Social Forestry: Tending the Land as People of Place is a primer on philosophies and practices of holistic, place-based living. Author Tomi Hazel Vaarde, collaborator of Siskiyou Permaculture, uses essays, poetry, posters, photographs and drawings to outline philosophies and concepts of Social Forestry. By weaving time-honored stories, myths, and lessons from a range of customs and traditions including North American Indigenous communities and Vaarde’s own Quaker upbringing, Vaarde explores how holistic land and community management approaches can facilitate resolution of some of our most dire local and global crises. Many indigenous peoples have learned holistic thinking by living for generations in and with a sense of place, but few examples of whole-system planning and participation are evident in modern society. Climate adaptation, social justice, human survival, and a matrix of biodiversity that supports life on Earth require radical, back-to-the-roots grounding and intentional dedication. Most modern industrial consumerism is unsustainable, and relocalization, an essential piece of a holistic future, is not yet the priority it needs to be to prevent a worldwide collapse of livable habitats. Social Forestry helps readers remember the ways of the wild while advocating for evidence-based solutions including local food production, support for and collaboration with drainage basin councils, forest management, and stabilization of headwaters to build resilience for the long term. Vaarde maintains that if we can support and celebrate Social Forestry as a way of reciprocation and healing, down river settlements will have a chance of thriving. To live in harmony with our surroundings, we need to re-skill, always remembering those who came before us and acting in ways that honor traditional wisdom so that we can keep our discussions wide and deep. About the Author: Hazel is a long time resident of the Southern Oregon/Mount Shasta bioregion first settling here in the early 70's, and has been advising farms, stewarding forests, and teaching Environmental Sciences for more than fifty years. Their focus for this 21st century has been Social Forestry, restoring Oak/Pine Savannah in Little Wolf Gulch near Ruch, OR, demonstrating natural building, fuel hazard materials utilization, multiple products woods-crafting, wildlife support and desert forest water management. As a youth, Hazel grew a vegetable garden from age five, trained in wildflower gardening with god-grandmother May Barton, taught two summers in the Nature Lodge at Camp Wakapominee, was an active participant in the life of their traditional culture, performed in a folk music trio with brothers Tim and Josh, and sang in choir and school sectional choruses. During college, Hazel became an experienced winter mountaineer, water safety instructor, rock climber and caver, studied abroad and performed folk music in France during 1968, participated in Vietnam medical relief efforts, and managed to graduate under political duress. After having earned degrees in Forestry and Systematic Botany from Syracuse University and SUNY College of Forestry, 1969, Hazel taught Wild Edible Plants and Woods-lore at Laney College in Oakland CA in the early 70's. After helping Bill Mollison teach the first Permaculture Design Course at Evergreen State College in 1982, they have been instrumental in teaching and spreading Permaculture practices. They have taught at D-Q University in Davis CA, Thlolego Learning Centre in South Africa,Earth Passengers in Taiwan, Heartwood Institute in Northern California, Aprovecho Institute, and The Wilderness Charter School at Ashland High School, as well as at many other institutes and communities. Hazel has taught dozens of Permaculture courses over the last 37 years, primarily in Southern Oregon and Northern California. These include the PDC, Permaculture Teachers Training, and advanced courses in Optical Surveying, Social Forestry and Farm Planning. They were a frequent guest instructor for Toby Hemenway PDC's offered in the Northwest. Hazel holds four Permaculture Diplomas from Bill Mollison's Institute, as well as two from the Permaculture Institute of North America. In conjunction with Siskiyou Permaculture, they now occasionally teach a local weekends PDC at various locations in Southern Oregon and advanced permaculture courses at Wolf Gulch Ranch in the Little Applegate Canyon. Hazel was once known as Tom and is the author ofGreenward Ho! Herbal Home Remedies: An Ecological Approach to Sustainable Health. Hazel has organized and supervised the development of several Permaculture Farms and woodlands including Whistling Duck Farm, Spirit Gardens, Star Gardens, Elk Dancing!, Wolf Gulch Farm, Seven Seeds Farm, and HerbPharm. They have also done hundreds of 'walk through' farm and homestead brainstorms. " |