Hi everyone,
Do you all know about Freecycle - http://www.freecycle.org/ ? I have just tried it out here (UK) after a friend told me about it. It is for recycling for free any items you don't want any more to other people who do want them - items that might otherwise have to go to landfill and the rubbish tip. There seems to be an international network, of local groups. I looked up what groups are around Adelaide - the biggest is
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/freecycle_adelaide/ 
I leave you to judge it for yourselves. So far my experience of it is good.
Deb Harding - Lot 112.

Hi everyone,
I have just had an email from a friend who has a place at 'Taliesin' in the US on an Architecture Masters program. Looking up the school at http://www.taliesin.edu/ I discovered a very exciting site - at least for those of us keen on architecture - and felt others may be interested to read about it.
Deb Harding

If you live in the Village and receive your email news as a hard-copy print-out from a local "Email Buddy", you might like to consider using the noticeboard instead and letting your email buddy off the hook (as well as saving paper etc). Our news digest is now regularly posted on the noticeboard as soon as the email version arrives and is generally left up for a week to give you time to read at least the two latest bulletins. Why not stick a pencil and notepaper in your pocket and check it out.
Elizabeth

Many of you will have seen the very positive article in the Southern Times Messenger this past week. Thanks to Trevor for facilitating the visit by showing the press reps around and pointing out village features. For those who haven't seen it yet, Bridget has sent in the attached scanned copy, with thanks to Carole at Sustainable Property Developments!
 070411 Welcome to village life on our doorstep Southern Times

For anyone out there who is attracted to natural and "organic" building techniques and definitely doesn't want a boring house, Hans Banens of Lot 137 has sent in the following weblink describing a new "tree house" concept:

News in Science - Architect plans living tree house - 23/01/2006
http://www.abc.net.au/science/news/stories/s1553264.htm
Growing a home from living trees instead of building a home from felled timber is the goal of an architect from the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology ... ...

Deb Harding (buying Lot 112 from the UK) has sent on some information of potential interest to owner builders, and also to those who see the design and building skills now being developed in the Village as something we could build education workshops around in the longer term. Check out the following websites:

"Builders without borders": http://www.builderswithoutborders.org
Builders Without Borders - Networking Natural Builders Worldwide - is an international network of ecological builders who advocate the use of straw, earth and other local, affordable materials in construction. They believe that the solution to homelessness is not merely housing, but communities trained to provide housing for themselves. To this end, they create educational books, CD-ROMs, DVDs and videos, organize and promote hands-on workshops, and partner with other organizations to build affordable sustainable housing.

"The Lama Foundation": http://www.lamafoundation.org
Lama Foundation is: a "community", a not-for profit organization, and a "spiritual home" to many. Its mission is to be both a sustainable spiritual community as well as an educational center dedicated to all spiritual paths. Founded in 1967 about 20 miles north of Taos New Mecixo on just under 110 acres at 8600 feet, Lama Foundation is almost completely surrounded by Carson National Forrest. A mountain fire in 1996 destroyed most of the buildings and surrounding forest, but re-building efforts and the introduction of a permaculture system design have brought about new buildings, new infrastructure, and an opportunity to teach natural building methods on the job. Click on "Building/Permaculture" in the menu, and note the use of training workshops and apprenticeships.