permaculture

[Martin Anda <anda@essun1.murdoch.edu.au>]

Dear permies,

I'm looking for people interested in becoming involved with the ETC - not a
complete takeover although as far as the university is concerned we can do
almost anything there!.  I hear that PAWA is interested in aquiring a
property in Stoneville?  I wonder if they might be interested in using the
ETC as their base?  What about PIWA?

Because we have lost a few staff and PB has gone over to the Fremantle
Community Garden Centre the place does not get the tlc it used to.  Lance
Brandes has picked up from PB running the courses at the ETC but because it
is a collaborative effort with the Fremantle Centre not as much hands on or
design goes into the etc.  Tim Dwyer was there on 6 months Jobskills and he
did some tremendous work there.

The PC gradutes from the etc have established MUPETS (Murdoch University
Permaculture & Environmental Technology Society) which meets quarterly for
design and development workshops on Tuesday evenings.  A newsletter has
been started by Collyn Gawned.  MUPETS also come to the etc on the Sunday
closest to each solstice and equinox for a busy bee, bbq put on by us and
social get together.

After Warwick and Gillian went down south I understand the community garden
on Onslow Road went downhill.  For the Fremantle community garden on Marine
Terrace we in FINCA are determined to keep up the impetus of the group so
even when some individuals leave the garden will still keep going.

If PAWA is looking for some land what about an existing site that is
yearning for greater participation such as the etc?

Other ideas that people may be interested are as follows:

1.  We currently have several volunteers that work there one day per week
on a range of landscape maintenance and development activities.  They will
do 10 days work in exchange for a PC design certificate course with Lance.

2.  There are a number of enterprise development opportunities on the site.
PC graduate Dan Boulton, for example, comes in on Wednesdays for the
development of a worm farm business that will eventually process all the
university's food scraps.  Other opportunities are water chestnuts en
masse, chicken tractors, flowforms (we have recently aquired a mould for
the Jana), aquaculture in the existing and future ponds, etc.

3.  We have proposed a number of new courses/workshops but other people are
needed to run them in addition to ourselves.

Looking forward to your comments.


Martin