老夫子传媒

Social Forestry is the cultural way of being engaged with our uplands and margins. Most of modern forestry has been extractive and industrial. We can learn from the landscape what works in the long run while supporting sustainable lifestyles and vernacular art and celebration. Come along for the vision and stories, stay for the skills and practices. We can become People of Place if we pay attention and close our loops.
Tomi Hazel Vaarde is the pen name of Tom Ward, a long time citizen of Ashland. Hazel is the cultural name now used in Social Forestry work.

Arriving in Ashland in the early 70鈥檚 Tomi Hazel kept busy in social organizing, as President and Board Member of several startup non-profits, including the Ashland Community Food Store, Ashland Community Health Clinic, Hokola commune in the Colestine, and The Last Resort on the Greensprings. Hazel is a founder and member of South Mountain Friends Meetings. In the early 80鈥檚 Hazel was instrumental in the Pacific Northwest organizing of Tilth, Provender, and Permaculture. Two years as an instructor and administrator at D-Q University in Davis led to many years of teaching the Permaculture Design Course and advanced courses at several institutes in California, PNW, South Africa, Arizona, Taiwan and Ashland.

In the 1990鈥檚 Hazel stewarded 鈥淭om鈥檚 Garden Cottage鈥� on upper Bush Street and carried apprentices and tours, eldered the Wilderness Charter School at Ashland High, advised and worked for The Rogue Institute of Economy and Ecology. Hazel sat on the Ashland Forestry Commission and advised and worked with Lomakatsii and the Ashland Ranger District. Many organic farms and permaculture homesteads have had the benefit of Hazel鈥檚 counsel.

For the last quarter century Hazel has been stewarding a land tending field station and forestry camp at Wolf Gulch Ranch in the Little Applegate canyon.