PEACE & SUSTAINABILITY

Shakori Hills has been committed to practicing and promoting environmental sustainability since its inception. Look around and see composting and recycling bins, solar electric panels, local foods, tractors powered by renewable biodiesel, water conservation and preservation of woodlands. Shakori Hills is rededicating itself to working with our community to strategize paths forward for this movement. Shakori Hills is working to be a part of the solution and we are welcoming all to contribute.  The Sustainability Pavilion is the center of this practice. Here we offer a series of demonstrations and discussions where you can learn more and meet local leaders in this movement. 

SPRING 2025 SUSTAINABILITY WORKSHOPS

Wild Spring Walkabout – Enjoy the beauty and wildness of Nature with Shakori Hills’ neighbor organic farmer, naturalist and licensed psychotherapist Leif Diamant, as we explore and experience some of the wild wakening and cultivated bounty of Spring. We’ll wander from Shakori Hills to Leif’s homestead, visit the African Dwarf goat herd, maybe meet some wild animals, and eat and drink some edible and medicinal wild plants and beverages. Come along on this popular walk to experience greater knowledge and deeper intimacy with Nature.  Meet at the Bridge by Healing Arts, Friday 12pm, and return by 2pm.

Solar Power to the People – Ed Witkin of Carrboro Solar Works will lead an interactive discussion and hands-on workshop about the use of solar electricity (PV) and how it can be incorporated into our homes, business, farms, RVs and anywhere else the sun shines. We will discuss solar energy technology and how to improve home PV systems to achieve the greatest energy savings as well as local, state, national and global PV system trends. Sustainability Pavilion, Friday 1:30pm

Understand and Strengthen the Soil Food Web – In this workshop Allen Pickett of Honeybee Hemp Farms will lead an interactive discussion on the vital role of the “living soil food web” for fostering robust plants, eliminating fertilizers, and improving ecosystem health. He will delve into practical and impactful methods to rejuvenate your soil by emphasizing the use of vermiculture, compost, and compost teas. Learn how these techniques enhance soil fertility for crops and how you may implement them at home. Sustainability Pavilion, Friday 3pm

Mushroom ID Ramble – Join Laura Stewart, owner of Haw River Mushrooms and certified Mushroom Forager, for a walk to spot some of the fungal life on Shakori Hills grounds. Depending on what the rains bring, we can hope to find oyster mushrooms, turkey tail, jelly fungi, and some cool myco-heterotrophs (more on that in class). “It’s our belief that mushroom gardens should be as common in NC as the tomato garden.”  As we walk, Laura will discuss growing mushrooms and how to select mushroom species that work best for outdoor production in North Carolina. Sustainability Pavilion, Friday 4pm

Food Preservation – We preserve that which we value. Pierre Lauffer, with over 30 years’ experience in environmental health and science, will lead a group discussion on the historical and philosophical aspects of food preservation. Open dialogue will touch upon the various techniques and strategies for preserving our food and why it is important to maintain food preservation techniques as part of a general path toward sustainable living.  Sustainability Pavilion, Saturday 9:30am

Green Building Design Alchemy – There really isn’t a green building system that’s adapted to affordable, healthy and energy-efficient homes for NC’s humid summers and winters cold enough to require twice the heating energy as our summer AC. Michael Chandler of Chandler Design-Build will lead an interactive discussion of what it takes for “Affordable Energy-Efficient Home Building System” in NC. He will review some strategies that work and how our current building codes and practices have already anticipated that challenge. “It’s not what you don’t know, but what you think you know that just ain’t so.” —Dr Joe Lstiburek. Sustainability Pavilion, Saturday 11am

Nature Spirituality and Sacred Ecology; Nature as Teacher, Healer and Beloved – Nature is our Home and Wildness is our Roots. Nature is the source of many religions and spiritualities. Leif Diamant, licensed psychotherapist, organic small-scale farmer, ordained interfaith minister and lifetime naturalist, will facilitate deepening our intimacy with and learning from Nature. We will discuss and practice processes and behaviors that can expand our relationship with Nature as a source for healing, peace, well-being, creativity, wisdom, compassion, spirituality and love. Sustainability Pavilion, Saturday 12pm

Use of Sustainable Fibers in the Fabric Industry – Arlo Estill is the Founder of Hempsmith Clothing Company. Arlo is on a mission to drive the fabrics industry toward a more local and “people-friendly” way. He is working to bring hemp home and restore NC textile production. Arlo will lead us through an interactive discussion on the role of the locally produced fibers, how the industry could contribute to sustainability and its contribution to the economy in a global fashion industry. Sustainability Pavilion, Saturday 1pm

Trauma Awareness Circle – As our community gathers, we show up with a variety of unresolved traumas. In the spirit of offering a safe space to come together with care, we invite you to the Sustainability Tent’s Trauma-Awareness Circle. This supportive educational event provides an opportunity to learn about different types of trauma and trauma responses. You’ll also discover resources for healing, and we’ll practice simple nervous system calming techniques that you can add to your self-care toolkit. This event will be facilitated by Kim Jordan of Climate Conscious Coaching. With 19 years of professional and personal experience in trauma recovery, Kim believes in the power of trauma therapy and awareness for creating a more just, harmonious world. Sustainability Pavilion, Saturday 3pm

Let’s Talk Beekeeping – Join Chatham County Beekeeping Association (CCBA) member Tim Coykendall for an Introduction to Beekeeping. Here you’ll get an overview of all that is needed to get started in beekeeping, learn about bee biology, how to buy/aquire bees and equipment, local factors impacting bees, planting pollinator gardens, and honeybee products. Bring your honeybee questions! Sustainability Pavilion, Saturday 4pm

The Buzz about Honey Bees! – Come by the Ask a Beekeeper tent where you can talk with local beekeepers from Chatham and surrounding counties, watch honey bees at work in an observation hive, get a feel for beekeeping equipment, learn about area resources and have a taste of local honey. Bring your questions, queries and curiosities! We’ve got answers! Open daily from 11am - 6pm, in Wellness Way by the Sustainability Pavilion