We ARE Nature, We NEED Nature: National Heirloom Expo Returns to Ventura

Heirloom Expo 2024 in Ventura Sept. 10-12

“We often forget that we are nature. Nature is not something separate from us,” reminds Andy Goldsworthy. “So when we say we have lost our connection to nature, we’ve lost our connection to ourselves.”

How do you spend your days? Do you get outside to walk, hike, garden, explore, camp, read, or even just sit and see the sun set or the moon rise on a regular basis? Do you hear the birds? Do you listen to them? Can you smell when the rain is coming? Does it smell like fall to you? Have you noticed the return of the monarch butterflies? 

Do you need NATURE?

“Most learning is not the result of instruction. It is rather the result of unhampered participation in a meaningful setting.” Ivan Illich, author of Deschooling Society (1971). Many places can serve as meaningful settings.  But nature is one of the most important.

Fortunately we have many opportunities to learn about our natural world — and how we can grow our own food. Today is the second of three days of the National Heirloom Expo in Ventura CA at the Ventura County Fairgrounds located on the beach at the end of Harbor Blvd near the train station on Sept 10th – 12th from 9am-9pm. Celebrating diversity in heirloom gardening and healthy food, the event gives participants the opportunity to learn from world-class speakers like these on gardening, food security, seed saving, and more. Browse amazing displays of heirloom vegetables and flowers in the expo hall, enjoy delicious cuisine from local healthy food vendors, and shop for plants, seeds, and other goods in the vendor hall.  Tickets are $15 per day. Ages 17 and under enter for free.  

So go get your garden on by picking up some unusual seeds at the sharing tables, and grow your own diverse fruits and vegetables. Gardening is a great way to spend time in NATURE. We all need nature! So go get outside! 

Also coming up in Ventura: Over Equinox weekend, Artwork and Coastal Cleanups!  

we are nature: Goldsworthy

Art above by Leslie Rinchen-Wongmo, one of the only westerners trained in the rare Buddhist art of silk applique thangkas, she is passionate about the preservation and evolution of this Tibetan cultural tradition. His Holiness the Dalai Lama gave his blessings to Leslie’s work and encouraged her to make images that speak to the spiritual aspirations of people across religions and cultures. Leslie’ story is the subject of the acclaimed documentary film, Creating Buddhas: the Making and Meaning of Fabric Thangkas. Leslie mentors a select group of students around the world through her Stitching Buddhas Virtual Apprentice Program, and her Weekly Wake-ups provide a thread of inspiration to set your week on the path to awakening. Her autobiography is titled Threads of Awakening.