The Crestone Energy Fair’s recent Natural Plasters & Earthbag Greenhouse workshops were a huge success, drawing participants from across Colorado and New Mexico—and as far as California—for two distinct weekends of immersive, hands-on learning.
The Natural Plaster workshop was led by world-renowned natural plaster expert Athena Steen of the Canelo Project, whose decades of experience brought depth, artistry, and inspiration to the process of mixing and applying clay-based finishes.
The Earthbag Greenhouse workshop was guided by local builder and Crestone Energy Fair crew member Dana Oglesby, who taught participants how to construct strong, sustainable walls using scoria-filled earthbags—a DIY technique ideal for Crestone’s high-desert climate and enthusiastic owner-builder community. I might add that I introduced the concept of filling earthbags with scoria to provide insulation when I built my first earthbag house in Crestone using this technique about 25 years ago.
Both workshops emphasized accessibility, collaboration, and skill-sharing, with plenty of time for shared meals and community connection.
Article from crestoneeagle.org