Permaculture Interns

Besides planting, feeding, weeding, mulching & harvesting plants, other projects interns might undertake are mapping of Dreamtime gardens, the fine art of mound-building, all manner of gourd technology, construction of moveable greenhouses, entering plants in the database, seed-saving, propagation & design & work on the town square. Permaculture interns work best if they begin in early spring (March-April) & carry thru the end of harvest (October).

Hypermedia Interns

This position offers skills and experience in publishing, networking, mail art, bookmaking, desktop publishing & hypermedia. In addition to the daily correspondence, photocopying, & filing, there are plenty of specific projects to be tackled : the neologism dictionary, an electronic version of Dreamtime permaculture, issues of various magazines including Talkingmail & Xerolage, working on the Xexoxial archives & a Dreamtime Library, & more.

Construction Interns

With this internship, one learns quickly how to rennovate, repair, & co-design new construction using recycled & available materials. Some projects include finishing the straw bale hut; glazing, solarizing, wiring, insulating & site design at the mansion; designing a catchment system, plastering. Some experience with power tools & basic construction skills necessary.

Interns need to put in 20+ hours of work a week. After many years of giving interns a reduction in rent we have decided to ask for $170/month. (This is the same amount that residents & visitors pay as well.) Food tends to be between $25-$50/month. There are no punch clocks or timecharts. However, only people who labor out of love & enthusiasm for what they're involved in should bother considering these positions. (A previous hypermedia apprentice, probably an exception to most rules, must have put in 50-60 hrs. a week; he enjoyed the work & cared about it so much, he couldn't be stopped! "Ben, go to sleep!") In addition to self-motivation, each of the internships require some degree of previous experience: Hypermedia people should have basic skills on the Macintosh & should know how to write. Permaculture people should know the difference between, say, coriander & basil, & should know how to use a shovel. It should be noted that everyone here also helps out with the many other aspects of daily existence-meals, gardening, construction, creative renovation, cleaning, canning, showing visitors around, etc.

Anyone interested in any of these positions should email us a letter explaining a bit of history, skills, & special interests. Also spell out what you're seeking to learn & what you have to contribute, list experiences living in cooperative situations & anything else you think we should know. Don't send us a resume or a form letter, send us something personal. If your letter seems like a fit we will contact you & ask you to call. We highly recommend that folks visit our project in advance, preferably in the growing months when there are a lot more activities & people here.