Ethnobotanist Joan Stevens will lead a short introduction to the plant kingdom and our local plants in a shady spot near the road. Following that, we will hike up the trail learning to identify the plants along the way. We will taste, touch and smell our way along the path, learning how these plants were used traditionally and how to include them in our lives today. We will enjoy a snack break in a spot that affords us a great opportunity for some bird watching and exploring patterns of the landscape.

About Joan ::
Joan Stevens has a special relationship with the plant kingdom honed from years of academic study and journey work. When she looks out at the landscape she knows her plant allies by name in botanical latin. She brings a spirit of play and reverence to exploring the uses of local plants and an appreciation of the poetry of taxonomic names and evolutionary relationships.

Joan has worked with plants throughout the Southern California wildlands as well as in cultivated landscapes. She has interpreted the native flora for the Long Beach Nature Center, the Fullerton Arboretum, the Los Angeles Arboretum, Chino Hills State Park, and the Big Bear Forest Service. Joan's graduate research took her to the deep rain forests and traditional villages in the Ecuadorian Amazon, Samoa and Southern Mexico. Currently her attention is on spreading the word about permaculture and seeding the farms of tomorrow all around the city.

Inspired by her experiences with shamanic plants from around the planet, Joan aspires to relate to the landscape rather than just name it. As we tune in to the plants and animals that share our bioregion, what's available is a healing, connecting, and potent path to the present. In addition, the practical experience of knowing what food and medicine is a pretty handy skill set for the coming age!

Contribution :: $10-15 Sliding Scale

Limited space, to RSVP please click on the button below or email us at info@projectbutterfly.org ::



Bring ::
Comfortable Clothes
Hiking Shoes
Water
Notepad & Pen/Pencil
Smiles

Location::
Griffith Park [ below the Observatory ]

Directions ::
Take N. Vermont Ave or Hillhurst North
Continue on Vermont Canyon Road
Past the Greek Theater
Through the tunnel
Stay to your left onto East Observatory Ave
There will be a small parking lot on your left
You can also park on the street
Meet us on the grass area next to the parking lot



Trail in RED


[map of area]

PROJECT BUTTERFLY COMMUNITY :: FIRST TIMER OFFER :: $30/DAY - $50/ WEEKEND :: email us at info@projectbutterfly.org

"What Permaculturalists are doing is the most important activity that any group is doing on the planet"
-Dr. David Suzuki

This weekend's session of the 7th annual Permaculture Design Course Series will be hosted by Project Butterfly on Saturday May 2nd and Sunday May 3rd.

The Los Angeles Permaculture Guild has one of the largest and most dynamic City Permaculture groups in the world -who now work beyond the garden to bring sustainable solutions to city planning, community activism and more.

Larry Santoyo, Vice President and Field Director of the Permaculture Institute USA, Founder of the LA Permaculture Guild and Director of the ecological planning firm, EarthFlow Design Works. L. Santoyo is an ex-lawman (and outlaw!) has 30 years experience in natural building and sustainable landscape construction including 20 years experience as a Permaculture Designer and Educator. Santoyo also taught with Bill Mollison in Australia and in the US. Larry received the Permaculture Community Service Award from the Permaculture Institute (Australia) for his pioneering work.

The Two-Day Educational Event will Cover:

Water & trees, Keyline Design, the hydrologic cycle, global climate, agroforestry ::

Water has been called the stuff of life. Without it, life is not possible. We will examine unique approaches to water harvesting, storage and utilization, and the role of trees and their energy in landscapes to manage water, store carbon and provide other benefits to agricultural zones.

Urban Restoration, temperate and tropic zones, reversing erosion, management practices, difficult soils, compost, mulch, earth works ::

Cultivating Soil Fertility: The soil is alive! This workshop will cover key strategies for improving soil health naturally, and reducing the classic problems of pests, weeds and pathogens. Soil classifications and the role of soil in nutrient cycling and plant nutrition will be covered, along with restorative earth works and necessary equipment.

To register please click here ::
Register!

Location ::
Project Butterfly Loft
821 Traction Ave #108
Los Angeles, CA 90013
map

Crop Circle Butterfly by Ra One

Monday, April 27th

***DOORS OPEN @ 7pm with live music and short films***
***SPEAKERS BEGIN @ 8pm***


Project Butterfly, Reality Sandwich.com and Evolver.net present::

EVOLVER 2013: WHAT COMES NEXT?

An event filled with visionary speakers, music, art, film and practical tools and models for proper transformation.

Hosted and Moderated by ::


DANIEL PINCHBECK
Pinchbeck is the Editorial Director for RealitySandwich.com :: A web magazine featuring essays and articles on subjects from sustainability to shamanism, alternate realities to alternative energy, remixing media to re-imagining community, holistic healing techniques to the promise and perils of new technologies. Reality Sandwich is a platform for voices conveying a different vision of the transformations we face.

Pinchbeck is also the author of "Breaking Open the Head: A Psychedelic Journey into the Heart of Contemporary Shamanism" and "2012: The Return of Quetzalcoatl", which examines prophecy through personal and philosophical approaches, and offers the hypothesis that humanity is experiencing an accelerated process of global consciousness transformation, leading to a new realization of time and space during this period.

with guest speakers::


FIDEL RODRIGUEZ :: Divine Forces Media :: www.divineforces.org
Fidel Rodriguez is producer and host of the award winning radio show: "Divine Forces Radio" which formerly aired on KPFK. DFR flawlessly blends music, education, in-studio guests, and spiritual consciousness within a theme-based show. DFR now continues its legacy on Divine Forces' Media. Divine Forces' Media creates inspirational and insightful cutting-edge Radio, TV and Film productions, conferences, and concerts. DFM focuses on facilitating cultural and popular education-based curriculums for non-profit organizations and governmental agencies. Their intention in all media relations is to assist and expand human consciousness through the art of media and auspicious projects.


LARRY SANTOYO :: Earthflow, Permaculture Institute LA :: www.earthflow.com
Larry Santoyo is Vice President and Field Director of the Permaculture Institute USA, Founder of the LA Permaculture Guild and Director of the ecological planning firm, EarthFlow Design Works, a community planning and design firm that integrates economic development strategies with ecological systems management. He has 30 years experience in natural building and sustainable landscape construction including 20 years experience as a Permaculture Designer and Educator. Santoyo also taught with Bill Mollison in Australia and in the US.


LISA RENEE :: Energetic synthesis :: www.energeticsynthesis.com
Lisa Renee is an Intuitive, Spiritual mentor, Writer, Quantum Therapist and Etheric surgeon. Lisa Renee's mission is to support humanity through its evolution with education, awareness and by discussing the impacts of the energy shifts upon the planet, human beings and human consciousness.


JOHN MARSHALL ROBERTS :: Transformational Design :: www.jmarshallroberts.com
John Marshall Roberts is an acclaimed speaker and serves as communications and consultant for several client organizations, including Evenson Design Group, a sustainable branding and design firm in Los Angeles. A former psychology professor, John's unique insight into the psychology of the communication design process has made him a prominent contributor to several pioneering projects over the past decade.

An outspoken voice within the Los Angeles sustainable business community, John is particularly interested in using his research to further the environmental movement's agenda. He works with a variety of profit and non-profit organizations to create messaging campaigns that inspire environmental action.


Ryan Wartena :: iCel Systems, Inc. :: www.icelsystems.com
Ryan Wartena, Ph.D., iCeL Systems, Inc., Van Nuys, CA, CTO for a revolutionary integrated energy systems company. iCel develops intelligent energy storage architectures with energetic awareness and geometric insights from source to load. Integrating distributed energy systems across the planet for the home, business, automotive, industrial and utility with the global communications systems. iCel is building the "Internet of Energy", because it is easier to send information about energy than sending energy.

Performances by ::


The Deprogramming Division ::
The Deprogramming Division is a sub-sect of Herwig Maurer's New World Revolution, based in Venice, Ca. This trio carefully blends diverse genres into a potion of live ambient soundscapes using acoustic and electric
instruments, featuring Adam Yasmin on Cajon and Yogi Hendlin on Hang drum.

more info and sounds at www.newworldrevolution.com and www.adamyasmin.com


Miranda Rondeau :: www.myspace.com/mirandarondeau ::
Miranda is a singer, songwriter, musician and frame drummer whose music is inspired by the inward journey. Her chanting transcends language, bypasses the intellect, and is devotional and invoking in nature.


rooftop after party with ::


DJ Jun :: www.junantazo.com ::
Hard to define with words DJ Jun is like the City of Angels itself:: rich in diversity, flavor and intensity.

+ More!


We will be celebrating the launch of Evolver.net :: a new social network for conscious collaboration and our los angeles community

Tickets :: $25

To purchase, please click on the button below::


For discounts or trade inquiries please email:: info@projectbutterfly.org

Location:
The Downtown Independent
251 S. Main Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012

[ Evening begins at 7pm, "What About Me?" screens at 8pm ]

Due to popular demand and because everyone must see this movie, we are doing it again! At the newly founded, "state of the art" theater:: Downtown Independent.

Project Butterfly presents Two Special Screenings of the yet to be released film "What About Me?" The latest visionary project from the Creators of the Grammy Nominated film & album "1Giant Leap".

Following the success of their first double Grammy nominated film & album, "What About Me?" Is the latest offering from 1 Giant Leap. This visionary project took Jamie Catto and Duncan Bridgeman to over 50 locations as they explore through music, the complexities of human nature on a global scale, and aims to reveal how we are all connected through our creativity and beliefs, but most of all through our collective insanity.

Covering universal topics such as God, Sex, Death and Money,"What About Me?" Features an incredibly diverse collection of collaborators from Noam Chomsky to Will Young, Maxi Jazz to Tim Robbins, Billy Connolly to Michael Stipe, Eckhart tolle to Baaba Mall, among many others.

"What About Me?" is a poignant emotional and entertaining time capsule of humanity at its most inspirational.

Each evening will include::

Excerpts from the first Grammy nominated film "1 Giant Leap"
Screening of “What About Me?”
Q&A with co-director Duncan Bridgeman
Rooftop After Party
plus Special Guests & Performances:

THU: Miranda Rondeau [Frame Drum & Vocals
Rich Ferguson [Spoken Word]
Adam Yasmin and Yogi Hendin [Percussion Duo]
DJ Jun [Sound Selector]

SUN: Rich Ferguson [Spoken Word]
Mike the Poet [Spoken Word]
Adam Yasmin and Yogi Hendin [Percussion Duo]
Manu Delago [Music Pefomance]
DJ Jun [Sound Selector]



To purchase tickets in advance please follow this link:



Ticket Prices are $15

Screening Dates and Times:

Thursday :: 09 April 2009 :: Evening begins @ 7pm "WHAT ABOUT ME?" SCREENS AT 8PM
Sunday :: 12 April 2009 :: Evening begins @ 7pm "WHAT ABOUT ME?" SCREENS AT 8PM

These screenings begin a collaboration between Project Butterfly and the Downtown Independent. Stay tuned for many more Project Butterfly events at this venue.

Location:
Downtown Independent
251 S. Main St.
Los Angeles, CA 90012
map

See you there,

Project Butterfly

[Image: "Dragon Fly" by Tony Moss]

We invite you to "Tools of Remembrance", an Introductory Frame Drum Workshop & mini performance with Miranda Rondeau and guest Eliana Gilad from Galilee

The frame drum is one of the oldest universal instruments in the world. It is a powerful archetype and tool of remembrance. Its circular shape symbolizes wholeness, unity, and oneness. In the ancient cultures of the Mediterranean , the frame drum was used for religious functions, rites of passage, communal bonding and celebration. The predominant players were women. In indigeneous cultures the frame drum is the sound of the Holy Mother. Join us and be re-enchanted with the frame drum. For women and men.

Miranda will open with song offerings on various frame drums.

In this workshop we will:
*Learn to play in the upright position with our hands and fingers
*Learn to recite and play basic strokes of the drum
*Explore basic music concepts
*Explore different rhythm & stroke combinations
*Weave in the symbology and intention of the strokes.
*Develop a relationship to the drum
Frame drums provided or bring your own drum, with thumb cut out or thumb hole. Some frame drums will be available for sale.

**No drum experience necessary**

To RSVP please click on the button below:




Please email info@projectbutterfly.org with any questions.

Miranda Rondeau is a singer, songwriter, musician and frame drummer whose music is inspired by the inward journey. Her chanting transcends language, bypasses the intellect, and is devotional and invoking in nature.

She has performed and weaved through many circles of communities throughout southern California since 1994, both as a soloist and within various percussion ensembles, performing at colleges, Universities, drum festivals, churches, Yoga & Dance classes as well as community rituals and ceremony's.

Miranda has studied and performed with Layne Redmond and Italian frame drummer, Alessandra Belloni who are both pioneers in the world of frame drums. Miranda brings her intuitive instinctual experience and relationship to the drum to her performance and workshops.

She has taught frame drum workshops at the World Sacred Music Festival, Gaia Festival, Goddess Temple of Orange County, REMO Music Center, Bang-a-Drum Store, as well as at yoga studios, universities, colleges and elementary schools.

Location:
Project Butterfly Loft
821 Traction Ave #108
Los Angeles, CA 90013
[Downtown's Arts District]
Map

[Special, reduced price for Project Butterfly's Community :: $30/day or $50 for both days. To take advantage of this offer, email info@projectbutterfly.org to RSVP]

"The future of sustainability is in our cities and towns. Urban neighborhoods are ideal for the promise and potentials of permaculture design. Our cities embody the greatest concentration of the social, intellectual and physical resources needed to create a sustainable system."
-L. Santoyo

This weekend's session of the 7th annual Permaculture Design Course Series will be hosted by Project Butterfly on Saturday April 4th and Sunday April 5th.

The Los Angeles Permaculture Guild has one of the largest and most dynamic City Permaculture groups in the world -who now work beyond the garden to bring sustainable solutions to city planning, community activism and more.

Larry Santoyo, Vice President and Field Director of the Permaculture Institute USA, Founder of the LA Permaculture Guild and Director of the ecological planning firm, EarthFlow Design Works. L. Santoyo is an ex-lawman (and outlaw!) has 30 years experience in natural building and sustainable landscape construction including 20 years experience as a Permaculture Designer and Educator. Santoyo also taught with Bill Mollison in Australia and in the US. Larry received the Permaculture Community Service Award from the Permaculture Institute (Australia) for his pioneering work.

The Two-Day Educational Event will Cover:

Day 1
Course description, group introductions, site orientation & house rules, Permaculture Design ethics, theory, Indicators of Sustainability.

This session will introduce the guiding philosophies and fundamental methodologies of Permaculture Design. Students will develop skills for recognizing the intrinsic characteristics of natural systems.

Day 2
Concepts and themes of design, origins of form, design methodologies, zones and sectors, base mapping, procedures of property design, design teams.

Permaculture design emphasizes the patterning of landscape, function and species relationships. Concepts of flow patterns, guilds, edge effects and harmonics are covered in this section with reference to specific site examples. Students will begin to formulate their own ideas for site improvement using Permaculture principles.

To register please email info@projectbutterfly.org

Location:
Project Butterfly Loft
821 Traction Ave #108
Los Angeles, CA 90013
(Downtown Arts District)

Men and Women are invited to join us.

Doors open at 6pm, performances start at 7pm

March is Women's HERstory Month

In 1987 and every year since then, the U.S. Congress issued a resolution for Women's History Month.

The purpose of Women's History Month is to increase consciousness and knowledge of women's history: to take one month of the year to remember the contributions of notable and ordinary women, in hopes that the day will soon come when it's impossible to teach or learn history without remembering these contributions.

Sunday March 22nd join Project Butterfly in commemoration of Women's HERstory Month; an event with art, live music, spoken word and talks by women for all to enjoy and celebrate.

ART BY::

Emi M

Emi M. was born in Tokyo, Japan and moved to Los Angeles at the age of seven. Emi M. studied Buddhism in Japan for two years and is now pursuing her art. "POP SPIRITUAL BLISS" is what one noted local painter called her art. It is a modern spin off of universal Buddhist concepts. By creating such art, she hopes to tickle your soul. She paints in acrylic and uses "big-eyed" characters because the eyes are the window to the soul. www.emim.info

Lynn "Lynnix" Elishaw

Lynnix is a spiritual painter and mixed media artist as well as a poet. She was divinely inspired to put together and teach a workshop that combines poetry and art called PoArtry. www.lynnixart.com

Goddess Projections by Midori Takata

LIVE MUSIC, SPOKEN WORD AND POETRY PERFORMANCES BY::

Miranda Rondeau

Miranda is a singer, songwriter, musician and frame drummer whose music is inspired by the inward journey. Her chanting transcends language, bypasses the intellect, and is devotional and shamanic in nature.

Through drum, song and chant, Miranda will share the sounds of the oldest universal instruments in the world, the frame drum, which was predominantly played by the women in the ancient cultures of the Mediterranean area. She will share its connections to the Divine feminine and its uses, as the frame drum is a powerful archetype and tool of remembrance. www.myspace.com/mirandarondeau

Saria Idana

Saria Idana is a writer and multi disciplinary performing artist with a background in dance, poetry, music and theater. Her work focuses primarily on personal and global struggle and transforming suffering to vision through the lens of a women. She is a cultural Jew with a background in Islamic and Christian mysticism as well as the history and mysticism of Jewish culture.

For the Women's Herstory event, Saria will perform a medley of poetic and musical material around the issues of women, the goddess and the land of Israel/Palestine. This material will be drawn from the larger Arts/Activism projects that Saria is currently working on. www.sariaidana.com

Lynn "Lynnix" Elishaw

Lynn is part of a collective of women called Ah-womb who do spiritual freestyle toning performance and healing work.

Ariella Forstein

Ariella Forstein is a vocalist, world music percussionist and composer who blends her classical training with heartfelt improvisational singing and channeling of energy. Founder and Director of Yeh Dede (world music fusion) and vocalist in Nexus Plate (electronica), Ariella's mix of soulful vocalizing, world beats and voice coaching with healing intention is quickly becoming necessity in today's fast paced world.www.earthsounds.net


A SPECIAL PRESENTATION BY ::

Karen Tate

Karen Tate is an independent scholar, author, activist, speaker, radio show host and sacred tour leader. Both her books, Sacred Places of Goddess: 108 Destinations and Walking an Ancient Path: Rebirthing Goddess on Planet Earth have been endorsed by the Joseph Campbell Foundation, with the latter named a finalist in the National Best Books of 2008 Awards in the general spirituality category.

Karen will speak on "The Sacred Feminine: Deity, Archetype or Ideal - A Revolution of Thought Toward Change, Hope and Partnership". www.karentate.com

VEGETARIAN FOOD AND DRINKS BY::

Midori Takata

Midori is co-founder of Project Butterfly, a creative with a passion for vegetarian food and sharing. For the Women's HERstory celebration she will make Vegan and Vegetarian Tamales, an ancient Mesoamerican food originally made by women for warriors to take to battle. Through food she hopes to ignite the Sacred Feminine and the peaceful warrior within you.

Suggested contribution:: $15
Please email us at info@projectbutterfly.org for pricing alternatives.

Location:
Project Butterfly Loft

The Spring Equinox Breath Circle is about tending to the garden of our lives. Our intentions have been sewn and now it is time to free up the area around them, pull those weeds, so that they may have a clear and healthy start in their growth cycle.

Whether it be working on an aspect of yourself or developing a project, the ceremony will be holding space for aligning us to the highest good, and helping us get in sync with this new season.

Come ready to work and to enter a new chapter of life.

Our guide Peter Youngblood Hills utilizes a sacred and powerful breath technique to support and activate this journey. He will call upon the energy of the Spring Equinox to help stabilize and ground this work.

A light vegetarian meal and drinks will be served after the circle.

Contribution :: $25

Please email info@projectbutterfly.org to make your reservation, or if you have any questions concerns, and for trade or discount inquiries.

Location:
Project Butterfly Loft
821 Traction Ave #108
Los Angeles, CA 90013

“Igniting Transformation in Skeptical Audiences” is a fun, immediate, visceral and authentically gut-wrenching class in inspired and authentic communication for next-generation visionaries with a passion for sustainability.

John Marshall Roberts, the rambunctious and highly acclaimed speaker, will use the principles from his breakthrough book



"Igniting Inspiration: A Persuasion Manual for Visionaries" to help you engage and overcome mental resistance in yourself and others.

This is a workshop for visionary greenies, eco and social entrepreneurs, non-profits, emerging leaders, artists, writers, filmmakers, journalists and bloggers, green product marketers, promoters and, simply, conscious people (you) who care and want to make a difference by… authentically focusing and expressing your ideas for greatest impact.

John will share with you and engage you in the principles of Transformational Design® through an active, practical group dialogue and exercises that will challenge you to understand (and overcome!) the communication barriers that keep your most prized social, environmental and transformative visions from gaining traction with the masses.

This workshop is designed to “go deep, not wide”…and you will learn as much about yourself, as you will about who you think your trying to “convince.”

Vegetarian snacks and drinks will be provided.

John Marshal Roberts:

John Marshall Roberts is an acclaimed speaker and serves as communications and consultant for several client organizations, including Evenson Design Group, a sustainable branding and design firm in Los Angeles. A former psychology professor, John's unique insight into the psychology of the communication design process has made him a prominent contributor to several pioneering projects over the past decade.

An outspoken voice within the Los Angeles sustainable business community, John is particularly interested in using his research to further the environmental movement's agenda. He works with a variety of profit and non-profit organizations to create messaging campaigns that inspire environmental action.

His new book “Igniting Inspiration: A Persuasion Manual for Visionaries” is quickly becoming an indispensable tool for a new generation of socially conscious marketers, business leaders, and activists in the Los Angeles area and beyond.

This workshop is limited to 40 seats. To reserve your space please click on the button below::

Location ::
Project Butterfly
821 Traction Ave #108
D-Town LA, Ca 90013
[c/s Alameda
between 2nd & 3rd]
map

Session 9005 | Sunday | 03.08.09 | 6pm | $10 | RSVP





Project Butterfly invites you to a special screening of "What About Me?". A movie that has yet to be released in US. The night will feature live music, spoken word and a Q&A with co-director Duncan Bridgeman.

Following the success of their first double Grammy nominated film & album, "What About Me?" is the latest offering from 1 Giant Leap. This visionary project took Jamie Catto and Duncan Bridgeman to over 50 locations as they explore through music, the complexities of human nature on a global scale, and aims to reveal how we are all connected through our creativity and beliefs, but most of all through our collective insanity.

Covering universal topics such as God, Sex, Death and Money; "What About Me?" features an incredibly diverse collection of collaborators from Noam Chomsky to Will Young, Maxi Jazz to Tim Robbins, Billy Connolly to Michael Stipe, Eckhart Tolle to Baaba Maal, among many others.

Encompassing a TV series, film and album, this is a poignant, emotional and entertaining time capsule of humanity at its most inspirational.

Live performances by:

Rich Ferguson (spoken word & music. featured artist in What About Me?)

Nightlight Jesus (spoken word & music)

Jeremy Toback (singer/songwriter)

Liz Foster (singer/songwriter)

Chris Tannahill (spoken word)

Mike the Poet (spoken word)

Milo Martin (spoken word)

Jerry the Priest (spoken word)

Hannah

"What About Me?" screens at 8 p.m.

Contribution :: $10
SOLD OUT


Location:
Project Butterfly Loft
821 Traction Ave #108
Los Angeles, CA 90013
(Downtown Arts District)
Map