permaculture

[Richard Morris <webmaster@pfaf.org>]

Dear Friend,
        Thanks for the interest you have shown in the work of Plants
for a Future.

        We would like to invite you to two events coming up in the
next few weeks:

Woodland Weekends 30th Nov/1st Dec. and 14th/15th Dec. 
-----------------------------------------------------

Gathering between 10/11 am Saturday for a site tour looking at 
nature, management and future plans. The emphasis is on the existing 
native woodland, the new woodland planted five years ago, 
and the demonstration gardens plantings. 

Over these and future weekends we hope to carry out a variety of 
projects including rescuing trees, mulching, planting, minimal coppice 
and pollarding, deer fence maintenance, Devon hedge creation and 
re-establishment, surveys, plant identification and labelling, 
and perhaps green-wood creations in the gardens. Content depends 
on turn you turning up.

New Plants For A Future Newsletter now out
------------------------------------------

The latest Plants For Newsletter is now out. This 28 page newsletter
has a variety of articles including: Plants for the Woodland Garden
Edge by Ken Fern, The PFAF Quiz to test your plant knowledge,
Tree Bog rules for appropriate sphincter control during the use of
Tree Bogs and the latest news and plans for both sites.

The newsletter should have been sent to all existing members
of Friends of Plants For A Future. If you would like to join
please see
        http://www.comp.leeds.ac.uk/pfaf/friends.html
or reply to this email.
If you are an existing Friend and have not received the newsletter
then please get in touch.

Forthcoming Events
------------------

The Following events are in the pipeline. Dates are yet to be fixed
please email us if your interested.

* Wetland Ecosystems with Biologic Design. 
Series of courses based around the
design and implementation of whole site water reticulation in order to
provide quality and quantity to meet demand purely from run off and rain
water harvesting and filtration systems using landscaping and plants.
Swales, ponds, filtration, irrigation, edible and useful plants, and
much more. Starting this winter. 

* Woodland Gardening with Stephen Nutt. 
Further weekend courses inspired
by Robert Hart and Ken Fern looking at design and implementation of a
woodland garden within an existing woodland: "The Garden of Love" which
is dedicated to the memory of Robert Hart (the pioneer off temperate
'forest gardening'). Taking place from February onwards. 

* Green Woodworking With Anthony Waters. 
Create spoons, candlesticks,
chairs, stools, benches, tables etc using green wood skills. Planned for
the spring. 

* Clay Oven course. 
Wow 84 acres of clay and our first clay oven. Help
design and build ovens for the campsite gardens to be used by future
visitors and feast on breads and nuts. March - dates t.b.c. 

* PFAF Spring Gathering. 
Shaping the Future of Plants For A Future 3. 

* Yurt or geodesic dome course 
Ideally resulting in the creation of a
geodesic dome or yurt for plants for a future. PFAF desperately need a
portable dismantleable structure for events on site and away. Can you
help?? 

Latest News
-----------

The last few months have been dedicated to running a series of events
and courses which included:

* Plants For A Futures autumn equinox gathering in September
        This attracted 30 people from around the country and included
        a full tour of the demonstration gardens and the whole site;
        a fence maintenance work party which help to seal off the
        holes in the dear and rabbit fences; constructing the display
        tables for the plant sales area and lots of networking
        and discussions on plants and sustainable living.
        The next gathering is planned for the spring all welcome.

* Woodland Gardening courses in October
        The first two weekends in this series of courses were a great
        success. The idea behind the courses is to go through the
        whole design and implementation process. The courses focus
        around an existing 1 Acre patch of existing woodland: 
        "The Garden of Love" which is dedicated to the memory of 
        Robert Hart (the pioneer off temperate 'forest gardening'). 
        The courses are being led by Stephen Nutt an excellent tutor
        with input from plants for a future on interesting plants
        to uses.
        
        The first weekend looked at surveying techniques and mapping
        out the site including the use of hand made surveying equipment
        including bunyip's and A-frames.
        
        The second weekend looked at more detailed design on
        chosen areas within the site and selecting plant guilds
        for these areas.

        Future courses will include implementation of these areas
        and further surveying and design work.

* Green Woodworking
        A windy weekend was spent creating various small and not
        so small items. The tutor, Anthony Walters, brought
        along a pole lathe, a couple of shaving horses and a 
        wide selection of woodworking tools. Everyone on the
        course had a go creating something, from spoons and
        bowls to tables and a cloche frame. We also looked
        at an area of woodland and harvested the materials
        required for the course.

We also had a visit from the Devon Wildlife Trust with much discussion
about the Culm Grassland on site which is an important wildlife habitat.

We now completed our Fey Fund grant period and have had over 200 people
visit this year. Work is now focussing on preparing our revised planning
application due for renewal in June 2003 when our temporary planning
permission expires and preparing next years event program. We will need
lots of letters supporting the project if you interested please complete
the coupon overleaf. 

The above may seem that everything is rosy down at Plants For A Future.
However we are just keeping our heads above water and run by a skeleton
staff. We are greatly in need of help financially (some stamps to help
towards the cost of this mailout would be great). 

        We hope to see you down this neck of the woods sometime!

        With Love

        All at PFAF

--
Plants for a Future: 7000 useful plants
Web:       http://www.pfaf.org/  :=  http://www.comp.leeds.ac.uk/pfaf/
Snail:     Blagdon Cross, Ashwater, Beaworthy, Devon, EX21 5DF
Tel:       01208 872 963 / 0845 458 4719        
Email:     webmaster@pfaf.org 
PFAF electronic mailing list http://groups.yahoo.com/group/pfaf