It is finally happening; the days are getting longer, flip-flops are poking out from the bottom of jeans, and our hostels on the Cape and Islands are opening. This Friday Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard will open their doors followed by Truro and Eastham on the 11th of June.

Our incredible staff is busy setting up computers, grills, volleyball courts, kitchens, and common spaces. Be one of the first to visit and make your make on the beach.

Upcoming local events include:
The Nantucket Wine Festival
Figawi Race to and from Nantucket
Provincetown Film Festival

Visit our website for more information and to book your bed now!

Start early and plan your Cape and Islands vacation for 2010 with HI-Cape Cod! Come check out any of our 4 hostels – Martha’s Vineyard, Nantucket, Eastham or Truro. http://www.capecodhostels.org

What: 12-day course led by New England native and noted Permaculture Instructor, Dick Pierce, and Vineyard designers/ practitioners/farmers/gardeners. The Course offers practical training and skills in sustainable living. We will cover design principles and technologies that you can easily apply to your home, apartment, property, farm, workplace, and community to help you live well in the city or the country.

Who: Professionals/amateurs: homeowners, apartment dwellers, gardeners, farmers, land owners, developers, architects/designers, teachers – Visitors and Islanders.

Why: To learn techniques, tools & design ideas to…

Mimic nature to design solutions; tune observation skills & knowledge of climate, water, soil, plants, trees, tech’s.
Manage use of and re-use of water; [re]build soil
Build an Herb Spiral; Compost/Compost Teas
Learn about ponds, wetlands, and marine life
Natural & Green Building techniques
Analyze a landscape – optimum placement of elements
Local food production – small-scale & intensive,
Encourage natural cycles – plants, animals, etc.
Design homes and landscapes that serve people, attract wildlife, restore habitat, and provide food.

Considerations & designs for urban/suburban/rural land, farms, animals, orchards, woodlots.
Additional topics include:
♦Ecosystems ♦ Ecology ♦ Microclimates♦
♦Edible landscape ♦ Waste ♦ Wastewater♦
♦Trees & Forests ♦ Soils ♦ Erosion Control♦
♦Water harvesting ♦ Soil Food Web ♦ Animals♦
♦Bio-Intensive Gardening ♦ Organic Agriculture♦ ♦Animals ♦ Urban strategies ♦ Building Design♦
♦Wild land rehabilitation♦ Maps and Mapping♦
♦Creating a Culture of Cooperation

Teaching Site Visits:
- Home – Solar, Wood Furnace, Big Garden, Sheep
- Green/Natural Building – NE Style, Cohousing
- Renewable Energy – Solar PV/Hot Water, Wind, etc.
- A Teaching Farm, a Sheep Farm, a Market Farm/
- W. Tisbury Farmers Market
- Organizations Supporting Local Island Agriculture
- Polly Hill Arboretum – Focus on NE Native Trees
- MV – Culture, Island Plan, Small Bus., Small Farm

Intensive, 12-Day Schedule:
Sept. 14-15 Permaculture Basics
16 Water, Soils, & Compost
Rural, Local Farms, CSA’s
Urban, Plants, Gardens
Sustainable Building & Energy
22 Introduction to Design
Sept. 22-24 Design Workshop
Sept. 25 Design Pres’s., wrap-up, Grad.
Includes: Local Farm Tours & Eve. Talks

Course fees: $600 for 12-day course; Discounts for Seniors, and Full-Time Island Residents. Dorm Room- $200 for 11 nights; $20 extra night. Meals: Lunch/ Dinner/Cont. B’fast – $280 range.

To Enroll: Send deposit of $100 via check/money order/Pay-Pal. Email/call Dick Pierce at DickPierceDesigns@gmail.com or 512-992-8858 (cell) for details. Enrollment package & instructions sent on receipt of non-refundable deposit.

Martha’s Vineyard is a still-small-town-and-rural island off the coast of MA. A famous summer resort, it has a surprising number of small farms, a deep environmental/conservation ethic, innovative ideas in architecture/energy, and self-reliance. Modern airport serves Boston, Providence, etc.; ferries run from Woods Hole, New Bedford, Quonset Pt., RI.

www.permie.us, or DickPierceDesigns.com and DickPierceDesigns@gmail.com
Dick Pierce 512-992-8858

The Eastern New England Council of Hostelling International-USA will host two special open houses to celebrate the 75th Anniversary of American hostelling, which started in Northfield, Massachusetts in 1934.

The free events will provide an opportunity for the local community to learn more about the hostel experience and HI-USA’s mission to make travel accessible to all, especially the young.

Festivities will include barbecues and refreshments, live entertainment and volleyball games.

What: Martha’s Vineyard Hostel Open House
When: Wednesday, August 26, 2009; 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Where: 525 Edgartown – W Tisbury Road

What: Truro Hostel Open House
When: Sunday, August 30, 2009; 1:00 p m – 4:00 pm
Where: North Pamet Road

“The open houses provide an opportunity to celebrate the communities surrounding the hostels as well as the agency’s anniversary,” says Deborah Ruhe, Executive Director of the Eastern New England Council.

An invitation to the event has been extended to President and Mrs. Obama who will be on Martha’s Vineyard the date of the open house.

The Hostelling Movement began in 1909 when a German school teacher began taking his students on overnight field trips in the countryside to encourage a healthy lifestyle and an appreciation of the natural world. Hostelling was brought to the United States by school teachers who had experienced European hostels on a trip with their students. Soon, hostels sprung up all over the country.

Since 1934, New England hostels have hosted nearly two million guests. There are currently over 60 American hostels in the Hostelling International USA network.

For more information or to RSVP, contact Karin Turer, (617) 718-7990 ext 23 or kturer@usahostels.org.

Martha's Vineyard Hostel

Enter today to win our Cape Cod Getaway on Martha’s Vineyard! Visit our website for more information: http://www.capecodhostels.org

Martha's Vineyard

HI-Cape Cod presents the “I need a vacation” Contest. To win, simply tell us why you need a vacation! The author of the winning answer will be awarded a trip for up to 4 people to Martha’s Vineyard the last week in August, including a 5 day, 4 night stay at the Martha’s Vineyard Hostel along with bike rentals and ferry passes to/from the island.

Enter to win: http://capecod.hiusa.org/contest.php

Martha's Vineyard Hostel

The word is out…The Obama’s will be vacationing on Martha’s Vineyard the last week in August! The island will be hopping with excitement. Come visit Martha’s Vineyard and stay at our hostel. For $35 per night you’ll have lots of money left over to explore the island. Wouldn’t it be great to see the President and his family out and about? Visit our website and make your reservation today: http://capecod.hiusa.org/himv/reservations.php

Greek Cultural Festival: July 17–19, 2009
Centerville
A celebration of Greek Culture put on by the St. George Greek Orthodox Church. 1130 Route 28, Centerville. For more information call (508) 775-3045.

Barnstable County Fair: July 17–25, 2009
East Falmouth
Horse pulls, crafts, petting zoo, amusement rides and live entertainment.

35th Annual Village Day: July 18, 2009
Osterville Village
Click Here for more information.

Art District Stroll: July 18, 2009
Oak Bluffs
Gallery Gala! Stroll the Arts District on Dukes County Avenue for fun, food & art. Contact Holly Alaimo at 508-693-8877 for details.

Portuguese Holy Ghost Feast: July 18-19, 2009
Oak Bluffs
Enjoy traditional Liguica Soup, Sausages, potatoes, kale and cabbage & great live music during this much anticipated weekend-long event. Not to be missed! Parade, music, dancing, food & games of chance. Fun for the entire family. Contact the Holy Ghost Association at 508-693-9875 for more information.

Stay at our Mid Cape Hostel this weekend and check out the Celebration of the Arts Festival in South Yarmouth. Friday, July 10 – Sunday, July 12, 2009.

A three-day festival featuring the Cape’s premiere artists and artisans selling their work indoors and out. Put on by the Cape Cultural Center. Visit our website for more information: http://capecod.hiusa.org/himc/events.php

Hostelling International - Cape Cod

Cape Cod Hostels are open for the summer season.  Check out our 4 fabulous locations – Truro, Eastham, Martha’s Vineyard & Nantucket.  HI-USA makes these great locations affordable and fun!

Visit our website to reserve your bed today: http://www.capecodhostels.org