Olney Friends School Summit: Panel 2 Let the Land Speak pt 2

Part 2 of 5

Participants
David and Elsie Kline, editors, Farming Magazine
Bryan Smith, watershed coordinator, Belmont County Soil & Water Conservation District
Keri Willever, associate director of admission, Warren Wilson College

Presentation 30 minutes / Discussion Q&A 45 minutes

Description: Visiting Olney Friends School, one quickly gets the sense that the land itself -- fields, forest, lake, hills, gardens, farm, orchard, creek -- has a stake, a voice, and no doubt full membership in the community. What does the land say? This panel seeks to address topics ranging from watershed conservation; to farming close to the land; to the "triad of academics for the mind, work for the hands, and service for the heart."

Do we need palm pilots or pitchforks, or both? How does Quaker simplicity -- buying, making, taking, doing only what is necessary or useful, or that which brings joy -- inform our approach to the many opportunities facing us? Can our connection with the natural world help us shape a human-scale approach to the use of technology? What indeed are "the joys [and challenges] of living well on a small, ecologically-conscious scale"?

With this general framework in mind, we ask each panelist to speak briefly (5-8 minutes) to one of the following questions:
What is your personal understanding of simplicity in relation to technology? (or) How does the organization you represent seek a balance between living in the world as it is, and leading a transformation?
What can Olney's relationship with the natural environment tell us about our way forward?

Category:

Education

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• panel
• 2
• part
• 2