Treleven

Although this photo indicates otherwise: it does seem as if the state is beginning to recover from Tropical Storm Irene. We were thrilled that Yuki Yoshida and her friend Austin visited us during March, to help prepare for lambing. Yuki is a graduate student in environmental psychology, Austin is an artist, both are very involved with Aikido. Don was hard at work on his new book Flying Blind, which examines family relationships (especially fathers and sons) through meditations during bat habitat management practices. Anais Mitchell, who grew up on the farm, released Young Man in America. One of the songs: The Shepherd, is based on Don’s earlier novel Souls of Lambs. Susannah McCandless was working on organizing a seminar for the Global Diversity Foundation. The farm was graced by a visit from Joan Lombardi and her husband Neville, who stayed in the Annex. Joan, who was here to give the Keynote talk for the Learning Together Conference, served as National Child Care Bureau Director under three US Presidents.  The Touchpoints in Vermont leadership transitioned to Robin Grace, a gifted teacher from Fairfax. We anticipate that the farm will still provide the retreat setting for the annual Touchpoints Faculty gathering.

This winter that wasn’t, provided many opportunities to be outside in sunny and beautiful weather. The last session of Spirit of Change was warm and gorgeous enough to allow us to climb the back cliff and spend a short time meditating as a group. We held a gathering and reception for Nomadicare; the program that supports the integration of traditional and modern medicine in Mongolia. It was an opportunity for supporters to meet the young child Nara, who had been severely burned in a gers fire two years ago. She and her mother were in the US thanks to the generosity of many, to be operated on at the Shriners Hospital in Boston. The operations were successful and now Nara is cheerfully walking again!  The installation of the Invisible Odysseys exhibit at the Vermont Folk Life Center garnered much attention. The programming which accompanied the exhibit was very well received. There was much activity related to early childhood planning and farm worker justice issues. Peggy Sax, of Reauthoring Teaching, was well underway planning an international gathering here in the fall. Don continued to work on the forest management project, opening up roosting habitat for endangered bats and gathering a great supply of future firewood at the same time.

The forestry management project has several goals: protecting the habitat for endangered species, removing invasive species, improving the timber stand, developing a sustainable process that matches economic and environmental concerns, opening the farm and woodland for enjoyment and meditation. One of the great “unanticipated” benefits for both the landowners and the non-profit programs, is the production of firewood. Don is thinking that it might be possible to produce 30 years worth of cordwood while he (and his helpers) are still young and active.  This was also the month that plans were finalized for the long term installation of the Invisible Odysseys Exhibit at the Vermont Folk Life Center.

This was the month that the Culminating Seminar for Child Care and After School Program Directors met on the farm for their retreat and presentation of their final projects. We have felt so energized to have the incredible energy of these strong community leaders on the farm.  The Treleven Board is excited to be working toward hosting a wider variety of events, including a workshop on Narrative Therapy in the fall, which Peggy Sax is arranging.  Benj Putnam and Cheryl Mitchell have been working with the town of New haven to clarify our role in the community. John Elder and Don Mitchell visited the Center for Whole Communities to gain more understanding of the ways non-profits and privately owned facilities can support one another. We are looking forward to making a major contribution as a vibrant retreat and learning community in the Champlain Valley.

As the forestry management program gains speed, Don has been clearing trails in order to reach deeper into the forest. We were so fortunate that his nephew Jacob and partner Jamie (who has built trails professionally) came to stay on the farm and helped to clear a path to the top of the back cliff. After marking and clearing the trail, it was blazed with white. On a full moon night you can follow the trail all the way to the top without turning on a flashlight!

Swarthmore in the Little City

We had a lovely fall and were glad to host the annual gathering of Swarthmore in the City.  So many alums have moved to Vermont because of its beautiful environment and proactive social justice work. We feel honored to share in the excitement. The forestry management program designed to improve habitat for endangered bats is well under way. We are trying to combine the physical aspects of the labor (crawling around the forest floor eradicating invasive species), the hopeful dimensions (that highly desirable roosting trees will become more accessible and the bat population will begin to increase), and the meditative aspects of this kind of work. We are learning slowly but steadily.

Early Childhood Dreamers

This mostly beautiful month ended dramatically: Hurricane Irene devastated large sections of Vermont. The spirit of neighborliness was alive and well as people helped one another to resettle and recover. Flooding on Otter Creek wiped out our neighbor’s cornfield for the third time this year. Treleven Farm was largely spared- only a few of the big, beautiful, old trees in the pastures were blown over- and the pond has now become a haven for a huge flock of geese whose regular sheltering areas are under water. During the month people continued to gather for dreaming, work, and celebrations. There was a small Touchpoints faculty retreat, a larger early childhood dreaming session, a tiny but lovely  working meditation day, and an open house about the Invisible Odysseys project and other upcoming courses. Andrea Suozzo did a lovely piece on Treleven’s current work and future dreams for the Addison Independent. Andrea Warren the summer intern who was raised on a diary farm in Bridport, did the photos.

We joined the Addison County Chamber of Commerce,  Treleven Annex hosted several guests including our old friend Juana Clipper, a  Midd alum, banker, pastry chef and international consultant. She made an amazing cake to celebrate Lauraine Warfield’s 87th birthday.  Don completed framing the ramp and roofing for the Handicapped Accessible walkway. The first round of rotational grazing was completed, the rams were removed from the flock (despite their vocal complaints) to avoid winter lambing, and the replacement ewe lambs have now rejoined the main flock. Work has started again on the forest management project–improving habitat for endangered bats and removing invasive species– and the garden is producing more tomatoes and basil than we can keep up with. Please stop by if you’d like some.

Middlebury College Organic Garden Interns at Treleven

This was a gorgeous month on the farm. The first cut of hay now fills the barn. Many thanks to our international friends and neighborhood children for helping to bring it in.  We have had several meetings, some in the gazebo and some in the annex. A group of early childhood dreamers took a morning to remember what has been wonderful in Vermont and to imagine how things could get even better in the future. This event was a tribute to the days when Senator Jean Ankeney used to gather people in her beautiful barn to dream and scheme. Culminating Seminar participants shared their final projects with one another and with Jan Walker, Director of Workforce Development for the Child Development Division of AHS and Sue Ryan, Director of the Vermont Child Care Industries and Career Council.  We had a fun and productive potluck supper and discussion with the Middlebury College Organic Garden Interns and their Advisor Jay Leshinsky. They had great ideas for creating internship opportunities for the summer of 2012.  Don laid in a 600 foot water line to provide fresh, clean water down by the gazebos. A 66th Anniversary and a 95th birthday were celebrated with great joy. We hope you will visit or join us for the working retreat and open house day on August 18.

Ninety Five!

Bringing in the First Cut Hay

Early Childhood Leaders

Despite the continued wet weather, life is flourishing on the farm. The gardens have gone in, the orchard has been mowed, a new deck connects the two gazebos, the geese and wood ducks have raised their young and departed, and the lambs are getting old enough to wean. A highlight at the beginning of June was the gathering of Child Care Program Directors. This great group of women are supporting one another in the hard work of preparing portfolios for the Early Childhood Program Director Credential. At the end of the month, After School and Summer Program Professionals will be implementing the Education in Human Values curriculum in their programs. It will also be implemented at the innovative Epiphany School in Dorcester, MA.

Registration is now open for the Invisible Odysseys Course. You can review the  Invisible Odysseys Syllabus here.  We are hoping to begin the working meditation days in the near future. And we are still hoping to hold a bi-lingual farm and forest camp later in the summer. If you have special requests for programs that fit the Treleven mission, please let us know.