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

The last PDC (Permaculture Design Certificate) Course at Crystal Waters in March was a hoot with 13 wonderful Participants, some of them with great senses of humour. We laughed a lot, learnt heaps and eat much delicious and nourishing food.

The team that organizes the Co Op fundraiser did an awesome job and people were looked after really well. A highlight is always a field trip to ‘Green Harvest’ with Frances and Jeff Michaels. Also included was a site tour then Hands-on Hot Compost making, Fruit Tree Guild planting and Sheet Mulching at Regeneridge Permaculture Farm.

The final design exercise, which was conducted in five stages over four afternoons and the final presentation morning. Each stage was a step in the process of designing for a real piece of land for one real and one hypothetical client. The results and effort put in by the Participants in their three groups was a credit to their learning and developing skills.

The Celebration night was the ‘best ever’ according to Dawn and Robin who looked after the group for the two weeks.

The next PDC at Crystal Waters is from 13th to 27th August and is already over half full. Here’s a link to look at the information or to book in.

and the Humanitix link to book directly.

Late April saw 350 Permaculture Folks converge on Mt Barker in South Australia for the 16th Australasian/Australian Convergence.

The event had sold out quickly so live streaming of a few of the sessions was made possible. So much great information was offered and shared and the most luscious and locally sourced food was a delight for all.

The most commented on element was that of connection and catching up with old friends and new. A Chai Tent supported the social design of the space and the Waldolf school buildings and environment enhanced the whole experience.

‘The three Robin’s’ shared a cabin together for the event and were together again for the first time in many years. Quite amusing really – Robyn Francis, Robina McCurdy (who was a Robyn) and Robin Clayfield, all wise ‘old’ Permaculture Elders.

Robyn Francis and Robin Clayfield are celebrating 40 years since doing their PDC (Permaculture design Course) together in November.

Robin also ran a two day ‘Social Permaculture’ workshop with Robina McCurdy as one of the Month of Permaculture Festival events, right in the middle of Adelaide at The Joinery in the week after the APC.

Robin also visited the Brookman’s ‘The Food Forest’ in Gawler, which was awesome and such a helpful example of a semi-arid Permaculture farm producing tree crops and education, among a diverse ecosystem.

Many thanks to all the organizer and volunteers of the APC and Festival Events.

Such a special time.

Watch this space to hear when the next one will be, most likely in 2 years time in a different state.

Robin and Rob were invited to be on an organizing committee for this inaugural gathering with the theme of ‘The Art of Being Human’.

Six months in the planning of the event and a significant amount of time and preparation for Robin to lead six facilitations over the two days, including one all in session and co-creating the Opening and Closing Ceremony and the Heart Circle.

Great feedback was received and some good suggestions for improvements will support the gathering to power on.

Nine wonderful humans stepped up to hold the energy and facilitate the next Gathering, scheduled for 1^st to 3^rd of March 2024.

Robin and Erin are preparing a full and rewarding experience for you when you attend their Social Permaculture Weekend on 11th and 12th March.

You’ll experience this unique, motivating & creative weekend adventure full of enriching experiences in Social Permaculture & Dynamic Group culture ⭐️

Social Permaculture uses natural patterns, cycles, rhythms and influences to guide how we care for self, kin and community.

In these changing times, the healthy functioning of our groups, communities and ourselves is vital for resilient and cohesive responses for a better world.

When groups, learning environments and social systems apply permaculture principles, they work effectively and harmoniously together toward their aim and purpose.

Care for yourself, your people and your groups by attending and sharing these gifts with your community.

🌿 WHY IS THIS GOOD FOR YOU?
✦ Be focused on positive solutions that impact yourself personally and our world in this current climate.
✦ Have a greater sense and ability to create places and people that connect, support and collaborate.
✦ Activate your agency to influence the social dynamics around you.
✦ Be effective to interact in meaningful ways.
✦ Feel grounded, centered and robust.
✦ Good ol’ inspiration and encouragement!

🌿 JOIN US TO UP-SKILL IN:
➤ Learning how to use permaculture principles for social change and people care in your groups – organisations – workplace – family – creative project crew – community.
➤ Practical regenerative social design tools & resources that you can implement straight away.
➤ Group effectiveness, dynamics, ecology and group-work skills.
➤ Insights to collaborative consent-based decision-making & governance.
➤ How to work effectively together for long-lasting change.

🌿 ABOUT US
Robin Clayfield is an internationally acclaimed facilitator, educator, author and social change practitioner who regularly facilitates courses in Australia and Overseas. She is best known for training and facilitating a diverse cross-section of leaders, facilitators and educators to effectively engage their audiences through creative, interactive processes and innovative learning methods. Her learning methods, books and creative resources have inspired positive and ongoing change. 

Erin Young helps holistic practitioners meaningfully contribute to the world through developmental coaching. She trains and consults organisations to be adaptive, responsive and effective in collaborative decision-making and governance, based in sociocracy. Through dynamic facilitation she shares living systems tools to empower people to create a more beautiful world. 

See more information on the FaceBook event here

An exciting announcement – John Seed, who started The Rainforest Information Centre in Nimbin decades ago and is a world travelled and renowned Deep Ecologist, will visit Crystal Waters Permaculture Village and offer a weekend workshop from the 19th to 21st May. This will sell out quickly as only 30 places are available.

Click here to book a place and to read more about it.

Robin Clayfield and Carl Broman with facilitate with John and host the workshop.

Robin Clayfield is an international teacher, facilitator and author who is passionate about healthy groups, organisations and communities, their structures and governance and most importantly, their facilitation and group dynamics. She presents and consults around the world to support global health, group and personal well-being and whole systems change through using Permaculture, Social Permaculture, Deep Ecology and her ‘Dynamic Groups, Dynamic Learning’ methodology. Robin loves Ritual and Ceremony and supporting people to have their own deep experience of nature, cycles and patterns, rites of passage, transformation and celebration.

John asked Robin to tell her story of involvement with Deep Ecology as part of her Bio but rather than put it all in the promotions you can read it here.

Robin’s journey with Deep Ecology began when she attended one of the first PDC’s (Permaculture Design Certificate Courses) in Tyalgum, Nth NSW in 1983. It was a course especially for women and taught by Lee Harrison plus others, with John Seed being a special guest, presenting on Deep Ecology. Robin’s passionate, nature based childhood and feelings of connection with plants, animals, the earth… and not fitting in a ‘mainstream world’ all made sense through a Deep Ecology lens.

Robin continued to do the catering for Lee’s courses for some years and participated in many other guest presentations, informal chats and discussions with John who willingly shared his passion.

Attending the 1st International Permaculture Convergence and Earthcare Conference in NSW in 1984 was also a pivotal moment for Deep Ecology being seeded more deeply in Robin’s worldview and also in Australia. John Seed was there and also Arne Naess and Michael Crowfoot so Deep Ecology was much talked about and well received.

Robin also attended a ‘Healing the Wasteland’ workshop with Joanna Macy in the 90’s, a four day reEarthing workshop with John Seed and others and also a ‘Group Breathwork Facilitators Training’ with Harriet Rose Meise (for Deep Ecology Practitioners) over a three year period.

All these inspirations led to Robin including Deep Ecology as a subject in over 35 PDC’s (Permaculture Design Courses), offering two x two week long ‘Permaculture, Deep Ecology and Earthcare Design’ courses for Japanese people and one (of four weeks duration) in Thailand.

Robin has written and recorded two Deep Ecology Meditations – ‘A Living Earth Meditation’ a 20 minute guided journey (inspired by A Gaia Meditation in ‘Thinking Like a Mountain’ by John Seed and Joanna Macy et al) and ‘Seeds for Change’ a 5 minute song and journey combined.

Robin lives on a 1 acre bush and Permaculture plot enveloped by a regenerating forest ecosystem in amongst the wider Crystal Waters Community in Kabi Kabi/Jinibara country, surrounded by birds, animals, insects, all kinds of critters, in deep connection with nature.

A ‘pingback’ to this website has happened, referencing ‘The Manual for Teaching Permaculture Creatively’ that Robin Clayfield and Skye wrote back in to early 90s and launched in 1995. Rob Hopkins was a key note speaker at Kinsale College’s celebration of their Permaculture Couse being 21 years old (Kinsale is in Ireland) and this is a transcription of his speech. An inspiring read and I was very happy to see that our Manual was an influence on his teaching journey 🙂

Rob was responsible for coming up with the ‘Energy Descent Action Plan’ for his Permaculture Course participants to undertake (I understand) and then to kick start ‘Transition Towns’ and the Transition Network in UK.

Have a read here

We’re delighted to announce that The Sacred Union Labyrinth will be fully set up, programmed and open to all festival patrons for walking any time or for attending the magical Ceremonies and any of the magnificent acts performing in our beautiful open air, garden venue. 

The tickets to Woodford are capped this year so if you haven’t booked tickets yet, now’s the time.

Here’s a link to the site

Robin had a comment pop up on FaceBook attached to a post promoting her Dynamic Groups Course. It was from John Champaign, a highly respected Permaculture elder and teacher.

“Can’t recommend this learning highly enough. Lucky to attend this training with Robin Clayfield back in 2004 at Robyn Frances’ place in Nimbin registering for APT. Taught my first PDC soon after and used many of the techniques learnt in it……….and still do. Thanks Robin xx John Champaign

John’s September PDC at The Crossing on the South Coast of NSW will be his 50th PDC. Yay! Congratulations on achieving such a great milestone and wonderful that Robin’s course helped you on the way.