A new documentary celebrating the past, present and future of Crystal Waters is just being released. It is possibly the most extensive exploration of an ecovillage in a documentary yet produced… I’d love to hear of other examples. In 2018, Crystal Waters, a world-first permaculture settlement and wildlife sanctuary, is now 30 years old – located near Maleny, South East Queensland. Given a UN Habitat Award in 1996, Crystal Waters is known worldwide for its permaculture related educational courses. Community members run monthly markets, bakery and cafes, bamboo and timber plantations, a fire brigade, cinema, even a cemetery. A visitor park offers cabins, caravan sites and tent sites. Over 100 dwellings and community buildings showcase diverse building methods – rammed earth, mud brick, straw bale and pole construction. The flow of the program entwines history and present views in a colourful and engaging manner. It may not answer all your …

Did you know you can design harmonious and effective groups who thrive towards their aims and purpose as a collective? Yep, it’s called Social Permaculture. And this is what Permaculture pioneer Robin Clayfield and social change-agent Erin Young are brewing for the SOCIAL PERMACULTURE WEEKEND on 18 & 19 May at Crystal Waters Permaculture EcoVillage, near Maleny in South East Queensland. This unique weekend is a rare opportunity to be guided in developing your social design fluency by applying the nature-based principles of permaculture. Using interactive and dynamic experiences, Robin and Erin will share with you insights to regenerative people systems and approaches contributing to happy and healthy humans on the levels of the individual, organisational, and societal. Various angles of effective social design will be covered, including group ecology, community governance and decision-making, group effectiveness, social space retrofits and confidence in acting for change. This course is for those …

Once again the Sacred Union Labyrinth at Woodford Folk Festival was magnificent and loved and appreciated by thousands of people over the 6 day festival. Robin and her troupe of 14 instillation artists, 7 Ceremony holders, 8 musicians and performers plus 2 sound technicians and 2 stage managers provided by the festival created the best ever Labyrinth and surrounds, enhanced by powerfully held, exquisite ceremonies with delightful music by The Sacred Union Labyrinth Band. Other performances and acts graced the space and featured Andy Copeman and his MedicineManMusic, Heather Price and her Healing with the Drum Journeys, Malcolm Fielding’s minstrelling and Rob Clark as Djuelu the Village Scribe, capturing words of wisdom and essence for participants of the Ceremonies. Here’s the link to our FaaceBook page if you’d like to like us and see what we’re up to. Stay tuned for The Sacred Union Labyrinth at The Planting Festival which …

The annual Being Woman… gathering is fast approaching with a juicy theme this year –  Nurturing Your True Nature…..Stepping into our Woman’s Way and the workshops will be centred around this theme. This year’s gathering again offers a wonderful range of facilitators and workshops for you to discover and explore the divine feminine source inside you in a way that enhances your self-awareness, relationships and life purpose. There will also be sacred ceremonies to open and close the gathering as well as entertainment on Saturday and Sunday nights. Be true and authentic to who you are and learn to keep your heart open as you celebrate, dance, weave, relax and enjoy the gathering. Robin’s workshop this year will be called – Pathway to Freedom. She’ll also be involved in the Ceremony team again with our Aunties and other wonderful wise women. Tickets are available here.

‘Groundwork’ has been developed out of the Art of Hosting framework (aka Art of Participatory Leadership), and specifically focusses on collaboration. These trainings are being offered in both Brisbane and Canberra in February. These trainings would be fantastic support to Permaculture trainers and organisers, for Permaculture Co-Lab, and any permie projects as well as NVC practitioners and anyone working with community groups and facilitation. Early bird closes today Fri 11 January. There are some scholarships, and discounts for 3 or more people coming as a group or from an organisation. Fees are negotiable for people who really want to come and learn to apply these trainings, but who cant afford to pay. Visit the website here.

Robin’s ‘Calendar of Events’ that she’s involved in this year include (known and confirmed dates)… ‘Dynamic Groups, Dynamic Learning’ Creative Teachers, Facilitators and Group Leaders Course. Crystal Waters in SE Qld. 17th to 22nd February. Here’s the link to the FaceBook Event which has the poster with details in the Discussion section.  Being Woman… Gathering. SE Q’ld. 8th to 11th March. Ceremony and Workshop. Follow this link. National Labyrinth Conference. Canberra. 21st to 24th March with workshop on Ceremony and Ritual on 22nd March. Follow this link. PDC (Permaculture Design Course) at Crystal Waters Permaculture Village. April 29th to May 11th. Max Lindegger as primary tutor plus Richard Mochelle, Annaliese Hordern and with Robin Clayfield as special guest presenter. Here’s the link. The Sacred Union Labyrinth at The Planting Festival with Ceremonies, Workshop and Music to walk to. 3rd to 5th May at Woodfordia. Here’s the link to the website …