Welcome to Yonah Earthskills Preserve and Land School! This is an exciting new venture that is still in the planning stages, but is rapidly gaining momentum!

The Yonah Preserve will contain a land school focusing on sustainablity and environmental responsibility. The land school will include a blacksmithing shed, a wood working shop, a stone-age cooking facility, and much more! A significant portion of the preserve will be protected land in conservation easement. The staff, volunteers, and interns will be composed of a dedicated group of people who will contribute their skills and knowledge to the group.

The land school will focus on sustainable and enironmentally responsible practices, including skills applicable to everyone's day-to-day living. These programs will be available to the general public with a goal of decreasing one's dependence on others for daily necessities. Classes will include food production and preservation, tool making, traditional (the 'old' way) construction methods, nature awareness skills, and more!

The Yonah Earthskills Preserve will work to develop strong ties with the surrounding community, offering opportunities to explore energy independence, sound building practices, and responsible land-use options that benefit locally based economies.

A program such as this would not be possible without a supportive community. Individuals are welcome to participate in programs at the land school, and the school will also provide employment opportunities to the members of the community. Additional enterprises that share a similar vision will be collaborating with the land school to increase the scope of available opportunities.

Here is some info for you!
The details in these documents are still being developed. This information is available to you to give you a general idea of how things will be structured. Please continue checking back for updates and contact us with questions.

HERE is the Letter Of Intent (complete online & e-mail or print & mail)

HERE is the Yonah Earthskills business plan from March 2008 (has been revised; an update will be posted soon)

and HERE is a general overview of the Yonah Earthskills Project

So, what's next??
This is a really exciting time for the Yonah Earthskills Preserve! We are currently looking for land in the higher elevations of the North Carolina mountains. We are also looking for hard-working individuals to join the community and to help with building the initial infrustructure.

In addition to looking for land, we are also looking for individuals to invest in the Preserve. The Preserve operates under the Educational Excursions non-profit umbrella, so all donations are tax-deductible. There will be a variety of giving opportunities with a wide variety of benefits. Check back soon for updates.

An application will soon be posted. If you're interested in joining the community or in helping out an any way, please complete the application form.

Please e-mail us at info@yonahpreserve.org if you are interested in learning more about this new and exciting venture!