Mission Statement
The RITES Project, Return Intention Towards Ecological Sustainability, works with individuals, communities, businesses, and schools to foster harmonious relationships with the environment.
The goals of the RITES Project are to:

Organizational Objectives
The RITES Project works to implement its mission and organizational goals by focusing on the following areas: education, research, and community development.

Organizational Background & History
The RITES Project began in 2001 as a project sponsored by The Middle Way, a 501(c)3 vocational training organization for adults with disabilities. At that time, the RITES Project was primarily focused on the development of the Sebastopol Compost and Worm Production Facility. A key element of the program was to provide stable employment for the clients of the Middle Way. In 2002, the RITES Project received its first grant of $5000 from the City of Sebastopol for recycling and composting research.

Education

The RITES Project designs and implements education programs focused on teaching communities how to restore and replenish local ecosystems and economies. Since its inception, the RITES Project has taught at over 25 Permaculture Design Certification Courses, most recently coordinating one in Hawai'i.

Permaculture is a science that involves the design of human systems to embody the diversity, stability and resilience of natural ecosystems. The RITES Team has facilitated numerous workshops on Permaculture, bioremediation, natural building and other non-toxic approaches for integrating health and ecology. The RITES Project has also incorporated mentorship and accredited curriculum development as part of its educational work.

The RITES Project performs its educational work in collaboration with the following entities: Solar Living Institute, Esalen Institute, Occidental Arts and Ecology Center, Regenerative Design Institute, Earth Activist Training, Urban Permaculture Guild, Alameda Point Collaborative, San Francisco Botanical Gardens, New College of California, California School of Integral Studies, Northern California Womens Herbal Symposium, Sonoma Mycological Association, Symbiosis Events, Harmony Farm Supply, and many others.

Research

The RITES Project research program focuses on discovering and reporting practical methods of reuse and reconstitution of waste into useful, valuable products. The program is researching and evaluating the impacts of composting techniques, rainwater catchments systems, Permaculture, bioremediation, and mycorestoration, a branch of bioremediation that encourages mushroom mycelia to view pollutants as a food source. The RITES Project is working to determine the efficacy of these methods in order to mitigate harmful impacts of current practices on ecological habitat.

Action and Community Development

The RITES Project has built strong relationships with groups in the community and acts as a liaison between various entities, often with disparate views. Through our service-oriented programs, the RITES Project trains and assists businesses, individuals, and industries in designing with nature, in order to protect the environment and to empower people to take an active role in the implementation of ecologically sound solutions.

Fiscal Status
The RITES Project is a state approved non-profit corporation with its 501(c)3 status currently pending.