Permaculture

Hey, Check out these cool ideas at Samantha and Franks home at AWOL (Another Way Of Living) at Wamboin near Canberra which is part of the Southern Harvest Association. Southern Harvest is an educational and marketing non-profit, incorporated, local food association at the forefront of supporting and promoting local and regional food production and consumption in South East NSW and ACT.  Sam and Frank organised, hosted and participated in as well as cooked for the Social Permaculture Course Robin Clayfield and Robina McCurdy did at their property in April.  The course was their first ever at the new venue that they have created in their home and all went very well. Wow! Fantastic food, fantastic people, fantastic family farm. A Creative Menu Board A Rocket Stove Made from a Dumped Gas Outdoor Heater An Old TV for a Book Shelf        

Robin and Erin recently enjoyed the company of Delvin Solkinson at a special dinner to celebrate his flying visit to Maleny as part of the Visionary Permaculture Pilgrimage he and Annaliese Hordern were organising. The four shared an Aussie style Indian Feast and honoured Delvin’s visit from Canada, especially for the Pilgrimage. Delvin and Annaliese trained with Robin in her ‘Dynamic Groups, Dynamic Learning’ course back in 2011 as part of the inaugural Pilgrimage that they also initiated. Delvin has produced many fantastic and supportive Permaculture card games, teaching notes and resources which can be found at https://www.visionarypermaculture.com/ He has always had the most honouring respect and words to shower Robin with. Here’s some that arrived recently by email.   “Dear Robin, A thousand blessings of life to your sacred journey through the ever magic. Your shine has uplifted so many of us around the world, empowering us to our …

By Erin Young, 3 June 2018 The Australasian Permaculture Convergence is a bi-annual 4-day event, creating a hive of connection and sharing for permaculture practitioners, gardeners, thinkers and doers from Australia, New Zealand and surrounding countries like East Timor. The 2018 Convergence was held in April in Canberra, along the banks of the Murrumbidgee River. Around 200 people converged to share and attend sessions covering various aspects of the field of Permaculture, including school gardens, Social Permaculture and international aid. Amongst the rich pot of offerings were the contributions of Robin Clayfield and myself, Erin Young, focussing strongly on Social Permaculture elements. We both presented several sessions, all employing ‘Dynamic Groups’ tools to engage and ignite. Robin’s first workshop included all participants in a session called “Fast Tracking Change with Social Permaculture” and focussed strongly on the conference theme of ‘Connectivity’. Robin craftily drew out collective wisdom on Social Permaculture …

Not long now till Robin’s next ‘Dynamic Groups, Dynamic learning’  creative teachers, facilitators and group leaders course to be held at her home community of Crystal Waters Permaculture EcoVillage using the community village area, kitchen, deck and dining room facilities in amongst the beautiful 640 acre property. This will be her first Dynamic Groups course back in Australia after successfully leading four of them across Europe last year. Here is a quote from one of our Permaculture Elders, Declan Kennedy, 83, from Lebensgarten EcoVillage in Northern Germany after he participated in (as well as organised and hosted) the six day course. “This course is a must for people trying to facilitate events in a democratic/sociocratic way. The toolbox is extensive and helps the facilitator do his/her job thoroughly, deeply and with fun. Robin walks what she talks during the course of the course. She is so quietly and humourously skilled …

The IPC in India recently was a feast of colour, culture and fabulous Indian cuisine with interesting presentations, much networking and diverse learning opportunities as 1200 people from over 70 countries gathered for the week near Hyderabad. The two day Conference was held at an agricultural research college on the edge of the city and was brimming with Indian farmers. 350 people had travelled around the globe to be be part of the event and other came from all over India. Robin set up a small stall with her books, card games and resources and get to be set up in between Indian seed sellers and traders of Indian crafts and baskets. She also made a valuable contribution to the Conference by presenting a panel titled ‘Are Women Leading the Change’ as the finale program item for the weekend. One of the sub themes of IPC was ‘Women Leading the …

Robin was delighted to re-visit Lebensgarten after 19 years and be hosted by the amazing 82 year old Declan Kennedy for her ‘Dynamic Groups, Dynamic Learning’ course and then have some gentle time off for a few days, including witnessing a ‘Global Water Dance’ and receiving a visit from Queensland friend Kestral who’s now living in Netherlands. Lebensgarten is one of the original three EcoVillages that started off the GEN (Global EcoVillage Network) along with Crystal Waters Permaculture Village, (Robin’s home in South East Queensland) and The Farm in Tennessee. One of the ‘Glue’ aspects of the 32 year old community, established in a cluster of old disused WW II barracks, is Circle Dancing which happens every Saturday and Sunday morning and on weekdays if there are courses or gatherings running. Declan’s leading of the dances during the course was energizing and empowering as well as promoting health of the …