Join us in May!
About This Workshop
The goal of this 10-day natural building workshop will be to complete the walls, floor, and living roof of a roughly 100 square foot compost toilet enclosure while learning the essentials of compost toilet design and pallet-cob construction, a technique we’ve come to love first pioneered by Miguel “Sir Cobalot” Elliot. Students will learn how to install pallet walls on an existing post-and-beam structure, how to frame windows and doors, how to prepare and apply earthen base coat plaster, how to sculpt artistic elements onto the walls, and how to prepare and apply finish plaster from clay and lime. We will also complete an earthen floor installation while learning how to formulate an earthen floor mix and the steps to oil and wax these floors for durability and water resistance. For the living roof portion, students will build the living roof frame on top of an existing roof deck and learn how to install a waterproof membrane, drainage layer, and growing medium. In addition to these hands-on installations, students will attend lectures on natural building design, theory, and philosophy.
What will we be building?
Breakfast will be served from 7:30-8:15. We will begin each day at 8:30 with check-ins, stretching, and various group activities to get our blood flowing. Class will start with a lecture or building session from 9-1. Lunch will take place from 1-1:45. We will begin our afternoon session at 2:30 and end at 5, with a 30 minute cleanup and closing circle at 5:30. Dinner will be served at 7, giving students time to clean up and rest or enjoy some time at the nearby river or on-site hiking trails. Evenings will be open for camp fires, slide shows or building-related movies, and council circles to check in with each other and gain community cohesion. Our daily schedule may change with the demands of the spring weather, but we will strive for consistency and respect for students’ individual needs.
How will the days be structured?
What will student accommodation
look like?
Coyote Woods offers acres of pasture and forest with plenty of options for camping, whether you enjoy a secluded perch deep among the trees or a grassy spot close to the barn. We will have access to compost toilets and multiple showers, along with a large barn area for lectures, hanging out, or for dry shelter in the case of rainy conditions. This workshop will appeal to those who enjoy living close to the land, as we will be spending our days outside and often times covered in clay plaster. Natural building is a celebration of our connection to the raw ingredients provided by the earth to create beauty and bring us together. For those animal lovers, you can get your fix by hanging with the friendly goats on the property.
What will meals look like?
Clay Sand Soul strives to provide fresh, healthy meals for our students while meeting the needs of most dietary restrictions. We try to work with hosts who share our commitment to health and wellbeing and who understand how important nourishing meals are to a successful workshop. We provide three hearty meals per day and snacks as needed. We offer work trades to two students per workshop who would like to exchange their time in the morning (6:30am-7:30am) preparing breakfast for their food costs. For this workshop, the trade discounts their tuition $250. All students help with serving and cleaning up meals.
Breakfast is served from 7:30am-8:15am, typically consisting of eggs, yogurt, granola, oatmeal, nuts, fruit, and toast.
Lunch is served from 1pm-1:45pm, typically consisting of salads, taco bar, burritos, wraps, or various other hearty dishes.
Dinner is served from 7pm-7:45pm, typically consisting of salad, soup, bread, and various other hearty dishes.
Coyote Woods is a sprawling defunct Christmas Tree farm turned community homestead. The land is stewarded by two sisters who are up there and have been working for the past 10 years to help the land and its ecosystem recover from years of clear cut logging and monoculture farming. Their mission is to make the land a positive resource for as many living things as possible.
A word from our host Meredith about her property…
Coyote Woods
Estacada, Oregon
How to register:
If you’re interested in registering for our workshop, please contact us via Text/Call, WhatsApp, Instagram, or Email and we will send a link via PayPal, Zelle, Venmo, or Check
Text/Call, WhatsApp: 505-401-6786
Instagram: @claysandsoul
Email: claysandsoul@gmail.com
