Living Learning at Tres Marias
By Diana Rice – Dawson’s Peace Centre
Today was the first day of the Itinerant Bi-national Forum: Sustainable Campuses. We rose early in the morning- some of us very tired as our lovely neighbours held a very loud party until 5:30 am – and we had a quick breakfast before jumping into two cabs that the Preparatoria Comunitaria Tres Marias had sent to collect us.
The drive was about an hour and as we climbed further into the mountains I felt like I was coming home. All around us was scenery that could have been found in St. Sauveur, Quebec, or anywhere else in the Laurentians. We arrived and stepped out into the brisk fresh air and as I looked around and soaked in the campus I was powerfully reminded of the exhilaration I felt every summer at camp in Morin Heights. In short, in seconds I felt at home.
Once the forum officially commenced we were graciously welcomed by the directors of each of the partner institutions, educational and community based alike. They each spoke in turn, not only sharing their pride in this partnership but also taking the time to make us feel welcome. After the formal opening we were treated to a tour of the incredible initiatives and projects that this school was undertaking.
The first project we learnt about was a plan for a stand-alone building that would house a completely sustainable classroom. They were in the preliminary phases of the construction. The students and teachers showed us the solar panels and warm and cold air vents they built (the latter from re-purposed materials) that will provide the classroom with an independent heating, cooling and electrical system. Next it was on to the adobe bricks. After a brief explanation of how they are made we were invited to give it a shot…. 10 minutes later and mud coated feet we were all grins. The point of stomping the mud is to locate and remove any stones that could later prove problematic to the structural inte
grity of the dried brick.
Next we moved onto the medicinal plants garden. Like so many Indigenous communities in Canada trying to preserve and reclaim their knowledge and use the wisdom of their ancestors the students and faculty at Preparatoria Comunitaria de Tres Maria are trying to support and help their community by re-introducing and restoring the knowledge of medicinal herblore. The garden is curriculum. The knowledge that the students are acquiring is not only satisfying a course requirement but is an act of green. It is an act of peace. It is reconciliation and restoration of knowledge, of land and earth. It is connecting people to their community. It is life. This was most evident when they showed us one of their garden plots which was in the shape of a Fibonacci sequence. The shaped was picked to reflect the patterns of nature but also as an ideal pattern to provide the best possible conditions for light, air and water to cater to the needs of the different plants. We moved onto a demonstration from a neighbouring educational institution where they presented a demo of how they create creams, rubs and medicinal water from the indigenous flora.
From there we were brought into the forest near the campus buildings for a crash course in birding by students and a teacher. This was followed by a walk to an area that in the wet season is a lagoon. It was here that we were in for our next treat. Our two Dawson interns and several other students enrolled in a theatre course, “Time to Act” taught by the gracious and brilliant Luisa Montes, performed a theatre piece that sent a powerful message; that we need to respect and love the natural environment around us because it is a part of who we are. It was powerful and inspiring. Next we had classes of students who played music and danced their way into our hearts.
When it was all over, our most gracious hosts had a final gift for us, a beautifully homemade meal. Tables lined up altogether, elbow to elbow, we broke bread, talked with our neighbours and built stronger ties. We laughed, we shared memories of the previous visits between Dawson and our partners over the past several years all in the great outdoors breathing in the mountain air and spectacular views. You can travel hundreds of kilometers and meet new people in a new place but yet at the end of the day anywhere can feel like home. Anywhere can feel like your community. Today was the perfect day.
