Healing ourselves, our communities and our planet.
388 Atlantic Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11217
347 689 3908
melissa@thecommonsbrooklyn.org
With Chris Harp and Grai Rice from HoneybeeLives
February 4 & 5, Saturday and Sunday 10am - 6pm
This is a two-day weekend workshop to help get you started with beekeeping. This natural approach to beekeeping helps beginning beekeepers understand the responsibilities of the beekeeper, and develops an understanding of the instincts and community of the bees with a Biodynamic influence. A philosophy of gentle care is imparted, as well as practical knowledge in preparation for starting hives in the spring. This class is also helpful for current beekeepers who are looking for a culture of nurturing.
Intro to Organic Beekeeping: Planning a New Hive for Spring (Saturday 10am - 6pm)
Learn about the basic requirements and responsibilities for organic beekeeping. Understand the community of a hive, the tools involved, elements of site selection, where you can obtain honeybees and equipment, and an understanding of a naturalist approach to their needs. There is a hands-on demonstration of assembling a wooden hive, and extensive class handouts to help new beekeepers.
Understanding and Caring For Your Bees (Sunday 10am - 6pm)
Topics will include: hive congruency and design to benefit the colony (including Top Bar Hives); Honeybee health and disease management the natural way; seasonal concerns and methods to help keep your honeybees strong.
Preregistration is required. $200 per person for the full weekend, or $100 for one day.
Join us as Andrew Faust, NYC’s long-time Permaculture scholar, brings together Permaculture and Bioregionalism: two elegant design models that show us how to heal ourselves while we heal the land.
The solutions to our economic and environmental problems aren’t complex or out of reach. Quite the contrary! Our food, fuel and fiber needs can be met in synergistic ways that strengthen community economies reconnecting people with their beauty and biology.
By cooperating regionally and designing ecologically we create and insure healthy and secure economies, landscapes and communities that benefit and enrich for generations to come!
Come and learn how to meet human needs with ecological integrity through Permaculture design.
With Nana Deleplanque, Reiki Alliance Master Instructor.
This is a two-day workshop:
Saturday, January 28, 9:30 to 5
and
Sunday, January 29, 9:30 to 5:30
Reiki means Universal Life Force.
This Energy is all around us, and we can transmit it.
The Reiki process is a simple method of hands-on healing as developed by Dr. Mikao Usui, a teacher of theology in Kyoto, Japan, where the energy is used to normalize mind and body functions.
By the end of the first degree workshop you will be able to:
*Scan the body of the person receiving treatment and perceive areas of reduced vitality flow.
*Channel Reiki energy into yourself or transmit to others, and sense the energy as it flows through your hands.
*Appreciate how attitudes can create dis-ease in the mind and emotions, and how the physical body might be affected.
Nana is Certified Usui System Reiki Master in private practice since 1989 and teaching classes in NYC and France.
If you have questions, please contact Nana by email at info@nanareiki.com or by phone at 917-376-4418.
Goddard College’s programs in Sustainability ~ come learn about the low-residency programs, a BA in Sustainability and an MA in Sustainable Business and Communities. Goddard is 1/3 less $ than other graduate programs, and is based on a unique, more radical pedagogy than other programs where the student develops and defines their study. You can live what you learn and learn more about what you’re living through these programs. Great for working parents, activists and organizers who want to pursue their studies while continuing to work on what they’re most committed to. Join us Saturday, January 28, 4-5pm at The Commons Brooklyn. Application fee waived for those in attendance. Refreshments provided.
For more information, contact allison@coachtrainchange.com
This hands-on workshop will provide you with the skills you need to make high-quality infusions, decoctions, and liquid extracts (tinctures) at home, that go far beyond common folk methods for herbal preparation. Students will leam how to assure that they are using high quality herbs and other ingredients, and then participate in tincture making that takes into account: fresh versus dry plant material, optimal alcohol percentage for various medicinal plants, and an introduction to basic phytochemistry as it relates to medicine making. Included in the class tuition is a small jar of tincture that each student will make during class and be able to bring home; a small materials fee will be charged if students wish to make additional extracts.
Richard Mandelbaum RH (AHG) has been an avid student of plants for more than twenty years, He is a clinical herbalist with a private practice in Brooklyn and in Sullivan County, NY, in which he gives personalized holistic health recommendations, and is the former director of the Clinical Herbalist Diploma Program at the Lehigh Valley Healing Arts Academy in Emmaus, Pennsylvania. In addition to teaching on a diverse range of clinical subjects, he often leads workshops on field botany, wild edible plants and mushrooms. Richard is a professional member of the American Herbalists Guild.
How to fearlessly and successfully accomplish anything in life
Kirk Abrigo inspires, motivates, encourages and instructs on the Principles of Action. His audience learns how to conquer fear, lack of motivation and the many other obstacles that prevent individuals from achieving their inherent potential to accomplish anything they want in life. Having been a champion martial arts competitor for many years. Abrigo speaks from real world experience as well as being someone who has studied the teachings and literature of some of the world’s foremost authorities on goal accomplishment. He has also successfully operated his own businesses, which include a graphic novel publishing company as well as a custom T-shirt printing company. He talks about the principles that have worked for him throughout his life’s successes.
The time is now. The time is always now to start moving towards your goals and dreams. No more excuses and waiting around for what you want to come to you, ACTION TO SUCCESS is a logical, practical and spiritual approach to fearlessly achieve the goals you set for yourself. This is 90 minutes that will fundamentally change the way you look at how success is achieved.
Topics covered in ACTION TO SUCCESS:1. How to overcome the most common roadblocks to reaching your goals. 2. How to have faith in yourself and keep it.3. How to get over the fear of failure.4. Getting motivated to move towards your success. 5. How to invoke the laws of attraction. 6. Ten ways to beat procrastination.7. How to motivate yourself on a daily basis.8. Tapping into the power within you to influence the outcome of your future. 9. Gaining mental toughness in order to overcome negativity.10. How to avoid thinking that leads to failure.11. The motivation to get moving.12. What everyone is entitled to from this life.
The talk is free, but registration is required to reserve a seat.
Here we are in cold and flu season. If you or a loved one suffers from too many illnesses this time of year, come learn not only how to alleviate symptoms but how to boost your body’s innate resilience and resistance to infection. We’ll discuss herbs, supplements, diet, and lifestyle choices that nourish our immune systems and keep us healthy.
Richard Mandelbaum RH (AHG) has been an avid student of plants for more than twenty years, He is a clinical herbalist with a private practice in Brooklyn and in Sullivan County, NY, in which he gives personalized holistic health recommendations, and is the former director of the Clinical Herbalist Diploma Program at the Lehigh Valley Healing Arts Academy in Emmaus, Pennsylvania. In addition to teaching on a diverse range of clinical subjects, he often leads workshops on field botany, wild edible plants and mushrooms. Richard is a professional member of the American Herbalists Guild.
The Bhagavad Gita says, ’ When the mind is still and quiet the Self reveals itself.’ Sounds wonderful, but getting to a still and quiet place in the mind can be quite a trip! In this two hour master class with Lesley Desaulniers and Amanda Harding, we will explore how to access this inner calm when things get vigorous and intensely active ‘on the mat’. Extending ‘off the mat’, we will explore how these lessons can help bring us tranquility enabling a deeper connection to our true nature amidst the chaos and challenges of everyday life.
LESLEY DESAULNIERS has been studying yoga and meditation since 1996, taking her practice to New York, Russia, India, and back. In her early twenties, Lesley was a resident at Ananda Ashram in upstate New York, where she intensively studied Sanskrit, meditation, philosophy, and Hatha yoga. She was later certified by Sharon Gannon and David Life and went on to teach at the Jivamukti Yoga Center in downtown Manhattan. Lesley continues to study, practice, and teach daily. Her classes are imbued with a rare blend of scholarly study, spiritual awareness, and good humor. To find out more about Lesley, please visit her website: www.authenticityproject.com
AMANDA HARDING was raised in a family of Broadway gypsies where yoga became a natural progression after a lifetime of dancing. Certified through NYC’s OM Yoga Center, she has been teaching privately for over 10 years as well as group classes at Prema Yoga, Equinox, The Shala, Park Slope Yoga, Yoga Center of Brooklyn and many others. Amanda teaches a vigorous and dynamic class incorporating the fluidity of dance and music with heavy emphasis on alignment, breath, patience and fun. Her wish is to impart to her students the many gifts she has received through her ongoing practice and studies – a greater sense of awareness, inner peace, strength, compassion and much joy.www.karunanyc.com
Dominique Thomas is a certified prana yama yoga teacher. She was fortunate to train under Jeff Migdow, MD, former director of the Kripula Yoga Teacher Training who integrated his medical, yogic and holistic knowledge in the 200 hour coursework. She has also completed a 250 hour Hatha Yoga Advanced Teacher Training Courses with teacher Saji founder and director of the International Vasishta Yoga Research Foundation in Calicut, Kerala, India. Dominique went on a yoga journey in Myanmar in 2006. She had an inspiring experience at Suncokret Holistic Wellness Retreat in Croatia in the summer of 2009 and 2010 where she taught prana yama yoga in the summer of 2011.
Prana means breath or energy, Yama means to control, to master. Prana yama yoga emphasizes awareness of the breath during asanas while holding the poses. This yoga practice works on steadiness, balance and flexibility. During the practice we focus on calmness of mind, slowness of breath and relaxation of body. Through the practice of prana yama yoga we gain the ability to purify and balance the mind and body.This yoga class is for all levels.
Every Monday evening the Commons offers classes in both Qigong and Taichi chuan. You can take just the qigong, starting at 6:15, or arrive at 7 for the taichi, or come for both.
Qi Gong
6:15-6:50
Open to all levels this class is excellent for winding down after a stressful day. These gentle stretching and breathing exercises have been proven to: Lower blood pressure, relieve pain from arthritis or old injuries, regulate blood/sugar levels, improve balance and increase joint mobility.
Taiji
7-8:30
Originally practiced as a martial art in China, taiji is an easy-to-learn, effective system of body movements practiced today by millions of people worldwide as part of their daily routine. For those seeking health, the practice of taiji has proven to benefit every major system of the body including muscular/skeletal, cardiovascular, respiratory, digestive, immune and nervous. For martial artists and athletes training in taiji will result in greater speed, power, efficiency, balance and coordination.
$15-20 sliding scale.
Classes taught by Sifu Calum Douglas-Reid
Sifu Calum Douglas-Reid began studying tai chi chuan in 1987 at the school of international Grandmaster William CC Chen and became an assistant instructor at the school in 1999. He received his full teaching certification and the title Sifu in 2002. Calum competes in national and international tournaments; in 2004 he received a gold medal at the prestigious Chung Hwa Cup in Taiwan. Sifu Douglas-Reid teaches at the school, at NY health clubs and gives private lessons. He holds workshops in the US and Europe.
Take Root Yoga: Stretch Grow Play
Starting in November, Take Root Yoga will provide a wholesome after school activity for children.
Classes will be separated into three sections: seed, sprout, and tree to mimic the natural cycle of an apple tree. The children will discover the basics of yoga combined with seasonal inspired themes and organic methods to help children incorporate elements of a yogic lifestyle into their lives on and off the mat. Tailored for ages between 5 and 7 with no yoga experience needed.
$15.00 per class or $40.00 for 3
Take Root’s Anna Hieronimus first started doing yoga for the same reason most people do: she wanted to be happier and healthier. She quickly discovered that practicing the postures and breathing exercises allowed her to tune in with herself, improved flexibility, strength and stamina, reduce stress, and allow for a stronger sense of concentration and creativity. As a graduate of the Kripalu School of Yoga, Karma Kids Yoga, and the Om Yoga Center, Anna recognizes that just as everyone’s body and personality are different; every yoga practice has to be unique. She has taken particular pleasure in teaching children, constantly impressed with their innocent wisdom and willingness to Stretch Grow and Play. Whether their practice becomes a spiritual journey or just a healthy daily activity, Anna wants to help children find a deeper understanding of themselves and the big world around them.
Yoga is a unique way for children to exercise both their body and mind while also having fun! By using creative interpretations of traditional yoga poses, exciting games, dancing, music and art, kids can experience yoga in a way that is relevant to their interests. In today’s world it is more important than ever that children are aware of the benefits of staying healthy and strong. We believe in the power of yoga to open a child’s mind, heart and spirit, allowing them to be more confident, comfortable, and free to be themselves.
For more information contact Anna at AnnaH348@gmail.com or visit our website www.take-root.com
“My child self would have loved to practice yoga in a non-competitive environment, so I feel blessed to share the gift of yoga with children.”
-Anna Hieronimus
Both Christmas and New Year’s fall on Sundays, and our market will be closed.
Come by this Sunday, our last market of the year, for some delicious fresh fish and holiday treats from our vendors. Give some local artisanal treats as gifts this year. Carol has her handmade chocolates, Louise her homemade jams. Pies and pastries and roasted nuts.
And our usual local and organic vegetables, of course.
It happens over and over again: a group of people come together, fired up with passion to create change. They begin with huge inspiration and enthusiasm, and a year later, it’s all foundered in the mire of conflict. We could have changed the world ten times over—if we didn’t have to do it together with other people, those irritating, self-righteous, controlling, fluff-brained clueless idiots who are our friends and allies.
But we can do better. In her latest book, The Empowerment Manual, A Guide for Collaborative Groups, Starhawk draws on four decades of experience in circles and collectives to show us how to foster connection, clear communication and positive power in ourselves and our groups.
In this workshop, we will use the tools of magic, meditation, trance, and ritual to explore issues of personal and social power. We’ll look at ways to create nurturing and healing group structures, to deal with difficult people and embrace constructive conflict. We’ll raise and focus group energy to celebrate our connectedness and nurture
resilient communities that can be joyful and effective agents of change.
Presented by NYC Evolver.
The weekend starts on Friday evening (as either a single event or as part of the whole weekend) at The Meta Center, 214 W 29th St # 16, in Manhattan, 7:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. Cost: $20/pre purchase or $25 at the door
Saturday & Sunday at The Commons
10:00 a.m. - 6 p.m. both days
Cost: $225, includes Friday evening event
For more information: contact Cami CamiArrow[at]gmail.com
808-281-5605
Greetings Parents of little ones!
Butter Beans is hosting COOKING, FOOD + FUN for you and your 3-4 year old Wednesdays from 9:30-11am this November and December.
Classes are hands-on, delicious, and include movement, stories and music appropriate to the topic of the day. This is the line up:
November 23rd - MUFFIN MAKING with seasonal fruits
November 30th - GREENS - come learn how they grow, taste different varieties and make our own kale chips
December 7th - HUMMUS and corn chips - a great snack for all ages
December 14th - GINGERBREAD COOKIES - it’s the season for sweetness, come celebrate the coming of winter!
Email Felicia@ButterBeansKitchen.com to register and reserve your spot. Classes are $25.
Butter Beans serves delicious and healthy school lunch and snacks to independent schools in NYC, hosts in-school wellness curriculum and offers after-school cooking classes.
To learn more, visit us at www.ButterBeansKitchen.com.
For this month’s ReSkilling series we focus upon Urban Preparedness and DIY Holiday gift making. Arc Ra will open with a cosmic orchestra led by Brooke Hamre Gillespie, featuring crystal singing bowls and percussion. Evolver is committed to offering our community ways to be safe and prepared in all situations. ReSkilling sessions will include practical home maintenance, proper rope tying techniques, what to pack in your emergency go-bag, and other skills for urban thriving.
DIY it up this holiday season with homemade gifts Learn to make your own baskets, lip balm, and dehydrated snacks. Bring a plain T-shirt to the event to dye with natural colors using coffee, tea and beets, then cut it in to something sexy and suiting for each family member. Save money and valuable resources while creating meaningful gifts during this giving season. Bodywork and hair feather extensions sessions will be available to participants.
All of this takes place at The Commons, a hub for community sustainability in NYC. Stay tuned for the exact schedule.
http://www.evolver.net/ReSkilling_Nov_11
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=144099325690175
From smaller conflicts that play out in local papers and community meetings to international media frenzies, Muslims have faced increasing attacks and their right to freely practice their religion, build institutions and strengthen their communities. Join us for a panel discussion on the lessons learned from a decade of anti-Muslim rhetoric and hate-mongering, including an analysis of the organized and well-funded networks of Islamophobic activists and organizations that have instigated many of these conflicts.
Common Cause New York will be officially releasing their handbook, “Park 51 and Beyond: Building Community from Controversy”, an analysis of the manufactured controversy surrounding the Park 51 project, featuring a toolkit for communities facing similar attacks.
Panelists:
Udi Ofer, New York Civil Liberties Union
Susan Lerner, Common Cause New York
Peter Montgomery, People for the American Way
(list in formation)
RSVP on Facebook or nchap@commoncause.org
Nyneighbors.org
Facebook.com/NYNeighbors
Follow us on Twitter @Nyneighbors
Ocean Power, a boat that docks in the Rockaways, has caught (just today!) some sea bass. Limited quantities. Sooooo fresh!
We also have beautiful organic produce, lot of greens and roots, plus heirloom apples from way upstate.
Our new vendors include Auntie Lu whose homemade jams and preserves are memorable. Jay Dines from Dines Farm has also joined our market to sell his fresh meats (chicken, pork and beef).
Please support The Commons by doing your food-shopping at The Foodshed.
Every Sunday, 11-5.
Following the Occupy Brooklyn March, come to the Commons for a film and discussion.
All is not well in Downtown Brooklyn and surrounding communities! Learn about the ongoing struggle against displacement and aggressive gentrification
Some Place Like Home tells the stories of community residents and small businesses facing displacement to make way for high-end retail and luxury condos in Downtown Brooklyn and Fort Greene. It reveals the policies used to support massive real estate projects as the area’s historical, economic & cultural fabric is torn apart.
An award-winning film by* and about FUREE (Families United for Racial and Economic Equality is a multiracial, community-based organization that mobilizes low-income families to change the system) More info and movie trailer here: http://furee.org/someplacelikehome
SCREENING FOLLOWED BY DISCUSSION ON RELATED CURRENT ISSUES IN THE COMMUNITY-
Every wondered what an alternative economy would look like? These 6 short films tell the stories of ordinary New Yorkers who are building a solidarity economy. Learn how and why they’ve decided to get involved in food coops, worker coops, credit unions, barter networks, intentional communities, and participatory budgeting. Afterwards we’ll also share resources for how to get involved.
Refreshments will be served.
$10 Purchase your tickets ahead of time and help us finance the films!
For more information please visit www.solidaritynyc.org.
Where: Near Brooklyn Borough Hall, Korean War Veteran’s Plaza at Cadman Plaza West/East between Tillary and Johnson Sts.
When: This weekend, November 12th-13th
Why: Because the status quo is not acceptable
What: See the schedule below!
Have you been wondering what the Occupy Movement is all about? This weekend you can check it out without crossing the river.
On November 12th and 13th, Occupy Brooklyn is teaming up with local community organizations for a weekend of direct actions, teach-ins, rallies, arts events and theater performances.
As the Occupy Your Block initiative kicks off across New York City, let’s make sure this growing movement empowers local voices! Contribute to a dialogue between the work Brooklyn groups have been doing for decades and the Occupy movement at large, and connect with a wide range of organizations. Come be part of the growing Occupy movement in Brooklyn!
SATURDAY NOVEMBER 12
10:00am to 2:00pm – RALLY- with community group tabling, tons of teach-ins, and a speak-out
12:30pm – COMMUNITY LUNCH
2:30pm – BROOKLYN MARCHES to evict corporate greed!
4:00pm – METROTAKE-OVER
4:30pm – ARTS, PERFORMANCES, COMMUNITY-BUILDING FUN, AND FOOD!
SUNDAY NOVEMBER 13
11:00am to 3:00pm – LOCAL DIRECT ACTIONS & SERVICE PROJECTS organized by community groups for community groups
3:00pm – GENERAL ASSEMBLY
Spread the word. Here is the Facebook link.
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=270547796314445¬if_t=event_admin
Check out the new site of Occupy Brooklyn.
www.occupybk.org
Know a Brooklyn organization that wants to TABLE or do a TEACH IN?
Email ows.brooklyn@gmail.com as soon as possible!
Dominique Thomas is a certified prana yama yoga teacher. She was fortunate to train under Jeff Migdow, MD, former director of the Kripula Yoga Teacher Training who integrated his medical, yogic and holistic knowledge in the 200 hour coursework. She has also completed a 250 hour Hatha Yoga Advanced Teacher Training Courses with teacher Saji founder and director of the International Vasishta Yoga Research Foundation in Calicut, Kerala, India. Dominique went on a yoga journey in Myanmar in 2006. She had an inspiring experience at Suncokret Holistic Wellness Retreat in Croatia in the summer of 2009 and 2010 where she taught prana yama yoga in the summer of 2011.
Prana means breath or energy, Yama means to control, to master. Prana yama yoga emphasizes awareness of the breath during asanas while holding the poses. This yoga practice works on steadiness, balance and flexibility. During the practice we focus on calmness of mind, slowness of breath and relaxation of body. Through the practice of prana yama yoga we gain the ability to purify and balance the mind and body.This yoga class is for all levels.
Dominique Thomas is a certified prana yama yoga teacher. She was fortunate to train under Jeff Migdow, MD, former director of the Kripula Yoga Teacher Training who integrated his medical, yogic and holistic knowledge in the 200 hour coursework. She has also completed a 250 hour Hatha Yoga Advanced Teacher Training Courses with teacher Saji founder and director of the International Vasishta Yoga Research Foundation in Calicut, Kerala, India. Dominique went on a yoga journey in Myanmar in 2006. She had an inspiring experience at Suncokret Holistic Wellness Retreat in Croatia in the summer of 2009 and 2010 where she taught prana yama yoga in the summer of 2011.
Prana means breath or energy, Yama means to control, to master. Prana yama yoga emphasizes awareness of the breath during asanas while holding the poses. This yoga practice works on steadiness, balance and flexibility. During the practice we focus on calmness of mind, slowness of breath and relaxation of body. Through the practice of prana yama yoga we gain the ability to purify and balance the mind and body.
This yoga class is for all levels.
Celebrate the close of a productive growing season over food, drinks, bluegrass music, square-dancing, amazing raffle prizes and merry-making. The party will be a joint fundraiser to benefit The Commons and Get Dirty NYC. The rooftop garden will be open for the festivities.
A $30 donation includes seasonal hors d’oeuvres and a drink.
Please support The Commons and have good fun and lots of fun, to boot. Register in advance to help us know how much food to prepare. Thanks.
Participate in fun interactive workshops ranging from:
*herbal home care for not “falling” into the flu
*ReFixx (recreating new fashions out of your old threads)
*neotribal braiding.
*the 5 Tibetans
In solidarity with #Occupy Wall Street, we’ll learn:
*non-hierarichal group organizing
*(r)evolution 2.0 strategies
*media activism 101
*pickling vegetables (we will deliver the results to Liberty Park as a gift to the occupiers)
Parashakti and NYC’s MedMob will be hosting a DIY cleansing and activation meditation to kick the night off.
GreenBus Tours will offer their insights on community building and activism, while providing tribal music and art.
Delicious veggie dinner, desserts, and tasty drinks for sale.
http://www.realitysandwich.com/ReSkilling_Continues
This is the second of a two-part series that can be taken separately.
Saturday, October 15, 10:00 am - 4:00 pm
Botany Field Day at the Botanical Garden
Richard Mandelbaum RH (AHG) has been an avid student of plants for more than twenty years, He is a clinical herbalist with a private practice in Brooklyn and in Sullivan County, NY, in which he gives personalized holistic health recommendations, and is the former director of the Clinical Herbalist Diploma Program at the Lehigh Valley Healing Arts Academy in Emmaus, Pennsylvania. In addition to teaching on a diverse range of clinical subjects, he often leads workshops on field botany, wild edible plants and mushrooms. Richard is a professional member of the American Herbalists Guild.
How do we honor, celebrate and nurture this autumn seedling of resistance? How do we expand and fortify the discourse and actions? How do we deliver our material support to the plucky occupiers of Liberty Square?
Please come Thursday evening with your proposals.
GENERAL ASSEMBLY | HOW IT WORKS
A General Assembly is a gathering of people committed to making decisions based upon a collective agreement or “consensus.”
There is no single leader or governing body of the General Assembly – everyone’s voice is equal. Anyone is free to propose an idea or express an opinion as part of the General Assembly.
Each proposal follows the same basic format – an individual shares what is being proposed, why it is being proposed, and, if there is enough agreement, how it can be carried out.
The Assembly will express its opinion for each proposal through a series of hand gestures (see next panel). If there is positive consensus for a proposal – meaning no outright opposition – then it is accepted and direct action begins.
If there is not consensus, the responsible group or individual is asked to revise the proposal and submit again at the following General Assembly until a majority consensus is achieved.
This two-part series is made up of one Wednesday evening and one Saturday field trip, that can be then together (best) or separately.
Wednesday, October 12, 6:30-9:30 pm
Introduction to botany for herbalists and gardeners
Saturday, October 15, 10:00 am - 4:00 pm
Botany Field Day at the Botanical Garden
Fee for the series: $65. Wednesday alone is $25; Saturday alone is $50.
Richard Mandelbaum RH (AHG) has been an avid student of plants for more than twenty years, He is a clinical herbalist with a private practice in Brooklyn and in Sullivan County, NY, in which he gives personalized holistic health recommendations, and is the former director of the Clinical Herbalist Diploma Program at the Lehigh Valley Healing Arts Academy in Emmaus, Pennsylvania. In addition to teaching on a diverse range of clinical subjects, he often leads workshops on field botany, wild edible plants and mushrooms. Richard is a professional member of the American Herbalists Guild.
With Nana Deleplanque Reiki Alliance Master Instructor.
This is a two-day workshop:
Saturday, October 1, 9:30 to 5
and
Sunday, October 2, 9:30 to 5:30
Reiki means Universal Life Force.
This Energy is all around us, and we can transmit it.
The Reiki process is a simple method of hands-on healing as developed by Dr. Mikao Usui, a teacher of theology in Kyoto, Japan, where the energy is used to normalize mind and body functions.
By the end of the first degree workshop you will be able to:
*Scan the body of the person receiving treatment and perceive areas of reduced vitality flow.
*Channel Reiki energy into yourself or transmit to others, and sense the energy as it flows through your hands.
*Appreciate how attitudes can create dis-ease in the mind and emotions, and how the physical body might be affected.
Nana is Certified Usui System Reiki Master in private practice since 1989 and teaching classes in NYC and France.
To inquire by phone, call Nana at 917-376-4418 or email at info@nanareiki.com.
Cost: $225. You can register by sending a $50 Deposit (Deposit non refundable. Limited Space) with your Name and Phone Number to:
Nana Deleplanque 1133 Broadway, Suite 307, NYC, NY, 10010
______________________________________
Healing with Herbs (nine sessions)
September 28 - November 16
$300
This nine-session course, taught by Richard Mandelbaum RH(AHG), is comprised of eight three-hour Wednesday evening classes and a six-hour Saturday field trip. The course is designed both for people already using herbs as well as people just getting interested, and will be useful for people who are considering going on to study herbs more in depth or those who may just want a more solid foundation for their own family and home use.
Wednesday, September 28
6:30-9:30 pm
Session 1: General introduction to using herbs wisely: using herbs within a holistic mindset; learning from our herbal traditions; the law and herbal medicines; safety and toxicity; dosage
Wednesday, October 5
6:30-9:30 pm
Session 2: Herbs for the GI tract and liver, including diet and nutrition and how they relate to herbal medicine
Wednesday, October 12
6:30-9:30 pm
Session 3: Herbs for the immune system
Saturday, October 15
10:00 am - 4:00 pm
Session 4: Botany Field Day
Wednesday, October 19
6:30-9:30 pm
Session 5: Herbs for emotional and mental well-being: reducing stress, improving sleep and elevating mood
Wednesday, October 26
6:30-9:30 pm
Session 6: Introduction to botany for herbalists and gardeners
Wednesday, November 2
6:30-9:30 pm
Session 7: Herbs for the cardiovascular system
Wednesday, November 9
6:30-9:30 pm
Session 8: Herbs for male and female reproductive health
Wednesday, November 16
6:30-9:30 pm
Session 9: Healthy lungs, and healthy bones and joints: herbs for the respiratory and musculo-skeletal systems
Richard Mandelbaum RH (AHG) has been an avid student of plants for more than twenty years, He is a clinical herbalist with a private practice in Brooklyn and in Sullivan County, NY, in which he gives personalized holistic health recommendations, and is the former director of the Clinical Herbalist Diploma Program at the Lehigh Valley Healing Arts Academy in Emmaus, Pennsylvania. In addition to teaching on a diverse range of clinical subjects, he often leads workshops on field botany, wild edible plants and mushrooms. Richard is a professional member of the American Herbalists Guild.
www.richardmandelbaum.com
nyherbalist@gmail.com
(646) 942-7825; (845) 796-1883
Join the Coalition of Immokalee Workers and the Community/Farmworker Alliance for our first ever Fair Food Festival in Brooklyn, New York! CIW members from Immokalee will be in NYC to help us link food, justice, quality of life and labor issues in a lively and festive event. You won’t want to miss it!
Bring your friends and family for:
- Workshops
- Film Screenings
- Games
- Art
- Children’s Musical Story Time and March
- Hourly rabble-rousing in front of Trader Joe’s featuring a musical hoedown, free samples of justice, children’s march, balloon blast and customers revolt!
Call to all allies to join us at 4pm for a Spectacular Brooklyn Trader Joe’s Rally!
The CIW’s Campaign for Fair Food improves wages and working conditions for Florida tomato pickers by calling on major buyers of tomatoes to pay one penny more per pound—which would nearly double farmworkers’ wages—and to implement a code of conduct in the supply chain.
All across the country, Fair Food activists have been urging Trader Joe’s to ensure that their tomatoes are picked by workers who earn a decent wage and work in humane conditions. Trader Joe’s continual refusal to sign onto such an agreement has disgusted customers nationwide, leading many to criticize Trader Joe’s usage of the “Wal*Mart Model” of low price and low wages.
Check out www.cfa-nyc.org for Community/Farmworker Alliance news and events!
Invite your friends
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=225624897477037
Starting September 12, every Monday evening the Commons will offer classes in both Qigong and Taichi chuan. You can take just the qigong, starting at 6, or arrive at 7 for the taichi, or come for both. We have found an excellent teacher. Why not give it a try?
Qi Gong
6-6:45
Open to all levels this class is excellent for seniors and people with disabilities. These gentle stretching and breathing exercises have been proven to: Lower blood pressure, relieve pain from arthritis, regulate blood/sugar levels, improve balance and increase joint mobility.
For both healing and martial arts
Tai chi Chuan
7-8:30
An open class teaching the Yang Style short form as taught by Grandmaster William CC Chen.
Originally practiced as a martial art in China, tai chi chuan is an easy to learn, effective system of body movements practiced today by millions of people worldwide as part of their daily routine.
For those seeking health the practice of tai chi chuan has proven to benefit every major system of the body including muscular/skeletal, cardiovascular, respiratory, digestive, immune and nervous.
For martial artists and athletes training in tai chi chuan will result in greater speed, power, efficiency, balance and coordination.
Qigong (45 minutes): $15/session or $72 for six sessions ($12/session).
Seniors $12/session or $60 for six ($10/session).
Tai Chi Chuan (an hour and a half): $20/class or $108 for six ($18/session).
Both (the whole two hours and fifteen minutes): very special pricing.
Classes taught by Sifu Calum Douglas-Reid
Sifu Calum Douglas-Reid began studying tai chi chuan in 1987 at the school of international Grandmaster William CC Chen and became an assistant instructor at the school in 1999. He received his full teaching certification and the title Sifu in 2002. Calum competes in national and international tournaments; in 2004 he received a gold medal at the prestigious Chung Hwa Cup in Taiwan. Sifu Douglas-Reid teaches at the school, at NY health clubs and gives private lessons. He holds workshops in the US and Europe.
Using popular education, our workshop will cover a brief history of corporate power and how herbal medicinal use has been prevented in the past, barring us from actions of self-sufficiency. We will focus on why cultivating, wild-crafting and teaching about herbs creates new possibilities for us to create more healthy, reciprocal systems (social and economic) in the rest of our lives. This analysis will include examples, past and present, of how people have used herbs and herbal medicine to resist exploitation by those in power. The workshop will end with a dialogue on how to engage around these issues with members of our communities; what methods are inclusive, representative and equitable, and how to collaborate with the most people.
Facilitated by Claudia Abbott-Barish and Meghan Murphy
https://www.facebook.com/groups/232583453426537?ap=1
Healthcare-NOW! NYC invites you to a speakers’ forum. Thanks to the success of Vermont’s single payer movement, a fresh new approach to Medicare-for-All activism is sweeping the nation - state by state. Come find out about it!
Speakers will include:
Katie Robbins
National Organizer, Healthcare-NOW!
on state single payer movements across the country
Laurie Wen
Executive Director, Physicians for a National Health Program, NY Metro
on the New York State single payer bill
Josh Starcher and Omar Kutty
Volunteer Coordinators, Healthcare-NOW! NYC
on organizing for the state bill in NYC
TBA, PNHP Speaker
Volunteer Coordinator, Healthcare-Now NYC
on the limitations of the ACA and the viability of state level single payer systems
For the most recent news and events join HCN-NYC on Facebook. join HCN-NYC on Facebook.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Healthcare-Now-NYC/168529369873441
Find out about the Vermont Workers’ Center Healthcare is a Human Right Campaign.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRH7SPoPh0c
Directed by local filmmaker Ana Sofia Jones, “Fresh” celebrates the farmers, thinkers and business people across America who are re-inventing our food system. The screening will be followed by a discussion of the federal Farm Bill – what needs to be done and how to get involved.
For more information, or to RSVP, please contact Food & Water Watch: 718-943-9085; eweltman@fwwatch.org
www.FoodandWaterWatch.org
Dozens of exceptional practitioners will help us celebrate the dazzling array of healing arts available in our city. Some will offer mini-healing sessions by donation; others will demonstrate movement and sound techniques, including: dance, tai chi, didgerido, Chakracize (with Kiana Love) and much more.
We have also organized hour-long panels to introduce different kinds of medicine.
FOOD & NUTRITION
Angela Davis-Weston A. Price and Just Food
Hannah Springer-Children and Nutrition
Jared Koch-Clean Plates (www.cleanplates.com/)
Shoshanna Levy-Nutrition Evolution (http://nutritionevolution.net)
Jonathan White-Bobolink Dairy (www.cowsoutside.com)
PLANT MEDICINE
Richard Mandelbaum-Western Herbalism (www.richardmandelbaum.net)
Drew DiVittorio-Food energetics TCM herbs (www.drewsherbshop.com/)
Gabriel Simon-Flower Essences
ENERGY MEDICINE
Aaron Stiles-Qigong (www.thebreathingtree.com/)
Nana Deleplanque-Reiki (www.nanareiki.com/)
Nancy Lange-Reiki and Autism
Rebecca Parker-Acupuncture
TOUCH & MANIPULATION
Dr. Sue Eisen-Holistic Chiropractic (www.drsusaneisen.com/)
Aaron Stiles-Shiatsu-(www.thebreathingtree.com/)
JoseLo Gutierrez-Reflexology (www.liberteacupuncture.com/)
Tyr Throne- Body Evolution (www.body-evolution-int.com/)
COMBINED APPROACHES
George Morgano-Integrative Podiatry (integratedapproachpodiatry.com/)
Jonathan Talat Phillips-Evolver Network (www.talathealing.com/)
Melody Kiersz-Naked Wellness (melodykiersz.wordpress.com/)
Anthony Whitehurst-Conscious Bee (consciousbee.com/)
Krista Mitchel - www.rockwhisperernyc.com
Opening and closing ceremonies will be conducted by members of the New York Shamanic Circle in the beautiful rooftop garden where guests may also attend guided meditations, yoga and other activities. (www.nyshamaniccircle.org/)
Use this Facebook invitation to ask your friends and family and join us for this inspirational day of healing and community!
https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=115700651853982
For more information, email Melissa@thecommonsbrooklyn.org
For the last 50 years, throw-away consumer culture has led citizens of industrialized societies to forget many of the basic survival skills
that have sustained humans for generations. Today, the impending challenges of peak oil and climate change leave our communities
susceptible to the shocks and instability of centrally distributed hierarchical systems for life support. Facing the prospect of a world
with drastically reduced access to energy and material goods, a rising network of Transition Town advocates, urban homesteaders, permaculture
activists, and DIY proponents are retraining communities to manage their own food, shelter, waste, transportation, health, clothing, and
models of exchange.
This month, we invite you to engage in the growing reskilling movement happening in our fair city. Participate in fun interactive workshops
featuring: Kombucha making and sampling, home sprouting and krauting techniques, urban bike repair, composting for the city kitchen, basic
herbal health, tincture making, urban beekeeping, and more.
Opening grounding ritual, followed by a tour of the innovative water encatchment and irrigation systems of a flourishing rooftop garden.
Learn Slow Food Cooking techniques (Dinner will be for sale, so come hungry; Kombucha will be sold too). AJ Block of the Didge Project will
teach how to make a Didgeridoo out of PVC pipe and learn to play. GreenBus Tours will offer their insights on community building and activism, while providing tribal music and art. All of this takes place on a rooftop garden (weather permitting) at The Commons, a hub for community sustainability in NYC. Activities will take place on the 1st floor if there’s rain. Stay tuned for more workshops and offerings for this month’s Spore.
Our Table is founded in Christian traditions of meeting together to tell and hear sacred stories. All are welcome at Our Table, no matter what their religious background or experience. We believe in the power of this tradition to dismantle unjust systems, and so all who are interested in justice, passion, imagination, freedom and love will find a place at Our Table.
Join us! Bring food or a beverage to share and a plate and cup to use as we meet around tables at The Commons.
Come early at 6 pm to help set up if you’d like.
More information: www.facebook.com/OurTable
email: OurTableChurchCoop@gmail.com
Join Nonna Carolina for a demonstration of fresh sauce-making. You will get a taste of delicious homemade sauce plus you will take home a new skill and a recipe to show off to your friends and family. Nonna Carolina’s fresh pasta and sauces have been featured on Food(o)graphy, Toni on! New York, www.cookingwithnonna.com and the weekly @ Enoteca Maria Restaurant on Staten Island.
On May 12, North Carolina-based artist Joe Bigley left Ground Zero and has biked the length and shape of the border of Afghanistan within the U.S. as a way to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the war and to engage in a dialogue with the public about the war. Joe has traveled over 3,500 miles in ten weeks. He will show photographs, images of how the public views the war. Following his presentation, the audience will be invited to contribute to the project by offering New Yorkers’ perspectives on the war and the effects of 9/11.
Joe calls his project “Traversing a Foreign Border Domestically.” You can learn more about it at:
http://www.traversingborder.blogspot.com/
http://tfbd.wordpress.com/
Our Table is founded in Christian traditions of meeting together to tell and hear sacred stories. All are welcome at Our Table, no matter what their religious background or experience. We believe in the power of this tradition to dismantle unjust systems, and so all who are interested in justice, passion, imagination, freedom and love will find a place at Our Table.
Join us! Bring food or a beverage to share and a plate and cup to use as we meet around tables at The Commons.
Come early at 6 pm to help set up if you’d like.
More information: www.facebook.com/OurTable
email: OurTableChurchCoop@gmail.com
We take the time to make sure we are eating healthy whole foods without preservatives and chemical additives. What we do for our insides we can also do for our outsides. Making your own body care products is easy and lots of fun. Learn to make your own hand and lip balm, deodorant, and insect repellant. You will leave with recipes and samples of all the products as well as the skills to start creating your own formulas, perfect just for your body.
Sybil Killian is an herbalist and a compulsive do-it-yourselfer ever since she was 4 and her grandmother let her stir the cake batter. She believes healing is a process and that there is no reason why it can’t be delicious.
Sybil can be found at www.rootleafandflower.com
The event is NOT at The Commons on Atlantic. It is at Marina 59 (www.marina59.com),
Take the A train to Beach 60th Street and walk a few blocks to 5914 Beach Channel Drive.
Expedition Gowanus is getting ready for ‘Off the Grid and On the Water’, our urban sustainability residency program, and they want you to help! They will be
* BUILDING A MINI GREEN ROOF
* RE-ORIENTING THEIR SOLAR PANELS
* ADJUSTING THEIR RAINWATER HARVESTING SYSTEM
* RE-PLANTING THEIR LIVING MACHINE
They admit that they will also be sanding, applying fresh paint and moving materials. Who knows, maybe some of you will have a skill or project you want to present/share too, and there will be even more to do! Bring your experience or bring your questions.
Expedition Gowanus will also be breaking ground on their next project (hint: it involves a golden toilet, oars, and a homemade wind turbine). Five blocks from the A train. Four blocks from the beach. Right smack in the middle of NYC’s first ‘houseboat hotel community’ and ‘boat in movie theatre’. Pack a lunch and make an adventure of it.
Unfortunately space limitations exist for parts of this event, so RSVP to ExpeditionGowanus@gmail.com to reserve your spot and for information on accessing the gate.
Expedition Gowanus is a NYC based ecological design project that utilizes green building as a medium to educate, inspire and promote concepts in urban sustainability. These goals are achieved through the facilitation of public presentations, hands on workshops, and the creation of sustainably designed water/food/energy systems.
www.expeditiongowanus.wordpress.com
We Can Do Better Than an Arena and A Big Parking Lot
Forest City Ratner is constructing the arena, but the rest of the demolished 22 acre site is a big question mark…except for enormous “interim” surface parking lots. We, as a community, need to fix this future for the coming decades.
In order to plan, set a better framework, and change the dynamic for the future development of the site Councilmember Letitia James, Senator Velmanette Montgomery and Develop Don’t Destroy Brooklyn invite you to UNITY 4, a community meeting on Wednesday, June 15th to discuss the community’s plans for the Atlantic Yards site, with the UNITY Plan and its principles as a jumping off point.
Are you a food & beverage or hospitality small business owner? Are you looking for concrete advice to ensure long-term business success? Get live, personalized consulting from local professionals and Samuel Adams experts who will offer their expertise in areas including:
Marketing and Public Relations
Packaging
Sales and Distribution
Financing
Business Planning
Legal Counseling
Business owners are encouraged to bring packaging, materials, ideas and questions.
COME NETWORK! FOOD & DRINKS WILL BE PROVIDED.
Everyone’s talking about “food justice” these days, but what is it - really? What are all the pieces at play? How do they all connect? In what ways does “food justice” reflect our Jewish social justice values? And what are the best ways to plug in and take action? Whether this conversation is new or familiar to you, we hope you’ll join us for Chewing on Food Justice, a break down of our broken down global food system.
On the heels of Shavuot – also known as the Festival of Reaping and the Day of First Fruits - join us to hear from one of NYC’s most accomplished food justice organizers, a woman who has dedicated her activist life to the pursuit of what she calls “food democracy”. She’ll help us connect the dots between local and global food justice issues and parse out the various elements, from labor to hunger to climate change. Together, we’ll “chew on” some of the bigger picture questions and set the stage for our subsequent programs in the series where we’ll have an opportunity to dig a little deeper.
A light kosher meal will be served (certified by the Tav Ha Yosher)
Nancy Romer is the General Coordinator of the Brooklyn Food Coalition, a grassroots organization working on projects that promote food justice, food security, and a sustainable food system in Brooklyn. Nancy is also an active member of the Park Slope Food Coop and, through her involvement there, became the lead organizer of the Brooklyn Food Conference in May, 2009 – a historic gathering which brought together 3300 adults and 500 children over the course of a single day to unpack the myriad issues related to our food system. Nancy participated in the People’s World Summit on Climate Change and Mother Earth Rights in Bolivia last spring and has a passion for connecting the dots between climate change and food democracy. She is not a foodie but rather a food democracy organizer. She’ll explain what that means if you come and hear her on June 20th!
About the Series
Future programs in the series will include “Chewing on Food Justice: Got Access?” on hunger, food deserts, and food sovereignty (July 2011) and “Chewing on Food Justice: Fruits of Our Labor” on workers in the food chain (August 2011). We will also be partnering with the Brooklyn Bridge CSA to host a volunteer day in collaboration with the South Bronx CSA on July 31. Stay tuned for more information, coming soon!
This series is hosted by Pursue: Action for a Just World and co-sponsored by Hazon, Uri L’Tzedek, and the Brooklyn Bridge CSA.
This nine-session course, taught by Richard Mandelbaum RH(AHG), is comprised of eight three-hour Wednesday evening classes and a six-hour Saturday field trip. The course is designed both for people already using herbs as well as people just getting interested, and will be useful for people who are considering going on to study herbs more in depth or those who may just want a more solid foundation for their own family and home use.
Wednesday, June 8; 6:30-9:30 pm
Session 1: General introduction to using herbs wisely: using herbs within a holistic mindset; learning from our herbal traditions; the law and herbal medicines; safety and toxicity; dosage
Wednesday, June 22; 6:30-9:30 pm
Session 2: Herbs for the GI tract and liver, including diet and nutrition and how they relate to herbal medicine
Wednesday, June 29; 6:30-9:30 pm
Session 3: Herbs for the immune system
Wednesday, July 6; 6:30-9:30 pm
Session 4: Herbs for emotional and mental well-being: reducing stress, improving sleep and elevating mood
Wednesday, July 13; 6:30-9:30 pm
Session 5: Herbs for the cardiovascular system
Wednesday, July 20; 6:30-9:30 pm
Session 6: Introduction to botany for herbalists and gardeners
Saturday, July 23; 10:00 am - 4:00 pm
Session 7: Botany Field Day
Wednesday, July 27; 6:30-9:30 pm
Session 8: Herbs for male and female reproductive health
Wednesday, August 3; 6:30-9:30 pm
Session 9: Healthy lungs, and healthy bones and joints: herbs for the respiratory and musculo-skeletal systems
Richard Mandelbaum RH (AHG)
Richard Mandelbaum RH (AHG) has been an avid student of plants for more than twenty years, He is a clinical herbalist with a private practice in Brooklyn and in Sullivan County, NY, in which he gives personalized holistic health recommendations, and is the former director of the Clinical Herbalist Diploma Program at the Lehigh Valley Healing Arts Academy in Emmaus, Pennsylvania. In addition to teaching on a diverse range of clinical subjects, he often leads workshops on field botany, wild edible plants and mushrooms. Richard is a professional member of the American Herbalists Guild. He offers herbal consultations, teaching, mentoring, and plant walks in Sullivan County, NY, and New York City.
www.richardmandelbaum.com
nyherbalist@gmail.com
(646) 942-7825; (845) 796-1883
A spoonful of honey helps the medicine go down, it’s true. Does the little kid in you believe that remedies have to taste bad? Come learn the sweeter side of medicine making. Using raw honey (and other good stuff) we will create delicious herbal remedies that you will want to take every day. We will make a syrup, an electuary, a cordial, and energy balls that you will be able to take home with you. There will be a handout with recipes and instructions so you can make your own remedies.
Sybil Killian is an herbalist and a compulsive do-it-yourselfer ever since she was 4 and her grandmother let her stir the cake batter. She believes healing is a process and that there is no reason why it can’t be delicious.
Sybil can be found at www.rootleafandflower.com
A night of speed dating & sensual self-expressions under candlelight
Join us as we celebrate beauty, creativity, and love in all its forms!
Open to all sensual expressions & sexual identities/Speed dating open to single folks & performances open to all!
(speed dating from 8-10pm & performances from 10-midnight)
Featuring Poetry, Music & Burlesque Show
$35 in advance & $40 at the door (includes speed dating & performances)
$25 (includes either speed dating or performances)
To register for speed dating &/or purchase your tickets, please contact:
Tania @ 646-594-4344 or Jackie @ 908-644-8701
All funds generated will go towards the Cultural Caravan for Peace & Solidarity Through Latin America, a project that will bring people together to nurture a deeper and sustainable solidarity movement–rooted in the arts as a means of social change–between Latin America and the United States. The caravan will depart from the United States and travel through different Latin American countries promoting street theater, poetry, music, and other political and native art forms, while sharing the stories of resistance, healing, and sociopolitical victories in our communities. Through this experience, we hope to:
* Build and strengthen a movement for peace and justice by supporting local artistic initiatives for social change.
* Heal collectively from the effects of violence and colonialism through sharing our personal and collective stories of resistance.
* Share ideas and knowledge with the purpose of learning from one another and to strengthen our political, cultural and community work.
* Collaborate through community cultural projects.
* Support and contribute to the movements to end militarism, violence, inequality, and exploitation in all forms.
For more information please visit: www.culturalcaravan.wordpress.com
New York Loves Mountains hosts a screening of the new documentary Low Coal, an exploration of the sacrifices made by Appalachian communities living with deep mining and Mountaintop Removal. The film’s director, Jordan Freeman, along with former union coal miner and environmental activist Chuck Nelson, will be present for a talk-back after the screening. The discussion will be followed by a concert featuring local musician Morgan O’Kane (who played the score for the film).
Funds raised will be directed towards the March on Blair Mountain, a unifying rally in West Virginia from June 5-11th, 2011, which calls for historical preservation of Blair Mountain and an end to Mountaintop Removal.
This year commemorates the 90th anniversary of the Battle of Blair Mountain, the largest open class war in U.S. history, when 10,000 coal miners rose against the rule of the coal operators and fought for the basic right to live and work in decent conditions.
For more information visit www.appalachiarising.org.
This hands-on workshop will provide you with the skills you need to make high-quality infusions, decoctions, and liquid extracts (tinctures) at home, that go far beyond common folk methods for herbal preparation. Students will leam how to assure that they are using high quality herbs and other ingredients, and then participate in tincture making that takes into account: fresh versus dry plant material, optimal alcohol percentage for various medicinal plants, and an introduction to basic phytochemistry as it relates to medicine making. Included in the class tuition is a small jar of tincture that each student will make during class and be able to bring home; a small materials fee will be charged if students wish to make additional extracts.
Richard Mandelbaum RH (AHG) has been an avid student of plants for more than twenty years, He is a clinical herbalist with a private practice in Brooklyn and in Sullivan County, NY, in which he gives personalized holistic health recommendations, and is the former director of the Clinical Herbalist Diploma Program at the Lehigh Valley Healing Arts Academy in Emmaus, Pennsylvania. In addition to teaching on a diverse range of clinical subjects, he often leads workshops on field botany, wild edible plants and mushrooms. Richard is a professional member of the American Herbalists Guild.
Spring is here! Join herbalist Richard Mandelbaum on this walk to discover how many medicinal plants make the park their home. Learn some basic botany and Whether you already know your plants well or are just starting out.
We will be meeting at the Stranahan statue, just inside the park off Grand Army Plaza. Call 917-216-8754 if you get lost.
Richard Mandelbaum RH (AHG) has been an avid student of plants for more than twenty years, He is a clinical herbalist with a private practice in Brooklyn and in Sullivan County, NY, in which he gives personalized holistic health recommendations, and is the former director of the Clinical Herbalist Diploma Program at the Lehigh Valley Healing Arts Academy in Emmaus, Pennsylvania. In addition to teaching on a diverse range of clinical subjects, he often leads workshops on field botany, wild edible plants and mushrooms. Richard is a professional member of the American Herbalists Guild.
“Spirituality is the foundation of American Indian culture—the root of a traditional way of life. If American Indian peoples are denied the right to exercise their spirituality, we’re talking about a denial that borders on cultural genocide.” —Lenny Foster, 1997
Lenny Foster of the Diné Nation is the Director of the Navajo Nation Corrections Project and the Spiritual Advisor for 1,500 Indian inmates in many state and federal prisons in the Western U.S. He has co-authored legislation in New Mexico, Arizona and Colorado that allows Native American spiritual and religious practice in prison and results in significant reductions in prison returns.
He is a board member of the International Indian Treaty Council, a sun dancer and member of the Native American Church. He has been with the American Indian Movement since 1969 and has participated in actions including Alcatraz, Black Mesa, the Trail of Broken Treaties, Wounded Knee ’73, the Menominee Monastery Occupation, Shiprock Fairchild Occupation, the Longest Walk and the Big Mountain land struggle. He was a 1993 recipient of the City of Phoenix Dr. Martin Luther King Human Rights Award.
Lenny will speak on five Native American issues: the illegal imprisonment of Leonard Peltier, land and resources taken from Native peoples by the U.S. government, stripmining, uranium mining and the pollution of the land, air and water, Native American freedom of religion and the demand to honor Native treaty rights.
Opening Flute by Tiokasin Ghosthorse
Sponsors: NYC Leonard Peltier DOC, NYC Jericho Movement
For more info: nyclpdoc@gmail.com • 718-325-4407
Slow Money NYC has announced a Call for Submissions to its inaugural Entrepreneur Showcase on May 14th. Applications are due by March 30th.
Slow Money NYC believes we can build a resilient, sustainable economy by increasing our investments in small-scale food and farming enterprises in the New York region. We seek food and farming entrepreneurs to present business plans to potential investors, food activists, and peers. The Showcase will spark a range of investment conversations, helping to develop funding channels for local and sustainable food businesses. We encourage a wide variety of food enterprises, at various stages of growth, to apply to present.
The Showcase will also feature an exhibit floor of services and organizations for local food businesses, including not-for-profits, government agencies, lawyers, accountants, potential funders, and more. The full event schedule and list of partners will be announced soon.
To apply to present your business at the Showcase, please respond to the Call for Submissions. Applications are due by March 30th, 2011. After review by the Slow Money Advisory Board, ten finalists will be selected by April 15th to present at the Showcase. For event updates or to learn more, visit Slow Money NYC Meet Up. For questions regarding the Entrepreneur Showcase, please send an email to showcase@slowmoneynyc.org. Thank you!
Perimenopause and menopause represent a profound but natural shift in a woman’s endocrine function that has too often been “medicalized” by conventional physicians. Most women go through menopause with few or no significant problems, but for some women, symptoms such as hot flashes, loss of memory and concentration, and anxiety or other emotional imbalances can severely impact their quality of life. As women grow older, concerns over cardiovascular health and adequate bone strength also come into the foreground.
Thankfully there are many natural options! In this presentation we’ll discuss dietary and lifestyle choices, as well as herbal remedies with a proven track record for making the transition of menopause more pleasant, as well as natural methods for healthy aging including maximizing bone health and maintaining optimal cognitive function.
Richard Mandelbaum RH (AHG) has been an avid student of plants for more than twenty years, He is a clinical herbalist with a private practice in Brooklyn and in Sullivan County, NY, in which he gives personalized holistic health recommendations, and is the former director of the Clinical Herbalist Diploma Program at the Lehigh Valley Healing Arts Academy in Emmaus, Pennsylvania. In addition to teaching on a diverse range of clinical subjects, he often leads workshops on field botany, wild edible plants and mushrooms. Richard is a professional member of the American Herbalists Guild.
The Brooklyn Beekeepers Club is offering a hands-on spring class in beginning beekeeping.
The class will be held on two Saturdays, May 7 and May 14, from noon to 4 pm.
We will cover:
-the life cycle of the worker bees and queen
-the anatomy, construction and placement of a beehive
-ordering and hiving
-maintenance of the hive
-medicinal properties of honey, wax, pollen and propolis
-all of your questions
We have ordered bees for this class and will demonstrate installation on the roof of The Commons.
May 5, 2011 marks the 30th anniversary of Bobby Sands death in the Irish Hunger Strike. On this day a new book will be released, “Our Only Weapon Our Spirit- Selected Prison Writings of Bobby Sands.” This book uses a selection of Bobby Sands’ poems, essays, and diary entries to commemorate not only his life and work, but the life and work of all those involved in the struggle for Irish independence. Sands’ writing documents the daily struggle of imprisonment, both physical and emotional, which was experienced as a result of England’s attempt to “criminalize” Irish political prisoners.
Samuel Conway and Patrick Stanley, the editors of the book, will be reading and discussing selected sections. Snacks and drinks will be provided.
On January 21, 2010, with its ruling in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, the Supreme Court ruled that corporations have free speech rights under the First Amendment, affirming the doctrine of “corporate personhood.”
Human beings are people. Corporations are legal fictions. If you think that fictional entities should not be allowed to have the same rights as human beings, or even if you’re not sure, you are invited to hear fiery speaker David Cobb, an organizer from Move to Amend (MTA), a coalition of over 100,000 people and organizations whose goal is to amend the United States Constitution to restrict corporate power. Part history lesson and part heartfelt call to action, David Cobb’s talk will lay out MTA’s plan to amend the US Constitution as part of a growing democracy movement in the U.S.
In 2004, David Cobb was the Green Party candidate for President. He was responsible for initiating a recount in Ohio that year which energized the movement against electronic voting.
Some of the organizations making up Move to Amend are: Alliance for Democracy, Black Agenda Report, National Lawyers Guild, Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, Green Institute, Detroit Women of Color, and the Center for Media and Democracy.
Wouldn’t it be nice to know how to make your own fresh pasta to enjoy with your local seasonal herbs & vegetables? Join Nonna Carolina for her demonstration of fresh pasta-making where you’ll learn how to make fresh fettucini by hand. You will get a taste of homemade pasta plus you will take home a new skill and a recipe to show off to your friends and family. Nonna Carolina’s fresh pasta has been featured on Food(o)graphy, Toni on! New York, www.cookingwithnonna.com and the weekly @ Enoteca Maria Restaurant on Staten Island. The first 24 people to register for the demonstration will get a gift bag from Nonna Carolina.
Picture the Homeless is celebrating May Day with a May 1st International Labor and Immigrant Rights March AFTERPARTY!! After the biggest protest of the year, wind down with Picture the Homeless at the Commons. We’ll have food, drinks, music, and dancing, to celebrate May 1st, for all the workers - employed and unemployed, housed and homeless!
$10—to benefit Picture the Homeless
For more information, or to buy tickets, contact Picture the Homeless:
646-314-6423, or sam@picturethehomeless.org
We are offering this workshop to familiarize people with the concept and process of solar electric. This workshop is for those who want to know how to make a solar panel instead of just buying one.
We will assemble a Solar Electric Panel (60 watt 12 volt nominal) with solar cells, “ribbon” wire, solder, tempered glass, aluminum frame, silicon encapsulant, and silicon caulking (solar module/panel available for sale at end of workshop).
The workshop will be taught by John Burke of Maine Solar Energy Society (MeSEA) assisted by Tracy Fitz (Leed AP, BPI Certified) of City Solar.
Registration limited to 12 participants, fee $125. To register send your name, phone #, email and a check to: City Solar, 531A 6th Avenue Top Floor, Brooklyn, NY 11215
(If registration fills up, another workshop will be scheduled.)
For more information contact: City Solar 347 254-0019 info@citysolar.org
Join us for an evening of dialogue on this important and emerging topic. Ron Chisom, Executive Director of the People’s Institute for Survival and Beyond, will be joined by select editors and contributors to the just-released book Accountability and White Anti-racist Organizing: Stories From Our Work, including Bonnie Cushing, Jeff Hitchcock and Matt Meyer.
The People’s Institute has long been an advocate for accountable anti-racist organizing. Now experienced organizers tell how they personally bring the principle of accountability to life in their own work. Why is this important? Come spend some time with us, listen, and join the dialogue.
Organized by the book publishers Crandall, Dostie & Douglass Books, Inc, this event is also sponsored by Resistance in Brooklyn.
The book will be available for purchase at the event, and is also available on line, from www.CDDbooks.com
A group of subsistence farmers and musicians from northeast Brazil recently bicycled over 6,000 miles across the South American continent in search of natural seeds. Their journey was documented in Ciclovida: Lifecycle, a film filled with stories of landless peasants, indigenous communities, and small farmers who expose the devastating effects of industrial agriculture destined for agrofuels. Ciclovida: Lifecycle takes you along on their musical voyage, through the storms, family separations, and bouts of isolation on a road filled with seeds of hope. The filmmakers and the subsistence farmers and musicians will visit Brooklyn at the Commons, where they will use a pedal-powered projector to show their film.
Donations will help fund the filmmakers future screening/bike tour. Any additional funds raised will go towards small windmills for Ciclovida’s seed garden, their kid’s theater project and distribution of the film in Brazil.
Come earlier on Monday, if you can, for a 5 pm workshop presented by the same folks on:
Biofuels, Agrofuels, Farmers and Climate Change
Promoted as a solution to climate change, large-scale industrially-grown crops processed for agrofuels are, in fact, a major contributor to deforestation and therefore climate killers. They also have devastating effects on small farmers and indigenous communities. This workshop will inform on this reality and discuss what local, grassroots solutions, including sustainable biofuels, could look like. We will also touch on how multinational agribusiness is impacting and the Landless Movements in Brazil. One of the largest social movements in the world, the movement of landless farmers in Brazil, involves several million families in Brazil who mobilize to occupy fallow farmland and build projects of sustainable agriculture, community centers, schools, seed banks and more. We will share some of the methods and practices of Seed Saving.
For more info visit http://ciclovida.org
Let’s go beyond Spring Cleansing to reset your mind, body, and, spirit!
We live in a toxic world: the environment, pesticides, household and beauty products, and daily stress. Instead of a brief Spring cleanse learn how to reduce your toxic load throughout the whole year! You will have more energy as your body doesn’t have to work as hard to constantly release toxins.
I will discuss the various ways that the body becomes burden…ed with toxins and WHAT YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT! I’m asking everyone to bring their favorite beauty or household product and we will go over if it’s healthy or toxic. Feel free to bring any packaged food or product that you aren’t sure of.
You will receive recipes, tips, and samples and coupons from Sprout WEllness, Ecover, 7th Generation, Traditional Medicinals, and more to come…
Cost: 20$ if pre-registered, $25 day of. email me at kale@nutritionevolution.net to register or if you have any questions.
Share this with friends and family. Reducing toxic load makes for a healthier and happier world!
Two-part session:
April 23 and April 30
10AM - 2PM
We will meet in open discussions among community members to foster an anti-racist alliance in Brooklyn’s food justice and sustainability movement.
Our agri-food system can’t be considered sustainable while it:
*yields structural inequities of food access and quality for different consumers based on race
*endures commercially through the routine labor exploitation of people mostly of color.
These sessions will address head-on the nature of, and reasons for, broad food-resource allocations that favor white participants and exclude people of color from fair access to good sustenance and land. Our focus is on solutions and change. We’ll endeavor to form cross-community strategies for dismantling and undoing racism specifically as it exists in the food-ways on which we all depend.
Moderators: Asantewaa Harris and Jeff Heehs
$20 per person covers the space and food for both sessions. Light lunch served.
Limited to 20 participants.
Registration first come - first served, while keeping the group racially balanced if possible.
If the session overbooks we will offer alternate dates.
REGISTER HERE:
http://anti-racist-table.weebly.com/index.html
Learn how to make cyser. The word is similar to cider, apple juice in either fermented or unfermented form. The name originally comes from sicera, which is Latin for “strong drink.” Brewing honey wine was once the province of a select, trained guild, but now we can all learn how. Eileen Coles, of the Society for Creative Anachronism, has done presentations at Queens Farm, Stonybrook’s ICON Science Fiction & Fantasy and Just Food.
This is the second of a two-part series, one Wednesday evening and one Saturday field trip.
Wednesday, April 13, 6:30-9:30 pm
Introduction to botany for herbalists and gardeners
Saturday, April 16, 10:00 am - 4:00 pm
Botany Field Day at the Botanical Garden
Fee for the series: $75. Wednesday alone is $35; Saturday alone is $50.
Richard Mandelbaum RH (AHG) has been an avid student of plants for more than twenty years, He is a clinical herbalist with a private practice in Brooklyn and in Sullivan County, NY, in which he gives personalized holistic health recommendations, and is the former director of the Clinical Herbalist Diploma Program at the Lehigh Valley Healing Arts Academy in Emmaus, Pennsylvania. In addition to teaching on a diverse range of clinical subjects, he often leads workshops on field botany, wild edible plants and mushrooms. Richard is a professional member of the American Herbalists Guild.
Join the Community Farmworker/Alliance of NYC (cfa-nyc.org) in commemorating the incredible actions taking place all over the country & world by not only dancing the night away but by helping CFA raise funds to continue fighting for farmworker justice!The Coalition of Immokalee Workers is a farmworker group in Southwest Florida working to increase wages and improve working conditions. They have recently won landmark agreements with growers that fundamentally will change the supply chain in the restaurant and grocery industry.
Featured Guests Include:
Olmeca (hip-hop artist from California, http://www.myspace.com/olmeca
Son De Monton (local nyc Son Jarocho collective that plays traditional music from Veracruz)
R-Tronika (mix of techno, punk, ska, hip-hop, dub, reggae, rock and Andean music, www.musictronika.com)
Dj Lobotomy Copter (http://soundcloud.com/dj_lobotomy_copter)
and more to come…..
Tamales and drinks!
$7-10 at the door to raise money for CFA’s efforts to support the Coalition of Immokalee Workers.
8pm doors, 9pm show.
This year’s celebration will be a benefit for Jamie and Gladys Scott, sisters recently released from a Mississippi prison, where they had been serving double life sentences, since 1994, for armed robbery. Released to save the taxpayers the health-care costs for ailing Jamie Scott, on the condition that sister Gladys donate a kidney, they continue to “pay” for a crime they didn’t commit—$52 a month, each, forever, for private parole-monitors to keep an eye on them. Check out http://freethescottsisters.blogspot.com.
Roses and Bread is an annual women- and trans-only event.
Door opens at 6:30 p.m. Program runs 7-9 p.m.
Donation: $10, $15, $20 • more if you can, less if you can’t
Refreshments
To sign up to perform, to reserve seats, and/or to confirm childcare, please call 718-783-8141.
Join Patty Lovera, Director of Food & Water Watch’s Food Program, in discussing:
• What the Farm Bill is and how it impacts New Yorkers
• How the Farm Bill currently benefits corporate agribusiness and harms most farmers and consumers
• How the Farm Bill can be reformed to promote a safer, more fair, and sustainable food system
• How you can get involved!
For more information, or to RSVP, please contact Eric Weltman, Food & Water Watch, 718-943-9085; eweltman@fwwatch.org
www.FoodandWaterWatch.org
This is the first of a two-part series, one Wednesday evening and one Saturday field trip.
Wednesday, April 13, 6:30-9:30 pm
Introduction to botany for herbalists and gardeners
Saturday, April 16, 10:00 am - 4:00 pm
Botany Field Day at the Botanical Garden
Fee for the series: $75. Wednesday alone is $35; Saturday alone is $50.
Richard Mandelbaum RH (AHG) has been an avid student of plants for more than twenty years, He is a clinical herbalist with a private practice in Brooklyn and in Sullivan County, NY, in which he gives personalized holistic health recommendations, and is the former director of the Clinical Herbalist Diploma Program at the Lehigh Valley Healing Arts Academy in Emmaus, Pennsylvania. In addition to teaching on a diverse range of clinical subjects, he often leads workshops on field botany, wild edible plants and mushrooms. Richard is a professional member of the American Herbalists Guild.
This is part two of our series on geoengineering. We have all seen crisscrossing streaks of white clouds trailing behind jet aircraft, stretching from horizon to horizon, eventually turning the sky into a murky haze. Officials say they are the normal contrails of jets. More and more scientists say that there is nothing normal about them. Some call it geoengineering. NASA calls them Persistent Jet Contrails and says they are a problem. Geoengineers call them Solar Radiation Management and say they are a solution. By any name they are a problem, raining down toxins into our water and soil.
10AM - 11AM Bonnie Hoag of The Bonnefire Coalition (at www.californiaskywatch.com) will present Who Owns the Weather? an in-depth introduction to the atmospheric aerosol programs, the toxic fallout, and the media and legislative blackout.
11AM - Noon Cynthia Pikoulas of www.longislandskywatch.com will present Connect the Dots, her research establishing the relationships among corporations, individuals, and the atmospheric aerosol programs.
BREAK FOR LUNCH
1PM - 2PM Geoff Brady of www.newyorkskywatch.com and Pacifica Radio will present Video Evidence of the aerosol program over New York City, including identifying particular aircraft involved in geoengineering aerosol programs.
2PM - 3PM Q & A discussion.
Brewing for Poets is a one-hour brewing class for beer enthusiasts and non-brewers that want to learn more about the home brewing process without any technical stuff.
We will sample 5 common beer styles, discuss their history, brewing process, and how/why they differ from other styles. We will be exploring variations of IPA, Lager, American Ale, porter/Stout, and Belgian beer.
Please join us for a book reading and mini-workshop on community food policy organizing with Mark Winne, a groundbreaking national leader and innovator in the food justice movement. Mark will read from his second book, Food Rebels, Guerrilla Gardeners, and Smart Cookin’ Mamas: Fighting Back in an Age of Industrial Agriculture. In the mini-workshop we’ll explore ways to connect food policy advocacy with the concerns of everyday food consumers, to include their voices with those of policy experts in the discourse, and to broaden the scope of New York’s growing food movement.
John LaPolla from City Brewshop will be brewing an all-grain organic beer. The demonstration will cover all steps of the process dough-in, mash, the boil, hops additions and fermentation. John will be available to answer questions and help you get on the road to brewing your own beer.
John LaPolla is a 15-year home brewing veteran. His experience ranges from extract brewing, to all-grain beers and everything in between.
www.citybrewshop.com
City Brewshop’s mission is to inspire and nurture the homebrew community within New York City by providing information, materials and means for all individuals to creatively explore the craft. Their brick & mortar location, slated to open in spring of 2011, will house a fully stocked brewing kitchen & event space. They will also stock a wide range of homebrewing supplies & equipment
That’s right - along with the Sun and warmth, hay fever and allergy season is right around the corner! Join herbalist Richard Mandelbaum RH(AHG) to learn about some of the many effective natural remedies available to reduce symptoms, and to normalize the immune system and reduce the allergic response. Local honey will also be available.
That’s right - along with the Sun and warmth, hay fever and allergy season is right around the corner! Join herbalist Richard Mandelbaum RH(AHG) to learn about some of the many effective natural remedies available to reduce symptoms, and to normalize the immune system and reduce the allergic response.
Richard Mandelbaum RH (AHG) has been an avid student of plants for more than twenty years, He is a clinical herbalist with a private practice in Brooklyn and in Sullivan County, NY, in which he gives personalized holistic health recommendations, and is the former director of the Clinical Herbalist Diploma Program at the Lehigh Valley Healing Arts Academy in Emmaus, Pennsylvania. In addition to teaching on a diverse range of clinical subjects, he often leads workshops on field botany, wild edible plants and mushrooms. Richard is a professional member of the American Herbalists Guild.
This nine-session course, taught by Richard Mandelbaum RH(AHG), is comprised of eight three-hour Wednesday evening classes and a six-hour Saturday field trip. The course is designed both for people already using herbs as well as people just getting interested, and will be useful for people who are considering going on to study herbs more in depth or those who may just want a more solid foundation for their own family and home use.
Wednesday, June 8
6:30-9:30 pm
Session 1: General introduction to using herbs wisely: using herbs within a holistic mindset; learning from our herbal traditions; the law and herbal medicines; safety and toxicity; dosage
Wednesday, June 22
6:30-9:30 pm
Session 2: Herbs for the GI tract and liver, including diet and nutrition and how they relate to herbal medicine
Wednesday, June 29
6:30-9:30 pm
Session 3: Herbs for the immune system
Wednesday, July 6
6:30-9:30 pm
Session 4: Herbs for emotional and mental well-being: reducing stress, improving sleep and elevating mood
Wednesday, July 13
6:30-9:30 pm
Session 5: Herbs for the cardiovascular system
Wednesday, July 20
6:30-9:30 pm
Session 6: Introduction to botany for herbalists and gardeners
Saturday, July 23
10:00 am - 4:00 pm
Session 9: Botany Field Day to be held at the New York Botanical Garden or the Brooklyn Botanical Garden
Wednesday, July 27
6:30-9:30 pm
Session 7: Herbs for male and female reproductive health
Wednesday, August 3
6:30-9:30 pm
Session 8: Healthy lungs, and healthy bones and joints: herbs for the respiratory and musculo-skeletal systems
Richard Mandelbaum RH (AHG) has been an avid student of plants for more than twenty years, He is a clinical herbalist with a private practice in Brooklyn and in Sullivan County, NY, in which he gives personalized holistic health recommendations, and is the former director of the Clinical Herbalist Diploma Program at the Lehigh Valley Healing Arts Academy in Emmaus, Pennsylvania. In addition to teaching on a diverse range of clinical subjects, he often leads workshops on field botany, wild edible plants and mushrooms. Richard is a professional member of the American Herbalists Guild.
Learn how to make the easiest, no-knead, artisanal bread without having to buy a thing! 10 minutes of prep time creates a loaf of crusty, healthy and incredibly delicious loaf. Lots of tasting samples of whole wheat, rye, cheese bread, walnut bread and the best French bread you’ve ever had. Our neighbor, Robert Hebron, will share his secrets.
We have all seen crisscrossing streaks of white clouds trailing behind jet aircraft, stretching from horizon to horizon, eventually turning the sky into a murky haze. Officials say they are the normal contrails of jets. More and more scientists say that there is nothing normal about them. Some call it geoengineering. Michael Murphy interviews them in this thought-provoking film. Murphy will be available for a Q & A session following the film, via televideo. Anyone concerned about the health of our soil and water may want to start paying attention to this phenomenon.
Expand your skills of self sufficiency and learn the best techniques of food preservation by canning & pickling. In this workshop Leda Meredith of Leda’s Urban Homestead will demonstrate the proper methods of canning using local ingredients currently available. Applesauce, apple preserve, sauerkraut and/or pickled carrots or cauliflower will be the focus of the demonstration.
Leda Meredith teaches at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Adelphi University, and the New York Botanical Garden (from which she holds a certificate in ethnobotany). A local foods activist, Leda has given food preservation work-shops for many organizations. She is the author of two books: The Locavore’s Handbook: The Busy Person’s Guide to Eating Local on a Budget and Botany, Ballet, & Dinner from Scratch.
Brooklyn for Peace is celebrating the launch of its new website with a dance party.
Learn to dance like the pros with Salsa and Merengue lessons with live music provided by Grupo Viaje, featuring:
Hector Davila: Pianist & Musical Direction
Little Johnny Rivero: Congas & Percussion
Daniel Antonetti: Timbales & Percussion
Anibal Martinez: Trumpet & Flugel Horn
Kevin Pagan: Bass
Dance performance by LSD Experiments directed by NYC renown dance teacher and choreographer Cynthia La China and her partner Hector Peña. (http://www.nysalsababy.com/) The dazzling routines of this dance team reflect the essence of LSD Projects, fusing the unique style of Afro-Cuban, Latin Jazz Funk and Ballroom technique in theatrical choreographies.
Delicious organic Indian cuisine by Mukti’s Kitchen http://www.meetup.com/MuktisKitchen/
Assortment of Desserts by Shakoor’s Sweet Tooth Bakery (Home of the Best Sweet Potato Cheese Cake) http://www.shakoorssweettooth.com/
Cocktails and other refreshments!
Donation: Regular $40, students (with ID) $12 (includes one free drink, food, salsa and merengue dance lesson and live entertainment)
Visit the website: www.brooklynpeace.org
Email: bfp@brooklynpeace.org
or call further information call: 718-624-5921.
Food prices are soaring to record levels. Why? And why do so many people not have access to this basic necessity? Join noted scholars Fred Magdoff and Brian Tokar as they examine these questions and more, drawing on the insights collected in their new edited volume, “Agriculture and Food in Crisis: Conflict, Resistance, and Renewal.”
Fred Magdoff is professor emeritus at the University of Vermont and adjunct professor at Cornell University. He has written extensively on soil fertility, ecological approaches to agriculture, and political economy, and is co-author of The ABCs of the Economic Crisis (with Michael D.Yates) and The Great Financial Crisis (with John Bellamy Foster).
Brian Tokar is a long-time activist and author, and current director of the Institute for Social Ecology based in Plainfield, Vermont. He is the author of Toward Climate Justice, The Green Alternative, and Earth for Sale and lectures widely on a variety of environmental and political topics.
Come make soda bottle planters and several other types of SIPS. We will also be planting seeds.
Back by popular demand! You are invited to a talk with Eric Herm, a 4th generation farmer from West Texas. In his new book, Herm provides a penetrating analysis of the devastating effects of conventional commercial agriculture. The book has an overall positive and constructive message, however, as it empowers the reader (and farmers) to make changes in their lives that could influence the course of agriculture, to make it more sustainable.
nature works will host guided Life Design sessions at The Commons the last three Thursdays in February. We gather to share space for co-working, as we explore the transformation of personal life choices, as we act in accordance with healthy living patterns & whole systems theory. We utilize evolutionary design processes, and a broad set of tools to frame & explore each of our life journeys.
Participants may expect to access time & space to actively practice Life Design, as we all learn from the process of sharing challenges & successes, laughter or tears, & supporting each others practices. Facilitators (Alice Lo & Frances Subbiondo) will present & coach Life Design exercises in intimate group settings—in addition to actively co-working with the group assembled.
To test for deeper resonance, please read below our Life Design purpose statement : We trust in the wisdom of open systems, & celebrate the advantage of conscious & deep connection—so that we may design together, & choose with deliberateness, lives full of joy, love, presence, and _________, that most effectively realize our highest multiple potentials, in service, & with gratitude to, all life.
From laundry detergent and toothpaste to non-stick pans and canned beans, unregulated, untested, and undisclosed synthetic chemicals are used in the production of countless household items.
Many of these toxic ingredients are absorbed by our bodies and contribute to a dramatic increase in chronic health problems. Scientific estimates show that the average person carries at least 700 contaminants in his or her body.
With the FDA and EPA powerless to regulate the chemical corporations and protect the populace, how do citizens navigate this minefield of domestic toxins? Where do we start?
It can be overwhelming and often paralyzing, but we CAN transform our living spaces into toxin-free homes, starting with a few simple steps.
Join Jenna Spevack, City University of New York professor and founder of Plastic Albatross, for a domestic detox with a step-by-step tour down the average household shopping list. Learn how to lessen your exposure to toxins in your own home and reduce your body burden.
nature works will host guided Life Design sessions at The Commons the last three Thursdays in February. We gather to share space for co-working, as we explore the transformation of personal life choices, as we act in accordance with healthy living patterns & whole systems theory. We utilize evolutionary design processes, and a broad set of tools to frame & explore each of our life journeys.
Participants may expect to access time & space to actively practice Life Design, as we all learn from the process of sharing challenges & successes, laughter or tears, & supporting each others practices. Facilitators (Alice Lo & Frances Subbiondo) will present & coach Life Design exercises in intimate group settings—in addition to actively co-working with the group assembled.
To test for deeper resonance, please read below our Life Design purpose statement : We trust in the wisdom of open systems, & celebrate the advantage of conscious & deep connection—so that we may design together, & choose with deliberateness, lives full of joy, love, presence, and _________, that most effectively realize our highest multiple potentials, in service, & with gratitude to, all life.
Healing with Herbs: Safe and Effective Use of Botanical Medicines
This nine-session course, taught by Richard Mandelbaum, is comprised of eight three-hour Wednesday evening classes and a six-hour Saturday field trip.
Wednesday, February 16
6:30-9:30 pm
Session 1: General introduction to using herbs wisely: using herbs within a holistic mindset; learning from our herbal traditions; the law and herbal medicines; safety and toxicity; dosage
Wednesday, February 23
6:30-9:30 pm
Session 2: Herbs for the GI tract and liver, including diet and nutrition and how they relates to herbal medicine
Wednesday, March 2
6:30-9:30 pm
Session 3: Herbs for the cardiovascular system
Wednesday, March 9
6:30-9:30 pm
Session 4: Herbs for emotional and mental well-being: reducing stress, improving sleep and elevating mood
Wednesday, March 16
6:30-9:30 pm
Session 5: Herbs for the immune system
Wednesday, March 23
6:30-9:30 pm
Session 6: Herbs for male and female reproductive health (including herbs for the genito-urinary tract and kidneys)
Wednesday, March 30
6:30-9:30 pm
Session 7: Healthy lungs, and healthy bones and joints: herbs for the respiratory and musculo-skeletal systems
Wednesday, April 6
6:30-9:30 pm
Session 8: Introduction to botany for herbalists and gardeners
Saturday, April 16
10:00 am - 4:00 pm
Session 9: Botany Field Day to be held at the New York Botanical Garden or the Brooklyn Botanical Garden
Richard Mandelbaum RH (AHG) has been an avid student of plants for more than twenty years, He is a clinical herbalist with a private practice in Brooklyn and in Sullivan County, NY, in which he gives personalized holistic health recommendations, and is the former director of the Clinical Herbalist Diploma Program at the Lehigh Valley Healing Arts Academy in Emmaus, Pennsylvania. In addition to teaching on a diverse range of clinical subjects, he often leads workshops on field botany, wild edible plants and mushrooms. Richard is a professional member of the American Herbalists Guild.
Richard will give everyone who completes the course a certificate with his signature outlining the hours in the course and the subject matter. This would be helpful for anyone seeking a credential in the future such as professional membership in the American Herbalists Guild (to be clear: this short course would not qualify anyone for that, but it could be included as a small part of one’s education). It would probably also be useful to someone who has a health credential for which they need CEUs. Anyone with additional questions about “certification” should contact Richard.
If you have substantive questions about the course, contact Richard at: richardmandelbaum@hotmail.com
The course costs $300, and pre-registration is required. Please send a check, made out to The Commons Brooklyn, to:
The Commons
388 Atlantic Ave.
Brooklyn, NY 11217.
Or, you can pay by credit card using the Paypal link when you register. Thanks.
John LaPolla from City Brewshop will be brewing an all-grain organic beer. The demonstration will cover all steps of the process dough-in, mash, the boil, hops additions and fermentation. John will be available to answer questions and help you get on the road to brewing your own beer.
John LaPolla is a 15-year home brewing veteran. His experience ranges from extract brewing, to all-grain beers and everything in between.
Billions of our tax-dollars are given to Agribusiness, the huge corporations that dominate our food supply. Very few, if any, tax dollars are given to the farmers we see at the Green Markets all around NYC. They are the ones who deserve our support. If we are to save them, our land and our health, we must become more informed about how our taxes are spent.
The Farm Bill produces a food system awash in added sugars (derived from corn) and added fats. The reason the least healthful calories in the supermarket are the cheapest is that those are the ones that the farm bill encourages farmers to grow (by giving them our tax dollars to produce them).
Join us to hear Mark Dunlea, Executive Director of Hunger Action Network NY State, to discuss the ways we can get the Congress to change this urgent bill.
www.greenpartynyc.org
Join flatbreadaffair for a panel discussion in conjunction with their current exhibition, Robert Moses, He Knows Us [a site-specific installation by Gabriela Salazar]. Titled after the New York City urban planner and drawing from the language of the D.O.T., Salazar’s site-specific installation explores signage and navigation at the intersection of the domestic and public space. Stripped of written language and free from the automotive, this presentation offers a platform to probe concepts of graphic memory, symbolic meaning and interstitial directives.
The panel will explore the aesthetics and philosophy behind standardized signage and methods of way-finding when juxtaposed with the domestic space. After a presentation by the artist, panelists will engage in a moderated conversation.
Moderator:
Sara Reisman, Director, Percent for Art at New York City Department of Cultural Affairs
Panelists include:
Chris Calori, Principal, Calori & Vanden-Eynden Design
David Vanden-Eynden, Principal, Calori & Vanden-Eynden Design
Kevin Melchionne , Artist and writer, completing a dissertation in aesthetics
Jen Kaminsky , Urban planner and locative media artist
Aaron Naparstek, Founder and former editor, Streetsblog; Member Board of Directors, The Open Planning Project
Upon completion of the panel, guests are invited to continue the conversation and experience while enjoying wine and hors devours inspired by the exhibition.
There will be a visual presentation of the exhibition installed at flatbreadaffair.
RSVP suggested. Please RSVP to curator@flatbreadaffair.com.
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flatbreadaffair explores ideas through art and food. A partnership between a curator and a chef, we organize art exhibitions, dinners, lectures and social gatherings to nourish the pleasures of artistic creation. Find us at http://flatbreadaffair.com.
For the first time in New York City, Chris Harp and Grai Rice of HoneybeeLives will offer their two-day organic beekeeping class.
HoneybeeLives takes a natural, organic approach to beekeeping. Their in-depth workshops nurture beginning beekeepers and encourage veteran beekeepers to adopt a naturalist approach. They encourage beekeeping that respects the instincts of the honeybees and a gentle approach in their care. HoneybeeLives is working to strengthen the honeybee population and heighten awareness of their incredibly valuable role in the earth’s health.
INTRO TO ORGANIC BEEKEEPING: PLANNING A NEW HIVE FOR SPRING
(Saturday, February 5,10:00 am - 6:00 pm)
Learn about the basic requirements and responsibilities for organic beekeeping. Understand the community of a hive, the tools involved, elements of site selection, where you can obtain honeybees and equipment, and an understanding of a naturalist approach to their needs. This class introduces students to a nurturing way of beekeeping and a philosophy of respect and love for these amazing creatures. There is a hands-on demonstration of assembling a wooden hive, and extensive class handouts to help new beekeepers.
UNDERSTANDING AND CARING FOR YOUR HONEYBEES
(Sunday, February 6, 10:00 am - 6:00 pm)
Topics will include: hive congruency and design to benefit the colony; Honeybee health and disease management the organic way; seasonal concerns and methods; as well as imparting the value of respecting the lives and needs of your bees. Top Bar Hive beekeeping will be discussed.
Full weekend registration only - $200 per person
Pre-registration is required. To register for classes, please send an email to HoneybeeLives@yahoo.com or call (845) 255-6113. Please include phone contact information.
Prepayment is requested. Send a check to HoneybeeLives, 133 Plains Rd, New Paltz, NY 12561. If you cancel within 2 days of class a fee will be charged.
Or you can pay with a credit card using the Paypal link when you register.
Gift Certificates are available. We can send you a beautiful, personalized gift certificate to give to someone. (We ask an additional $7 to cover the printing, postage and handling.)
Chris Harp is an organic beekeeper, beekeeping teacher and co-founder of HoneybeeLives. He has been tending his own hives in New Paltz, NY for twenty years, expanding his naturalist and biodynamic approach to tend approximately 200 colonies in locations in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Vermont, for both individuals and organizations, including Sprout Creek Farm in Poughkeepsie, and CSA farms Phillies Bridge and Taliafero’s in New Paltz. Harp’s work as a “Bee Doctor” comes from a deep caring and concern for the fragility of the Honeybee population, and a profound respect for the structure of their collective lives and their impact on the health of Mother Earth. Harp evolved from his conventional methods of beekeeping after learning a biodynamic approach from Gunther Hauk at the Pfeiffer Center.
Grai St. Clair Rice is co-founder of HoneybeeLives. After ten years as an Editor/Producer at CNN’s New York Bureau, and many years before in the film, art and publishing worlds, Grai’s focus turned to beekeeping and writing. She is currently the President of the Ulster County Beekeeping Association. Grai lectures on gardening for Honeybees, and co-teaches some of the beekeeping classes. She is working on two different books about honeybees and beekeeping.
HoneybeeLives.org
Come dance and celebrate! The NYC Community Farmworker Alliance (CFA) is throwing a party to celebrate the recent victories of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers. DJs spinning hip-hop, cumbia, salsa, son jarocho and live bomba music! The Coalition of Immokalee Workers is a farmworker group in Southwest Florida working to increase wages and improve working conditions. They have recently won landmark agreements with growers that fundamentally will change the supply chain in the restaurant and grocery industry. CIW members will be there partying with us! $5-$10 at the door to raise money for CFA’s efforts to support the CIW. Accepting donations for tamales and drinks! Check out more at http://www.ciw-online.org/.
Come learn and have fun with wine professional Jodi Stern. $30 suggested donation. Tickets can be purchased at the door or in advance at www.nycharities.org and type MS 447 PTA in the search bar. Questions: contact Helen at hselsdon@gmail.com
This month we are launching a new series: Every third Thursday of the month we will celebrate a different herb. These evenings will be collaborations. Everyone is invited to participate by bringing items related to the herb: poetry, pictures, spells, recipes (better yet bring dishes cooked with it); medicinal uses, stories about it; unusual uses, advice about growing it, presentations (with or without a projector), anything you would like to share. If you have questions or suggestions, contact melissa@thecommonsbrooklyn.org. Hot beverages will be served.
This week we welcome a new resident, The Brooklyn Strategist, a board- and card-game social club. On Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday afternoons, from 3-6 pm, The Commons will become a place to play, learn and think creatively, socialize and strategize against an opponent or with team members. The Brooklyn Strategist focuses entirely on games that require face-to-face interaction. It has a huge inventory of board and card games (including many that are out-of-print) and multiple table sizes to accommodate games for up to 8 players. There are no computer or digital games of any kind.
These afternoon clubs are open to kids (7+ years old), tweens, teens and adults. Individuals, couples and families are welcome. If you want to play a favorite game or learn a new one but don’t have someone to play with, The Brooklyn Strategist will find partners for you to share the experience.
Homemade refreshments (savory, sweet and beverages) with ingredients from local, sustainable farms will be available..
The first 12-week session of 2011 will offer six modules:
TUESDAYS starting on January 11
Module 1: Ancient Strategy Games
Module 2: Civilization and Empire Building
WEDNESDAYS starting on January 12
Module 3: Word, Cryptology and Trivia Games
Module 4: Sporting Games
THURSDAYS starting on January 13
Module 5: History of Conflict
Module 6: Card Games
For more information and to sign up:
http://www.thebrooklynstrategist.com/
Call (646) 470-3556
info@thebrooklynstrategist.com
This week we welcome a new resident, The Brooklyn Strategist, a board- and card-game social club. On Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday afternoons, from 3-6 pm, The Commons will become a place to play, learn and think creatively, socialize and strategize against an opponent or with team members. The Brooklyn Strategist focuses entirely on games that require face-to-face interaction. It has a huge inventory of board and card games (including many that are out-of-print) and multiple table sizes to accommodate games for up to 8 players. There are no computer or digital games of any kind.
These afternoon clubs are open to kids (7+ years old), tweens, teens and adults. Individuals, couples and families are welcome. If you want to play a favorite game or learn a new one but don’t have someone to play with, The Brooklyn Strategist will find partners for you to share the experience.
Homemade refreshments (savory, sweet and beverages) with ingredients from local, sustainable farms will be available..
The first 12-week session of 2011 will offer six modules:
TUESDAYS starting on January 11
Module 1: Ancient Strategy Games
Module 2: Civilization and Empire Building
WEDNESDAYS starting on January 12
Module 3: Word, Cryptology and Trivia Games
Module 4: Sporting Games
THURSDAYS starting on January 13
Module 5: History of Conflict
Module 6: Card Games
For more information and to sign up:
http://www.thebrooklynstrategist.com/
Call (646) 470-3556
info@thebrooklynstrategist.com
This week we welcome a new resident, The Brooklyn Strategist, a board- and card-game social club. On Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday afternoons, from 3-6 pm, The Commons will become a place to play, learn and think creatively, socialize and strategize against an opponent or with team members. The Brooklyn Strategist focuses entirely on games that require face-to-face interaction. It has a huge inventory of board and card games (including many that are out-of-print) and multiple table sizes to accommodate games for up to 8 players. There are no computer or digital games of any kind.
These afternoon clubs are open to kids (7+ years old), tweens, teens and adults. Individuals, couples and families are welcome. If you want to play a favorite game or learn a new one but don’t have someone to play with, The Brooklyn Strategist will find partners for you to share the experience.
Homemade refreshments (savory, sweet and beverages) with ingredients from local, sustainable farms will be available..
The first 12-week session of 2011 will offer six modules:
TUESDAYS starting on January 11
Module 1: Ancient Strategy Games
Module 2: Civilization and Empire Building
WEDNESDAYS starting on January 12
Module 3: Word, Cryptology and Trivia Games
Module 4: Sporting Games
THURSDAYS starting on January 13
Module 5: History of Conflict
Module 6: Card Games
For more information and to sign up:
http://www.thebrooklynstrategist.com/
Call (646) 470-3556
info@thebrooklynstrategist.com
Hunger Action Network will host a winter wine-and-cheese benefit to support its work to end hunger and poverty in New York State.
The benefit will help support Hunger Action’s work to raise more funding for emergency food; enact single payer health care; job creation; promote a Farm Bill that helps family farmers and promotes good nutrition rather than supporting corporate agribusiness and obesity; Community Supported Agriculture; campaign finance reform; and a peace dividend to support domestic needs.
Come say good bye to Veda Myers, Liz Gilbert and Laurie Wen and celebrate Mark Dunlea’s 25th anniversary with Hunger Action Network.
Special guests and entertainment to be announced.
To RSVP: lgilbert@hungeractionnys.org or 212 741-8192 xt 3#.
Donations via www.hungeractionnys.org. or HANNYS, 64 Fulton St., #801, NY NY 10038.
For low-cost workspace or to rent space for an event or to offer a class, please email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).