Tasmania’s greatest export

In recent years I have really stopped to take notice of the question “what’s special about Tasmania?” because central to the challenge of living sustainably in Tasmania, and the planet more broadly, is the question “what is it that is important for us to sustain?”. In asking the question of what is special about Tasmania I often receive comments which really reflect common ideas presented in the mainstream media, ‘people come here to do things in our natural environment.’ “our clean, green brand”, “quality export produce”. I agree these are valuable things, though in learning more of the history of Tasmania maintaining much of these qualities has occurred often by good fortune than design e.g. less hospitable terrain and climate limited our early days capacity to exploit our natural environment.

Though in reflection I feel one of the really undervalued assets and possibly greatest contribution to the world, from the perspective of creating a more sustainable future, is our intellectual exports. The likes of Bill Mollison and David Holmgren, co-originators of Permaculture, Bruce French and his tireless research into indigenous food plants from around the world through to others who have simply thought more deeply about what we do at a local level.

Steve Solomon is one individual who has endeavoured to contribute his insights and understanding of growing food to the wider world. Here is his website http://www.soilandhealth.org/index.html

Do you know of others who have contributed greatly toward the good of living more sustainably on this planet? Feel free to add your own comments or make your own blog posting.

Permacommunity – what’s in this blog?

Surfing for some Permaculture action and you found this Permacommunity blog. After several good discussions at a recent Permaculture Design Course in Penguin, Tasmania we realised the need to make more connections between PDC graduates and those who generally dig the idea of Permaculture. From experience the buzz you get from a PDC can last anywhere from a few months to a couple of years. It seems the longer the connection and the greater the support the more likely that the ideas and inspiration will translate into something real, a no dig garden bed covering an old concrete backyard, a chook dome for integrating chooks into an intensive urban food system, a swale for catching and holding water and nutrient on a farm property etc.

Having met many Permaculture designers and teachers last year at the Australian Permaculture Convergence I could hear the pioneering spirit in their voices and in the stories they had to share. Robyn Clayfield spoke of the ‘Jump’ factor, of needing to practice an element of faith that pursuing a Permaculture path will be a good decision. Most will know at least one or two inspiring teachers or practitioners of Permaculture who have been pioneers and helped to bring Permaculture closer to acceptance by mainstream society. What is common to many is the formation of communication channels, creating invisible webs of support and a sense of being part of a wider community of practitioners. Being a pioneer need not be about doing it tough or doing it alone. We could probably take some cues from the principles of Permaculture, imagine yourself as an element in the wider community “Can you think of three ways in which you can contribute to supporting others?” and conversely “Can you think of others (name them) who support your needs and ambitions to improve your Permaculture skills?”

I can say that a most awesome way to support and inspire others is to share your experiences following a PDC, check in with your fellow graduates, drop a line to your teachers to let them know what projects you’ve developed or contributed to. And reach out to other Permaculture students and designers, you now have a new language that describes how we can move toward a sustainable presence (Permanent Culture) on this planet, a language that can bridge gaps between cultures.

So here we have it, Permacommunity blog, a new opportunity to share and connect with others. In the coming weeks I will add links to resources and networks and welcome you to add and build this.

On the bottom right of the home page you’ll find a link to PDC resources, this is a first draft compiled during the Penguin PDC. Add comments or new ideas and if you have read one of the references then do let us know what you thought of it.

I look forward to sharing more.
Yours for the future,

Nick T

permacommunity : now also a dynamic group page on Facebook

We hope you are loving permacommunity blog on wordpress – but did you know we also have loads more of topical news, snippets and links available to feed your mind with on Facebook.  Ranging from news and events in Tasmania, to permaculture opportunities in developing and developed countries, to video and audio links and so much much more.

If you havent joined Facebook do so – dont get bogged down thinking its a wanky mind sucker and some sort of corporate tool to shaft humanity – people will make of it what they will but for us enlightened folk we can use it to our direct advantage as a very useful and very powerful way to enhance our community and the way we accumulate and share relevant topical information. You can post links really easily, find out about events easily and do so much together so much more easily.

Go to facebook.com and register as a new user.

Then once set up do a search using the facebook search bar on “permacommunity” then click to become a fan. The direct page link to permacommunity on facebook if you are already a registered used is here

If you get lost, shoot an email back to us here at the blog and we’ll walk you through how to “get there”.

Go on, become involved, lets network and build our permacommunity together using whatever means we have available to make it happen.

love and light

trevor

David Holmgren discusses PERMACULTURE & PEAK OIL: Beyond ‘Sustainability’

Zone Infinity

Here are the lyrics for Zone Infinity, Zone 00

I’ll add more notes soon from the Australian Permaculture Convergence. I’ll add these as a page so that others may update and add to them.

Be well,

Nick T

Zone Infinity by Dr Nick Towle

The global crisis is here, yet in the face of overwhelm

We jump to the task and put ourselves at the helm

We observe, we design, for abundance and health

But how good are we are caring for the self?

We’re passionate, we’re driven, yet we often do ask

Do I know enough, am I up to the task

So let’s support each other in times of adversity

And draw on the strengths that come from our diversity

Using pen and paper, email and phone

Nobody here should ever feel alone

With care for people and planet and fair share too

Comes an ethic of self care that I’d like to share with you.

Thanks Be To Us All, Our Community – a celebration of the April 2009 Penguin permacommunity

Thanks be to us all for a community we have been for the last 2 weeks,

Thanks be to Taj for her bubbly personality and wonderfully warm smile,

Thanks be to Robin for his undying support in ensuring that, as Kevin remarked, like earthworms we should eat our full body weight in food each day – thanks Robin for making sure that was possible,

Thanks be to Danny, for his infectious laugh and awesome acrobalance skill,

Thanks be to Dan for his earth spirit and amazing poi tricks and for the most ripe of  (vegetarian inspired) farts we as a community could ever have enjoyed,

Thanks be to Rosa for her crazy fun, wonderful warmth and beautiful spanish accent,

Thanks be to Alfonso for bringing a touch of carribean diversity to our space this last while,

Thanks be to Lex for his dynamic spirit, physical leadership and ever-so-fun and vivacious way,

Thanks be to Noel for his fantastic Irish spirit and accent (and for his cracking drawing skill that put us all to shame …. you bastard),

Thanks be to Steph for her gentleness and kind warm way,

Thanks be to Cynthia also for her infectious laugh and steady way (and for providing respite for those of us drowned rats in need of some warmth and shelter to rekindle the spirit),

Thanks be to babaji …Kevin for not dying from cold, for showing us the multifunctionality of poly tunnels and for his awesome english accent and quirky sense of humour,

Thanks be to Jass for her creative artistic spirit and steady way,

Thanks be to Marji for being amongst us and offering a maturity of insight,

Thanks be to Suyai for her fantastic skill that nourished us across week 1 and for being such an earthy soul,

Thanks be to Kat for her fun and ever-so-diverse and talented skill and also for her awesome nourishing food in week 2,

Thanks be to Ray and Bernie for opening their farm doors and making this community possible,

Thanks be to Nick and Hannah (and Michelle) for their support, for their inspiring knowledge and commitment to teaching in such a professional way,

And finally

Thanks be to Rick for being the humble and awesome teacher he is that has brought this diverse group, our community of permaculture here now and generally, so far after such a challenging life event earlier in the year,

So thanks be to us all, our community,

That we should never lose faith to carry this spirit forward,

And thanks be to us all that we never forget these precious moments that we have shared are just that … precious

So thanks be to us all.

Penguin PDC 2009 participants resolve to launch an online social networking strategy

Penguin

The Penguin PDC 2009 community in closing the 2 weeks experience resolved unanimously to continue to stay connected and to develop an online approach to doing so. Today sees the simultaneous launch of “permacommunity” as both an online weblog and as a facebook organisation page each of which is integrated with the other to support the aim:

to improve social networking amongst (tasmanian) permaculturalists and to enable access to broad educational and other resources that enhance perma skills and facilitate resilient community development.

love and light

trevor

Penguin PDC April 2009 – comes to a close

Penguin PDC 2009 - graduates

well sadly the PDC at Penguin faciliatated by Hannah Moloney, Nick Towle and Rick Coleman has drawn to a close. Thanks be to all involved. It was an awesome social community and personally I miss you all.

love and light

trevor