Community Resilience Workshop Series
Together, we face a multitude of social, economic, and environmental challenges that call us to rethink how we relate to one another and the land, and to develop skills for mutual aid and community resilience. The Community Resilience Workshops facilitate inclusive learning opportunities while fostering local partnerships for climate change adaptation and emergency preparedness. In collaboration with other community-based organizations, these workshops offer hands-on practice in topics such as regenerative agriculture, wildfire mitigation, disaster preparedness, first aid training, ecological conservation, community governance, and off-grid systems. We recognize that the communities most impacted by climate change are also those who often do not have equitable access to these resources, so these offerings are free and donation-based. We welcome donations from participants who have the means and wish to support free learning opportunities to the community.
These workshops are supported by funding we received from the Oregon Health Authority. Thank you, OHA!
We are continuing to add workshops to this schedule through 2025! Please see workshop details below to register; registration is required in order to attend all workshops. You may contact admissions@lostvalley.org to inquire about other scholarship opportunities for courses and events.
2026 Schedule
Fruit Tree Pruning Workshop
Learn how to prune trees for better health and higher fruit yield, covering techniques, tools, and timing. It includes hands-on practice with expert guidance.
Led by Brian Byers, Land Steward at Lost Valley, a permaculture designer, educator, and activist with over a decade of experience. Brian serves as lead instructor for Lost Valley’s Permaculture Design Course (PDC), bringing deep practical knowledge and a passion for land stewardship to his teaching.
Gardening knowledge from Seeds to SEED
Seed Starting Essentials: From Soil to Sprout
Join instructors Allen Adesse and Holde Fink for a hands-on workshop covering the essentials of successful seed starting in our local climate. Learn how to read your site, choose regionally adapted seeds, direct sow, start seeds indoors, mix soil, water effectively, transplant, and grow in containers.
We’ll move from foundational principles straight into hands-in-the-soil practice, planting together onsite so you leave confident and ready to grow. 🌱
Grafting & Hardwood Propagation
Learn the basic techniques of hardwood cutting propagation and grafting. Learn how to propagate and grow different types of plants
Led by Brian Byers, Land Steward at Lost Valley, a permaculture designer, educator, and activist with over a decade of experience.
No Till Farming
We will learn about the impacts of tilling and the benefits to soil health of no till organic systems. We will examine how cover crops are a part of that no till system and how crop rotations and good crop planning play vitals roles in this style of farming.
Led by Kelson, Garden Manager at Lost Valley. He is also involved in local mutual aid groups, as well as bioregional networking and development
Assessing Forest Health
Learn the basics of stand assessment, forest health, Plant Identification
Led by Brian Byers, Land Steward at Lost Valley, a permaculture designer, educator, and activist with over a decade of experience.
Compost & Soil Amendments
We will be learning how to make and apply good compost, bokashi and compost teas as organic methods to support and build soil in your farm system.
Led by Kelson, the Garden Manager at Lost Valley. He is also involved in local mutual aid groups, as well as bioregional networking and development
Fire Ecology & Biochar
Learn how to make charcoal/biochar, learn how to safely burn material from forest work, learn the basics of prescribed burning
Led by Brian Byers, Land Steward at Lost Valley, a permaculture designer, educator, and activist with over a decade of experience.
Integrated Pest Management
As we work hands on in the garden we will learn plant identification and how to identify pathogens and insect infestation within our crops. We will also learn various Organic methods to treat these.
Kelson is the Garden Manager at Lost Valley. He is also involved in local mutual aid groups, as well as bioregional networking and development
Coppicing & Pollarding
Learn how to create and maintain hedgerows that yield food and wildlife habitat, as well as how to turn coppice cuttings into coppice crafts
Led by Brian Byers, Land Steward at Lost Valley, a permaculture designer, educator, and activist with over a decade of experience.
Weeds and Herbalism
We will learn the healthy methods of weed management in a context of unhealthy chemical agriculture. We will learn about medicinal plants and various preparations and seasonal uses.
Kelson is the Garden Manager at Lost Valley. He is also involved in local mutual aid groups, as well as bioregional networking and development
Forest Products
Learn about the multiple yields that the forest provides, basics of firewood management, how to make round poles, medicinal products like cascara bark
Led by Brian Byers, Land Steward at Lost Valley, a permaculture designer, educator, and activist with over a decade of experience.
Veggies RX
We will learn about nutrition content of vegetables and how healthy soil leads to healthy plants leads to healthy bodies. We will learn how our microbiome in our gut is directly connected to the microbiome in the soil.
Led by Kelson, the Garden Manager at Lost Valley. He is also involved in local mutual aid groups, as well as bioregional networking and development
Agroforestry
Learn about how to grow fruit and nut trees and other perennial food sources (camas), learn about ancient and modern practices of sustainable (non-tillage) agriculture
Led by Brian Byers, Land Steward at Lost Valley, a permaculture designer, educator, and activist with over a decade of experience.
Agroecology
We will learn about the history and principles of agroecology and how it relates to permaculture. We will discuss the state of globalized industrial agriculture in relation to localized systems of agriculture
Led by Kelson, the Garden Manager at Lost Valley. He is also involved in local mutual aid groups, as well as bioregional networking and development
Beyond "Invasive Species"
Learn about the history of "invasive species", learn safe techniques for controlling exuberant species like blackberry, scotch broom. Learn about grazing as a control method, the pros and cons of other methods
Led by Brian Byers, Land Steward at Lost Valley, a permaculture designer, educator, and activist with over a decade of experience.
Irrigation & Water Management
We will learn hands on how to set up an irrigation system and the irrigation considerations for a whole farm system(dry down, different crop needs, succession, crop planning). We will explore how water moves across the land and methods for water conservation.
Led by Kelson, the Garden Manager at Lost Valley. He is also involved in local mutual aid groups, as well as bioregional networking and development
Decolonizing Agriculture
We will learn about precolonial agricultural systems in relationship to our modern systems of agriculture and the decolonization of permaculture. How agriculture relates to ecological systems, historical indigenous management of the Willamette Valley and the importance of biodiversity and native foods.
Led by Kelson, the Garden Manager at Lost Valley. He is also involved in local mutual aid groups, as well as bioregional networking and development
