Ecological Design is a helpful tool for implementing a Climate Adaptation Plan. In this workshop Jesse Watson from Maine Ecological Design School will introduce the Ecological Design process and principles that go into this type of planning process. Some considerations include: categories of land use; reading the landscape, addressing resource concerns, access, water management, types of agroforestry practices and more. The first part of the workshop will take place in a classroom setting at the Aldermere Farm Welcome Center. After lunch the workshop will head to nearby Erickson Fields Preserve. At Erickson we will walk through the Ecological Design Plan for that site with Jesse and MCHT staff to learn about how and why decisions for the plan were made. The goal is for you to leave the workshop with a sense of how an Ecological Design plan could be a helpful, useful and applicable tool for your farm or property.
University of Maine Cooperative Extension has partnered with Maine Coast Heritage Trust, Maine Farmland Trust, Knox-Lincoln Soil and Water Conservation District and other local and national nonprofits to deliver a spring workshop series exploring climate resilient production practices, planning and design solutions for farms.
Adaptation in Action will take place at Aldermere Farm Welcome Center, 20 Russell Avenue in Rockport from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. on March 5; 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. on March 19; and 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. on April 2. The final workshop in the series is scheduled for April 30 from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. at Brodis Blueberries, 87 Jones Hill Road in Hope.
The series will cover topics including climate adaptation planning with technical service providers from Maine Farmland Trust, American Farmland Trust and Maine Organic Farmers and Growers Association (MOFGA); ecological design using Erickson Fields Preserve as a case study; climate-smart fertility management with educators from UMaine and UMaine Extension; and farm pond construction, health and maintenance at Brodis Blueberries with Knox-Lincoln Soil and Water Conservation District.
Register on the event webpage or by phone at 207.342.5971. Workshop fee is $25 per session. Scholarships from American Farmland Trust and Maine Farmland Trust are available. For more information or to request a reasonable accommodation, contact Billiejo Pendleton at billiejo.pendleton@maine.edu or 207.342.5971.
