PRI at the Markets
Community Projects, Demonstration Sites, Eco-Villages, Education Centres, Markets & Outlets, People Systems, Social Gatherings, Village Development — by Jay Kimber December 15, 2009
Jay Kimber at the stall
Recently Zaytuna Farm, home base for the Permaculture Research Institute, took their surplus produce and information to the (very) local craft and produce market in the Channon, situated less than 2 km from the farm.
Comments (7)Permablitz Gold Coast – Saturday 21 November
Community Projects, Developments, News, Social Gatherings, Urban Projects — by Leah Galvin November 17, 2009
We are having a Permablitz this weekend here on the Gold Coast, below are the details.
Event: Permablitz Gold Coast
Date: Saturday 21st November
Time: 9am onwards
Venue: Ingleside State School, 893 Tallebudgera Creek Road, Tallebudgera Valley QLD (15 minutes drive from Burleigh Heads Beach).
Details: Come along for a morning of gardening. We will be revamping the school’s existing garden beds and replanting. The school is super keen to get their veggie garden going! If you have any manure, compost, tools, and a plate of food to share… bring them along! There will be morning tea provided!
If you need more details, please contact me on leg30 (at) hotmail.com
Comments (0)Rosemary Morrow Opens Her Doors for Sustainable House Day
News, Social Gatherings — by Elisabeth Bastian September 8, 2009
Leading Permaculturist Rosemary Morrow will open her doors to the public this coming Sunday 13th September for the highly awaited annual Sustainable House Day. The day is an opportunity to meet with Green Assessors and view the many ways that creative individuals have tackled water and energy efficiency and capture, and food production.
Located in Katoomba in the Blue Mountains west of Sydney, part of an Australian World Heritage Listed area, Rosemary has tackled the issues of protecting biodiversity and the bushland as well as her own personal food production. She has set out to retrofit a small brick veneer house using mainly low cost locally sourced and recycled materials to show that anyone can convert their "box" into a beautiful and comfortable home without a large income. Her journey has been documented in a small booklet and DVD called "A Good Home Forever". For more information visit The Blue Mountains Permaculture Insititute site.
Comments (1)The Busybody State
Community Projects, Social Gatherings, Society — by George Monbiot August 9, 2009
Why was the Big Green Gathering shut down by the authorities?
by George Monbiot: journalist, author, academic and environmental and political activist, United Kingdom
Is it paranoia, or are they really out to get us? Most of the time it’s paranoia. Every week I’m approached by people whispering about vapour trails from planes being used to control our minds, free energy devices suppressed by oil companies or missile attacks on the twin towers. Sometimes, as we saw at the G20 protests on April 1st or at climate camp last year, they are out to get us. The policing of these events shows that some of the UK’s public authorities really do regard political activism as a threat that must be contained or eliminated.
So what do you make of this story? Right now the last stragglers should have been packing up their tents at the end of the Big Green Gathering. It’s a festival in Somerset that attracts about 20,000 people to listen to music, plan protests and raise money for green causes. It has been running since 1994 and there has never been any significant trouble.
Comments (4)Young Permaculturists, UNITE!!!
Community Projects, Developments, News, Social Gatherings — by Kelly Pagliaro August 8, 2009
Evil is afoot! Conventional Agriculture has teamed up with Toxin-Spewing Factories to destroy the earth’s ecosystems! It looks like a job for…THE GREEN TEEN TEAM! (Try saying that three times fast.)
…No? Okay, but seriously, I took my PDC in Melbourne, Australia with Bill Mollison and Geoff Lawton in 2008 at the age of eleven. When my parents decided to take the course I didn’t quite know what to say. “You’re going to Australia? …and what, I’m staying at home in the U.S., alone with my {then nineteen-year-old} brother for two weeks? I can’t stay alone with him for two weeks, we’ll annoy each other to death!”
Comments (8)Geoff & Nadia Lawton Launch Permaculture Sydney South
Community Projects, Developments, News, Social Gatherings, Urban Projects — by Craig Mackintosh July 30, 2009
If you’re in the Sydney region on August 18, and aren’t otherwise engaged, you might want to pencil this date into your diary, so you can go along and support the birth of yet another important group – Permaculture Sydney South. This group covers Sydney’s central, southern and eastern suburbs, and will no doubt become a powerful influence for change as we seek to fast-track transition to a sustainable, post-peak oil world.
Click here for a PDF with full when, where and RSVP details.
Comments (4)Life at Zaytuna – Permaculture Noosa Monthly Meeting
Social Gatherings — by Craig Mackintosh July 18, 2009
The Cooroy Memorial Hall
Geoff was asked to speak at Permaculture Noosa’s monthly meeting, so we went along on Thursday night. The Noosa group is one of the most active in the world, and has had a special place in Geoff’s heart since he founded it in the mid 1980s.
The meeting was held in the Cooroy Memorial Hall – and with over 200 people in attendance it was a great turnout.
Comments (0)Life at Zaytuna – Part I
Bird Life, Breeds, Community Projects, Social Gatherings, Society, Village Development — by Craig Mackintosh June 14, 2009
Profuse apologies for the lack of posts over the last week. I’ve been organising and actioning travel to PRI’s headquarters – Zaytuna Farm in northern NSW – from where I live in Europe. Now that I’m here, I hope to give you better insights into the life and developments on the farm and with the training centre that makes its home here.
Zaytuna’s straw bale buildings at sun-up
Yesterday I felt like the walking dead, after 45 hours of travel from door to farm. As such, I went out like a light in the very early evening. My otherwise deep sleep was broken intermittently by sounds I’m not accustomed to hearing, like Blue (an Australian stumpy tailed cattle dog) keeping our farm animals and crops safe by chasing off foxes and/or kangaroos; kookaburras – the ‘laughing jackass’ – were seemingly mocking me as I tried to slumber, as were various other frogs, insects and birds that work the night shift in this neck of the woods. I’m sure I’ll soon be attuned to them, and won’t hear them at all after a while.
Comments (6)Calling for Volunteers for IPC9 and the Permaculture Centre, Malawi, Africa
Conferences, Courses/Workshops, Developments, News, Presentations/Demonstrations, Project Positions, Social Gatherings — by Craig Mackintosh April 17, 2009
The ninth International Permaculture Conference (IPC) and Convergence is inching closer. Previous conferences have been held in Australia, USA, New Zealand, Scandinavia, Nepal, Croatia and Brazil. This time it will run from November 2-6 in Malawi, Africa (Kumbali Village, Lilongwe), and will include site tours of Permaculture projects in Malawi, Zimbabwe and South Africa.
The theme for IPC9 is "Plan Africa – Food & Empowerment".
There are a few volunteer positions for this event that need filling. If you’ll be free during this period and would like to help make the IPC9 a success for the people of Africa and the wider international community by getting constructively involved in this exciting work, please click here (PDF) to read about these interesting posts and to find out how to apply.
Comments (2)Permaculture Ireland
Courses/Workshops, News, Social Gatherings — by Alanna Moore February 12, 2009
We are pleased to announce that our new website – permacultureireland.ie – is now up and running, as we prepare for our inaugral event in Ireland, an Eco-Living Festival at the Drumsna Community Resource Centre, Drumsna, Co. Leitrim on June 6 – 7th, a showcase for sustainable, low-impact living.
Expressions of interest to get involved can email us at sheltermaker (at) gmail.com
The festival will be followed by a series of weekend summer workshops in Leitrim on ‘Permaculture: Food and Shelter’ and ‘Low-Tech Living’, taught by Australian permaculturist Alanna Moore, Irish architect Peter Cowman and guests.
Comments (0)Convergence of Issues Leads to Southern California Permaculture Convergence, August 29-31, 2008
Conservation, News, Presentations/Demonstrations, Social Gatherings, Soil Erosion & Contamination, Storm Water, Water Contaminaton, Water Harvesting, peak oil — by Craig Mackintosh August 31, 2008
Cooling off after the first day of the Southern California Permaculture Convergence,
hosted by the Quail Springs Learning Oasis and Permaculture Farm
Yesterday the Southern California Permaculture Convergence got underway. The word ‘convergence’ is the operative word here, and, ironically, to me at least, has a double meaning. Over the last couple of weeks, being here at Quail Springs just reminds me of the convergence of issues we face as a race, just as we ‘converge’ to network, share instruction and ideas, and find new ways to work together to face those same issues.
Let me explain, using an example very close to where we are today.
Comments (4)Regenerative Learning at Quail Springs
Courses/Workshops, DVDs/Books, Social Gatherings, Water Harvesting, peak oil — by Craig Mackintosh August 23, 2008
If a Chumash Indian from a few centuries ago was to leap through time to our day, I’m sure he’d break down in tears to see what we’ve done to his world… and demand to be taken back. Actually, I’m confident he’d even make Iron Eyes Cody look apathetic.
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