Learning to Live with the Earth

October 24-26, 2014

This weekend I went on an ETHOS club breakout to Blue Rock Station in Philo, Ohio. There were a total of eight UD students that went along on the trip with there being two River Stewards present, myself and senior Hailey Kwon. 

The trip was a great experience, and the focus was on renewable solar energy. The place we went to was called an “Earth Ship,” and was the first of its kind in Ohio. The house is built with dirt packed tires serving as the exterior foundation which act as great insulation. The roof has the purpose of collecting the water for the house, because it is slanted to direct all the water into two large cisterns on either side. The entire house was built on the concept of almost complete sustainability and it certainly was one of the most interesting places I have visited. There are many other aspects that were equally impressive like the multiple compostable toilets and straw bale housing. Our hosts Jay and Annie Warmke were very great and warmly welcomed us into their home. They told us all about the house and how their journey through life took them up to this point. We got a glimpse into the type of life that is entirely in harmony with the Earth. 

Even beyond their choice of home, their lifestyle was very simple and green. They are vegetarians, and rely entirely on produce that is grown locally and sold at a farmer’s market. They raise their own chickens, llamas, and goats for their other dietary needs. The way they live is very admirable and what makes it even better is the fact that they extend their home to others. They give tours every Saturday morning, often have weekend classes, and regularly take in interns for long periods of time.

When we visited we got to experience the daily aspects of their lives, and learn new things about sustainability. The whole way of life is something that everyone should at try least once, even eating just vegetarian for a short period of time, which, surprisingly, isn't a terrible lifestyle.

The whole point of the visit was to learn about solar energy and how to implement it in different aspects. Their house is hooked up to a large solar array that provides a larger percentage of their energy use.

Jay was the one who installed this solar system, and is certified to teach others how to do the same for their homes. He taught us over the weekend about the different variables and factors that go into solar panels and their use. We then got a chance to make our own solar electricity generators by using what we had learned from Jay. We broke up into two teams and each created our own generators, and by the end of the weekend we had created two generators that worked entirely off of the power of the sun. 

It was a very interesting weekend in which we all learned a lot and made new friends. I would recommend a trip like this to anyone who wants to learn about sustainable living and has a passion for renewable energy.

George - 2017 Cohort