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Join Me To We Trips to volunteer in Arizona-Mexico, stay at the Windsong Peace and Leadership Center, and experience hands-on, cutting edge leadership training and hands on experiences!

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Nestled against the foothills of the Patagonia Mountains, the Windsong ranch harbours acres of indigenous flora and fauna, southwest-style accommodations, tasty home cooking, indoor and outdoor teaching spaces, and the peace and tranquility typical of the Sonoran desert grasslands.

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Windsong Peace and Leadership Center

Discover Windsong

Located minutes away from Patagonia Lake State Park and the Mexican border, in the heart of Apache Chiricahua and Tohono O'odham traditional land, the Windsong Peace and Leadership Center is strategically situated within a hotbed of political, social and environmental discourse.

Through the continuance of its state-of-the-art leadership and social issues training, and cutting-edge focus on reducing its impact on the environment, this year-round education center is committed to "leading by example." As a grassroots role model for social and ecological regeneration, the Windsong Peace and Leadership Center is a safe and inspiring haven for people of all ages and backgrounds wishing to transform their passions into a life of action.

Features

  • World class facilitators, leadership and social issues training
  • Accommodations for up to 50 individuals
  • 40 acres of secluded grasslands
  • Hacienda-style courtyard
  • Extensive library and museum of local and international artifacts and collectibles
  • Parisian-style music salon
  • Traditional Tohono O'odham meditation labyrinth
  • Outdoor Teaching Circle
  • Organic gardens
  • Opportunity to learn animal care and basic ranch skills
  • High speed internet
  • Catered meals

Ideal For

  • Students and Educators
  • Retreats and Conferences
    • 10 minutes from Patagonia Lake State Park
    • Comfortable accommodations
    • Relaxed atmosphere
  • Community Organizations & Groups:
    • Rent our facility for your next retreat or conference
  • Beautiful hikes and trail runs Indoor and outdoor teaching spaces

Location

The Center is conveniently located just an hour and a half from Tucson and three hours from Phoenix.

Contact

For more information, or to book the Windsong Peace and Leadership Center for your next retreat, contact Erin Blanding at erinblanding@metowe.com or 520.841.2104

Windsong Center Sustainability

Using permaculture and ecological design methods to improve our local ecosystem

As a drylands ecosystem, the Southwestern United States is faced with regionally specific situations in its attempt to address these problems. Plagued by drought, over-development, and unsustainable agriculture, states such as Arizona are on the precipice of resource catastrophe. In true Me to We style, grassroots initiatives to address these issues are rapidly emerging. Drawing on local, indigenous knowledge, and the principles of ecological design (permaculture), the Windsong ranch is addressing these concerns to create a healthy, thriving community.

Learn more about sustainability from Me to We

What is Permaculture? Continuing Efforts

Permaculture is a broad-based, holistic approach to designing human settlements and agricultural systems that mimic the relationships found in the natural world. At its core are the principles of Care of Earth, Care of Others, and the Distribution of Surplus to aid in the care of Earth and Others. With thoughtful observation of our natural world, it is possible to transform any area into a self-sufficient, sustainable space, where natural resources are replenished instead of exploited.

Windsong is an active, ever-developing permaculture site. With the help of local educators and our on-site permaculture designers/property managers, visitors and program participants at Windsong will discover how providing for their own basic needs can help to improve the quality of the soil, provide food and shelter for native wildlife, improve a diminishing watertable, and produce surplus rather than scarcity. Even better, they will be able to bring these basic skills back home, with the knowledge and ability to apply them in their own communities.

For more information, or to book the Windsong Peace and Leadership Center for your next retreat, contact Erin Blanding at erinblanding@metowe.com or 520.841.2104

Current Efforts

  • Passive water harvesting (Catchment and Earth Works)
  • Bio-intensive organic food garden
  • Composting
  • On-site free-range poultry
  • Fruit and nut cultivation
  • Native food forest
  • Living (ocotillo) fence
  • Use of earthern building materials
  • Local wildlife Rehabilitation

Planned Efforts

  • Active water harvesting (storage)
  • Organic dairy goats
  • Extensive food crops
  • UV solar energy
  • Waste water recycling
  • Solar hot water heating
  • Butterfly / Hummingbird nectar garden

How you can help

  1. Volunteer: The Windsong Center is always looking for passionate individuals interested in trading their time and skill for volunteer hours, room and board, or simply the experience of working on an active permaculture site. Please contact us for more information.
  2. Donate: Contributions of useful tools, equipment, and building materials are always welcome. Please contact Erin for more details.
  3. Workshops: At Windsong, there is always room to turn a building project into a community workshop. If you are interested in creating or teaching a workshop in your area of expertise, please contact us and we'll discuss possibilities.

For more information, or to book the Windsong Peace and Leadership Center for your next retreat, contact Erin Blanding at erinblanding@metowe.com or 520.841.2104