About Us

ROBIN CLAYFIELD, DYNAMIC GROUPS and EARTHCARE EDUCATION

A community focused social enterprise

Sowing seeds for personal and global transformation

Since the late eighties Robin Clayfield and Earthcare Education have been creating, developing and pioneering what’s more recently become know as Dynamic Groups, Dynamic Learning, a methodology for education and group work which weaves together:-

• Empowered and Holistic Learning
• Creative, Fun, Interactive Learning Methods
• Multi-Sensory Learning
• Motivational and Needs Based Learning
• Caring for People, Earth, Spirit and Sharing Deeply and Generously (The Four Ethics of Permaculture)

Dynamic Groups, Dynamic Learning is a facilitation practice, learning methodology and course for teachers, facilitators, trainers, activists, community workers, healers and group leaders. The methodology grew out of the early collaborations, experiments and creative partnership of Robin and Skye who had a sense that education, learning, meetings and group work deserved and required methods other than lecturing and non-participatory practices.

Courses have been conducted with thousands of people in over a dozen countries and all Australian States with virtually every participant walking out ‘with a smile on their face’. The Manual For Teaching Permaculture Creatively, written by Robin Clayfield and Skye in 1995, is used and enjoyed in more than 75 diverse countries and is used as a text book for Permaculture Teacher Training in USA.

Currently, courses and workshops vary from an introductory day or weekend to a 6 day residential with a 4 day ‘basics’ version for special interest groups plus a 1 to 3 hour conference appetiser. Personal and Group Consultancies are also available on request.

Many other professional development, empowerment, group leadership and Permaculture courses and experiences are offered, all of which use the methodology as a foundation. See the Courses and Workshops page for a selection.

ROBIN CLAYFIELD

Robin has spent well over four decades working, playing and interacting in groups in various capacities since being on Student Councils at Uni in the late 70s. This began her journey chairing meetings and progressed to Lobbying Governments & Councils after she did her Permaculture Design Course in 1983. Since 1990 she has been facilitating and creating one and two week intensive residential courses, Training Teachers, Guiding Women’s Weekends, Designing and Leading Empowerment and Visioning sessions (for Community Groups, Businesses and Individuals), Presenting at Conferences and Festivals, as well as Living, Working and Sharing with others in Community – all in a spirit of empowerment, creativity, joy and holistic growth and learning.

She is the author of two books, two card games, several kits and resources for groups and facilitators and has produced a CD of Guided Visualisations set to music. She is co-author of several resources and a Training Manual with Skye, has chapters in other books and has had numerous articles and photographs published.  Robin has run the business of Earthcare Education single-handedly since the mid nineties and is a mother and grand mother. She spent five years home educating her teenage son, ran the Woodford (Maleny) Chai Tent for 23 years with a few friends from the late 80s and played in JAMBEZI, a high energy Marimba band for 8 years. She somehow finds time these days to potter in the garden, enjoy a beautiful relationship, and volunteer for several community organisations. She is currently working on a series of five books documenting her ‘Dynamic  Groups, Dynamic Learning’ methods and practise. 

Robin acknowledges powerful inspiration in her life from nature, all beings and many humans including Joanna Macy, Star Hawk, John Seed, Bill Mollison, David Holmgren, Lea Harrison, her two children, Pele and Tumii and especially Skye. 

These days Robin is supported at times in various ways by a small team – her partner Rob Clark looks after the art and design, Erin Young works along side Robin by supporting her Patreon platform, co-creating the eNewsletter and general Social Media and admin help. Meg Clark is currently formatting Robin’s new book series. Eve Witney has helped with editing and software tuition. Ange Jackson, Tracy Adams, Britta Wiggington and Virginia Solomon contribute through proof reading and some of these wonderful folks and more help with stall support. Christine Clegg works with Robin in Ceremony, Women’s Empowerment work, the Sacred Union Labyrinth activities and general support as does Stephane Cazard. Times past have seen PoMei Kwong, RuMi Nicolau Ordinas, Monica Moreno and Mark Healy make substantial and wonderful contributions. To all these awesome people and everyone else who has supported Robin along the way, THANK YOU, she is eternally grateful. 

SKYE

Skye and Robin began Earthcare Education in 1989 and developed many of the innovative ideas, learning technologies and processes that are the foundations of Robin’s current Learning Methodology.

Skye has lived and worked in Mexico and now Brazil for many years and has evolved creative facilitation in his own direction while Robin lives in South East Queensland and has continued to develop and create what she now calls ‘Dynamic Groups, Dynamic Learning’. Skye coordinates and runs courses for the Gaia University in Brasil and leads Permaculture courses, Teacher Trainings and all kinds of Permaculture and community supporting activities. He and his wife Ivone work together to support people in Brasil, and further afield, learn and practise Permaculture activities and sustainability. 

Skye’s FaceBook page is here – and its all in Portuguese.

ROB CLARK

Rob is an extremely talented and innovative sign artist and creative director of many projects, instillations and murals. He is a traditional brush man though also uses the computer to advantage. His past purpose and passion of ‘Say Yes to Family Peace’, an initiative that supports peace in all our hearts and homes was a huge undertaking. www.sayyestofamilypeace.org  Rob’s graphic design and artistic skill have brought new life, style and energy plus a sense of professionalism and branding to Robin’s courses, books and products and to how she presents herself to the world. ELFy, the jigsaw puzzle magician who represents the ‘Dynamic Groups, Dynamic Learning’ Methodology, is one of Rob’s exquisite creations, as are the new covers to her 3rd edition of ‘You Can Have Your Permaculture and Eat It Too’, ‘The Manual for Teaching Permaculture Creatively’ and the two most recent card games, ‘The  New  Permaculture Principles Card Game’ and the ‘Creative Process Wild Cards’.

Rob is a big part of Robin’s life generally and co-creates, visions and supports with Ceremony at gatherings and The Sacred Union Labyrinth instillation and brings his art and creativity to embellish any project.

ERIN YOUNG

With the spirit of a compassionate visionary, guided by a heart of a playful creative, embodied as a truth-speaking communicator, Erin offers the world support to live in an integrated dynamic reality as another divine fractal in Life.

A whole systems designer, facilitator & pollinator, Erin is a change-maker for healing & change in our collective realities.  Grounded in the sovereign right of each human being as a co-creator, Erin’s mission is supporting change agents to achieve their visions for a healed world through dynamic systems & approaches. To this end, Erin practices & trains in the social technology of Dynamic Governance / Sociocracy – an integrated methodology for collaborative decision-making & agile organisations based in effectiveness, transparency & equal-value.

Mentored by permaculture pioneer Robin Clayfield in dynamic group work & learning methodologies, Erin contributes to the activation of facilitators for empowered, holistic & interactive individuals & groups.

With allegiance to the ethics of Earth Care, People Care, Spirit Care & Fair Share, core focus & passion is invested into supporting localised resilient food systems & social/eco community groups bringing in their visionary change.

Based on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia, Erin lives with partner in a cottage in the forest within a regional community of practical joy-filled creatives.  Contributing to festival culture through bamboo sculptures & structures is a treasured creative outlet, as is living in gratitude for a life of natural abundance & deep appreciation of Life’s sacred design. 

These words from Erin’s Bio were taken from her new blog site 

LINKS

More about Dynamic Groups and Earthcare Education

Click here for a variety of Bio’s

To see a Utube clip of a Pecha Kucha presentation by Robin for ‘Green Love’ put on by Sunshine Coast Creative Alliance in August 2011 and entitled “The 20 things I love most about my life that are Green and Creative” click this link. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7CYYAl3lpE  Pecha Kucha is a presentation process which give 20 seconds for each of 20 slides so that each presenter only gets 6 minutes and 40 seconds to present. This was filmed by Luis Gonzales Medina from Chile while he was WWOOFing (Willing Workers On Organic Farms) with Robin.