Introducing Community Ecology Institute (CEI) of Howard County Maryland
Fellow Woodworkers,
The Community Ecology Institute (CEI) is a Howard County based non-profit with a mission to cultivate communities where people and nature thrive together. We are the stewards of Freetown Farm, a six and a half acre farm in Columbia that we are transforming into vibrant experiential education space.
As an integral part of its mission, CEI is excited to be in the process of creating a Maker Space. A Maker Space is a place in which people with shared interests can gather to work on projects while sharing ideas, equipment and knowledge. ? The mission of the Maker Space at Freetown Farm is to support personal and community resilience by creating a space for people to learn about lost arts and skills that were commonly practiced several generations ago, such as woodworking, pottery, fiber arts, and the fine art of repairing things. It connects with the overall mission of CEI at Freetown Farm by providing experiential education opportunities that foster health and sustainability
Naturally all this requires resources, not the least of which are volunteers to support the effort and share their skills, and money to provide adequate facilities and tools. Three things that you can do to help us make this dream a reality are:
Join our effort as a member of CEI, and share your skills by helping us renovate the facilities, or by teaching or mentoring. Donate tools that you don’t need any longer, or consider loaning us tools that you rarely use and are cluttering your shop. Help us raise funds by donating your handiwork, or your services, for an on-line auction that we will be holding in mid-November. We request that donations be received by 30 October.
If you are interested in being a part of this new adventure in any way, or if even if you simply curious about where this is all going, check us out the Maker Space web site; or, members not logged in and non-members please use the form for referral to Charlie Goedeke, who will contact you at the number or email you provide in the form.Stay well!Charlie Goedeke
Norm,
Thanks for volunteering!
I’m not an official tour person, so you should contact CEI directly for that.
I really like the idea of post & beam as a topic, especially since our centerpiece barn is a modern P&B structure that we hope to upgrade in the near future. And we need to replace a shelter, which we were thinking of making an open pavilion. Maybe you can inspire our design process.
VBR,
Charlie
ATTN: Charlie Goedeke
Charlie,
I’m a new member paid up through 2021, but I joined JUST in time for the Pandemic. I noticed that new volunteers must schedule an orientation tour before coming out to work.
Should I contact CEI directly, or will you be coordinating a tour for HCWG members?
Also, I have a suggestion for a topic under the category:
LOST ARTS & SKILLS–Post & Beam Construction
Look forward to hearing from you,
Norm Williams