Eco-Road Trip – “Pismo” the Surfing Goat & Santa Barbra PT. 1

“Pismo” the Surfing Goat & Santa Barbra PT. 1– Summary:

  • Who: N/A
  • What: Took a pit stop at Pismo Beach, and met Pismo the surfing goat; Visited Santa Barbra and back tracked to a nearby town for my destination the next day
  • When: Saturday, March 31
  • Where: Pismo Beach, CA; Santa Barbra, CA; Lompoc, CA

Quick Resources:

My Route:

Planning my Eco-Inspired Road Trip Blog Post

 

My Travel Story:

After leaving the Forestiere Underground Gardens in Fresno, CA, I headed back toward the coastal highway and spent the majority of the day driving to Santa Barbra. I made frequent stops along the way to check out the diverse California landscape.

One of my more interesting stops was in Pismo Beach, CA. I pulled off the highway and maneuvered the bustling, touristy coastal town streets to the beach where I came across Pismo the Surfing Goat.

Continue Reading

Eco-Road Trip – Permaculture Skills Center & FrongSong Cohousing

Permaculture Skills Center & Frogsong Cohousing – Summary:

  • Who: Erik Ohlsen; Anila Roberts
  • What: Stumbled across the Permaculture Skills Center; Stopped by Cali Kind Clothing Co. tie-dye shop; Visited Frogsong Cohousing community
  • When: Wednesday, March 28
  • Where: Sebastopol, CA; Cotati, CA

Quick Resources:

My Route:

Planning my Eco-Inspired Road Trip Blog Post

 

My Travel Story:

Leaving Occidental Arts & Ecology Center (OAEC) that afternoon after volunteering in the plant nursery, I headed towards my second planned destination – FrogSong Cohousing Community in Cotati, CA.

However, I was unaware of how saturated the area was with permaculture, ecology and sustainability – not only in terms of businesses and organizations, but also as the local and cultural mindsets.

Which is how I coincidentally stumbled on the Permaculture Skills Center, which I had followed online while I was initially learning about permaculture, and its onsite partner company, Permaculture Artisans.

Continue Reading

LV Residential Life – March Highlights Pt. 2

Before I left Lost Valley at the end of the month, I planned a few excursions in the area and around Portland, Oregon.

There was a SquareOne Village tiny house community, Emerald Village Eugene, grand opening for the public in Eugene, and I was really looking forward to seeing it! Most of the houses onsite were finished in terms of their exteriors, and several already had residents living in them. It was great to see a city supported, experimental community for the chronically homeless. The model they operated on was that after a rigorous interview process for residency, community members were given a fully furnished space and were required to pay a percentage of their personal income to cover costs. Many of the current residents relied on bicycles and public transportation for travel to their jobs, and some of them were married and dual incomes that helped them financially afford to get back on their feet.

Continue Reading

Lost Valley Week 5 – Tree Day and Adventures Offsite

HSS Week 5

We started off the week with Justin, who explained the history of Lost Valley from its original land use to its current state, with plans for the future of the ecovillage. Having arrived at Lost Valley as an apprentice years ago and eventually took the position as executive director, Justin had great knowledge and context that we didn’t know about Lost Valley.

Continue Reading