MUM courses:
- Energy Use by Man and Nature
- Hands On Course In Sustainable Technologies
- Permaculture Design Certification
- Sustainability Forest Academy
- Artisan Foods and the Slow Food Movement
- Local Economy
Grinnell College courses:
Resource Center
Matt
January 15, 2008
It began with stuffing a suitcase to the brim, a three hour tour into the hills of southern Iowa, and a confounding search for a house with no number. Soon, it progressed into an adventure through soup beans, green libraries, and brown greenhouses. Wherever it takes me next, I know it will be interesting.
A little bit about myself: I am a first-year biochemistry major from Dubuque, Iowa. My interests in sustainable living include sustainable urban and community planning, biofuels, agriculture, and environmental architecture and related technology. I'm not sure where a future career will take me, but I would be very interested in working in plant and environmental sciences or as an urban planner. In essence, this trip has really shown me a lot about where people with my interests have gone in the workforce and lifeforce. Admittedly, I just invented that application for "lifeforce"; essentially, existence outside of work.
My favorite experience so far this week has been meeting on Saturday night with Martha Norbeck, an architect who specializes in designing earth-friendly homes and advising architects and developers on ecologically-sustainable techniques and materials. I've always found it fascinating hearing about people who successfully entered a career sideways from some other path of education, since I'll probably have the luck of doing that in the future. Plus, architecture has been a bit of a hobby of mine, and I was impressed with the quality and livability that a lot of the designs we explored, especially in her library, exhibited. While I love science, it reminded me that architecture and design remains viable and, in many respects, necessary.
Sleep awaits. More to come.