earthship

Spring Projects Progress

/ Lehcim Nosredna / 1 Comment

The main frame of the new playhouse has been erected! On Saturday a small team of students, parents, and friends, came out to help me with earthship foundation and on Sunday the playhouse itself was risen. Below is a chronological slideshow of photos taken over the course of the project thus far:

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This week, as the rest of the playhouse is being finished, I’ve been working with our two 6th grade Rachels on the Chicken Ark.
Below are some photos of the progress we’ve made so far (click on them to enlarge). Today and Thursday I will be working with a small group of 5th graders after school to finish it up.

In the mist of all this the garden has been transforming as well. But I’ll save those photos for another post. Thanks for stopping by and enjoy your day! – Michel

A Call to Arms! Playhouse Community Raising!

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DSCN5341Come out to the Waldorf School of Baltimore this weekend to help raise our new timber-frame playhouse built by alumnus, Ben Gallagher. It’s picnic potluck style!
Yesterday, today, and Saturday, I will be preparing the earthship foundation. Come to lend a hand Saturday, April 13th, between 11am and 3pm. There’s a lot of dirt to move and pound into tires. An earthship foundation is made out of used car tires that are rammed with earth. This turns them into massive 300 lbs bricks. The playhouse will essentially “float” on the ground, protecting it from the subtle shifts of the earth. Did you know the Goderich Waldorf School in Africa is an earthship? …Watch this VIDEO to learn more.
The new playhouse will rise this Sunday, April 14th, between 9am to 6pm. Come with a picnic lunch with extra to share. Students are welcome to participate.

Hope to see you this weekend!

The New Playhouse is Coming!!!

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WSB PlayhouseThat’s right! This Sunday, April 14th, WSB will host a community raising of our new playhouse built by WSB alumnus Ben Gallagher. The playhouse will be in the black giant footprint by the green dragon slide. Come by anytime between 9am & 6pm, and bring along a picnic lunch with enough to share and we’ll have a picnic potluck!
DSCN5338Today, I picked up 8 tires (donated by Hampden Tires) which will be used to make an earthship foundation. Over the years, I’ve lived and worked on earthships in New Mexico and Ohio — they’re basically self-sustaining houses made of tires. (You can follow the link above to learn about earthships, and/or click on the photo to the left to read about my time in Ohio.) Myself, with the help of students and a few friends, will be pounding those tires with earth on Thursday and turning them into 300 pound bricks which the playhouse will rest on. By all means, if you see me out there, and feel like swinging a sledge hammer around, come by and lend a hand.
In other news, I have taken to the streets with our Clean Currents campaign and dropped off flyers in all of my neighbors’ mail-slots. If you’d like to do the same, message me (at manderson@twsb.org), and I’ll leave some for you at the front desk. If you’re making the change, please do so before April 30th and mention WSB. Thanks for reading!
Michel