Dynamic Groups, Dynamic Learning Dynamic Courses, Books, Resources and Tours for Healthy Groups, People and Culture with Robin Clayfield

‘Kuttamullamee’, the 1acre Lot that Robin cares for at Crystal Waters Permaculture EcoVillage, is becoming a Permaculture and creative Social Permaculture wonderland after she, Rob and several volunteers and WWOOFers have put in many hours since COVID began to plan for and work towards creating a biodiverse garden system, water security, fire safety, food security, gully regeneration, earthworks consolidation plus social and recreational spaces.

It’s a building site, a deconstruction zone (having pulled down four structures), earthworks mitigation site, roadwork project as well as a once again lush and productive vegie, herb, flower, orchard and fibre garden.

When the COVID lockdowns began Robin felt that the most important thing she could be doing is gardening, after a few years away and a time of coming ‘home’ again and building… Clearing the bamboo, weeds, dead trees, weed trees was a huge job.

Now the new and retrofitted gardens are at a stage where groups can come visit and learn from the systems and people on the land.

Recently ‘Maleny Permaculture Group’ visited for 3 hours and much networking, learning, sharing and plants were experienced and swapped.

Express interest if you’re interested to come for a tour.

I am back in France, back in school as a primary teacher.

I try to implement some facilitation techniques you taught during the course.

Your wild cards inspire me when preparing my class.

As a kinaesthetic, remembering the feeling of your course supports me in going to work and doing my best to share a “dynamic” energy with my pupils despite the stressful conditions.

Thank you Robin for the experience and the tools.

The second Social Permaculture Weekend hosted by Robin and I at Crystal Waters Ecovillage in November 2020 was an absolute delight!

A rich group came together to explore and understand the application of permaculture principles for the design of social dynamics. Particularly in the context of ‘times of change’, for which 2020 was a great demonstration.

The engaging content was met with an equally potent delivery – where the sessions were dynamic, interactive, visual, kinaesthetic and engaging.

We sat in circle. Everyone on the same level, with similar access to the information and experience… including us as instructors.

Accessible and impactful tools were shared to implement for one’s self, for one’s kin, and for one’s community. We completed with a gentle ritual of acknowledgement and onward visioning to seal the goodness.

After a weekend of exploring regenerative social design, combined with the delicious fare served at mealtimes, the group were beaming with smiles and warm hearts.

The next Social Permaculture Weekend is on 13 & 14 November 2021 at Crystal Waters Ecovillage, South East Queensland. Click here to let Robin know you’re interested!
By Erin Young

Woodford Folk Festival didn’t happen over the Christmas/New Year period and so the annual Ceremonies at the Sacred Union Labyrinth led by Robin and friends didn’t happen either.

To keep the energy of the site and the staff and patrons alive and flourishing the idea of holding ‘Bushtime’ at Woodfordia was born. 

Robin was invited to offer a 3 hour ‘Ritual and Ceremony’ workshop at these laid back, lightly programmed bush camping experiences. Surrounded by other diverse and creative workshops, nature and science talks and walks, kids activities, the Lake for swimming, delicious food, fantastic music and relaxed and happy people, it was easy to have a good time. This was able to happen in a COVID safe environment and was designed to cater for up to 1000 people. Robin’s favourite workshop was a ‘Personal Shrine Painting’ two hour workshop with Gavin Ryan, the long standing Artist in Residence who does all the great posters for Woodford Folk Festival, The Planting and now, Bushtime. Robin loved it so much she will support Gavin to offer a similar experience at Crystal Waters on Saturday 27th February. 

Unfortunately, Camp 4 was cancelled due to a 3 day lock down of Greater Brisbane, called the day before the camp was scheduled to start.

Woodfordia intends to offer ‘Bushtime’ in the next school holidays and I’ve heard on the grapevine that ‘The Planting’ is being planned. Stay Tuned.

Robin and many others at Crystal Waters EcoVillage in South East Queensland support resident Michael Ney who has begun producing a world class magazine.

Eco Village Voice is an online community featuring a quarterly magazine including videos, podcasts and webinars. Eco Village Voice provides educational articles on many aspects of ecovillage living, as well as encouraging communication between other ecovillages to help each other and for the sake of our planet‘s wellbeing. We aim to celebrate regenerative and permaculture ethics – care for land, care for people and fair share. 

Here’s the website for more information.

Members have full access to our magazine in PDF downloads, as well as web pages with all the articles AND a web flip page viewer. Also includes podcasts and webinars plus our video channel. Valid for 1 year access. $5 USD per month x 10 paid upfront. = $50 USD annually. Two months free – saving $10. 

See a sample magazine featuring GEN Australia

Would you like to submit an article or photo essay? Please email. 

It’s early Feb 2021 and it’s almost a year since I did the Dynamic Groups facilitation workshop.

Since then, I felt more confident to take way more risk in my Permaculture teaching. Many times in the past, I have used a PowerPoint to do a 9-4pm Introduction to Permaculture course and so I challenged myself to ditch the laptop altogether, and plan only interactive activities with me as a facilitator only and not THE teacher. This was risky because one doesn’t know the students, they don’t know each other, and what if I cannot guide them in covering all the content in the allotted time!? 

They started in pairs introducing themselves and then introducing their partner to the whole group. In pairs again they came up with a definition of permaculture. The essence of these were shared on to a board. Even though this was an Intro workshop, I only had to add the word design and they had it! Earth and People Care and limits to consumption were introduced simply and then they mixed and matched cards with permaculture principle, image, and saying/proverb into 12 groupings. This generated much discussion, thought, and teamwork as they arranged them on the board.

We then went for a walk around the permaculture homestead and they had to observe and share a principle from before. After a shared lunch, sitting again in a circle around a table they identified energies coming into the table top imaginary site. These were drawn on in sectors. Elements for our table top permaculture property were drawn on pieces of paper and then placed according to the zone theory in combo with elements having positive interactions. Then the students were off to find a pattern in nature, bring it back, share and discuss. The importance of trees was highlighted when a blank tree drawn on the back of an old poster was covered in functions and uses in 3 minutes by many pens scribbling away. By now students realised how much they already knew and that it was of value to the group learning and so soil fertility techniques and inputs flowed onto strips of paper that they stuck up on the board in appropriate groups. We summed up the day by splitting into 2 groups and timelining what was learnt. Another kinaesthetic and visual review action that showed why everyone had sore brains! My PowerPoint was sent to everyone a couple of days later as a further review tool, so not completely obsolete. As a facilitator, it felt great to stimulate the students to contribute, learn from each other, and not be the one who does all the work presenting a PowerPoint…! 

by Dylan Graves

www.sugarloafpermaculture.net