DESIGN
Designing the workshop;
Introduction to Permaculture, Ecovillage Design, Community Building & Deep Ecology
Introduction to Permaculture, Ecovillage Design, Community Building & Deep Ecology
Designing the workshop with Matt and Om, Delights!
The design of project 6 was a collaborative process between Om, Matt and myself. The main aims we were looking for when designing the course were: To ensure that we covered all the subject matter thoroughly. To leave ample time for feedback and reflection from the previous days learnings (to help participants really embed the information). To allow space such as catch-up sessions to encourage a more dynamic and flexible approach. And to create a good flow between sessions, trying to ensure that the subject matter overlapped sufficiently to create a seamless transition from one session to the next.
This process was streamlined somewhat by all of us having had previous experiences of teaching and facilitating courses to fall back on, review and evaluate in terms of what went well and what could perhaps have gone better/been better designed.
We all believe that designing courses based on Head (intellectual), Heart (compassionate, spiritual), Hands (practical, hands-on skill). Provides a more powerful and inspirational experience and helps to embed the info on many different and deeper levels.
It was also our intention, under the direction of Om, to structure the workshop in a way somewhat similar to the EDE training. This means dividing sessions into 4 different categories: Social, Economic, Ecological & Worldview.
We decided to start off with a tour around the site (the Panya Project) to get everybody oriented right from the start, we then had dinner after which we had scheduled some name games and ice-breakers. In our combined experience we all thought that it was best to get everybody as familiar, comfortable and relaxed with each other from as early a stage as possible.
On Thursday (18/10) we decided to start with a session called community glue, which would be led by Om with Matt and I co-facilitating, this session is focused on the social aspect and involves brainstorming and outlining with the group key elements that lead to a harmonious and healthy community. Followed by participants dividing into groups and writing a short mission statement for the community.
The next session was an Overview of EDE also led by Om with Matt and I co-facilitating. During this session we would outline all the elements that make up the 7 week EDE training and discuss the elements that we would be covering during the workshop.
The final session after lunch was a practical, hands-on; Making Adobe bricks. After spending the morning in the classroom we wanted to get everybody outside with their hands in the earth, getting the blood pumping and raising the energy levels a bit. From previous experience Matt and I had found that making Adobe on the first day of the course really helps to get the energy flowing and is also a great community bonding exercise.
In the evening we had a few short community games helping participants to become even more comfortable and relaxed with each other.
The first session on Friday (19/10)was Ethics & Principles of Permaculture, an interactive group session which provides multiple functions in that it gives an overview of the core ethics and principles of permaculture as well as giving us facilitators a better idea of where individual participants are at in terms of their worldview and ideologies.
Session 2 was falling Angels, a community trust building game that we always try and integrate into courses and is very powerful.
During this session participants climb onto a raised platform and fall backwards to be caught by the rest of the participants and us facilitators. It sounds scary, and it is! But it often brings up a lot of emotions, helping people to overcome their fears and really helps to nurture and cultivate deep care and compassion within the group, with all members focused intently on the safety of the falling angel.
After lunch we had a short Cheese & Yoghurt making session Led by Panya community members Kae & Lin. Followed by an outing to the neighbouring community Pun Pun.
Pun Pun is an intentional community which is focused largely on seed saving, food security and natural building, founded by the legendary and inspirational Jo Jon Dai (Pi Jo) and his wife Peggy.
We had a tour around Pun Pun and a talk with Pi Jo, whose simple and honest style and philosophies are both very grounding, insightful & inspirational.
On Saturday (20/10) we wanted to focus more on the Ecological aspect and began with me leading a session on Soils & the soil food web. This session is a core element to gaining a deeper understanding of permaculture in it's ecological aspect. During this session I give participants an overview of soil chemistry explaining the principles of soil and how it is formed before going on to soil biology and explaining the interconectedness and complexity of the soil food web, the importance of healthy soils and a healthy soil food web before doing an interactive soil game, helping to cement the function and interactions of organisms in the soil community.
Next session was Compost, spending some time in the classroom where I gave an overview of what happens during the composting process, the benefits of making compost and different composting techniques. Followed by a hands-on Berkley 18 day composting exercise, during which we made a compost pile and explained how it worked and what we do to create compost so fast.
For session 3 we moved out of the classroom and up into the food forest to do a session on forest gardening also led by me & Panya community member Zoe. During this session I explained the layers, interactions, intrinsic characteristics and succession of a forest before going on to talk about how we attempt to mimic this but with increased productivity when forest gardening. This was followed by Zoe doing a walk and talk around the food forest describing what they were doing to create the food forest at Panya.
In the evening we showed a documentary; The economy of happiness. Setting the scene for the next day when we would move on to the economic aspect of EDE.
On Sunday (21/10) we had a double session on systems thinking led by marta. During this session Marta explains current economic systems and structures before going onto talk about and discuss alternatives and more sustainable economical models that we can adopt.
After lunch we went for a field trip to Pi Tong Bai's homestay in the local village. Pi tong Bai is one of the leadres in the local community and organisers a local organic veg cooperative, she grows organic veg for market and has a homestay comprised of beautiful adobe bungalows.
She gave a talk about how the economy and values of people in the region have changed since she was a child and how more people are attempting to revert back towards the old ways; focusing on food security and moving away from money as debt and the associated stress and tension that that society leads to.
Pi Tong Bai cooked dinner for us all in the evening.
On Monday (22/10) We started off with a double community / trust building session; The spiders web.
This session is designed to promote further bonding, trust & teamwork as well as helping us facilitators see different leadership styles within the group, which people tend to take the lead or dominate proceedings and those that take more of a back seat and are quieter or more introspective.
After lunch Om led a session on leadership styles in community. Talking about archetypes such as Earth, Air, Water & Fire and the different qualities associated with these elements and leadership styles. She then went on to explain the importance of balancing these elements in order to lead effecively.
In the evening we had a group check-in with all participants and the Panya community members.
Starting off in groups of three with each person spending a couple of minutes explaining what they'd been doing for the past week, followed by us all forming a large circle and, going around the circle we each took a couple of minutes to express what was going well, what was challenging and any requests to the group.
Tuesday (23/10) Was a day off. Giving everyone a chance to relax, recuperate and prepare for the next week!
Wednesday (24/10) & Thursday (25/10) were devoted to Deep ecology and represented the world view aspect of EDE. The sessions were largely focused on the Heart; Compassionate, intuitive and spiritual learning style.
On Wednesday we started by going up into the food forest and sending people off to spend a little time alone in nature; To tune in, connect and feel the pain of the earth. After this we did a couple of exercises. The first of which was open questions and spontaneous writing. Designed to let participants reflect on what they felt when they were connecting with Gaia and let it all come tumbling out spontaneously without trying to formulate it using intellectual processes. The second exercise was the widening circle, where we form an inner and outer circle of participants and imagine that we are fifty years in the future. One circle represents the the descendants (those from the future), whilst the other circle are the ancestors (those from the current time). The future generation get to express how the world is in their time and ask the elders about how they managed to make the change that facilitated the continuation of the species. The roles are then reversed so that everyone gets the chance to be an ancestor and descendant.
In the afternoon we did a brainstorm and overview of deep ecology going into the despair and empowerment work of Joanna Macy. Followed by the Mirror walk exercise; Where in pairs one member closes their eyes whilst the other slowly leads them around (like a walking meditation), stopping from time to time for their partner to smell a flower or touch a leaf or the ground etc. after a while the roles are reversed. This helps to enhance the senses, encouraging trust, stewardship and wonder.
In the evening after dinner we started our “Noble silence”. Requesting all participants to be in silence (unless it was absolutely essential for them to ask a question etc.).
On Thursday (25/10), we continued our noble silence and set off on a walking meditation into the forest. Once we arrived in the forest we explained to the group what we would be doing for the day and then asked them to go off alone in the forest, finding a place that resonated with them and allow themselves to be “chosen” by an animal, plant, or natural feature of the landscape such as a water-body, forest, mountain etc. and to feel the pain, suffering, anger, frustration or any other emotions that their being is experiencing in the context of human created problems.
After lunch (which was delivered up to the edge of the forest for us & collected and brought into the forest by Om and Matt). We explained that we would now be going to the sacred council grounds in the forest (an area that Matt, Om and I had previously chosen) to perform the “council of all beings” Where each person would represent and speak on behalf of their being, expressing any emotions that the being is feeling, followed by giving the powers and qualities of those beings to the humans in order to overcome these problems and rectify the damage in the interest of all beings.
In the evening we had a bonfire and sing song.
Friday (26/10), Was design day, which also falls into the ecological side of EDE.
The first session in the morning was Ethics and principles re-visited led by Marta and Matt, during this session we went back over the ethics and principles of permaculture with the participants and invited them to give examples of principles that they'd seen being applied on site as well as challenging them to match up the principles to their common sayings. Matt also introduced the group to design processes in this session, going through GAADIE, SADIMET & OBREDIMET.
I led the next session which was Input output analysis, introducing the group to design methodologies and getting them thinking about interconnection of elements, relative location, multiple functions and “waste/pollution” as unused resource.
Matt then led a session on Zones encouraging the group to think carefully about placement of elements within a system based on how regularly you will visit them. Getting the group used to working with base maps and thinking about slope, prevailing wind and water on site.
Matt and I have regularly taught these two sessions in this order with good results.
Saturday (27/10); We started off with a decision making in community session which was led by Om. Focusing on the ways in which group decision making processes can work in a community context.
This was followed by a double design time session which lasted for the rest of the day. During the design time students were asked to work individually, using the tools and methodologies that we'd covered previously during the last 2 weeks, to produce a design, based on the participants own preferance (not specifically land based). Students were encouraged to apply the design process to any potential project, not just land based, but also invisible.
The exercise went really well with students coming up with some really interesting ideas and great designs!
Sunday (28/10), Started with a gardening theory session led by me. During this session I covered the basics of establishing and maintaining organic gardens, covering mulching, feeding, timing, creating beds, path to bed ratios, irrigation, edge and methods of gardening.
Next we went outside for a gardening practical session during which we spent time weeding and creating connections with the plants (meditative process, embodying the concept of nurture), I then showed them how to make a liquid manure from the weeds that we removed from the garden. After this we made an Instant garden bed built by layering different mulch materials and compost and edged with Adobe.
The final session of the day was Animals which was led by Panya community member Adam. During this class Adam explained to the participants The uses and functions animals can perform in a permaculture system and the basics of how to look after and care for various animals.
Monday (29/10), Was started with a plant propagation session led by Adam. Participants had the opportunity to learn about and practice different methods of propagation including; seed sowing, Cuttings, air layering, root division and grafting.
This was followed by an Eco building talk and slide show led by Matt. Explaining different techniques of natural building and showing examples of these from different areas around the world.
The last session was a natural building hands-on; Mosaic work led by Matt, during which participants had the chance to get creative and make their own small mosaic which can later be integrated into the new Sala design or used by community members in their own houses.
The design of project 6 was a collaborative process between Om, Matt and myself. The main aims we were looking for when designing the course were: To ensure that we covered all the subject matter thoroughly. To leave ample time for feedback and reflection from the previous days learnings (to help participants really embed the information). To allow space such as catch-up sessions to encourage a more dynamic and flexible approach. And to create a good flow between sessions, trying to ensure that the subject matter overlapped sufficiently to create a seamless transition from one session to the next.
This process was streamlined somewhat by all of us having had previous experiences of teaching and facilitating courses to fall back on, review and evaluate in terms of what went well and what could perhaps have gone better/been better designed.
We all believe that designing courses based on Head (intellectual), Heart (compassionate, spiritual), Hands (practical, hands-on skill). Provides a more powerful and inspirational experience and helps to embed the info on many different and deeper levels.
It was also our intention, under the direction of Om, to structure the workshop in a way somewhat similar to the EDE training. This means dividing sessions into 4 different categories: Social, Economic, Ecological & Worldview.
We decided to start off with a tour around the site (the Panya Project) to get everybody oriented right from the start, we then had dinner after which we had scheduled some name games and ice-breakers. In our combined experience we all thought that it was best to get everybody as familiar, comfortable and relaxed with each other from as early a stage as possible.
On Thursday (18/10) we decided to start with a session called community glue, which would be led by Om with Matt and I co-facilitating, this session is focused on the social aspect and involves brainstorming and outlining with the group key elements that lead to a harmonious and healthy community. Followed by participants dividing into groups and writing a short mission statement for the community.
The next session was an Overview of EDE also led by Om with Matt and I co-facilitating. During this session we would outline all the elements that make up the 7 week EDE training and discuss the elements that we would be covering during the workshop.
The final session after lunch was a practical, hands-on; Making Adobe bricks. After spending the morning in the classroom we wanted to get everybody outside with their hands in the earth, getting the blood pumping and raising the energy levels a bit. From previous experience Matt and I had found that making Adobe on the first day of the course really helps to get the energy flowing and is also a great community bonding exercise.
In the evening we had a few short community games helping participants to become even more comfortable and relaxed with each other.
The first session on Friday (19/10)was Ethics & Principles of Permaculture, an interactive group session which provides multiple functions in that it gives an overview of the core ethics and principles of permaculture as well as giving us facilitators a better idea of where individual participants are at in terms of their worldview and ideologies.
Session 2 was falling Angels, a community trust building game that we always try and integrate into courses and is very powerful.
During this session participants climb onto a raised platform and fall backwards to be caught by the rest of the participants and us facilitators. It sounds scary, and it is! But it often brings up a lot of emotions, helping people to overcome their fears and really helps to nurture and cultivate deep care and compassion within the group, with all members focused intently on the safety of the falling angel.
After lunch we had a short Cheese & Yoghurt making session Led by Panya community members Kae & Lin. Followed by an outing to the neighbouring community Pun Pun.
Pun Pun is an intentional community which is focused largely on seed saving, food security and natural building, founded by the legendary and inspirational Jo Jon Dai (Pi Jo) and his wife Peggy.
We had a tour around Pun Pun and a talk with Pi Jo, whose simple and honest style and philosophies are both very grounding, insightful & inspirational.
On Saturday (20/10) we wanted to focus more on the Ecological aspect and began with me leading a session on Soils & the soil food web. This session is a core element to gaining a deeper understanding of permaculture in it's ecological aspect. During this session I give participants an overview of soil chemistry explaining the principles of soil and how it is formed before going on to soil biology and explaining the interconectedness and complexity of the soil food web, the importance of healthy soils and a healthy soil food web before doing an interactive soil game, helping to cement the function and interactions of organisms in the soil community.
Next session was Compost, spending some time in the classroom where I gave an overview of what happens during the composting process, the benefits of making compost and different composting techniques. Followed by a hands-on Berkley 18 day composting exercise, during which we made a compost pile and explained how it worked and what we do to create compost so fast.
For session 3 we moved out of the classroom and up into the food forest to do a session on forest gardening also led by me & Panya community member Zoe. During this session I explained the layers, interactions, intrinsic characteristics and succession of a forest before going on to talk about how we attempt to mimic this but with increased productivity when forest gardening. This was followed by Zoe doing a walk and talk around the food forest describing what they were doing to create the food forest at Panya.
In the evening we showed a documentary; The economy of happiness. Setting the scene for the next day when we would move on to the economic aspect of EDE.
On Sunday (21/10) we had a double session on systems thinking led by marta. During this session Marta explains current economic systems and structures before going onto talk about and discuss alternatives and more sustainable economical models that we can adopt.
After lunch we went for a field trip to Pi Tong Bai's homestay in the local village. Pi tong Bai is one of the leadres in the local community and organisers a local organic veg cooperative, she grows organic veg for market and has a homestay comprised of beautiful adobe bungalows.
She gave a talk about how the economy and values of people in the region have changed since she was a child and how more people are attempting to revert back towards the old ways; focusing on food security and moving away from money as debt and the associated stress and tension that that society leads to.
Pi Tong Bai cooked dinner for us all in the evening.
On Monday (22/10) We started off with a double community / trust building session; The spiders web.
This session is designed to promote further bonding, trust & teamwork as well as helping us facilitators see different leadership styles within the group, which people tend to take the lead or dominate proceedings and those that take more of a back seat and are quieter or more introspective.
After lunch Om led a session on leadership styles in community. Talking about archetypes such as Earth, Air, Water & Fire and the different qualities associated with these elements and leadership styles. She then went on to explain the importance of balancing these elements in order to lead effecively.
In the evening we had a group check-in with all participants and the Panya community members.
Starting off in groups of three with each person spending a couple of minutes explaining what they'd been doing for the past week, followed by us all forming a large circle and, going around the circle we each took a couple of minutes to express what was going well, what was challenging and any requests to the group.
Tuesday (23/10) Was a day off. Giving everyone a chance to relax, recuperate and prepare for the next week!
Wednesday (24/10) & Thursday (25/10) were devoted to Deep ecology and represented the world view aspect of EDE. The sessions were largely focused on the Heart; Compassionate, intuitive and spiritual learning style.
On Wednesday we started by going up into the food forest and sending people off to spend a little time alone in nature; To tune in, connect and feel the pain of the earth. After this we did a couple of exercises. The first of which was open questions and spontaneous writing. Designed to let participants reflect on what they felt when they were connecting with Gaia and let it all come tumbling out spontaneously without trying to formulate it using intellectual processes. The second exercise was the widening circle, where we form an inner and outer circle of participants and imagine that we are fifty years in the future. One circle represents the the descendants (those from the future), whilst the other circle are the ancestors (those from the current time). The future generation get to express how the world is in their time and ask the elders about how they managed to make the change that facilitated the continuation of the species. The roles are then reversed so that everyone gets the chance to be an ancestor and descendant.
In the afternoon we did a brainstorm and overview of deep ecology going into the despair and empowerment work of Joanna Macy. Followed by the Mirror walk exercise; Where in pairs one member closes their eyes whilst the other slowly leads them around (like a walking meditation), stopping from time to time for their partner to smell a flower or touch a leaf or the ground etc. after a while the roles are reversed. This helps to enhance the senses, encouraging trust, stewardship and wonder.
In the evening after dinner we started our “Noble silence”. Requesting all participants to be in silence (unless it was absolutely essential for them to ask a question etc.).
On Thursday (25/10), we continued our noble silence and set off on a walking meditation into the forest. Once we arrived in the forest we explained to the group what we would be doing for the day and then asked them to go off alone in the forest, finding a place that resonated with them and allow themselves to be “chosen” by an animal, plant, or natural feature of the landscape such as a water-body, forest, mountain etc. and to feel the pain, suffering, anger, frustration or any other emotions that their being is experiencing in the context of human created problems.
After lunch (which was delivered up to the edge of the forest for us & collected and brought into the forest by Om and Matt). We explained that we would now be going to the sacred council grounds in the forest (an area that Matt, Om and I had previously chosen) to perform the “council of all beings” Where each person would represent and speak on behalf of their being, expressing any emotions that the being is feeling, followed by giving the powers and qualities of those beings to the humans in order to overcome these problems and rectify the damage in the interest of all beings.
In the evening we had a bonfire and sing song.
Friday (26/10), Was design day, which also falls into the ecological side of EDE.
The first session in the morning was Ethics and principles re-visited led by Marta and Matt, during this session we went back over the ethics and principles of permaculture with the participants and invited them to give examples of principles that they'd seen being applied on site as well as challenging them to match up the principles to their common sayings. Matt also introduced the group to design processes in this session, going through GAADIE, SADIMET & OBREDIMET.
I led the next session which was Input output analysis, introducing the group to design methodologies and getting them thinking about interconnection of elements, relative location, multiple functions and “waste/pollution” as unused resource.
Matt then led a session on Zones encouraging the group to think carefully about placement of elements within a system based on how regularly you will visit them. Getting the group used to working with base maps and thinking about slope, prevailing wind and water on site.
Matt and I have regularly taught these two sessions in this order with good results.
Saturday (27/10); We started off with a decision making in community session which was led by Om. Focusing on the ways in which group decision making processes can work in a community context.
This was followed by a double design time session which lasted for the rest of the day. During the design time students were asked to work individually, using the tools and methodologies that we'd covered previously during the last 2 weeks, to produce a design, based on the participants own preferance (not specifically land based). Students were encouraged to apply the design process to any potential project, not just land based, but also invisible.
The exercise went really well with students coming up with some really interesting ideas and great designs!
Sunday (28/10), Started with a gardening theory session led by me. During this session I covered the basics of establishing and maintaining organic gardens, covering mulching, feeding, timing, creating beds, path to bed ratios, irrigation, edge and methods of gardening.
Next we went outside for a gardening practical session during which we spent time weeding and creating connections with the plants (meditative process, embodying the concept of nurture), I then showed them how to make a liquid manure from the weeds that we removed from the garden. After this we made an Instant garden bed built by layering different mulch materials and compost and edged with Adobe.
The final session of the day was Animals which was led by Panya community member Adam. During this class Adam explained to the participants The uses and functions animals can perform in a permaculture system and the basics of how to look after and care for various animals.
Monday (29/10), Was started with a plant propagation session led by Adam. Participants had the opportunity to learn about and practice different methods of propagation including; seed sowing, Cuttings, air layering, root division and grafting.
This was followed by an Eco building talk and slide show led by Matt. Explaining different techniques of natural building and showing examples of these from different areas around the world.
The last session was a natural building hands-on; Mosaic work led by Matt, during which participants had the chance to get creative and make their own small mosaic which can later be integrated into the new Sala design or used by community members in their own houses.
