Skills I Learned At IDA
By former IDA resident Mona Wam
When I first moved to Ida I came wanting to learn skills to survive in the world not dedicated to capitalism. I went to school in Oakland for carpentry but became frustrated by the misogyny and hetero normativity inherent in a traditional school setting. At Ida and immersed in community, I learned many skills from many residents and visitors. Here are some I got to focus on:
Construction Skills,
Community organizing and leadership skills,
Gardening skills,
Chain saw and wood stove maintenance skills,
Plumbing,
Clearing,
Trail blazing,
Making music,
Auto Mechanic skills,
De-centering white supremacy,
Painting,
Sculpture,
Creative writing,
Dance,
Taxidermy,
Bicycling,
Witchcraft,
How to cook for LOTS of people,
Winterizing: chopping wood, cleaning fireplaces.
There are formal and informal work parties happening at IDA all the time! Most recently, there was a wood stove work party that former and current residents of Ida shared skills, breakfast, and lunch! Every wood stove was cleaned, polished and maintained and the people had so much extra energy they exceeded the expectations of the work and chopped wood and worked on electrical issues as well.
Work parties are critical to the survival of IDA’s residents, structures, and the land. Become a monthly sustainer today to ensure that IDA has what she needs to weather the winter!
