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Planning and Implementing a Permaculture Project

Starts Nov 15, 2009 and runs for 7 day(s).

Course instructor: Andrew Jones

Andrew Jones has a background in ecology, Permaculture, humanitarian aid and international development. A native of Australia, of mixed Polynesian, Celtic and Spanish descent, he has been blessed with extensive travel opportunities since birth and over the past 18 years has worked in a humanitarian aid and development context in the Middle East, the Pacific, Asia, Europe and the United States.

His experience includes work with non-governmental and citizen-based organizations including CARE International and SurfAid International. He has undertaken consultancies on behalf of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Macedonia and Albania, and with the United Nations Environment Program most recently in Indonesia in 2005 in a post-tsunami recovery context.

Andrew completed his Permaculture Design Course in 1999 with Geoff Lawton and went on to further train with Geoff, Bill Mollison, Janet Millington and Darren Doherty. He has subsequently worked and taught Permaculture internationally. He also acts as a director and advisor to the Permaculture Research Institute of Australia and USA. In addition, he has been exploring sustainable business models in the US through FullCircle LLC partnership since 2002.

Andrew's current projects include; Project Racine (an agroforestry restoration and family food garden project in Haiti), the development of the Healer's Retreat and Sustainability Education site in Baja California Sur, Mexico and a cacao reintroduction project in Quintana Roo, Mexico. He is also involved with home ecology and efficiency assessments, family and community disaster preparedness and alternative health support through wellness coaching and living foods education.

In March 2009, Andrew taught a Permaculture Design Course through PRI USA on the Island of Molokai that led to the development of various projects on the island.

Co-Instructor: Nichole Ross

Nichole Ross currently serves as a director and administrator of the Permaculture Research Institute USA. Nichole completed her Permaculture Design Course in January 2007 with Bill Mollison and Geoff Lawton. In addition, she has degrees in Environmental Studies and Law. She also has a extensive background working in wetland protection and education at the local and state government levels, which includes working with and managing a large native shoreline restoration project.

In this one-week Permaculture Intensive, students will be:

- Analyzing and critiquing existing Permaculture designs for 2 sites
- Determining how to prioritize a project by creating implementation phases
- Creating a materials list, including costs and sources
- Planning for earthworks, including machinery and costs
- Learning how to write up a project budget
- Establishing rainwater harvesting systems including digging contour swales, contour beds and other water harvesting strategies
- Finding sources of materials, including free inputs
- Amending soil for long-term soil health
- Discussing guilding strategies and food forest establishment options
- Getting their hands dirty establishing initial trees and plants
- Choosing appropriate mulching, living mulch and composting strategies to build soil

The island of Molokai is located in the center of the main chain of the Hawaiian Islands, closest to Maui and Lanai. It is a relatively small island (38 miles east/west by 10 miles north/south). The total land area is 260 square miles. The population is around 7500, with 62% native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander. Predominately an aqua- and agricultural-based economy, many of the industries continue in the same vein as established by the early Hawaiians.

Today, Molokai is in economic emergency. Being a small rural island with little tourism, yet significant reliance on imported food (>70%), jobs are scarce. In 2008, the island's biggest resort closed, leaving 98 people unemployed. In recent months, another business closes every week, including newspapers, car rental agencies, restaurants and the last remaining hotel.

Even though Molokai may be going through some tough times, its residents are optimistic. In May 2008, residents came up with a plan and document called "Molokai: Future of a Hawaiian Island". (www.molokai.com) As stated in the document, the people's vision for the future of Molokai (and the Hawaiian Islands in general) is one of sustainable self-sufficiency, producing food and energy for its people, coupled with a diversified economy, while maintaining traditional culture.

Molokai was once a place of extremely advanced food production, with integrated sustainable practices of traditional agriculture, highly productive fishponds, balanced subsistence (hunting and gathering) and very intricate systems of land management called aha moku. Right now, the rest of the state is still subsidizing Molokai, particularly the western and central areas, with its high rates of unemployment and other public benefits. In addition, the island has suffered a prolonged drought in recent years. But, as expressed in Molokai's vision for the future, with proper planning and education, the people are determined to become self-sufficient and reclaim the reputation the island once had as 'aina momona (land of plenty). The goal of the projects associated with this course is to help the people of Molokai further this vision.

During this course, we will be working on two diverse sites on the Island of Molokai.

The first site is a two-acre parcel in the Kawela Plantation II, three miles east of Kaunakakai. Although the property has a house on it, the majority of the land is cleared kiawe forest, now barren and suffering from drought and wind/water erosion, with little or no topsoil left. The owners are very interested in Permaculture and want to be involved with the project. They hope the project will increase their self-sufficiency to help them live on an island where most people rely on imported food.

The second site is a small homeless shelter, known as the Kolapa House, located on a typical residential lot in Kaunakakai, with a possible potential use of a vacant adjoining parcel. The goal of this project is to produce enough food to feed shelter residents, as well as locals in need. In conjunction with this project, PRI USA will be working with the Kolapa House to establish a introductory Permaculture course for shelter residents and the local community. We hope this project will become an example to be replicated on other homeless shelters in Hawaii.

Students are assumed to have taken a PDC prior to this course or to have equivalent knowledge of Permaculture design.

Important information about this course

The course cost includes camping, transportation and three meals per day.

Camping will be provided at the One Ali'i Campground. The campground is located approximately two miles east of downtown Kaunakakai. The campground has unheated showers, toilets, electricity and a small outdoor kitchen area. Because it is located on the beach, it can become very windy at times. Students are advised to bring extra tent stakes and rope.

Daytime temperatures on Molokai are generally in the high 70's to around 80 degrees F. Nighttime temperatures range from the mid to upper 60's. However, because the air can feel colder at night by the ocean, students may need warm sleeping bags and clothing.The Kaunakakai area only gets an average of 24 inches of rain per year, with slightly more during the winter. However, Molokai is an unpredictable island, so come prepared with a rain tarp.

We will provide breakfast, lunch and dinner. Meals will include a healthy variety of vegetarian and non-vegetarian options. Students are expected to bring their own plate, bowl, eating untensils, coffee cup, water bottle and their own snacks.

Airport pickup will be provided and arranged as the course draws nearer.

A list of supplies helpful for the course will be provided in the future, although there are no required textbooks.

For further information for this course please contact education@permacultureusa.org.

Course pricing / bookings

Prices in U.S. dollars