The Outback Community Design Charrette

1972-1973(?) --- The beginning of The Outback Project otherwise known as “The Fairhaven Pig Farm” a self-sufficiency skills program looking to achieve institutional program status, and was determined on a year to year basis with the Fairhaven Dean.

1975 --- Interest in achieving a separate program status was reconsidered based on student resources and time commitment.

1978 --- Formal five year (1978-83) proposal entitled “The Outback Program: A Fairhaven College Student Activity”, states goals of the program and a prospective funding base for a coordinator’s salary, operating budget, capital improvements, and special project funding.

Goals:

1. Function as community resource in alternative energy research and experimentation and small scale organic agriculture techniques.

2. Provide ecologically sound examples of self-sufficiency through small-scale vegetable, grain and legume production; animal raising; and appropriate energy production and appropriate technology.

3. Provide hands-on experience in small farm management and self-sufficiency for resident students.

4. Provide example of wholistic living giving opportunities for people to interact and work together in a variety of ways and degrees of involvement.

1985 --- A revised five year plan was completed which lacked any identification with Huxley College and animal raising.

1988 --- Student residential program ended.

1990’s --- Newly appointed advisory committee and revitalized student leadership and activities, evolving from small farm management and collective living to include environmental education, service learning, and wetland mitigation.

1999 --- Endorsement and open space/academic protection on the revised Institutional Master Plan 2001 (section included in Appendix A) with site name designation as the Outdoor Experiential Learning Site (OELS) and mission statement:

In support of Western Washington University’s (WWU) mission and strategic action guidelines, the Outdoor Experiential Learning Site provides an outdoor venue that supports quality curricular, co-curricular, and service-learning, appeals to a diverse population, and encourages opportunities for community service. The Outdoor Experiential Learning Site’s unique natural environment offers WWU and the greater Bellingham communities an outdoor learning laboratory to study interdisciplinary issues of concern to everyone: environmental education, applied human ecology, natural resource planning and use, sustainable development, appropriate agriculture, spiritual revitalization, and aesthetic value.

2000 --- “Outback Cooperative Project” collaborated and written under ES 410 Agroecology and Sustainable Agriculture class. The project entails history, socio-political construction, natural history, wetland restoration and education, Biodynamic theory and practice, Biointensive mini-farming, Permaculture design, and a Sustainable Living Systems curriculum guide.

2001 --- Ecovillage Design course facilitated by E. Christopher Mare, the class assumed the role of a professional design team whose task was to create a world-class ecovillage demonstration site in the Outback Farm – home to a fully accredited “Sustainable Living” degree program.

Please, note this was intended to be a very brief review of the Outback’s planning progress since creation in the early 1970’s. For a more complete historical review see Appendix B, “A Report on the Outback” by, then Interim Dean, Ron Riggins.

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A Brief Outback Historical Review