APROVECHO'S SUSTAINABLE RESEARCH AND EDUCATION: A FOCUS ON NATURAL BUILDING

INTRODUCTION

Aprovecho is a non-profit research and education center dedicated to living, learning, organizing and educating to inspire a sustainable culture. Located on a forty acre land trust in the Coast Range outside of Cottage Grove, Oregon, Aprovecho's campus features a living demonstration of sustainable human settlement, organized around five core areas: food, shelter, water, forests, and energy. Aprovecho offers educational opportunities in all five of its core areas, including shelter through the Natural Building program. The Aprovecho Natural Building program trains students in the use of locally-sourced, non-toxic building materials for the construction of energy-efficient, affordable, healthy homes that work within natural communities and that enrich local economies.