Thinking Outside Of The Box

Twin Eagles Wilderness School                                                   Jeannine Tidwell     http://www.twineagles.org/

Mr. Brian Powell and The Fuse Magazine Class   Here is a podcast featuring students with a wide variety of talent and passions.  In age they range from 8th graders to 11th graders and one thing they all have in common is how they are thriving in this small school.

Owen Marcus and the Men's Movement Transforming Men                         Transforming Communities   There is a revolution going on.  More than one for that matter.  The revolution I speak of is the awakening of what it really means to be a Man. Right here in the Pacific Northwest we have the Che Guevara of the Men's Movement. His name is Owen Marcus and this is a powerful interview if you are interested in the potential transformation such a movement can make in a community. Potential is actually the wrong term in this case. Here in our small town of Sandpoint you will find many community activists who have also trained with Owen and Men's Groups and found the true power of their masculinity, and that potential has manifested into real change. This is Owen's vision: [spp-tweet "If we are to transform our planet, we will need to transform what it is to be a man."] Western men learned a feminine version of emotionality because all th

This week we have an interview with Kathy Cousins of the Idaho Department of Fish and Game.  This is the first of a two part interview.  We cover the inception of the project, Kathy's passion for wildlife and nature and just touch on the scope of this massive project. The Clark Fork River Delta is a huge wildlife and wetland area where the Clark Fork River drains into the Lake Pend Oreille in North Idaho. Links below will give you sense of the size and scope of this project. Clark Fork Delta Project    

Janelle Orsi Practicing Law in the Sharing Economy   This week another interesting interview from the economics of happiness conference in Portland Oregon earlier this month.  Many folks don't consider talking about law, the environment, and happiness all in the same paragraph. But Janell is a person that has dedicated her life to seeing localization and small things work. The is an amazing woman and a powerhouse for sustainable innovation. In 2010, Janelle was profiled by the American Bar Association as a Legal Rebel, an attorney who is[spp-tweet " “remaking the legal profession through the power of innovation.”"] In 2012, Janelle was one of 100 people listed on The (En)Rich List, which names individuals “whose contributions enrich paths to sustainable futures.”   Our interview unfortunately it was crammed into a very small time slot on the last day of the conference, on top of that, the media room was not available so this interview was conducted in the third f

Diana Duke woke up one morning and changed her life. In one fell swoop she moved  from working in a large corporation on the east coast to forest farmer, permaculture designer, yoga teacher in the Hoodoo Valley.  Oh, did I mention she is also a triathlete. Once Diana arrived in southern California she decided to become an Organic Cyclist.  She identified various organic farms, packed her panniers and became a WOOFER {Worldwide Organization of Organic Farmers}. This step took her to permaculture design courses, getting married and eventually to our neighborhood. Diana Duke now  co-owns Devadaru Mountain Farm in Priest River, Idaho with her husband , Collin. She is an Idaho Master Forest Steward, an Idaho Master Naturalist  and she holds a Permaculture Design Certification from the Permaculture Institute in Santa Fe , New Mexico. Her story to this point amazing but it is just the beginning because this is where the forest gardening and Hugelkultur come into play. Using H

This week an interview with Phil Hough of the Friends of the Scotchman Peaks Wilderness     Existing beyond political borders, Friends of Scotsman Peaks Wilderness is an exceptional example of bio-regional cooperation and management of  a number of watersheds and ecosystems. The  Mission Spanning the Idaho/Montana border, the Scotchmans are one of the last, and largest, wild areas in our region. We conduct education, outreach and stewardship activities to preserve the rugged, scenic and biologically diverse 88,000 acre Scotchman Peaks Roadless Area. "We believe the Scotchman Peaks deserve congressional designation as Wilderness for the benefit and enjoyment of current and future generations." In this interview Phil Hough, Executive Director of the organization, explains some of the current projects and the  very real possibilities for this region to gain national protection this year. Bio- regionally, Scotsman Peaks is also an outstanding example of cooperative community

  Laura Scher and Sam Smith Imagine inventing an educational space where you can share ideas, create classes and support the inter generational evolution of your community. Community Supported Everything . AN INCUBATOR FOR COMMUNITY TRANSFORMATION   Laura and Sam bring their impressive educations, enthusiasm, skills and commitment to life - in their work and in this interview where they help us all understand how you can take one idea and transform it into a hologram for community design.  In this case they took the idea of Community Supported Agriculture {CSA} and applied it to everything offering the community memberships and access to the world where thoughts become things and dreams become realities. Yes, we know, it sounds amazing and it is. Laura Scher and Sam Smith are the designers of this concept in Portland where they operate in partnership with Cascadia Now to do educational outreach and nurture community activism in our bio-region. When asked about their modest title - Commu

Johnny Appleseed's spirit  is alive and well in  the Bonner County Library's seed bank.   Dwayne Church manages the seed bank and offers free classes in the cultivation and preservation of seeds. In this interview Dwayne shares the importance of this program for future generations. We all think of our gardens as growing food for the present but the seeds are the food for tomorrow. Until the middle of the last century, local seeds were taken for granted  but now four major seed producers manage the market.  Heirloom seeds - those with a fifty year history -   are still available from small companies but Dwayne suggests we create our own future by saving seeds from locally grown produce. The three year old seed library is an off shoot of the Transition Town movement that recognized the importance of creating this living library.  The atmosphere of libraries is conducive to seed saving because the temperature and humidity must be controlled to preserve books. Unlike books, see

  [spp-player] The restoration of the Clark Fork  river delta, vanishing local caribou, the protection of public lands,  development and maintenance of our hiking trail system are some of the topics covered by Nancy  Dooley and Brad Smith  from the Idaho Conservation League   {ICL} [spp-tweet "ICL is one of the most active environmental groups in the State and we are lucky to have them here, in our hometown."]   They are a model for other non-profits wanting to learn  how their cooperative community model works as all of their projects involve other non-profits, local and regional government and hundreds of volunteers. It was a pleasure having these two proactive mover and shakers in the studio and we look forward to hearing more from them in the future. Creating a healthy sustainable Cascadia, doing it now!

 Daniel Bruce and Margaret Ruhl Urban Permaculture Pioneers Revisited     http://spokanelylcoopfarm.wordpress.com/properties/ As of today the farm is approximately 100,000sqft in six neighborhoods.   A youthful vivacious look at hope for our cities. Urban Farming is not a "dream" for these people. They have been working with the city of Spokane Wa. and it's residents to turn lawns into organic gardens.  Farm co-ops are springing up everywhere. The  success is overwhelming, and this is one area where I say say "Yay!!  to the word "overwhelm".  Bringing permaculture to the city is their passion and they are on the way to creating a model for the future. Vivacious according to Merriam Webster : "happy and lively in a way that is attractive."  This most certainly describes this couple from Spokane, Washington.  Our interview took place at the 2014 Inland Northwest Permaculture  Convergence  at the Heartsong Retreat Center. (BTW this is a "must

  This week another chat with Michael Pilarski one of Cascadia's foremost authorities on permaculture, wildcrafting and just about anything involving Nature or Nature Spirits. We spoke in his home in Hot Springs, Montana and he shares with us one of his current endeavours, a quest to inform Northwest farmers on the wide diversity of crops we can grow here. More information here: 1000 Crops for Northwest Growers   Increasing crop diversity & productivity on small farms.   A workshop series by Michael Pilarski in Eastern Washington.   Farmers and gardeners are always on the lookout for new crops. Crop diversity spreads out the risks, staggers the harvests and extends times of income generation.  This can lead to a steady stream of income year round. Winter income can be generated by crops which store well such as root cellar crops, dry grains, dried herbs and value-added products. Winter greenhouse production possibilities are expanding with advances in heating and design. &nbs

The jewel in the crown of sustainable design is food – local food. Teri McKenzie, founder of the Inland Northwest Food Network, discusses the exciting possibilities of developing this network for our region. “The Inland NW Food Network is committed to growing a resilient, environmentally responsible, and cohesive regional food system in the Inland NW – from Spokane to the Canadian border and parts of Western Montana. Our tagline is Connecting People, Place, Food, and Farms.” Recently, she visited Sandpoint to share her vision of the Network and explore the possibilities of creating a regional Food Hub that would connect farmers, distributors, retailers, and consumers. Food hubs are well developed in some regions but we haven’t created one locally. In this interview, she shares her ideas and encourages us all to make the connections we need to expand the possibilities for our region. Based in Coeur d’Alene, the group hosts monthly meetings, offers educational programs, and m

 Slow Money   Carol Peppe Hewitt This week a delightful phone interview with a lady channeling her passion into bioregionalism. In particular solving some of the vexing problems on the financial end. Some people think there is no way that small farmers  (or craftsmen ) could compete with the big box markets and huge corporations that pervade big cities and small communities. Well there are some solutions out there and simplicity seems to be woven through the process of Slow Money. Briefly -  Fast money would be your money, that you have no control over.  It is sitting in an account, or funds that you have no control over. The banks are moving that money around in ways that would make your head spin, but probably won't help you or your neighbor or your community much. - That is fast money.  Slow money is money you have in your possession and you get to choose where it is invested. One example, the local coffee shop down the street needs a new espresso machine. You have some

Local Bankers talk about the advantages of  keeping your money close to home     Links: Search results for "benefits of banking locally"

Helena Norberg-Hodge Local Futures ~  Now Localism and the upcoming Economics of Happiness Conference We are honored to have Author and filmmaker Helena Norberg-Hodge As our guest on Thinking Outside of the Box this week.  Helena is a pioneer of the new economy movement. She is a widely respected analyst of the impact of the global economy and international development on local communities and local economies. She spoke to us from Byron Bay, Australia.  One half hour is hardly time to do justice to a woman of such varied skills, so this time we just focused on a short bio, and then a peek at the itinerary for the upcoming Economics of Happiness conference in Portland Oregon. It is hard to believe the list of accomplishments this lady has left in her wake. She brings a breath of fresh air to us folks in a world which has seemingly run amok with global marketing, the philosophy of the dominant class and consumer consciousness. She paints a clear picture of how living a simple life and suppo

As a certified arborist, Rich Del Carlo spends much of his life up in the trees and from this rather unusual perspective, he shares with us his birds eye view of changes he is seeing in our local balance with nature. Rich is also one of the area’s most ardent bird watchers and recently coordinated the Audubon Society's  annual Christmas bird count for the region. This event has been going on nationally for over one hundred years and clearly tracks the changes in bird populations and migrations. Many things affect the balance of man and nature but the most important thing we can do as individuals is to become aware of our personal relationship to our surroundings. Our choices can begin in our own homes with the flowers we plant, how we use water or the chemicals we buy. Everyone can make a difference in creating balance.

Bonner Community Hospice, Hospice is a promise of hope and comfort for those in our community with an ongoing illness or injury that have reached the point of no longer seeking aggressive or curative treatment. We are a team of skilled professionals and volunteers working in partnership with a patient’s doctor, providing physical, emotional and spiritual services and support for the whole family. (From the website quoted below)     Lissa “Elissabeth” DeFreitas has been ‘on board’ with our only not-for-profit Bonner Community Hospice, serving Bonner and Boundary Counties, since October 2013. While serving as a Volunteer Coordinator and educational liaison, Lissa has the opportunity to share the gifts and benefits of hospice for our local community.  She has been hospice connected as a volunteer, beginning in 1985 in Ogden Utah, Spokane Washington and Sandpoint, Idaho. Lissa has passionately partnered with our local service community, through her work with

Planning and managing sustainable growth in rural areas creates a dynamic tension for communities. Jeremy Grimes  the City Planner for the City of Sandpoint and regional planner, discusses how three local communities and Bonner County are working together on these issues with the Land Trust to develop a Green Print for development. This collaborative effort is helping to develop a regional master plan for growth that includes all aspects of growth within the local environment. He offers some great insights, resources and examples for other communities looking at the issues related  private/public land use issues, zoning, transportation, improvement, and expansion of essential services; innovation in building, management of natural resources and recreational development. In his 8 years in the community, Jeremy has seen many changes. In his own life as he and his wife raise two earth conscious children and have started a business, Sandpoint Fiber Company. He and his family raise and care for cas

  Jim Zuberbuller –   Co-Founder–Communiversity, Sandpoiont  Alan Millar - Director of PTech for Idaho and Principle Forest Bird Charter School, Sandpoint Students in rural communities who want access to college and training programs often  face many educational and financial barriers. In Sandpoint, many of these barriers have been overcome as local community leaders have been working together to form exciting new educational alliances and opportunities for both local and state-wide students.  Jim Zuberbuller –   Co-Founder–Communiversity, Sandpoiont  and Alan Millar - Director of PTECH h for Idaho and Principle  of the Forest Bird Charter School, Sandpoint discuss two exciting innovative solutions. Sandpoint Communiversity is a five year old project that has opened many new options and programs for local students with the state wide colleges and universities.   The idea, which was brought to town by Connie Kimbel is now a re