MARCH 19, 2009 ISSUE
New River Earth Institute Celebrates 10 Years
New River Earth Institute—the name conjures up images of barefoot, granola-eating hippies, sitting on the banks of our beloved river. Who are these people, and what exactly is the New River Earth Institute (NREI)?
NREI is currently celebrating ten years of existence and helping people live healthier, happier lives for themselves and the planet. Hundreds of local people have been through the courses it offers. A sister of the Northwest Earth Institute of Portland, Ore., NREI is just one of a large national network of Earth Institutes.
There are no school buildings or teachers associated with the institute, as it is a nonprofit educational organization that offers peer-led discussion courses on environmental awareness and encourages participants to respond using personal strategies and specific actions. There are seven courses to choose from, each lasting 4 to 9 weeks.
The courses currently being offered by the NREI are Choices for Sustainable Living, Voluntary Simplicity, Discovering a Sense of Place, Deep Ecology, Global Warming Changing CO2urse, Healthy Children-Healthy Planet and Menu for the Future.
The book for each course is made up of a collection of articles, excerpts, essays and case studies pertaining to the topic of each week’s session. Courses are peer-led and facilitated by a different person each week who follows a list of possible questions. The cost is $15 to $20, and participants can share books. The courses can be started at anytime and can be offered just about any place where people naturally gather. Meeting places have included local libraries, college campuses, restaurants, employee lunchrooms, coffee shops, community centers, church basements and even back porches. Group sizes are usually 6 to 12 people, and each session lasts about 1 to 1.5 hours.
Of course hippies are welcome too, but so is anyone else from any walk of life. For example, the NREI board members include a social worker, nurse, stay-at-home-mom, park ranger, IT specialist, graphic designer, alternative designs construction consultant and real estate agent. Not to mention the hundreds of people from every variety imaginable who are alumni of the Institute.
Courses have been offered in Ashe, Avery, Watauga, Wilkes and Buncombe counties, just to name a few, plus the ones held in neighboring states. Anyone can suggest a time and place to host a course. Everyone is invited: students, grandparents, developers, business owners, church groups, home owners, land owners, anyone with health concerns, activists, hippies and even skeptics.
As individuals, we often feel isolated and powerless in the face of such daunting tasks as protecting the environment or living in a healthy, sustainable manner to protect our families, neighbors and communities. But these discussion courses act as a way to share insights and simple ideas with others about how we affect the precious resources on which we, as human occupants of earth, depend. The discussions seem to turn into a support group of sorts, through which folks can offer each other hope and encouragement for better days and a brighter future—all with a sense of purpose.
For more information on NREI, click to www.NewRiverEarthInstitute.org or call 336-877-1860.
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