Home / Conference

Pre-Conference Field trip to:

Quail Springs Learning Oasis & Permaculture Farm

Thursday, October 13

Join us for an all-day excursion from San Luis Obispo to the hills outside Maricopa for a guided tour of Quail Springs, a permaculture and sustainability education and land stewardship center. Vans will leave the SLO Vet’s Hall at 8:30 a.m. for the 2 ½ hour trip. Upon arrival at Quail Springs, Farm Manager Brenton Kelly will show us the amazing work performed to date to implement the center’s 200-year plan to restore the land and the watershed.  You will also see the beautiful “food forest” growing there, and the amazing public and private buildings made of all natural straw bale and cob construction.  Lunch will be served before our return back to SLO, with an approximate arrival time of 4:30 p.m.  The beauty and serenity of Quail Springs will stay with you for a long time to come.

About Quail Springs - www.quailsprings.org
Quail Springs Permaculture initially grew out of a 450-acre piece of land located in the Santa Barbara backcountry in the Pinyon-Juniper woodlands of the upper Cuyama Valley. This land is situated at the base of Mt. Pinyos and Mt. Abel, the "sister" mountains that have been the center of the universe for the Chumash people for thousands of years. The spring here that gives the site its name, offers life to myriad species of plants and animals and allows us as people to share on this land.

In 1997, Warren Brush and Cynthia Harvan began a program for homeless youth, called Wilderness Youth Project, out of a homeless shelter for families in Santa Barbara, California. Each year, Wilderness Youth Project spent many a day in the Cuyama Valley tracking animals, building shelters, learning about earth skills, tending fires, mentoring and sharing stories that would support the healthy growth of youth, with diverse cultural, ethnic, and socio-economic backgrounds.  In 2004, an ideal site that was a former cattle ranch was secured through the generosity of a local Santa Barbara family foundation. Warren and Cyndi moved to the land to lead the caretaking and development of Quail Spring.  Quail Springs Permaculture developed out of the relationship to this land and has dedicated its work to the multi-generational learning journey of seeding and tending the gardens of human land-based culture in a sustainable way.

Quail Springs focuses its efforts on educational programs, green jobs preparation for youth, permaculture design application and training, soil building, tree planting, natural building research and development, service learning opportunities, and the development of a sustainable farm and nursery.  The Quail Springs team believes that lasting ecological health and social harmony can be fostered through emphasizing the connection between people, food, shelter, energy, and water.   

Location / TIme / Cost
Departs at 8:00 am Thursday, October 13 from the SLO Vet's Hall
Return time: approximately 4:30pm
Cost: $85.00, includes lunch.
Free for Total Immersion Pass Holders