It is organized by the civic association PILGRIM and the Czech section of the Budapest Club in cooperation with the Bioinstitut and the public benefit company GENGEL.

“Everything around me lives, feels, like me…”

Josef VÁCHAL

The seminar is part of the project "Nature's Wandering Universities". Our intention is to begin to re-learn interspecies relationships between us humans and other creatures of nature, to learn to live in direct contact and sociability with nature and to think in an ecosystemic way. – to develop the consciousness of the integral community of the large family of life. For us, nature is not a collection of inanimate objects, nor a mere storehouse of raw materials, but a community of living, soulful subjects, a meaningful world that sustains, nourishes, inspires and multifacetedly shapes us and with which we feel deeply connected. We understand it as our guide and teacher. We share Gregory Bateson's conviction that nature holds the secret to the revitalization of our human systems, the growth of the health of human communities and the healing of our relationships. As part of this seminar, we have chosen plants and trees in the landscape around the charming village of Kváskovice in the Šumava Podlesí region as our guides. We will focus on the perception and aesthetics of plants, seed production and the preservation of old regional varieties, the biodiversity crisis and the so-called Rheinau theses on the intelligence and rights of plants, as well as the connections between plants and spirituality. We will learn about the possibilities of growing crops in these specific foothill conditions of the Šumava Podlesí region. On three trips we will visit the villages of Dobrš, Čestice, Krušlov and Maleč, get to know the beautiful alleys and old trees here, visit the forests and meadows under the hills of Kustrý and Javorník and the magical work of folk art known as the Krušlov Mach's apiary. You will be guided through the seminar by: Alena Malíková, Petr Dostálek and Jiří Zemánek.

PROGRAM

1 day Tuesday, July 8

Starting in the morning, we drove down to Kváskovice near Drážov, registered, settled in at Mácha's farm, got to know the place, the garden, the village of Kváskovice and its surroundings.In the evening from 6 pm there will be a joint dinner and from 7:30 pm you will get to know the seminar program and its lecturers..

Day 2 Wednesday July 9th

After breakfast (at 8 am), lecture from 9 am Petra DOSTÁLKA (GENGEL)): What is seed production? Why and how to seed production? Old and regional varieties on our tables."

Nature understands grains and weeds, and all the animals and microorganisms that inhabit the natural world, as equally valuable fruits of the earth.”

Masanobu FUKUOKA

Petr Dostálek, founder of the non-profit organization GENGEL (www.gengel.webzdarma.cz), a network of growers who participate in preserving the seeds of old crops, regional varieties, non-traditional vegetables and endangered rare weeds, will introduce you to the essence and methods of seeding as a way to authentic organic agriculture and to preserving the agrobiodiversity of the landscape. They will tell us how to grow original varieties and how to spread them further. We will visit two private gardens in Kváskovice, where seeds of some old varieties of vegetables and herbs were sown this spring. We will get to know the results of both growers and Mr. Dostálek will teach us how to practically care for these types of plants in the garden. Psychologist and experienced gardener Mrs. Helena VÁLOVÁ,  will introduce us to the possibilities of growing vegetables and herbs in the specific local conditions. After lunch (from 12:30) and a short afternoon session (you can swim in the garden pond), we will take a trip from 2 p.m. We will walk through Kváskovice and we will visit the local ancient magical village of Dobrš with extraordinary historical monuments. Dobrš has a unique location on a hill with a distant view of the surrounding landscape. Its characteristic feature is the beautiful old mature trees, which on the one hand line both access roads to the village and on the other hand create a beautiful environment in front of the church with a massive linden tree and around the charming Romanesque chapel, which is set in a grove of mature trees with a memorable old maple. We will visit the local Romanesque chapel of St. John and Paul, the originally Gothic church of the Annunciation to the Virgin Mary with the remains of Gothic paintings and the Gothic fortress and castle, which today houses the Co Co Gallery, where we will see the current exhibition. From Dobrš we will return via Drážov back to Kváskovice (trip length 7 km). –– The program will continue after dinner. an exchange of seeds of old varieties.and a discussion with Mr. Petr Dostálek about practical issues of growing and spreading native crop varieties.

Day 3 Thursday, July 10

After breakfast (at 8 am), lecture from 9 am Alena MALÍKOVÁ (Bioinstitute): About the Rheinau Theses for Plant Rights, the food self-sufficiency movement, the Community Supported Agriculture project, the commons, and the gift of food."

The food we eat, the food that nourishes us, is a gift from the earth, a gift from the sun and millions of years of evolution. … Food is life. It is not just our vital need, it is the web of life. … Food is alive, it is not just carbohydrates, proteins and nutrients, it is a being, a sacred being.”

Vandana SHIVA

Alena Malíková (eco-advisor from the Bioinstitut in Olomouc and administrator of the PRO BIO Moravian Gate Regional Center in Nový Jičín) specializes in the overlap of organic farming towards biodiversity protection and the relationship between organic farmers and consumers. As an organizer of Community Supported Agriculture and guarantor of the Eco-Farmers to Nature project, she encourages new cooperative thinking in the sphere of agriculture based on collective intelligence and the perception of ecosystem connections between us humans and nature. Alena will introduce us to Rheinau's theses on plant rights, which define plants as individual beings with specific needs; to the Community Supported Agriculture project, the global Arche Noah movement for food self-sufficiency (for the right to freely distribute and use the seeds of cultivated plants) and the nature of food as a gift. See: www.bioinstitut.cz

After a light lunch (from 12:00), at 1:00 p.m. we will set off by bus from the crossroads below Kváskovice to the nearby village of Čestice. Here we will see the originally Romanesque church of the Beheading of John the Baptist, rebuilt in the 13th century in early Gothic style, and on a hill in the forest behind the village we will visit the famous pilgrimage site of Kalvarija – a beautiful ensemble of seven architectural buildings from the 19th century, with remarkable late Baroque folk murals. From Čestice we will set off on foot along the road under the Litovec hill to the 3 km distant mountain village of Krušlov. Here we will visit a unique work of folk creativity, carved and painted Mach's apiary, which was created in the 1950s by the local beekeeper and carver Josef Mach. He embodied his lifelong love for bees in this unique work, containing 65 artistically crafted hives, which can be described as a bee kingdom without exaggeration. Mach's apiary, which is a tribute to bees as our teachers, is bursting with colors and expresses the joy and happiness that blooming nature brings to us. From Krušlov, where there is a beautiful view of the opposite ridge with Kváskovice, we will return via Vacovice, Chvalšovice and Dobrš back to Kváskovice. (Trip length 13 km) After dinner, the thematic program of discussions with Alena Malíková and the screening of a documentary film will continue “Seeds of Freedom”with Vandana SHIVA, a prominent Indian environmental thinker and activist, about the fight for food self-sufficiency in India.

Day 4 Friday, July 11

After breakfast (at 8 am), lecture from 9 am Jiří ZEMÁNEK (PILGRIM):Trees in myths, spiritual traditions and artistic imagination; forest cultures and forest wisdom; University of the tree; Josef Váchal's wilderness therapy and the role of national parks today.

"The living wisdom of trees teaches us to value life."

Fred HAGENEDER

Human culture and spiritual life have been connected to trees since time immemorial. Trees and plants represent our evolutionary ancestors, who laid the foundation for the unique biosphere that provides humans and all other creatures with such a rich environment to live in today. Through renewed coexistence with large old trees and natural forests, we can re-ground our lives in the memory of time and in the consciousness of mystery, and make better and more thoughtful decisions in it.

We will recall the perception of trees as spiritual teachers and guides in ancient cultures and folk traditions – the story of Gautama Buddha, the teachings of the Druids, the experiences of indigenous shamans. We will mention the symbolism of the “tree of life” as an image of the universe, which expresses the idea that everything in life is connected to everything else and is sacred. We will recall how the theme of the tree and the forest was reflected in the art and literature of Romanticism and American transcendentalism of the 19th century, and in the work of artists of the 20th and 21st centuries: Josef Váchal, Rudolf Janda, Jan Trampota, František Bílek, Ladislav Zívr, Pablo Amaring, Otto Placht, etc. We will introduce you to the story of the spiritual initiation of the Dagar shaman Malidoma Patrice Somé, the “University of the Tree” by the German action artist Shelley Sachs, and the “Sumava Wilderness Therapy” by Josef Váchal, which today offers inspiration for ecological education in the Šumava National Park.

Jiří Zemánek is an art historian and cultural activist, co-founder of the civic associations PILGRIM and the Czech Budapest Club, which deals with the question of how to re-root human culture within nature.

After lunch, we will get acquainted with the beautiful tree-lined avenue, which is the gateway to Kváskovice, and we will remember another beautiful tree-lined avenue in Dobrša. Then we will set off on a trip to the local forests under the hills of Kustrý and Javorník – to Rúždí and further to the village of Maleč (862 m above sea level) and from there to the Na Bludné solitude and further to Slúnečný and Větrný kamen. We will return to Kváskovice by the path under the Nový rybník through Paloučky, Zálesí and Drážov (approx. 17 km). –– After dinner we will screen a remarkable film “Ecology of the mind” about Gregory BATESONThis brilliant anthropologist and biologist was concerned with the ecology of relationships. He pointed out that we must learn to synchronize our lives with the larger patterns of nature. – with “patterns that connect.” According to Bateson, most of the problems in the world today are caused by the difference between how people think and how nature works. Therefore, he believes that a new “ecology of the mind” needs to be developed.

Saturday, July 12th

After breakfast, we will meet and say goodbye, then pack up and return home. Anyone who wants to can spend the rest of the weekend in Kváskovice for free at our house or at the house of our friends.

ACCOMMODATIONS

Mácha's estate in Kváskovice (No. 10 – entrance through the gate from the village square), where the seminar will take place and where you will be accommodated, is located in the center of the village. It is a cultural monument from 1600 with preserved historical elements, which its owner Michal SPERLING revitalized for the purposes of recreational and educational stays. See: http://www.e-chalupy.cz/sumava/chalupa-k-pronajmuti-kvaskovice-machuv-statek-5066.php  

The house with 4 large rooms on the ground floor and first floor can accommodate a total of 16 people on beds and mattresses. There is a large kitchen with a gallery, which serves as a common room, as well as a bathroom and toilet. The house has a large garden with trees and a natural pond (200 m2) for swimming - there is a beautiful view of the surrounding rolling foothills of the Šumava Podlesí region.

HOW TO REGISTER FOR THE SEMINAR

The total price of the seminar per person is 2 200,-CZK (for accommodation, meals and fees to lecturers). If you are interested in attending the seminar, please let us know first by email or by phone (J.Zemánek, A, Malíková, T.Hrůza – see CONTACTS below) and at the same time, please pay a deposit of 1000 CZK by June 22 to the account: 535 757 1001/ 5500. Instead of the variable symbol, write Plants teachers + your name and surname in the message for the recipient. You will pay the remaining 1,200 CZK upon arrival at the seminar on July 8.

There are 14 beds and 2 mattresses available. – for 13 seminar students and 3 lecturers. If more than 13 students register for the seminar, these additional participants will be able to participate provided that they bring their own sleeping mat and sleeping bag and sleep on the floor (however, we will try to find additional mattresses). In such a case, the total contribution for the night will be half: 600 CZK. It is also possible to participate in the seminar for only 1 day or 2 days. In such a case, you will pay a proportional contribution (for the work of the lecturers, food, and possibly accommodation): for 1 day without accommodation: 300 CZK, for 1 day with accommodation: 500 CZK, for two days with one accommodation: 800 CZK, etc. If you will be catering for yourself, the price for each day will be reduced by 150 CZK.

TRANSPORTATION TO AND FROM KVÁSKOVICE

Kváskovice u Drážova is a small village in the Šumava Podlesí region, located west of Strakonice. – 24 km by public transport; ask for “Kváskovice near Drážov” (There are other Kváskovices near Strakonice!) The best way to get here from Prague is by bus from the Prague-Smíchov / Na Knížecí bus station to Strakonice (bus station) and from Strakonice then by bus to Kváskovice, or rather to the Nová Ves stop. – Kváskovice crossroads. You can also get to the seminar by car. At Máchov Statk there is a parking capacity for a maximum of 7 people. car.

On Tuesday, July 8, there are the following bus connection options from Prague to Kváskovice: A/ Prague Smíchov- Na Knížecí: departure 10:00 (5 stops) Strakonice, bus station: arrival 11:25 / departure 11:50 (8 stops) Čestice: arrival 12:15 / departure 12:16 / Kváskovice, Chalupy: arrival 12:33 (Get off at the chapel) B/ Prague Smíchov – Na Knížecí: departure 12:45 (4 seats)Strakonice, bus station: arrival 14:15 / departure 14:40 (17 seats)Kváskovice, Chalupy: arrival 15:18 (Get off at the chapel) C/ Prague Smichov, Na Knizeci: departure 14:45 (5 stops)Strakonice, bus station: arrival 16:17 / departure 16:40 (19 stops)Nová Ves, Kváskovice junction: arrival 17:25 (From the crossroads, you walk uphill along the alley for about 400 meters) The price of both tickets together is about 140 CZK.

On Saturday, July 12, you can travel from Kváskovice to Prague as follows:You will go by car or on foot from Kváskovice to Vacov (4.5 km). to the bus station. From there you will continue by bus to Prague: We assume that some participants will come to the seminar by their own car and will be able to help their colleagues with transportation to Vacov. AND/ Vacov: depart. 7:22 (1 post) – Prague, Na Knížecí: reception. 9:30 AM/ Vacov: depart. 11:48 (1 post) – Zdíkovec: arrival 11:56 / departure 12:00 / Prague, Na Knížecí: arrival 14:25 C/ Vacov: depart. 13:48 (1 post) –/Prague, Na Knížecí: reception. 16:05 Ticket price: 129 CZK to 147 CZK.

CONTACTS and other information

• George Zemanek, sarvanga@centrum.cz, 777 117 466
• Alena Malikova, alena.malikova@bioinstitut.cz, 604 905 611
• Tomas Hruza, tomashruza@gmail.com, 775 052 607