Pond Design & Construction Weekend Workshop with Zach Weiss of Water Stories.

Instructor

Zach Weiss

Level

Beginner

Start Date

Time

Location

Vernonia Springs, Or.

Course Description

Join us in beautiful Vernonia Springs, Oregon, USA to install a small pond/ infiltration basin. This entry level workshop is open to the public and Water Stories students alike.

Taught by Zach Weiss of Water Stories and Elemental Ecosystems, and sponsored by Terra Vida Academy, we will be covering the basics of site assessment, project preparation, and project execution. Spend the weekend with us at the the incredible Vernonia Springs Event Venue with Zach Weiss and our workshop team to watch a small pond project unfold. Learn tips, tricks, and best practices for installing water retention earthwork features on a small scale! Three meals will be provided on Saturday, and breakfast and lunch will be served on Sunday. You are welcome to camp for free or rent one of the several accommodations onsite.

*Early-bird ticket sale ends There are a limited number of spaces for this class!

This workshop is designed to offer a crash course in pond construction. No experience is required for this workshop! If you are planning to build a pond on your property, this weekend class could save you $1,000’s of dollars! We will cover the fundamentals of pond building, such as assessing soil types, siting pond locations, constructing a keyed-in earthen dam, how to shape a pond, earthworks best practices, and much more! There will be an excavator and operator constructing a small pond throughout the weekend. We will transition between outdoor lessons, observing the construction process, and indoor presentations within the serene setting of Vernonia Springs’ stunning pavilion.

Workshop Topics:

Huh?…Why Ponds?: Understand why ponds, infiltration basins, and other water management earthworks can benefit certain landscapes.

Reading the Land 101: Learn where ponds can be installed to cause the least amount of disturbance and maximize the health of an ecosystem.

Getting the Project Started: Let us show you how we site the placement of an earthen-dam pond and start the construction process.

Project Planning- Avoid Costly Mistakes: Sidestep the errors that can drain your resources. Identify and rectify common mistakes made by both DIYers and contractors. If you’re going to build a pond or water body this crash course will provide you with real world savings, on a typical $100,000 project this course could save you:

$3,000 – $20,000+ on a Consultant and Designer
$10,000 – $15,000+ on Contractor efficiency
$10,000 – $50,000+ on the avoidance of common Contractor mistakes

Working With Earth: Reshaping the land to positively impact the flow and infiltration of water cannot be done everywhere – we will walk you through understanding the specific conditions that must exist when working with earthen materials.

Project Completion – Next Steps: Yay! We’ve installed a pond… but now what? We will discuss what makes a healthy pond and what should be done in the years to follow.

Reserve your spot now for a weekend of exploration, learning, and connection at Vernonia Springs! Come, be a part of this transformative experience, and witness the creation of a pond in real-time

This event is rain or shine! Please be prepared for prolonged periods outside in dusty conditions under the hot sun.

Weekend Workshop Flow:

Friday. Check-in at 6:30pm – 7:30pm, Welcome at 7:30pm. Dinner will not be served, please bring your dinner or eat before you arrive.

Saturday, : Class starts at 8:00 am. Please come prepared with materials for indoor presentations and outdoor exercises. Class ends at dinner time. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner will be served.

Sunday, : Class starts at 8:00am and ends at noon. Participants must leave the venue no later than 4pm. Breakfast and lunch will be served.

Accommodations:

Free Camping – First come first serve

Commercial bathrooms and shower rooms

There are 5 yurts and 5 platform tents available for rent (additional fees apply. First come first serve). 2 person maximum per yurt or platform tent. Campfires are only allowed at central fire pit and no camp stoves are allowed due to extreme fire danger.

Food:

Your workshop ticket includes breakfast and lunch on Saturday and Sunday, as well as dinner on Saturday. Enjoy casual, high-quality fare featuring tacos and grilled dishes, available in both vegan and meat options (select your preference on the ticket).

NO open flame cooking allowed on property due to fire season restrictions! There will be a microwave available for use.

Please note:

There will be an active excavator present throughout the workshop – it is not allowed to bring children due to this hazard.
No alcohol consumption allowed on the premise
This event will be recorded!

Course Instructor

Zach Weiss

Water Restoration Expert

Founder and President of Elemental Ecosystems and Water Stories

Zach is the protégé of revolutionary Austrian farmer Sepp Holzer. He is the first and only person to earn a Holzer Practitioner certification directly from Sepp – through a rigorous two-year apprenticeship. After learning from Sepp, he set out to create Elemental Ecosystems, a business that provides an action-oriented process to improve clients’ relationship with their landscape.

Elemental Ecosystems is an ecological development contracting and consulting company specializing in watershed restoration and ecosystem regeneration. Harvesting time and the productivity of natural systems is the guiding principle – resulting in abundant oases with the potential to last until the next ice age. Elemental Ecosystems has worked in 25 countries, on 6 continents, spanning a wide range of climates, contexts, landforms, and ecosystems.

After 10 years of doing projects for Elemental Ecosystems, Zach began to see the limits of his availability and need for water retention work at scale, and thus felt a call to share this knowledge with others. This is where Water Stories was born.

Watch video Here to learn more about Zach Weis

Terra Vida Academy