My Experience of Permaculture in Guatemala
Community Projects, Demonstration Sites, Education Centers, Food Forests, Food Plants - Annual, Food Plants - Perennial, Land, Plant Systems, Project Positions, Rehabilitation, Trees, Water Harvesting — by Kevin Mascarenhas
The Ijatz cooperative is possibly the best demonstration of the transformative power of permaculture in Guatemala. The site, in San Lucas Toliman near Lake Atitlan, was purchased at low cost since the parish council considered the land to be of low value. Previously, it was a swampy bog inundated with refuse and flood water from the surrounding hills.
In classic permaculture style, within the problem lay the seeds of the solution. The deforestation due to conventional agriculture in these surrounding hills has caused soil erosion and during the rainy season much of this rich volcanic black top soil is washed downstream. This annual bounty has been redirected through the Ijatz site using a sequence of channels and sink holes, which in turn slows the water flow enabling the nutrient rich humus to be captured and stored on site. The earth has been moulded to create slopes, edges and contours essential for increased growing opportunity.
Comments (0)Posted on: February 7, 2010
Permaculture Master Plan: Planting up the Global Garden
Aid Projects, Alternatives to Political Systems, Bio-regional Organizations, Commercial Farm Projects, Community Projects, Courses/Workshops, Demonstration Sites, Eco-Villages, Education Centers, Ethical Investment, Networking Sites, People Systems, Project Positions, Society, Urban Projects, Village Development — by Andy Homer
You’re trying to say that you can live in the modern way and continue to think in the traditional way. That’s not true. The way you live affects the way you think. – Danny Billie, Traditional Seminole
I’d like to recount here my impressions of the PRI, and how different it is from many other organizations. We (Tribal Networks) first came across them when looking for solutions to problems we found in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco, where we were starting a project to bring in a school and an internet / community centre. Searching for "dry land permaculture" soon found Geoff’s "Greening the Desert" clip, and things progressed from there.
Posted on: January 19, 2010
How to Repair the World
Aid Projects, Deforestation, Demonstration Sites, Education Centers, Food Forests, Food Plants - Perennial, Food Shortages, Global Warming/Climate Change, Land, News, People Systems, Plant Systems, Project Positions, Rehabilitation, Trees, Village Development — by Craig Mackintosh
The video embedded in this page spotlights the excellent work of Willie Smits I profiled a little while ago, where rainforest restoration in Borneo not only restored biodiversity and gave increased livelihood opportunities to local people, but it also increased cloud cover and rainfall as well. It’s well worth a watch:
We’re pleased to announce that we’re partnering with the makers of the video above, WeForest, to help establish self-replicating permaculture reforestation demonstration sites in accordance with our Permaculture Master Plan, in several worldwide locations – starting in Zambia in the first instance. Our Geoff Lawton has just agreed to be on their advisory board, and we’ll be working to supply guidance, knowhow and staff to pioneer these projects.
This is just one example of the many encouraging collaborative results we get as people boil current events down to their only logical conclusion – discovering we need to quit battling nature and get busy harnessing biological synergies to repair the earth and rebuild sustainable community interactions.
Comments (0)Posted on: December 8, 2009
BK Farmyards – a Subversive Urban Farming Concept
Commercial Farm Projects, Community Projects, Project Positions, Urban Projects — by Craig Mackintosh
Here’s a worrying trend – people growing food in back yards! Whatever next!?
Stacey Murphy is obviously an enemy of all that is good in our consumption-oriented world. Almost certainly a deceptively slippery character, she positively oozes with dangerously contagious enthusiasm in this clip about her Brooklyn based urban guerilla BK Farmyards network, who, like the Portland, Oregon YourBackyardFarmer people I wrote about last year, are growing food for urbanites right in customers’ own back yards.
NYC’s Cool New Backyard Farms: Growing More Than Just Produce from SkeeterNYC on Vimeo.
Don’t let that smile and the gorgeous back yard greenery fool you. Let’s face it, this just plain doesn’t make sense. We, the human race, persistently tried backyard farming for thousands of years. We grew food right where we lived and laboured. It didn’t work, of course, and we headed into the bright new age of the ‘Green Revolution’ instead. How do I know it didn’t work? Well, it’s obvious. It’s because we’re not doing it any more – duh!
Comments (1)Posted on: November 21, 2009
Permaculture Volunteer Sought for Uganda Project
Aid Projects, Project Positions — by Clive Mullett
Would you like to volunteer at a Permaculture Food Security Project at a Primary School and Boarding House in rural Uganda?
Comments (1)Posted on: July 1, 2009
Volunteer Eco-Builder/Handyman Sought for Ethiopia Permalodge Project
Aid Projects, Community Projects, Demonstration Sites, Education Centers, Project Positions — by Alex McCausland
Strawberry Fields Eco Lodge in the Konso Special Woreda, Southern Ethiopia seeks volunteer sustainable builder/handy-man to assist with maintenance and minor construction tasks as well as some training and supervision of project staff and local workers. Food, accommodation and pocket money provided (and possibly internet access too)!
Strawberry Fields Eco Lodge is a community oriented business operating in rural south Ethiopia in Konso Woreda, an area noted for its unique local culture and indigenous agricultural system, but suffering from repeated food insecurity due to re-occurring droughts in the last 50 years. SFEL promotes community well-being through Permaculture design training and consultancy services delivered to local schools, as well as though developing community based tourism activities to generate alternative income for the community grass-roots. The project combines a lodge, farm, organic restaurant and Permaculture school as well as organising off-site trekking and cultural activities.
Comments (0)Posted on: May 7, 2009
Assistance/Consultations for Establishment of New Permaculture Projects
Aid Projects, Commercial Farm Projects, Community Projects, Demonstration Sites, Education Centers, Project Positions, Urban Projects — by Craig Mackintosh
Because of increasing interest and demand for help in setting up new Permaculture projects worldwide, we’ve just added a couple of new documents to the site that will help get your started thinking at a practical level, and that will help us to engage in meaningful conversation with you as you seek to establish your own project.
- Consultations: If you’re seeking a design consultation for your site, please complete our project questionnaire and email it to info (at) permaculture.org.au in the first instance. This is designed to gather information about potential projects before you make contact so that our initial conversations can be more situation specific.
- Timeline: You are also encouraged to read our timeline for project establishment as it will help focus your thought and energy on a practical, logical progression for establishment.
Although this post will slide down out of view – links to these documents can always be found via our Contact Us page. Also, these documents will likely get fleshed out more over time.
Comments (0)Posted on: April 21, 2009
Calling for Volunteers for IPC9 and the Permaculture Centre, Malawi, Africa
Conferences, Developments, News, Presentations/Demonstrations, Project Positions, Social Gatherings — by Craig Mackintosh
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 (0)Posted on: April 17, 2009
Developing Permaculture Aid Project Skills
Aid Projects, Community Projects, Courses/Workshops, Demonstration Sites, Education Centers, Project Positions — by Sakina Grome
There are as many people holding different skills as there are species, and this diversity of skills is required to build permaculture projects around the world. As the world heads towards peak oil, peak soil, and peak water, the demand for permaculture education continues to grow, and at the forefront of this demand are people in developing countries who are dependent upon being able to grow their own food and whose livelihood depends on the health of the local soil.
The first Permaculture Project Aid Worker Course conducted by the Permaculture Research Institute was held in November at Zaytuna Farm in NSW, Australia. Geoff Lawton and Rosemary Morrow led the six-day course, which was attended by twenty-three students in total. Lawton established the course as a response to keeping up with the demand for skilled aid workers on overseas projects, as well as a vision to establish a network of permaculture education centres around the world.
Comments (0)Posted on: February 5, 2009
Reality Check one two…one two
Aid Projects, Alternatives to Political Systems, Community, Conservation, Demonstration Sites, Education Centers, Ethical Investment, Land, People Systems, Permaculture Projects, Presentations/Demonstrations, Project Positions, Rehabilitation, Uncategorized, Urban Projects, Village Development — by eric seider
If you were to get up and walk to the sink and turn on the faucet, there is a pretty damn good chance that water will come out. And if it didn’t you’d be surprised to say the least, more likely pissed off and annoyed at the inconvenience. You’d then wonder who is to blame for this unacceptable turn of events. I mean it is your god given right as a human being to expect water to come out of the tap when you need it….right?
Well…..Salaam Alaykum. Welcome to Jordan.
Beduoin Camp, Dead Sea Valley, Jordan
It doesn’t work like that here.
Comments (0)Posted on: January 21, 2009
Volunteer Permaculturist Required for Ugandan AIDS Clinic
Aid Projects, Demonstration Sites, Education Centers, Project Positions — by Brett Bell
With an acre of land to work with, could you develop a sustainable demonstration garden for a health centre to teach its HIV positive clients about nutrition and gardening practices to maximize their land’s potential?
Comments (0)Posted on: November 13, 2008
Transforming Landscapes, While Transforming Ourselves – Our Story in Jordan
Aid Projects, Demonstration Sites, Land, Project Positions, Swales — by Tanya Lemieux
This is a story of how permaculture transformed the lives of two young Canadians…
At the beginning of November 2006, my partner Jesse left our home in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada on a three month journey to the homeland of permaculture – Australia. Inspired by the teaching styles of Geoff Lawton and Bill Mollison, Jesse returned home determined to make permaculture our full time occupation.
During the next year we implemented permaculture design and dug up lawns for any friend or neighbor brave enough to set us loose in their yard. Encouraged with the results, we were always on the lookout for possible long-term land access, as feeding ourselves from our own garden became ever more important.
Comments (0)Posted on: October 15, 2008
Permaculture Volunteer Sought for Uganda
Aid Projects, Project Positions, Village Development — by Janice Smart
Can you imagine yourself preparing a small-scale intensive garden whilst enjoying Ugandan songs, smiles and sweet bananas? If so, this permaculture volunteer position may be for you!
The Network for Holistic Community Development (NEFHCOD) is a small, non-government organisation established in 2005 in the Rakai District, Southern Uganda. NEFHCOD works to empower communities and the needy for sustainable economic development and works predominantly with those living with and affected by HIV/Aids, orphans, invalids and the elderly. Our work encompasses health, education, the environment and community capacity building.
Comments (0)Posted on: September 29, 2008
Projects – On-the-Ground Permaculture Experience
Aid Projects, Courses/Workshops, Demonstration Sites, Education Centers, Project Positions — by Craig Mackintosh
Why roughing it in Africa or South America or Asia might be the best thing to happen to you.
The more astute amongst you may have noticed we’ve added a ‘Projects’ section to the site. Over time we’ll build this section up to better reflect the kind of permaculture work that is going on worldwide. We also plan to add a ‘People’ section, where we profile permaculturists (minimum requirement that they’ve taken a Permaculture Design Certificate course), so that project leaders can find workers, and vise versa.
As we see it, PDC courses serve a great need to give people an overview of permaculture design methods, but post-PDC activity is critical for people to gain hands-on experience in developing permaculture systems. People with experience can ultimately consult for individuals in their area, and those with sufficient knowledge and experience can consult for aid organisations, NGOs and even governments. As the global food crisis deepens, and energy issues become more pronounced, we’re seeing demand for such consultants significantly increase.
Ask people like Geoff Lawton, Darren Doherty and others and you’ll discover they do not have enough hours in their days to fill all the requests that are being fired at them. The more humanitarian-minded amongst you will quickly see the potential here, where consulting for cash for a business or individual in a wealthy country one week can enable you to consult for free for a poor community the next.
Comments (0)Posted on: September 16, 2008
Teacher & Design Position for Southern Ethiopia
Project Positions — by Craig Mackintosh
Urgent Request for Permaculture Development Trainer(s) in Konso, Southern Ethiopia!
Strawberry Fields Eco-Lodge (SFEL) is a combined Permaculture and ecotourism project now establishing in the Konso Special Wareda, Southern Nations, Nationalities and People’s Regional State, Ethiopia. The climate is a semi-arid (Kolla) with an elevation of 1000-2000m. The Konso people are renowned in Ethiopia for being very hard working. Our project has a close relationship with the local community. In the establishment stage we have been offering employment to local people, as well as networking with local stake-holders, NGOs, GOs and private initatives in the wareda. We hosted two 13-day PDCs given by Rosemary Morrow in May and June, for which we postponed the construction of the project for 2 months and financed 8 participants from Kambata Zone (sent by the NGO KTMM), as well as training local agricultural extension workers and community members. We are now fielding proposals to target donors to run a continual program of PDC training for local stakeholders, community members as well as regional and national participants from interested organizations. International participants will also partake on a self funded basis.
