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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Dear Balefolk,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:black'>Two weeks ago we had a convergence of the core group of Israeli straw bale builders and designers, earth and lime plasterers and educators. While it’s a challenge to share knowledge in a limited marketplace, there is a process of development from competition to cooperation and quality control. We spoke a lot about connecting with colleagues who are experts - in particular in the area of lime plastering which is being reborn in this country where 2000+ years ago everyone had a lime slaking pit in their backyard. About 60 folk attended with an equal proportion of men and women. I assume you met Michal Vital at the ISBC. She presented an overview of your event and the tour.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:black'>I would like to take this opportunity to nominate Michal Vital [website <a href="http://www.vital-baron.com/">http://www.vital-baron.com/</a> email <a href="mailto:mvital63@gmail.com">mvital63@gmail.com</a> ] to the GSBN. We first met working together on the Medwed-Bustan-Wadi El Naam Bedouin Clinic project <a href="http://openarchitecturenetwork.org/projects/391">http://openarchitecturenetwork.org/projects/391</a>. Since then she’s become a prominent and highly regarded Green Architect in the country specializing in natural building, strawbale houses and energy efficiency design. She works wonderfully with clients, engineers and builders. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:black'><br>One more item: four of our students have started their own natural building construction company specializing in strawbales. The name of the company is Bottz <a href="http://www.bottz.co.il">www.bottz.co.il</a> which is Mud in Hebrew. The website is in Hebrew (y’all know how to use the Chrome translate option) - the images speak for themselves. Together with Bottz we have completed an earth plastered <a href="http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=412523248808887&set=pb.121279601266588.-2207520000.1352894815&type=3&theater">‘light straw’ fire test wall</a> (photo <a href="http://on.fb.me/T30Fyi">http://on.fb.me/T30Fyi</a> before plastering. For technical reasons they made blocks instead of the normative form-in-place method) and we're waiting for the Standards Institute of Israel to give us a date for the fire test, hopefully within two weeks.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:black'>B’shalom, Alex</span><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:black'>Alex Cicelsky | Director of Research and Development<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><a href="http://www.kibbutzlotan.com/creativeEcology">Center for Creative Ecology</a></span><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:black'> | </span><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><a href="http://www.kibbutzlotan.com/">Kibbutz Lotan</a></span><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:black'> 88855 Israel <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:black'>+972-54-979-9009 | </span><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><a href="mailto:alex@klotan.co.il" title="mailto:alex@klotan.co.il">alex@klotan.co.il</a></span><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><a href="http://www.kibbutzlotan.com/ga">College, Training & Design Programs</a></span><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'> | </span><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><a href="http://www.facebook.com/lotan.ga">Eco-Network</a></span><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'> | </span><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><a href="http://www.youtube.com/kibbutzlotan">YouTube Channel</a></span><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'> | </span><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><a href="http://www.tinyurl.com/ecoguideapp">Free EcoGuide App</a> | <a href="http://www.birdingisrael.com/">BirdingIsrael</a></span><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div></div></div></body></html>