creativity, survival & evolution

Though we don't often think about it, creativity is essential for our survival and evolution, both as individuals and as a species. One of the functions of the EARTH Lodge program is to provide an environment for creative expression and the inspiration to pursue it. For example, in the original Lodge (then called "Outdoor House") local artist Cristian Koshock came by to teach us about hand-building clay pottery, and this past equinox local teacher and community activist Ram Bhagat educated us about rhythm and drumming in the gazebo on Westhampton Lake.

And, in EARTH Lodge, "Creative expression" is a broad term that includes conversation, writing or dance as well as digital creations such as this group video composed by '08 Lodge members:"The Creativity Project." Lodge members also pursue more material creations such as linoleum block printing. This print, created by '08 Lodge member Jimmy Rague, is a good example of such a print. As we race into the digital age, elder technologies often slip away unnoticed and we are the poorer for it. Is there a good reason why we cannot retain the best of the old as we more thougtfully select and embrace the new? Why shouldn't we know how to build a fire as well as a website?

One of the unique aspects of EARTH Lodge is that the goal of more thoughtful engagement with technology and nature for the purpose of collecting a full quiver of skills, both old and new, that have joyful as well as practical purposes. In a time of crisis when the "experts" and promoters of orthodox economic,social and intellectual practices have been proven so wrong, it can be empowering to develop and exercise creative thinking for truly new solutions while learning practical new skills, both primitive and high tech - a mixture that enhances our ability to adapt and survive in a wider variety of circumstances.

Real learning involves far more than just reading and writing, although these are obviously essential. In his 1837 address to the Phi Beta Kappa Society at a Cambridge graduation, Emerson noted that the three main influences upon the mind are that of nature, books and action. He says that "the first in time and the first in importance of the influences upon the mind is that of nature," and that although books are important neither they nor the ideas they contain should master us since "Man Thinking must not be subdued by his instruments." It is the actively engaged life, the one that takes risks, intellectual, emotional and physical, that is rich with learning from direct experience rather than hearsay.

Emerson explains why action is so important for the scholar and he describes how it functions to substantially enhance our more academic learning: "There goes in the world a notion, that the scholar should be a recluse, a valetudinarian,--as unfit for any handiwork or public labor, as a penknife for an axe. .... Action is with the scholar subordinate, but it is essential. Without it, he is not yet man. Without it, thought can never ripen into truth....
The preamble of thought, the transition through which it passes from the unconscious to the conscious, is action. Only so much do I know, as I have lived. Instantly we know whose words are loaded with life, and whose not.

The world,--this shadow of the soul, or other me, lies wide around. Its attractions are the keys which unlock my thoughts and make me acquainted with myself. I run eagerly into this resounding tumult. I grasp the hands of those next me, and take my place in the ring to suffer and to work, taught by an instinct, that so shall the dumb abyss be vocal with speech. I pierce its order; I dissipate its fear; I dispose of it within the circuit of my expanding life. So much only of life as I know by experience, so much of the wilderness have I vanquished and planted, or so far have I extended my being, my dominion. I do not see how any man can afford, for the sake of his nerves and his nap, to spare any action in which he can partake. It is pearls and rubies to his discourse. Drudgery, calamity, exasperation, want, are instructors in eloquence and wisdom. The true scholar grudges every opportunity of action past by, as a loss of power."


It was hard to remember this while squatting beneath a 1000 lb. horse, but I have no doubt of the wisdom of Emerson's insight!

burning beneath the town

Centralia, PA

When I read about Centralia in “A Walk in the Woods” by Bryson, I was astonished at how it was possible for a fire to be burning beneath the town since 1962. This sparkled my interest to do a research on the phenomenon and find more about the history of Centralia and where it all started from. In Colonial times civilization was making huge steps towards progress and discovering the benefits from mining.
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Colliery in the Centralia area from 1864.

Lehigh Valley Coal Company, Centralia Colliery, 1928

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Coal strip Mining in Centralia, 1963

Between 1856 and 1863, 5 anthracite coal mines opened in Centralia. Men working in the mines could earn money and provide for their families until the market crash of 1929 caused all 5 mines to close. Struggling to make both ends meet, some of the laid off miners became bootleggers – they would take out the pillars of the idle mines and as a result the roofs of the mines would collapse. This practice would make fighting the fire in the coal mines very difficult.






Later, in 1962 the Centralia Council decided to clean up the landfill so the city looks nice for Memorial Day. All holes in the pit were filled with combustible material but one – the one leading to the old coal mines. Since then fire has been burning and every attempt to extinguish turned out to be futile.

A video of the tragedy can be seen here:

The story of Centralia makes me ponder on the numerous ways such a tragedy could have been avoided. With more strict regulations the bootleg practice could have been restricted. With a moderate use of natural resources there wouldn’t be so many mines concentrated on such a small region. If the Centralia Council were more careful when making the decision to clean up the landfill and the filling of the holes in the pit were executed more precisely, then it’s possible that the tragedy would have been avoided. The few people still living in Centralia foster hopes for the fire to be extinguished, but there are no current plans for this to happen. These people have roots in the town, but these roots can burn out every moment – metaphorically and literary. I think that what makes it a huge tragedy is that the fire in the mine is a result of human error and negligence.

pre-semester retreat at Doyle's River Cabin

FRIDAY August 22

4:00pm: After a crazy hectic day of lugging heavy boxes of college-student-crap into our dorm rooms, getting accidentally locked out of Lakeview (I know I did at least a couple of times), nearly getting parking tickets in K-lot, and marveling over how beautiful is this new building we have the privilege of living in... we are finally ready to leave for our pre-semester retreat! Backpacks, sleeping bags and hiking boots ahoy, we take off in three cars.

5:30pm: We stop for the purposes of securing "provisions," namely, enough food to feed a dozen hungry college kids and one very hungry professor for five meals. This was one of my favorite parts of the trip. In the parking lot of a Charlottesville "Giant", we split into teams of 2 or 3 and were handed a small piece of paper detailing our mission: one meal per team. My team of Jimmy, Elizabeth and I were in charge of Saturday lunch. A handbasketful of PB&J, apples, and bread later, we were all ready. Other meals included oatmeal, bananas and bagels as breakfast foods, ramen noodles, and this really amazing prosciutto/mozzarella roll thingy that we sliced up and munched on Friday night whilst making pita pizzas over an open fire. Camp food is great.

9:00pm: Campfire underway, pita pizzas as described above. Everyone was sitting around, laughing, talking, getting to know each other. We played a few games of cards and called it an early night. Due to a limited number of bunk beds, some people had to share- Elizabeth, Molly and Natalie decided that it was necessary for them to have an absolutely bug-free night, and so we helped shut them up in their "cage": mosquito netted boards completely sealing off their lower bunk from the "elements" outside. From what I hear, it was a very close night. (Anyone have pictures?)
We talked some more, all of us from our bunks, before going to bed; Carleton, from his bag under a tree outside, described hearing our laughter bubbling out of the cabin as the most beautiful sound ever. Which I think is pretty cool.

SATURDAY August 23

12:30pm: Woke up, breakfasted on some oatmeal and bananas, and set out on a hike for the day. Despite the drought, we came across some pretty waterfalls (again, anyone have pics?). There was some swimming, some head-soaking, and some waterfall-climbing. We met some people taking pictures of one of the falls, and in exchange for taking over the whole damn place with a bunch of laughing folks, we gave them some trail mix cookies (oatmeal, coconut, chocolate and cranberry...will post recipe soon!). We talked about Earth Abides while sitting around at that waterfall, too, which was definitely a cool experience. I think I would have liked CORE more, or all of my classes for that matter, if class discussions based on the readings were held on mossy rocks while listening to the gentle trickling of drought-drained waterfalls nearby.




5:00pm: After our epic hike ended, estimated about 8 miles, we trooped back to camp and got down to business: naptime. Everyone picked out a spot in the grass or the cabin and settled down to rest. Quiet time was nice, and everyone woke up at their own pace, talking quietly, playing cards again, and gathering some wood for the evening's campfire.

8:00pm: After a delicious dinner of ramen noodles and smoked sausage cooked over an open flame, we all sat around again and laughed and talked, this time even more comfortably than the night before. I think this retreat definitely made our hall closer than most of the floors in Lakeview. I can't imagine just getting to school the day before classes started and trying to get to know everyone amidst the chaos of classes, homework, clubs, and various weekend activities. At Doyle's River we were totally secluded, just the Earth Lodge, and we got to know each other very well right away as a result.

SUNDAY August 24:

9:00am: Woke up early and packed up camp. Time to get back to school! Classes start the next day. We head home, tired but happy, full of dried fruit and other camp delicacies, looking forward to a nice shower and to living around this cool group of people that make up our Lodge.

Sweet Home Chicago

Hello all lovely people!

So I'm finally writing now that I'm back home from quite an exciting summer in Richmond and able to process it now! This summer I had an internship with the Virgina Organizing Project, a non-partisan grassroots organization working to get people more involved in their communities. Our task this summer was to go door-to-door canvassing, give workshops, go to festivals, etc. to get people registered to vote and talk about health care reform in Richmond, Petersburg, Colonial Heights and Fredericksburg. What we really focused on though was the registration of ex-felons because in Virginia your right to vote, serve on a jury, be a notary public or hold public office are taken away if you are incarcerated. VA and Kentucky are the only two states left in the country that do not restore these rights automatically after completion of a sentence, which is highly controversial as it displaces 377,000 people in the state, of which 208,000 are African-American. Here's a Washington Post article on the situation in VA. The application process to restore your rights is grueling (including tons of paperwork) but the work we did with the applicants was truly gratifying. To them, they served their time, want to put their past behind them and would just like to be considered an equal voice in society like you or I. It made me also realize how we often take these rights for granted- especially young adults about voting/civic engagement- so, mmm yeah. ANYWAYS this was my amazing crew at WRIR before we went on the air for an interview...












Other major highlights from the summer include volunteering at the Virginia Democratic Convention in Hampton Roads and getting the chance to announce candidates and others before their speeches: my favorites including Tim Kaine, Mark Warner, Dick Cranwell and Brian Moran. It was actually really cool to meet Kaine because he was expediting the process for our applicants...saying anyone's app that was in before Aug. 1 would be able to vote in November! Woo! And now after that whirlwind of a summer I'm home having just gone to Lollapalooza in gorgeous Grant Park, Chicago. Radiohead, Rage Against the Machine and Kanye were the headliners and it was quite the way to welcome myself home! And next week I'm shipping off to New Orleans for a week of environmental justice work with the Back Porch Energy Initiative. I wrote a lot and shall stop...I really can't wait until we come together and hear everyone's stories! I know I've grown a lot this summer and look forward to see how everyone else reflects over their experiences.