Day 9 - Introduction to design & earthworks

Today we've had 4 sessions (one more to come after dinner) with David Arnold about designing - focussing on principle 7 - design from patterns to detail. I found today great - things just started to fall into place. Lots of outdoor work looking at patterns to work out sectors (eg fire sector, winter sun, summer sun, wind) that need to be considered when doing a design. We also talked a bit about mapping, and the various tools available to map

We also had a discussion about the design consultation process - things to think about / look for / ask about when working with clients (something we have to do for our final project, although the clients are people from commonground - so friendly!!).

Last thing this afternoon we looked at earth works and looked at various way to find contours and levels - including an a frame with plumb line, and a bunyip. We they wandered around looking at various earthworks at Commonground, and did some practical work with the bunyip trying to look at how we might extend drainage ditches with the right gradient. Very useful.

The last section of earthworks was a discussion about the keyline concept developed by yeomans, and how that can be used to keep water in a landscape - either just by ditches / keyline riplines and/or keyline dams.

Lots of food for thought - and possibilities for practical application to our place.

Day 4 - Permaculture principles

Impossible in the short time availabel to cover everything we did today, but to give you an idea, here's the 12 permaculture principles David went through today, and the parable he used to describe / illustrate them. If you want more detail see www.holmgren.com.au

1. Observe and interact - beauty is in the eye of the beholder
2. Catch and store energy (my new excuse for eating cake!!) - make hay while the sun shines
3. Obtain a yeild - you can't work on an empty stomach
4. Apply self-regulation and accept feedback - the sins of the fathers are visited upon the children unto the seventh generation
5. Use and value renewable resources and services - let nature take it's course
6. Produce no waste - waste not, want not & a stitch in time saves nine
7. Design from patterns to details - can't see the forest for the trees
8. Integrate rather than segregate - many hands make light work
9. Use small and slow solutions - the bigger they are the harder they fall / slow and steady wins the race
10. Use and value diversity - don't put all your eggs in one basket
11. Use edges and value the marginal - don't think you are on the right track just because it is a well-beaten path
12. Creatively use and respond to change - vision is not seeing things as they are, but as they will be

Lots of food for though over the 6 hours of lessons today - and now there is a Q&A session with David so it's time to go again.

This course is SERIOUSLY full on - the only unstructured free time is when we're asleep!!!