West End EcoVillage News

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Permalink Reply by Karen Hertz on March 4, 2013 at 6:47pm

Wow! Great update! Thank you! :-)

I like the idea of once a month meetups at the West End community centre, or somewhere else close by in West End, if another meeting place is chosen. I am fairly open to days/night but would prefer once a month on a Sunday from 1 - 3 pm, but only if it's the 2nd, 3rd, or 4th Sunday of the month, because I plan to start going regularly to the Village Vancouver Salon every 1st Sunday of the month at Ross's place in Kitsilano.

As for the name of the group, I like all the options but options 1 and 2 might be better simply for attracting more members since the names are very simple to remember and identify what the group might be about to those seeing the name for the first time.

I would definitely be interested in working with people (adults & children) doing raised garden beds at Lord Roberts school because it's right across the street from my apt. building on Bidwell & Pendrell St.

As for bartering, I have 12 years experience as a teacher, mostly in public schools north or Seattle, a few years as a Language Arts teacher trainer in the US Peace Corps (many years ago), and 3 years teaching 1st/2nd grade multiage children in an alternative parent cooperative programs. I'm a Language Arts specialist (reading, writing, listening, speaking skills, spelling, keyboarding) and have extensive training and experience teaching reading & writing via a VERY motivating and ORGANIC method called "Doing Words" based on Katie Johnson's magical style which she got from Sylvia Ashton Warner of New Zealand, based upon her work teaching Maori children how to read & write English based on their OWN thoughts, feelings, and experiences in traditional Maori homes. Ashton-Warner wrote a book about it called "Teacher.: This method of teaching reading & writing is VERY powerful, fun, motivating, effective, and works with EVERY child I have ever worked with, from age 4 - 16, including those who were specifically put in my classes because they were "difficult to motivate," had "learning difficulties," or other issues that made learning to read & write more challenging for them.

I would also be very interested in bartering free cleaning work (I've got 16 years of self employed cleaning experience in Seattle & Vancouer & currently pay my rent in West End by cleaning apts & condos in my neighbourhood) in exchange for people teaching me transition town skills such as balcony gardening, vertical gardening, free mason bees to help pollinate the city, worm bins materials & training, certified permaculture training, cooking lessons (healthy soups for freezing, Indian cooking, Thai cooking, etc).

Also, If there is anyone out there who has a Samsung Galaxy Q smart phone, I would clean for you in exchange for coaching me with all the specifics on this phone, but only if you have the same kind of phone and already know it well.

I'm a permanent resident in Vancouver for 3 years and am almost eligible to apply for Canadian citizenship. I left the USA many years ago because I'm a pacifist and was disgusted with all the illegal & immoral oil & pipeline project wars that the USA was starting & forever perpetuating. Vancouver is the most wonderful place I have ever lived so I plan to put my roots down here & make this my home base. I want to learn all the skills that I can to become a resilient resident via Transition skills and to become skilled in emergency preparedness & community building so that I can become a good neighbour to those in my Vancouver community. Thanks! :-)
Karen