World Shelters

Yesterday, I was in Arcata, where I chatted with Bruce LeBel, the exec. dir. of World Shelters, a non-profit organization providing emergency temporary housing to victims of earthquakes, tsunamis, other disasters around the world. He showed me around, I checked out the Qshelter, octahut and icosa Udome, where they are working on insulation and a snow peak.

http://worldshelters.org/

on the walk around the bay, I plucked lots of sweet blackberries along the trail.

Now I'm resting from the long hike through the brambles, watching the ladies go to their friday yoga class. Their room is temporarily full of a variety of nests, including birds nests featuring the dune dwelling snowy plover*, and artistic renditions of nests, for this month's Arts Alive gallery.

Funny how a Udome or round hut is an upside down nest, both utilize the spherical principle of 'maximum space enclosed by minimum material' (least surface area and structural support). Also, the tubular quonset Qshelter resembles buckytubes.

Olympic stadium in China the "birds nest"

* Although the show's theme is nests, the snowy plover, like many other shorebirds, does not actually build a woven nest, unlike tree roosting birds which do. They usually just dig a shallow hole in sand or pebbles or grasses and deposit their camouflaged eggs; some seabirds deposit non-rolling eggs in rocky clefts hidden from view.

It's a very hot day, absolutely perfect for diving.