Workshops and Courses
Upcoming
Past Workshops
Sacred Ecology of Semitic and Mediterranean Traditions: A four week online course exploring spiritual, agri-ecological, and poetic practices surrounding plants and land care
September 7 - 28, 2025 | Online on Sundays at 6pm CET
Our relationships with ecology and spirituality are deeply intertwined, with the well being of our collective practice reflected in our landscapes. During this course, taught by Katie Wachsberger and Medina Tenour Whiteman, we will examine 6 species of plants that are used, referenced, and loved by mystics and land stewards of Semitic heritage. We will explore ancient land care practices of Muslim Andalucia, the Levantine ecosystems, and the Arabian Gulf.
Miyawaki Afforestation Method in Abu Dhabi
November 14 - 17, 2025 | Albahia, Abu Dhabi
The Miyawaki method has been used all over the world to reforest and reclaim degraded land in the face of climate change. It is a method of generating native forests with exponential speed, creating microclimates, soil health, and biodiversity rapidly.
We are pioneering the use of the Miyawaki method in extremely arid conditions, with our first trial beginning in 2024 with extremely successful results to far. We are building upon that experience this year, and will hold an educational course to teach about the principles, methods, and tools for planting Miyawaki Forests.
Join us in learning the Miyawaki method, as we implement 500 sqm of Miyawaki Forest in the desert climate of Abu Dhabi, with world renowned expert M. R. Hari.
Water for Life in Palestine: Water Sovereignty and Mutual Liberation
October 5 - 13, 2025 | Irtas, Palestine
Water sources are not merely affected by environmental or technical issues, but also by political ones. For decades, Israeli occupation policies have restricted Palestinian access to natural water sources, diverted springs, and denied permits for water infrastructure, turning water into a tool of domination. In this context, reclaiming knowledge and skills for managing water whether through earth-based, decentralized, and collective systems, is an act of resilience and liberation. This course responds to the urgent need for water preservation and sovereignty by equipping farmers and land stewards with the tools of Water Retention Landscape (WRL) design. Rooted in both indigenous practices and global innovations.
During this workshop, we will learn methods of self sufficient water management, bringing together local indigenous technology with innovations from other water scarce regions. We will facilitate collective wisdom in designing tangible solutions to the water challenges of Irtas village. The course material will focus on water retention landscape engineering (how to hold water in the landscape, prevent runoff and erosion, and recharge groundwater) and other methods of optimizing water use in the land.
Decolonizing Judaism, ReWilding Semitic Spirituality: Insisting on Regenerative Practice in an Ancient Wisdom Paradigm
April 15 - 21, 2025 | Andalucia, Spain
In modern times, our spiritual practice has been distorted to serve nationalist, production-oriented, or exploitative movements, often driven by paradigms of fear rather than faith. How can we rediscover our Judaism - our precious tradition, religion, culture, ethnicity and family - free it from the ideas, language, practices, myths, and actions that serve colonial elements of modernity, and revive the ancient wisdom in which our tradition is rooted.
During this week-long journey of rewilding the landscape of Judaism, we explored what it would mean to break down the monoculture of zionism, racism, patriarchy, and exploitative consumerist practices which have rolled back centuries of Jewish diversity and revolutionary thought, in the land of Andalucia where spiritual biodiversity flourished.
Water for Life in Andalucia: A ten day deep dive into regenerative water systems design and implementation
October 29 - November 7, 2024 | Orgiva, Spain
During this learning community course, we dove deep into theory and practice around more efficient and ecological usage of water in land, both before it is incorporated into human systems (retaining water in the landscape through earthworks and water movement design) and after it has been utilized (gray water and black water systems). We spent 5 days exploring each topic, delving into the science and theory, design processes, specific challenges of the local environment, and implementing both kinds of systems on site at Union de los Rios, with a total of 10 days dedicated to a comprehensive exploration of practical engagement with water.
Permaculture and Community Resilience Series: Introduction to Principles and Critical Tools
January, March, and April, 2024 | Isfiyya, Israel / Palestine
This three-part course, led by Mohammad Salah and Katie Wachsberger, introduced principles of Permaculture through the lens of community resilience in times of war, oppression and destruction. These sessions presented the theory and philosophy behind permaculture practices, and progressed to practical tools for land management including tree pruning, integration of foraging in local land management, techniques for building soil, and fostering local biodiversity.
Permaculture Practice and Regenerative Living: Community Trial for MENA Eco-Activists
November 3 - 25, 2023 | Cadiz, Spain
During this three week retreat, a group of activists, ecologists, and artists from the MENA region gathered to trial ecological, purpose based community living on a permaculture farm in Andalucia. We worked together on a daily basis in the permaculture landscape, while exploring topics such as the overlap of ecological and social justice.
The group came together to organize a fundraiser event for the local community, educating about joint spaces and collaborative practices in Israel / Palestine, and demonstrating the interconnectedness of sociopolitical with environmental struggles on the ground.
Revive the Rivers of Sinai: Watershed Regeneration in St Catherine
October 21 - 29, 2023 | Sinai, Egypt
This course, led by Aya Khourshid, Mona Rabie, and Katie Wachsberger, together with Dr. Rajendra Singh, implemented a working educational plan for regenerating the water tables and watershed of the St. Catherine area in the Sinai Peninsula through water retention landscape earthworks and through nature-based solutions of water reduction and management. The course used training and education to provide expertise to local Bedouin communities participants, regarding water retention landscape, earthworks, and water reduction/management systems. Focusing on the younger generation from the local communities, who are prone to pressure of unemployment and moving to urban centers, leaving behind their communities facing increasing water challenges, the program provided tangible knowledge for enhancing quality of living conditions through low-tech, nature based solutions for healthier water management.
Farmer Training for Sustainable Agriculture Practices in Arid Climates
October 1 - 8, 2022 | Abu Dhabi, UAE
During this collaborative week long training, led together by DANA Global and Silal, 20 local farmers were trained in sustainable farming practices that are relevant in desert climate. The training was taught by Ariel Kitron and Yoav Kovetz, coordinated and facilitated by Katie Wachsberger, focusing on methods including irrigation, organic fertilization, use of indoor farming facilities, use of farm waste in generating compost and other materials for farm use, and seed