Today during Morning Meeting, faculty members briefly described their visions for this year’s mini-term explorations.  Yes, mini-term is a month away!  We are excited to start Tuesday afternoon, December 15th, 2015.  Our kick off will take place in Room E.  We are thrilled to welcome back Dana Lyons.  Dana is an activist and singer/songwriter from Bellingham, WA.  He travels the world speaking and singing about environmental issues and social justice.  He has been a part of three of our mini-terms in the past and is excited to be back this year.  Stay tuned for more information about his visit!  Students will be in specific groups all day Wednesday and Thursday.  We will reassemble on Friday to share our findings and share a meal, celebrating the environment, before our noon dismissal for winter break.

For those new to the Hyla community, each year we break from the normal academic routine to look at a variety of topics in a more intense way.  Our three-year cycle includes an examination of social justice, the environment, and culture.  This December, our focus will be on the environment.  As you would expect, our faculty has created amazing innovative ways to approach this investigation of the environment.  You can read more in their attached descriptions.Mini-term is truly a community event.  If you are interested in offering assistance to our explorations this year, please feel welcome!  We know you are passionate and want to share.  We always want to hear from people who have experience in our mini-term selections.  We also need help with transportation to different events and setting up for our community meal on Friday, December 18th, 2015 (more from the Fresh Friday crew later). Please plan on being with us Friday, December 18th at 10:00 AM to celebrate and hear what we’ve learned! For more information, please contact Kim.

Sustainable Design – Kris Van Gieson, Jenine Adam & Kathleen Smith

The decisions we make about how we design and construct our built environments, whether they are houses, schools, hospitals, or office buildings, have an enormous impact on the health of our planet. Not only do buildings take a large amount of resources to initially construct, they also use large amounts of energy and create waste throughout the life of the building. In this era of global climate change and population growth designing thoughtful, ‘greener’ buildings is increasingly important. In this mini term, with the guidance of Kathleen Smith, Hyla parent and a sustainable design and architecture expert, we will explore the principles of sustainable architecture, learn about the different materials and systems that make up a building, and discuss alternative construction and energy choices that lead to a healthier environment. We will visit examples of ‘green’ buildings in Seattle as well as seeing local examples of sustainable design here on the Island. Then we will try our own hand at designing an environmentally responsible building. Join us to learn more about this fascinating subject that combines creativity, engineering, science, and, of course, consideration of the environment! (Note: there is a possibility we will return to Hyla later than 3:00 PM on Wednesday December 16.)

Food Heals – Laura Jones & Kimberley Gorman-Trick

Yes, food touches everything from our personal health to our environment.  In fact, Nature: International Weekly Journal of Science reports that by 2050, our current dietary trends will be a major contributor to an estimated 80% increase in global agricultural greenhouse-gas emissions AND increases in diseases such as type II diabetes and heart disease.  The amazing news is by choosing our food mindfully, we can reduce greenhouse gases and waste, and be happier and healthier individuals.

In our mini-term exploration, we will look at how we can make an impact on reducing greenhouse-gas emissions from making wiser choices at the grocery store and farmer’s market and make positive shifts in our individual health. We will start by looking at local farming practices, and the farm-to-table movement. We will learn from local farmers and chefs which practices they employ to reduce their carbon footprints and help heal individuals through food. We will also visit Bastyr University.  We will have the opportunity to check out the Bastyr Medicinal Herb Garden which houses over 350 Chinese herbs.  We plan on visiting and eating at  the Farestart Restaurant in Seattle which uses sustainable practices and heals our community through offering culinary courses for homeless individuals in the area.  All proceeds from lunch go back into their training programs and job placements.

We are excited to explore healthy food practices with you!  We also hope that individuals in this mini-term are open to helping us with Fresh Friday.  Our mini-term group and the Fresh Friday crew will have the honor of serving our holiday meal in Room E before the noon dismissal.

Puget Sound Waters: Pollution and Restoration – Cami Holtmeier & Colleen Carroll

One of the beautiful aspects of our community is that we are surrounded by water.  Over the years, population growth, global CO2  output, industrial production, and our global appetite for seafood have all contributed greatly to changing our oceans, bays, and waterways and the species that live in these watery habitats. This mini term will focus on the species cohabitating in our waters and how our daily lives influence the quality of the water that surrounds us.  We will examine the interconnectedness between humans, water, and the organisms that dwell beneath the water, as well as consider how we can promote the restoration of our waterways.  In class, we will investigate some of the common sources and types of pollution found in Puget Sound and how this affects filter feeders such as clams and mussels.  We will build watershed filtration models, study filter feeders under the microscope, and experiment with how ocean acidification affects shelled animals. We will also take some on-island field trips and hear from area scientists to help us understand how we use the local watersheds and how we can actively reduce water pollution here on Bainbridge Island.

Permaculture – Jeff Steele & Scott James

Imagine transforming downtown Seattle into a thriving food forest where most of the people who walk along the streets could pick an apple and cut greens for their salads as they walk home from work in the evenings. Sounds unrealistic? Like something that belongs in a fairy tale? What if we pulled it off on Hyla Campus and then used that evidence as a way to transform downtown Winslow into a great edible landscape that all community members could benefit from?  I think we could do it! If bringing about a healthier world sounds like a slice of your future, come experience a mini-permaculture design course with Jeff Steele and Hyla parent Scott James!

“Permaculture is a system of design that mimics nature in its overlapping functions and needs. It seeks to achieve real harmony between ecology and agriculture. People, in this context, serve in the capacity of caretakers for this natural system.” Joseph Bullock.

This mini-term experience will begin by mapping out a ten-year plan for the Hyla campus. We will culminate with an installation project based on our conversations that will take one small step toward a healthier balance between human needs and the natural system of the Hyla campus.

An Exploration of Energy – Mike Fosmark & Cindy Schacht

Fast forward to the year 2115. Your great-great grandchild is enrolled at Hyla. I bet the place would look and run very differently. Cars, buildings, heat, garbage, electronics, electricity could all potentially be powered very differently than they are today. Perhaps parents will be driving electric cars or hover cars, computers will be solar charged, heat will be from underground geothermal sources, electricity powered from the tides out in the Puget sound. How will Hyla run in 100 years? What type of energy will we be using? Where will it come from?

In 21st century America energy demand is growing at an exponential rate. In this mini-term, we will explore a variety of forms of energy: tidal, nuclear, wind, hydroelectric, alternative fuel, geothermal, solar, petroleum, coal, wood, and natural gas. We will look at historical and current perspectives of energy forms and usage. We hope to visit a Seattle lab researching and exploring innovation in clean energy. We will also look at local examples of companies, schools and families that use renewable energy sources effectively.

After learning about the past and current state of energy, we will extend our thinking to the future and how our new understanding applies to our community. We will imagine Hyla in 100 years and explore how it will use our locally available natural resources to make it run, taking into consideration student transportation, school heat, electricity, electronics and more. Join Mike and Cindy to imagine the future of energy.

Wildlife Habitat – Chris Soldevilla, Jennifer Haase & Melissa Dempsey

Whether you are a hiker or a climber, a swimmer or a cyclist, a bird watcher or a gardener, we all share a love for the wildlife around us. There are beautiful, unique and often delicate relationships between the environment, wildlife and humans, and the loss of habitat for wildlife is a major factor in species becoming endangered or hedging toward extinction.  In this exploration, the group will learn about these connections, evaluate our own wildlife habitat at Hyla then modify our surroundings to better accommodate the wildlife on campus; and hopefully attract additional wildlife.  When we’re finished we’ll seek the official Wildlife Habitat certification from the National Wildlife Federation.  The National Wildlife Federation is a voice for wildlife, dedicated to protecting wildlife habitat and inspiring the future generation of conservationists.

In order to accomplish this, we’ll spend one day at the Woodland Park Zoo experiencing a program called Interconnections, which focuses on the interdependence between plant and animal life of Southeast Asia.

On day two we’ll take what we’ve learned and apply it to our Hyla campus. We’ll research some of the wildlife with which we already share our local environment, then in partnerships, and using a point system, evaluate specific areas on our grounds.  According to our findings, we’ll either enhance, modify, or create a habitat healthy enough for our wildlife to thrive and gain our certification.