Workshops

All About Fossils – Presented by Matt DeLozier certified Texas Master Naturalist Bluestem Chapter. TPWD Angler Educator and TPWD Project Wild

In this presentation you will learn about different types of fossils and how they are formed and what fossils are commonly found in Grayson county.  We will also spend some time on learning to find fossils.

Bee Keeping and Beehive Removal – Presented by Noah White, Wildlife Biologist & owner of Be Happy Bees and Expert Eco LLC

Noah will teach about the structure of bee hives, how to relocate bee colonies, and how to extract honey.

 

The Curious Case of the Disappearing Plastic Bag – Presented by Alexis Taylor-Baker, TCOG

Alexis explores what really happens to plastic bags after they’re thrown away.  From trees to oceans to our food, this engaging workshop reveals the hidden journey of plastic pollution – and what we can do to stop it.

 

Composting – Presented by Chad Goucher, Conserve Earth Consulting

Chad Goucher is a sustainability-focused entrepreneur based in Denison, Texas. He is a Certified Energy Manager and has been in the commercial real estate sustainability industry for over ten years. He is the owner of Conserve Earth Consulting and operates a composting business that converts food waste into nutrient-rich soil inputs. He is motivated by his faith in God to steward the earth and its resources well. His work centers on simple, scalable solutions that individuals and communities can implement. Chad’s hands on workshop will focus on helping attendees manage their compost piles, know if they have a healthy productive compost pile and how to fix problems.

 

Cordwood Construction: Lessons Learned

Cordwood construction is a sustainable, cost-effective natural building method using short, insulated logs laid transversely in a mortar matrix to create durable, highly insulated walls. It offers high thermal mass, low material costs, and an unusual beauty, making it ideal for owner-builders. 

In 2003, the Novaks spent a week in upstate New York at the Earthwood Building School.  They received classroom and hands-on training in cordwood construction.  After years of planning, preparation, design, logging and bargain hunting, their cordwood home was completed a few years after their 2014 retirement.  Workshop attendees interested in photos and descriptions of cordwood masonry, lessons learned during preparation and construction of a cordwood home, the advantages of reuse, surplus, and salvage materials, and ‘gotchas’ encountered along the way will be interested in this presentation and discussion.

Eva and George Novak retired from the Aerospace Industry in the DFW area to rural Oklahoma in 2014.  They’re now living happily ever after in their cordwood home with solar power, geothermal heating and cooling, well water, a high efficiency wood burning fireplace, and a FEMA-spec tornado shelter.