COMBINED HIGH SCHOOL AND GAP YEAR BLOG
During the week of October 7th-14th, staff and students dove into a variety of small group projects. Varying from trail building to construction projects on the new Farmhouse, we spent our week focused and devoted to learning and mastering new crafts, all while giving back to the greater Kroka community for many years to come.
Kiely and Isabelle spent the week with Dave, building a new trail extending 2.2 miles from Kroka’s Winter Camp to Duck Hole. Together they learned how to make wooden signs, mark the trails, and use chainsaws and a variety of tools to clear the land.
Proud trail-builders
Isabelle clearing the way
Teo worked with Stefan to create a ramp for the farmhouse, making it wheelchair accessible. He also constructed an outdoor closet on the deck. He learned how to scribe boards to fit pillars, and how to work with wooden beams.
Teo making progress on the wheelchair accessible ramp
Sadie and Anna worked with Misha on informational posters for the new Farmhouse in an effort to educate the public on its many sustainable features. They started with the composting toilets, learning about Kroka’s “poop cycle” and the detrimental effects of flushing toilets on the environment. They saw the process first-hand, shoveling out the toilet at Kroka and spreading the compost in windrows to decompose further. They then created several hand-drawn posters that will be printed on panels and hung in our bathrooms.
Aislyn and Luke spent the week building the railing to the deck with Bill, designing and implementing 7 symbols of reciprocity inspired by the book Braiding Sweetgrass. The tree represents the wood splitting chore, the flower represents the garden chore, the ant represents the Camp and Farmhouse hormigas, or”little ant” chores (taking care of the small things that keep Basecamp running), the water droplet represents the cook crew, the cow represents milking, and the shovel represents the barn chore. The sun represents sustainability at Kroka, as we use solar energy when we power and heat the Farmhouse. They learned how to use jigsaws to make each symbol and hammered it into place.
Luke hard at work
The beautiful finished railing
Emmett M-F, Emmett N, Harry, Sam, and Jackson spent their week with Sarah making leather shoes for all the students. They learned the process and spent each day putting the shoes together, never missing a stitch.
Elias and Reina worked with Julio finishing the siding on the farmhouse. They learned a new sense of precision, attaching the clapboards in a way that prevents water from entering and weathering the house.
Reina learning new skills from Julio
Elias working the chop saw
Nailing clapboards into place
Finn, Elena, Cate, and Ben worked on the farm with Lynne, Erin, Carenza and Birdie. They built a home for the chickens for the winter out of the greenhouse. They cleared it out completely, rat-proofed it, and dug trenches around it to prevent flooding. Together they gained a better understanding of biodynamic farming.
A new home for the chickens
Sonai’s week was spent apprenticing at the Orchard Hill Bakery. She helped with food-related tasks, small service projects, and learned what goes into running a bakery.
We ended the week with a celebration of all we’d accomplished, presenting to our peers and enjoying the products of our hard work before preparing for our expedition to the White Mountains.
