Visit CAT to learn about Self-Sufficiency
CAT, the Centre for Alternative Technology, is a fantastic place to visit if you are looking to live in a more sustainable fashion. Whether it's a visit with the kids or to fulfill a serious intention to build a sustainable home, CAT is a beautiful spot in mid Wales to holiday nearby or learn some essential skills to live sustainably. The GIN Lady reports back on why a visit to CAT should be on your adventurous calendar!

If you want a better quality of life, look no further than CAT. Since its foundation in 1973 at the disused Llwyngwern slate quarry near Machynlleth, in Mid Wales, this Centre has blossomed into an inspiring mecca for people passionate about learning to live in a sustainable style. CAT provides a vast array of resources, and is laid out in a way that makes it a destination perfect for everyone: from a family with kids wanting a fun yet soul enriching day out, to a rich educational resource for folk serious about literally building a sustainable home - from hands on short courses to post-grad courses.
Outside the Visitor CentreThe Visitor Centre, open 7 days a week, offers easy to understand, interactive displays to highlight how each of us are tied to global issues, such as the energy crisis, and offers practical, easy tasks to play our part in the solution. Nearby you'll also find CAT's free information service. This is where I met Matthew, one of the co-operative workers, who turned out to be a fountain of knowledge (thanks Matt!). Pop along here and they will be ready to help with any inquiry you have, from composting to installing solar panels. You name it, they answer it!
Once you've browsed the Visitor Centre, had your questions answered and perhaps enjoyed a scrumptious meal at the restaurant, take a tour around the centre - with a guide or by yourselves. Around CAT is a hive of activity as well as plenty of interactive displays. Here you'll find working examples of environmentally responsible buildings, renewable energy generation, sustainability in the home, organic growing, composting and waste management.
As you walk around and learn heaps, the thing that struck us the most was the amazing feeling we got from realising it's much easier than we thought to create a sustainable home. Afterall, installing a solar panel, building a sustainable home, creating an eco friendly waste management system can all seem so daunting - where to start?! This near impossible task no longer feels daunting with CAT's help. With the right guidance, some short courses, we all could be well on our way to realising our sustainable dreams.
CAT's straw buildings and courses make it easy for non-professionals to build their own homesInspired by our CAT tour, we no longer feel overwhelmed by the idea of becoming self-sufficient and building/retrofitting our homes to sustainable levels. CAT offer a wide range of courses, many of which are only 1 day, to get you on the road to sustainable living. From sustainable bee keeping, to renewable electricity and feed in tariffs, to treating grey wastewater, CAT has a short course for everyone. They even offer a Graduate School of the Environment for those of you who want full on accredited post-grad education in sustainable living.
Before we share all the exciting stuff to entertain the kids, it's timely to mention W.I.S.E., the Wales Institute for Sustainable Education, launching this week at CAT. We got a sneak preview of this state of the art building complex which draws on CAT's 30 years of experience in sustainable buildings. Most impressive of all is the new 200 seat rammed earth lecture theatre. Round in layout, this stunning building has a wonderful energy flow and is truly inspirational as a place to learn and share. Made from low embodied-energy construction materials such as earth and hemp and energy efficient glazing for maximum natural day lighting and passive heat gain and much more, this building is likely to inspire people from around the world and makes for a superb setting for business leaders , policy makers , professionals and students. W.I.S.E. will offer the opportunity to "explore, in practical terms, the complex interactions between land-use, energy, food production, buildings, transport, waste management and all aspects of human society." So if you're looking for an incredible setting for a conference, you've just found the perfect spot!
W.I.S.E., the new state-of-the-art environmental education centre at CATChildren are the future, and we couldn't think of a better place than CAT to walk them through the fun, educational aspect of sustainability. Not only do CAT have play areas to enchant your kids in this stunning natural setting, your little people will also have plenty of interactive opportunities to learn, such as the underground Mole Hole where Megan the Mole will greet you and share the wonderful soil critters who live under our feet or going down the worm slide where they'll learn everything about composting.
Kids can do down the worm slide while learning about composting!At the end of the day, CAT is a brilliant place to visit for everyone. We came away inspired and feeling wonderfully positive about the future. It has helped us realise that moving to a carbon zero future is more than possible, and it'll be fun and rewarding to do so as well. There's no doom and gloom here - the Centre for Alternative Technology is the place to learn about sustainability, and mid Wales is a wonderful place to visit while you're there. Visit CAT now to learn so much more!



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