Maat Hetemii and the Climate Science Alliance proudly hosted a Stewardship Pathways Compost Training on Iipay land at the Santa Ysabel Reservation, with speakers from the Intertribal Agriculture Council, Solana Center, Coastal Roots Farms, and Good Grow Organics.
Maat Hetemii and the Climate Science Alliance proudly hosted a Stewardship Pathways Compost Training on Iipay land at the Santa Ysabel Reservation. Between storms, we were grateful for a day of beautiful weather and community learning.
Chairman Kevin Osuna started the day by welcoming participants from all over Southern California into the Iipay Nation of Santa Ysabel. Emily Burgeno, Head Seedkeeper of Maat Hetemii set the groundwork for the day by sharing the cultural importance and context around composting - a practice that has been integrated into Indigenous food systems for thousands of years and is rooted in Traditional Ecological Knowledge. Nic Rajen with the Intertribal Agriculture Council dug deeper into soil knowledge and the importance of microbial health for all beings. Next, Jennifer Galey with the Solana Center educated the group about vermicomposting (using worms to turn food waste into compost).
After a delicious lunch cooked and shared by Denise Redfern, participants were able to visit information tables hosted by Natalie Solares and Nic Rajen with the Intertribal Agriculture Council, and Laura Torres with Solana Center. Youth and community members throughout the day contributed to the community mural “Everyone Has A Role” led by Climate Science Alliance’s Audrey Carver.
With full bellies, we concluded the day with a presentation from Ellie Honan from Coastal Roots Farms about a variety of composting methods, and an emphasis on aerial composting. Last but not least, we were joined by Ron McCord of Good Grow Organics who shared his knowledge and experience using bokashi, a fermentation-based compost method of Japanese origin. Many participants walked away with raffle items that were gifted throughout the day, generously donated by the Iipay Nation of Santa Ysabel Environmental Department, Maat Hetemii, and the Climate Science Alliance. All participants walked away with new knowledge of composting, community connections, and a desire to regenerate and grow.
Thank you to our former Indigenous Stewardship Fellow Emily Burgueno for her hard work and helping this event come to life. Thank you to Pauli Sternberg for helping plan this event. Thank you to our funders San Diego Foundation and the Resources Legacy Fund for supporting this event.
Presented by the Climate Science Alliance Tribal Working Group, the Stewardship Pathways Program invites people from across Southern California who are interested in creating or expanding a career focused on advancing Indigenous climate stewardship. Learn more about Stewardship Pathways at: www.climatesciencealliance.org/stewardship-pathways