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- Permaculture Design
- What is Permaculture?
- Diploma>
- Output 1 Making room for new beginnings; creating conscious space for good design>
- Output 2 Beginning the Design Process; Observing and interacting>
- Output 3 Stacking functions>
- Our current living space; Alex`s house and garden>
- Pete`s house; Turning a monster into an ally!
- Integrating permaculture design into my work place>
- Forest gardening at Margam Park...
- Raising Seth - supporting my son`s journey>
- Extracts from learning journal
- Process reflection
- Appendix
- Appendix ll. Tutor & Peer review
- Output 4 Small and slow solutions>
- Our current living space; Alex`s house and garden>
- Pete`s house; turning a monster into an ally!
- Integrating Permaculture design into my work place
- Forest gardening at Margam Park
- Raising Seth; Supporting our son`s journey.
- Getting to grips with technology!
- Extracts from learning Journal
- Process reflection
- Output 5, Accept and respond to feedback>
- Output 6
- Output 7
- Output 8
- Output 9
- Output 10
- Completed Designs>
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- Working page
The first phase of the design process of this project is available in output ll of my diploma portfolio here
Project participants getting active, mountain biking at Margam Park.
Design
The mind map to the left explores a variety of activities that I am providing for the project participants. All the activities are intended to relax and inspire individuals and encourage group cohesion as well as all the while providing opportunities to re-connect with nature.
Plants have a strong will to survive, and an outstanding ability to adapt and heal themselves. Plants have been known to produce whatever they need to survive: unusual roots; substitute parts; even getting water condensation on roots.
Everything plants produce – including their shape and colour –inspires people. The garden allows us to think back to our roots and past.
Gardens are often described as places of recognition, in which we can perceive, feel, consider and develop.
Gardens create emotional experiences by providing access to life and development of the plants. Most people can make the connection between the life of the plants and their own lives. Some people compare the ups and downs of their own life stories with the rhythms in nature. Both quietness and liveliness in gardens influence people. Human beings` physical and emotional powers are stimulated and strengthened by being in a garden.
Harmony and vitality are increased, and aggression and longing can be constructively channelled.
Gardens are nourishment for our life forces. They connect us to the process of life, through touch and movement, and through the opportunity to personally shape part of the environment."
- Konrad Neuberger, teacher and gardener.
From the book “Spring Nature Activities for
Children” by Irmgard Kutsch and Brigitte
Walden
- Green woodwork - An entirely fulfilling and empowering experience on so many levels, green wood-working provides an opportunity to simultaneously develop new skills in the fresh air, working with living green wood amidst nature in addition to building a sense of community as the group experience socialising in a healthy relaxed and yet productive environment.
- Bushcraft - Increasing knowledge, skills and resilience whilst surrounded by nature, bushcraft is potentially an incredibly healing and empowering experience for individuals segregated from nature and community. Fireside morale in the fresh air promotes group cohesion and is quite simply fun!
- African drumming - A wonderful opportunity for all involved to relax and unwind fully, improving co-ordination whilst having great fun as a group experience, and to re-connect on many levels. I know just the man to deliver the goods!
- Forest gardening - Time for a quote I think;
Plants have a strong will to survive, and an outstanding ability to adapt and heal themselves. Plants have been known to produce whatever they need to survive: unusual roots; substitute parts; even getting water condensation on roots.
Everything plants produce – including their shape and colour –inspires people. The garden allows us to think back to our roots and past.
Gardens are often described as places of recognition, in which we can perceive, feel, consider and develop.
Gardens create emotional experiences by providing access to life and development of the plants. Most people can make the connection between the life of the plants and their own lives. Some people compare the ups and downs of their own life stories with the rhythms in nature. Both quietness and liveliness in gardens influence people. Human beings` physical and emotional powers are stimulated and strengthened by being in a garden.
Harmony and vitality are increased, and aggression and longing can be constructively channelled.
Gardens are nourishment for our life forces. They connect us to the process of life, through touch and movement, and through the opportunity to personally shape part of the environment."
- Konrad Neuberger, teacher and gardener.
From the book “Spring Nature Activities for
Children” by Irmgard Kutsch and Brigitte
Walden
As I need to progress with my work in my employment, the design process is integrated with the implementation phase of this project throughout. I will move back and forth between the design phase and the implementation phase as a consequence.
Implement
One of the first in a series of outdoor activities that are intended to inspire the participants and help them reconnect with nature included a bushcraft session deep in the woods off the Gower coast line.
I utilized the expertise of a good friend of mine, Andy Price, director of Dryad Bushcraft to deliver the session.
The group learnt how to use a knife safely, as well as how to build a fire responsibly and also received workshops on empowering subjects such as friction fire lighting.
The group benefited in many ways and visibly got a lot out of the day. Most of all though, for me the best result of the day was seeing the group bond and co-operate with each other in an integrated manner. Despite it being a cold February day, it was good to be outside. There were laughs and conversation around the camp fire as the group began to relax and integrate. For some present this would have been a considerable challenge in the segregated environment that they are accustomed to experiencing on a daily basis, very different from the integrated natural environment that they were now briefly jointly experiencing. The experience of the outdoor space and environment around them entwined with the additional experience of being part of the developing group cohesion around the fire allowed conscious space for creative, positive and productive thought as their routine daily stresses and concerns in life were briefly no longer immediate.
I utilized the expertise of a good friend of mine, Andy Price, director of Dryad Bushcraft to deliver the session.
The group learnt how to use a knife safely, as well as how to build a fire responsibly and also received workshops on empowering subjects such as friction fire lighting.
The group benefited in many ways and visibly got a lot out of the day. Most of all though, for me the best result of the day was seeing the group bond and co-operate with each other in an integrated manner. Despite it being a cold February day, it was good to be outside. There were laughs and conversation around the camp fire as the group began to relax and integrate. For some present this would have been a considerable challenge in the segregated environment that they are accustomed to experiencing on a daily basis, very different from the integrated natural environment that they were now briefly jointly experiencing. The experience of the outdoor space and environment around them entwined with the additional experience of being part of the developing group cohesion around the fire allowed conscious space for creative, positive and productive thought as their routine daily stresses and concerns in life were briefly no longer immediate.
Working together
Indoor wet weather workshop being created by participants
The project participants have been working together to create a wet weather workshop at Margam Park. Two solid benches have been designed and built by the participants and fitted with bench vices. We plan to construct various items with the workshop. The participants can be involved with creating nest boxes for bird species, bats and invertebrate overwintering shelters for lacewings etc. In addition, bridge, fence and style repairs that are needed in the park can be undertaken at the workshop. As the participants skills improve, they will be able to increase the scope of the woodwork projects that they can undertake and choose their own projects.
Things to do include the construction and organization of a tool store and a timber rack above the work benches.
Inspiration from nature and the outdoor environment is a key feature of the project.
Project participants cooking together at the Down to Earth project
The experience of learning new skills is clearly enhanced whilst immersed in the natural environment.
A number of project participants have begun a gentle paced green woodworking Open College Network unit at the Down to Earth Project.
The Down to Earth Project is a social enterprise specialising in Sustainability Education and Natural Building. Based on a beautiful site on the Gower Peninsula, Swansea, Down to Earth offer a range of groundbreaking programmes for young people and training programmes for adults in Traditional and Natural Building methods. As a centre for Sustainability Education (ESDGC), Down to Earth offer educational programmes and training for workers from informal and formal educational sectors. Down to Earth also work with schools and community organisations to design and build beautiful outdoor spaces using natural materials.
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Participants are encouraged to work together as a team, collaborating and co-operating with one another rather than competing. To the right, two participants assist one another with the process of making their own beetle. Beetle is the traditional term for a mallet that is made from a single piece of wood and commonly used in green wood work. A beetle is a very useful tool, and one which I make use of regularly. The participants learnt to select from a variety of green timber, and were given pointers regarding which pieces were most suited to the task.
A beetle is used primarily in conjunction with a Froe to cleave green wood incredibly effectively. A froe is a wooden handled metal cleaver with a long blade. The beetle is used to strike the top edge of the metal blade of the froe and as a result needs to be made from tough wood. The participants learnt to select a piece of wood with which to make their beetle that comprised of knot free timber for the handle of the beetle (being easier to work with the axe or draw knife) as well as a knotty section for the head of the beetle. Knotty timber is very tough and so serves the purpose of the beetle head very well. If regularly used, a beetle will eventually become frayed and split, but if the head comprises of mainly knotty wood it will last longer. The beauty of such simple but useful green wood work tools as a beetle is that when it eventually breaks, it is simple enough to make another and the old tool can be used as fire wood or allowed to rot back in to the ground where it came from, producing no waste.
A beetle is used primarily in conjunction with a Froe to cleave green wood incredibly effectively. A froe is a wooden handled metal cleaver with a long blade. The beetle is used to strike the top edge of the metal blade of the froe and as a result needs to be made from tough wood. The participants learnt to select a piece of wood with which to make their beetle that comprised of knot free timber for the handle of the beetle (being easier to work with the axe or draw knife) as well as a knotty section for the head of the beetle. Knotty timber is very tough and so serves the purpose of the beetle head very well. If regularly used, a beetle will eventually become frayed and split, but if the head comprises of mainly knotty wood it will last longer. The beauty of such simple but useful green wood work tools as a beetle is that when it eventually breaks, it is simple enough to make another and the old tool can be used as fire wood or allowed to rot back in to the ground where it came from, producing no waste.
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Cooking pan cakes together around an open fire in a cob shelter and enjoying a warm mug of tea, the group chatted in a relaxed manner. Inspired by the examples of natural building that they had explored earlier, it was a pleasure to witness the emergence of new ideas and a thirst for more knowledge among the group. Once again the relaxed healing nature of the environment that they were amidst allowed them to relax to a far greater degree than they are generally able to in their daily lives.
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Project participants are made aware of where real food comes from and how it is produced. Here, a willing helper feeds the saddleback pigs at the Down to Earth project with organicaly produced feed.
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