulra.
Booking directly with Carraig Dulra. Limited amount of camping equipment available by arrangement
.."And while I stood there I saw more than I can tell and I understood more than I saw; for I was seeing in a sacred manner the shapes of all things in the spirit, and the shape of all shapes as they must live together like one being. And I saw that the sacred hoop of my people was one of many hoops that made one circle, wide as daylight and as starlight, and in the center grew one mighty flowering tree to shelter the children of one mother and one father. And I saw that it was holy."~Black Elk
We hope you see something here you like!
See you on the land,

Mike & Suzie Cahn

Carraig Dulra
Organic Farm Training Centre / Living Skills Bank
http://www.dulra.org

For course enquiries, email us at info@dulra.org, or ring Mike on (087) 222 3412

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