WHAT WE DO
Gaia Center is a new nonprofit environmental education organization being created just outside Colfax, IA. Our goals are to demonstrate and educate about permaculture, organic food production, natural building, conservation, renewable energy and a cooperative and sustainable lifestyle.
CONSERVE
Located on 80 acres of beautiful rolling hills just 20 minutes east of Des Moines, Iowa, Gaia Center is a unique organization focusing on the sustainable balance of the needs of people and the planet. With 65 acres in woods and 15 acres in hay fields the land is a gorgeous haven for nature to abound. With 2 natural streams and bountiful wildlife we have much beauty to steward and thriving ecosystems to protect.
FARM
There are many goals for Gaia Center one of which is to become a fully functioning permaculture demonstration farm. We intend to demonstrate agro-forestry, managed intensive grazing, humane animal husbandry, and other organic food production methods.
BUILD
We will build using alternative natural building methods that are energy efficient and focus on the use of renewable materials. Some methods include strawbale, roundwood, recycled materials, grey water systems, cordwood, yurts, geodesic domes, etc.
ENERGY
We will demonstrate how renewable energy creation is vital to a long term healthy lifestyle. We intend to install solar panels, small scale wind generators, geothermal, solar hot water heating and teach how conserving energy is a vital component to a sustainable future.
TEACH
We intend to build workshop and visitor facilities so that we may offer classes on renewable energy techniques, conservation, natural building, and a cooperative and sustainable lifestyle.
COMMUNITY
Part of our goal is to foster a sense of community in an increasingly isolated world. We envision a day where we can offer classes on subjects ranging from natural building construction to meditation to value added agriculture products. We will create a holistically healthy environment for people and the planet to live in balance.