This 2020 End-of Year Review is still under some construction.
It includes Classes & Activities, Intern, Projects, Photos, Visitors, Guest Teachers, Gifts & Donors!

2020 Winternship Rocket Stove Class group picture
Gratitude for the JOY of LEARNING & CO-CREATING this year at Strawbale Studio ~ while responding to COVID!
The year started with a “pre-Covid” WINTERNSHIP Jan 6 – Feb 6! It was a fabulous time, with Intern living on-site for a month, learning and re-skilling, while helping to host 4 weekend workshops for the public on Thatching, Round Pole Framing, Rocket Stove & Earth Oven, Earth Plastering! As I look at the photos from that time I can feel a type of vigor and connection I love.
Our last “in person” Full Moon Potluck Gathering was March 5, 2020. Then the Big Regrouping! The Gifts of Covid: Needs met for restoration, organization, slowing down for reflection and observation. Challenges of Covid: Needs not met for flow, ease, familiarity, sharing, income. Ah. Shifting, turning, reflection.
By slowing down I experienced more connection with Nature than ever before in my life, with a fullness of gratitude and awe ! Connection with the peeps continued as we reached out to communicate and support each other, finding ways, as we could, including outdoor visits with masks. The Zoom Moon and other Zoom gatherings were able to include folks who ordinarily couldn’t come to events:. Some ZOOM CLASSES took shape: The Global Ecovillage Design Series with some Upland School Youth and teacher Michael Mallon, a Foraging Class c0-taught with Kelly Thiede, a Worm Composting Class for Lyon Library! Gradually there has been on-site inclusion of some Interns, guests & tours, always with Covid kindnesses. Ah. Shifting, turning, reflection.
Gratitude to the many DONORS who contributed TIME, SKILLS, & FUNDING to the Strawbale Studio in 2020 & years past.!
Names and help received is listed at the link above.
2020 STRAWBALE STUDIO | YEAR IN REVIEW |
2020 PHOTO ALBUM | DONORS | SBS VIMEO |
Type of Activity | Dates | Title | Teacher | Co-teacher |
WINTERNSHIP – Month-long | Jan 6 – Feb 6, 2020 | WINTERNSHIP | Deanne Bednar | |
Wintern | Jan 6 – Feb 6, 2020 | Mark Reynolds | Deanne Bednar | |
Wintern | Jan 6 – Feb 6, 2020 | Nate Fisher | Deanne Bednar | |
Permaculture Meetup | January 8, 2020 | Permaculture Meetup hosted at Upland Hills School | ||
Class – Weekend | Jan 11 & 12, 2020 | Thatching Wksp | Deanne Bednar | |
Class – Weekend | Jan 18 & 19, 2020 | Round Pole Wksp | Deanne Bednar | |
Class – Weekend | Jan 25 & 26, 2020 | Fire Workshop | Deanne Bednar | Uncle Mud |
Class – Weekend | Feb 1 & 2, 2020 | Earth Plaster Wkshp | Deanne Bednar | |
Class – at Lyon Library | February 15, 2020 | Fermenting Grains, Vegies & Drinks | Deanne Bednar | |
Full Moon Gathering | March 5, 2020 | Full Moon Potluck (Due to Covid, it was the last “on-site” for the year.) | Deanne Bednar | |
Zoom – Full Moon | April 7, 2020 | April Full Moon “In Spirit”, “In Place” | Deanne Bednar | |
Zoom – Full Moon | May 7, 2020 | May ZOOM Full MOON | Deanne Bednar | |
Zoom Class – Youth | May – 4 sessions | Global Eco-village Project with Upland HIlls Student Online. | Deanne Bednar | Michael Mallon |
Zoom Class – Youth | May 8. 2020 | Eco-village Design Session 1 | Deanne Bednar | Michael Mallon |
Zoom Class – Youth | May 15, 2020 | Eco-village Design Session 2 | Deanne Bednar | Michael Mallon |
Zoom Class | May 17, 2020 | The JOY of FORAGING Wild Plants & Mushrooms | Deanne Bednar | Kelly Thiede |
Zoom Class – Youth | May 22, 2020 | Eco-village Design Session 3 | Deanne Bednar | Michael Mallon |
Zoom Class – Youth | May 29, 2020 ![]() |
Eco-village Design Session 4 | Deanne Bednar | Michael Mallon |
Zoom – Full Moon | June 5, 2020 | June ZOOM Full MOON | Deanne Bednar | |
Zoom – Full Moon | July 5, 2020 | July ZOOM Full MOON | Deanne Bednar | |
INTERNSHIP | July 1-31, 2020 | JULY INTERNSHIP Month-long | Deanne Bednar | |
July Projects | Earth Oven ~ Round Pole extension. | Deanne Bednar | Jack Chase – constructs | |
Intern | July 1-31, 2020 | Jack Chase Intern | ||
Internship Blog Posts | July Internship Activities Week One | Blog Report | By Deanne Bednar | |
Internship Blog Posts | Get Horizontal | Blog Post 1 | By Jack Chase | |
Internship Blog Posts | Foraging is Permaculture | Blog Post 2 | By Jack Chase | |
Internship Blog Posts | My Fellow Interns | Blog Post 3 | By Jack Chase | |
Internship Blog Posts | Lessons Within Lessons | Blog Post 4 | By Jack Chase | |
Internship Blog Posts | July Internship Activites ~ Week Two | Blog Report | By Deanne Bednar | |
Internship Blog Posts | Fiot 500 – The Retrofidition | Blog Post 5 | By Jack Chase | |
Internship Blog Posts | July Internship Activities ~ Week 3 | Blog Report | By Deanne Bednar | |
Internship Blog Posts | ![]() |
What Does A Mask Mean? | Blog Post 6 | By Jack Chase |
Internship Blog Posts | July Internship Activities ~ Week 4 | Blog Report | By Deanne Bednar | |
Zoom – Full Moon | August 3, 2020 | August ZOOM MOON | Deanne Bednar | Jack Chase Co-Host |
Zoom – Full Moon | July 5, 2020 | July ZOOM Full MOON | Deanne Bednar | Jack Chase Co-Host |
Class | August 6, 2020 | WORM COMPOSTING Zoom with Clinton-Huron Library | ||
INTERNSHIP Month | Sept 1-30, 2020 ![]() |
SEPTEMBER INTERNSHIP | Residence | Instructor |
Intern – Wwoofer | Sept 1-30, 2020 | Ellie Thieode | Ann Arbor, MI | Deanne Bednar |
Intern – Wwoofer | Sept 1-27, 2020 | Cy Osgood | Milwaukee, WI | Deanne Bednar |
Intern – 1/2 Pay Worktrade | Part-time | Haley Conners-Yanti | Detroit, MI | Deanne Bednar |
Intern – Wwoofer | Sept 1-30, 2020 | Shane Norris | Grand Rapids, MI | Deanne Bednar |
Intern – Wwoofer | Part-time | Angela H. & Levi M | Royal Oak / Grand Rapids | Deanne Bednar |
Zoom – Full Moon | September 2, 2020 | September ZOOM Full MOON | Deanne Bednar | Jack Chase Co-Host |
Summer Projects | September, 2020 | Progress on Kids Cottage Plasters. | ||
Summer Projects | September, 2020 | Main House, clear & repaint N. side | ||
Worktrade – Oct.tober | October 1-31, 2020 | OCTOBER Activities & Worktrade | ||
Worktrade – Oct.tober | November 1-30, 2020 | NOVEMBER Worktrade | ||
Wwoofer for Oct. & Nov | October 1-31, 2020 | Shane Norris helps plan / do projects | Deanne Bednar | |
Seasonal Projects | April – Nov. 2020 ![]() |
Foraging ~ plants, mushroom, fruits, wood for fires & carving, earth, stones. | Deanne & Intern | |
April – Nov. 2020 | Fermenting & Food Preservation ~ kraut, sour dough, mead, tinctures, drying, canning apple butter. | Deanne & Intern | ||
Intermittent Projects | Crafting ~ wood carving, spinning, mending, knitting. | Deanne & Intern | ||
Natural Bullding Skills & Restoration
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Oiling Bog Bench, repair & Oil SBS bench, sifting earth, manure, harvesting materials, stone, earth, poles. | Deanne & Intern | ||
Fall Restoration Projects | October & November | SOLAR SYSTEM on Strawbale Studio | Thom Reinke | |
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Thatched Roof of Strawbale Studio. Moss removed. | Deanne Bednar | Levi M | |
Cedar Cabin improvements | Gene V, Angela H. | |||
Hobbitition interior finishing details | Deanne, Shane | Angela H. | ||
Fall Transformation Projects | October & November ![]() |
Compost Furnace Desommissoned and soil turned into a garden by the Strawbale Studio | Oxford Plumbing. | Shane Norris & Deanne |
Fall Gardening Projects | Sept.,Oct., Nov,.2020 | New Garden beds made by sheet mulching. North garden, Meadow Garden. | Interns Shane, Cy, Ellie, + Deanne | |
Fall Grounds Projects | Clear around Strawbale Studio | |||
Zoom – Full Moon | October 1, 2020 | October ZOOM Full MOON #1 | Deanne Bednar | Jack Chase Co-Host |
Zoom – Full Moon | October 31, 2020 | October ZOOM Full MOON #2 | Deanne Bednar | Jack Chase Co-Host |
Zoom – Full Moon | November 30, 2020 | November ZOOM Full MOON | Deanne Bednar | |
Tours with Social Distancing | Joesph & Maura. Matt & Jen. Marcella, Jorden & Julie. Others – to be added. | |||
Zoom – Full Moon | December 29, 2020 | December ZOOM Full MOON | Deanne Bednar | Jack Chase Co-Host |
Office, Publicity & Planning | All Year | Lots | Deanne Bednar |
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