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Esalen Sustainability News

September 6-11, 2015

September’s Visiting Teacher: Nathan Ayers

Visiting Teacher

Permaculture , Biomimicry and Systems Thinking - Working with Nature Towards Lives of Abundance Join   Permaculture   educator   Nathan   Ayers   this   September   on   a  journey   through   the   principles,   ethics,   and   applications   of  permaculture,   biomimicry   and   systems   thinking.   As   founding  director  of  Chiwara  Permaculture  Research  &   Education,  Nathan  has   been   teaching   students   and   leaders   across   America   how   to  make   the   transition   away   from   fossil   fuels,   and   towards   self-­‐sufficiency.  This  transition  is  all  about  becoming  producers  rather  than   consumers,   and   reintegrating   humanity   with   Nature's  abundant   brilliance.   Nathan's   curriculum   is   based   on   taking  responsibility   for   yourself   and   your   family,   in   the   areas   of   food,  energy,  water,  building,  transportation  and  waste.  Students  leave  his   courses   with   the   tools   needed   to   initiate   personal  transformation,  self-­‐sufficiency  and  community  resilience.    

Nathan   will   offer   five,   two-­‐hour   evening   classes   and   five   mini-­‐lectures   during   the   day,   out   in   the   field.   There   will   be   lots   of  opportunities  to  learn,  and  more  details  will  be  provided  closer  to  the  offering.  

Housekeeping  news  

Residential  Education  news  

Towels, Towels, and More Towels!!  Upon  encountering  beautiful  stacks  of  fluffy,  warm  towels,  it's  easy  to  assume  that  they  are  an  endless,  abundant  resource,  perpetually  flowing  through  the  baths  by  the  grace  of  our  intrepid  cabins  crew  and  helped  along  by  Frank,  our  little  green  cart.      In  reality,  maintaining  that  “abundance”  is  an  energy  intensive  operation.  According  to  a  recent  carbon  footprint  analysis,  propane  use  at  Esalen  in  2014  was  responsible  for  the  emission  of  250  metric  tons  of  CO2-­‐equivalent.  Our  washers  and  dryers  consumed  about  35%  of  the  total  propane  used  and  half  of  what  we  wash  is,  you  guessed  it,  bath  towels.  We  wash  and  dry  approximately  750  towels  each  day!  This  means  that  maintaining  our  bath  towels  is  directly  responsible  for  emitting  43.75  tons  of  CO2-­‐equivalent  per  year!      Approximately  250  people  visit  the  Esalen  baths  each  day.  Since  the  laundry  processes  about  750  towels  daily,  this  breaks  down  to  3  towels  per  person,  per  day!  With  everyone’s  help,  our  community  can  cut  its  towel  use  by  more  than  half  by  adopting  two  simple  practices:      

1) Please  use  only  one  towel  when  visiting  the  baths.  

2) If  you  make  multiple  visits  to  the  baths  in  the  same  day,  please  take  advantage  of  the  solar  dryer  located  to  the  left  of  the  stairs  as  you  enter  the  baths.  

   Help  us  reduce  Esalen's  carbon  footprint  by  over  20  metric  tons  of  CO2-­‐equivalent  per  year!  Please  do  your  part  in  honoring  our  Earth  and  this  sacred  land:  unlimited  soaks  &  one  towel  please!

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SUMMER 2015 ESALEN SUSTAINABILITY NEWS

Maintenance news The   Esalen  Maintenance   department  has   installed   and   is   now   operating  five  electronic  wireless  water  meters  around   property.   They   track   fresh  water  usage  at   the   Farm,   Cormorant  Cove,   the   Baths,   and   the   Garden.  With   another   meter   measuring,   an  entirely   new   metric,   the   hot   springs  water   overflow.   That   is,   the   number  of   gallons   of   hot   springs   water   that  spills   over   the   cliff   WITHOUT   being  used   in   any   way.   These   reports   are  sent   every   day   from   the   meters   to  the   Operations   department   where  they   are   being   tracked   and   used   in  the   Eco-­‐footprint   project.   All   of   this   data   is   going   to   help   Esalen  make  better,   more   sustainable   decisions   around   water   as   we   move   into   the  next  generation.    

Kitchen  news

The  Esalen   Kitchen   is   proud   to   source  about  30%  of   our   produce   from   Swank   Farms,   a   family   farm   located   in  Hollister.  Dick  &  Bonnie  Swank  have  125  acres  of  certified  organic  fields:  they  have  5  acres  organic  asparagus,  organic  hot  houses  (where  our  tasty  tomatoes   grow),   and   will   be   transitioning   their   60   acre   home   ranch   to   certified   organic   when   they   get   an   invasive   weed  (watergrass-­‐  a  tough,  tubular  weed  that  spreads  underground)  under  control.  They  primarily  use  organic  products  on  the  produce  that’s  not  certified.    

We  get  our  tasty  broccoli,  cauliflower,  onions,  jalapeños,  tomatoes,  beets,  basil,    mint,  asparagus  and  more  from  Swank!      

Check  out  www.swankfarms.com  for  more  information.

Highlighting a Local Farmer & Grower: from the Esalen Kitchen…

Information  Services  news Since  2014,  the  IT  department  has  completely  replaced  Esalen  computer  servers  and  network  equipment.  Deployment  of  the  new  servers  and  network  hardware  has  reduced  IT’s  

electrical  consumption  by  over  60%  compared  to  our  old,  power  hungry  environment.    An  added  benefit  of  the  new  equipment  is  that  we’ve  also  reduced  heat  dissipation  from  this  equipment  by  60+%,  which  has  significantly  reduced  the  amount  of  electricity  required  to  keep  our  computer  room  at  optimum  temperature  (approximately  67degrees  F).

Gazebo  news  Gazebo   is   happy   to   share   that   our   new  compost  bin  is  in  full  swing.  The  children    have  been  joining  in  the  fun  by  emptying    our   snack   scraps,   adding   straw   and   leaves   from   the   Park,   and   mixing   and  hunting   for  worms.   A   big   thank   you   to   our  maintenance   angels   Patrick   and  Kevin  for  designing  and  building  this  wonderful  addition  to  the  park,  as  well  as  helping  turn  the  old  compost  bin  into  a  watermelon  garden  bed!  

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SUMMER 2015 ESALEN SUSTAINABILITY NEWS

Property  Development  news  Sustainable   building   and   design   principles   are   at   the   heart   of   Esalen   Institute's  Campus  Renewal.    We  are  currently   in  the  framing  stage  of  the  first  phase  of  our  lodge   addition   and   renovation.    The   building   is   being   designed   to   incorporate  energy  efficient  design  principles,  solar  photovoltaics,  and  preheating  water  using  our  geothermal  resources.    We  are  also  working  to   incorporate   local,  sustainable,  and   recycled/   reused   materials   where   we   are   able.    Tom   "Little   Bear"   Nason,   a  direct  Esselen  descendent,  recently  donated  exceptionally  beautiful  posts  for  our  new  enclosable  dining  areas.    These  posts  were  milled  from  local,  naturally   fallen  redwood  at  the  base  of  Pico  Blanco  (a  sacred  site  of  the  Esselen  Indians).  

The  Sustainability  Committee  Mission  statement:  This  group  is  an  interest  group  open  to  all  staff  who  want  to  share  ideas  and  inspiration  related  to  sustainability,  with  activities  that  include  educational  films,  guest  speakers,  group  discussions,  and  volunteer  action  projects.  This  group  

may  be  involved  in  helping  to  implement  some  of  the  plan’s  action-­‐initiatives.      

Current  Members:    Monique  Baron,  Elizabeth  Evans,  Branan  Freeman,  Thomas  Leahy,  Lori  March,  Anthony  Moreno,    

Patrick  Sheridan,  and  Jessica  Tamayo      

Summer  Newsletter  Contributors:  Nathan  Ayers,  Christina  Dauenhauer,  Elizabeth  Evans,  Dan  Eyde,  Branan  Freeman,  Ian-­‐Michael  Hebert,    

Jason  Huber,  Thomas  Leahy,  Lori  March,  Anthony  Moreno,  Jessica  Tamayo    

Community  Invitation:  We  are  an  evolving  and  rotating  committee,  and  if  you’re  interested  in  joining  our  discussions,    or  if  you  have  questions  or  comments,  please  contact  Esalen’s  Sustainability  Committee  at  

sustainability.committee@esalen.org  

Grounds news Within   the   past   year   and   a   half,   the   Esalen   Grounds   Department   has  implemented  the  use  of  “Purple  Water”  (hot  spring  overflow  water)  to  irrigate  a  broad   area   of   Esalen’s   property.   We   have   been   able   to   irrigate   most   of   the  southern  portion  of   the  property  and  a   small  portion  of   the  northern  side.     In  the  future  we  hope  to  bring  “Purple  Water”  to  all  areas  of  the  southern  end  of  property  by  installing  water  containers  in  certain  locations  and  using  gravity  to  help   irrigate   the   areas.     In   areas   where   we   are   unable   to   utilize   the   “Purple  Water”   (most   of   the   north   side),   we   try   to   plant   only   drought-­‐tolerant,   low-­‐maintenance  plants.    

 

We  also  try  to  mitigate  our  use  of  gasoline.  Within  the  past  six  months,  we  have  bought   two  electric   leaf  blowers.  These  have  worked  well   for  us  and  we  are  considering  switching  more  of  our  gasoline-­‐powered  tools  over  to  electric.        We  have  also  bought  a  much  more  efficient  lawnmower.  Our  new  mower  is  able  to  cut  our  lawns  in  half  the  time,  as  well  as  cutting  down  the  amount  of  time  we  need  to  refill  it  with  gas.  (although  the  one  pictured  is  NOT  the  one  we  have!)    

These  are  just  a  few  of  the  things  we  are  doing  as  a  department  to  make  less  of  an  impact  on  our  environment.  We  are  constantly  trying  to  come  up  with  ways  of  being  a  more  efficient  and  sustainable  department.  

Sustainability  Committee news