permaculture

[<darren@permaculture.biz>]

Hi Janet,

 

Thanks for the reply – as I expected you answered all the questions – you are indeed a great teacher!!

 

We had Lisa and Bill Mollison stay over here in Bendigo the last few days and we discussed this whole issue at length – with their perspective’s mirroring yours. Naturally they are interested in seeing more information as to the course (s) content and mechanics – as we all are.

 

I expect that there will be those (such as you and I) who will have feet in both camps – especially those (such as myself) who have faith in the PDC (registered with PI or not) and the PIL approved courses. 

 

As a side note it was good to see both Lisa and Bill in good health, brimming with ideas and a passion for each other and the future. Bill’s still as naughty as ever………Lisa Heenan (my wife) and Bill made a heap of Kim Chee – Lisa swearing never to take Bill shopping again!! We also took them on a tour of the local Gravel Hill Permaculture Gardens which they both enjoyed and thought were great (as they are!). The mere mention of a wild paddock of Licorice put Bill into a state of joyous apoplexy – so off we went and gathered a heap of huge roots and seed from this little known ½ acre stand here in Bendigo (originally planted by Chinese Miners in the 1800’s and now a stable monoculture).

 

We’re still enjoying the Kim Chee!!

 

Cheers,

 

Yours and Growing,

 

Darren J. Doherty

Applied Diploma of Permaculture Design, (Education, Site Design, System Establishment & Implementation) Permaculture Institute (1995)

Permaculture Design Certificate, Permaculture Institute (1993, 1995, 2001)

Whole Farm Planning Certificate (Train the Trainer), University of Melbourne (1995)

permaculture designer @ permaculture.biz

a. 103 Casey St, East Bendigo, Victoria, Australia, 3550

p. 613 5444 1068

f. 613 5444 0621

e. darren@permaculture.biz

w. www.permaculture.biz

 

 

 

 

-----Original Message-----
From: Miltech [mailto:miltech@bigpond.com]
Sent: Tuesday, July 22, 2003 7:08 PM
To: darren@permaculture.biz
Subject: FW: [permaculture-oceania] Nationally Accredited PermacultureTraining (APT)

 

Hi Darren,

This is my response to your question on the Oceania list.  I sent it off to the list a couple of days ago….I think and it hasn’t come up yet.  So I am sending direct to you.  If it does not come up on the list maybe you know how to make the response public.  I don’t really understand how the list works.

Janet

 

-----Original Message-----
From: Miltech [mailto:miltech@bigpond.com]
Sent: Monday, 21 July 2003 1:19 PM
To: 'permaculture-oceania-admin@lists.cat.org.au'
Subject: FW: [permaculture-oceania] Nationally Accredited PermacultureTraining (APT)

 

 

 

Hi All,

Thanks Darren for your congratulations and support. And yes it is an exciting time for Permaculture everywhere. 



I am proud to have been one of the team who has worked the new Accredited Permaculture Training (APT) to this point.  It came as the result of discussions and Pc conferences, convergences and gatherings since 1993.  After accepting nomination to the board of the Permaculture International Limited I joined the team as the QLD representative.  There are also representatives from SA, NSW and Vic.  We began immediately after the endorsement at the Pc gathering in Nimbin last August and received word of the acceptance of the package last week.  Our excitement is that it is not only a world first but that it is an education package that can and must be continually contributed to, and re-evaluated by, the industry body (all practitioners of permaculture).  Into the structure of the ATP will be built the flexibility and inclusiveness that is the substance of Permaculture itself.  When the board selects the RTO to work with, it will be one that has proven experience, credibility, flexibility, and can think and act “out of the box”. Our fear was always that an organization that did not meet those criteria would achieve National Accreditation in front of our own industry body.



But there is a long way to go before we start delivery (2004) and the flesh needs to be put onto the skeleton and that is where we need the input of practitioners.  Already we have had offers from permaculturists that we know follow best practice and we need more.  If anyone would like to contribute please contact PIL with a sketch of your relevant expertise.  There will be opportunities to write and trial modules.  There will be a structure put in place that will ensure good delivery, assessment and graduates who are capable.  This will be far more stringent than the teacher registration required by the Permaculture Institute.



That brings me to your question Darren.  How does the PI feel about the National Accreditation of APT?  As a proud director of that body also, I am happy (reasons stated above).  I am also happy with the system that has been in place for so long.  I feel there is room for both and that National Accreditation was inevitable and that it is best done by a representational body in Australia FIRST. But it is also very important to ensure the continuance of the PDC and the Pc Diploma as it is.  All Permaculturists know that diversity and flexibility is a strength.  We now have the opportunity to work within and without the mainstream.  It would be a sad day indeed if the 2 week PDC no longer wove its magic and lifted the hearts and minds of students to places they had only glimpsed in dreams.  The system developed by Bill Mollison and carried out by the Permaculture Institute has taken Permaculture to where it is today, with 300,000 known graduates working currently on 4000 projects in 120 countries.  Permaculture has improved the lifestyle of countless thousands and repaired land and restored hope.  The original structure created all the practitioners and teachers we have now and led to the establishment of all the groups that work away in their own localities.



With so much work to do all over the world there is no time to see competition, only to see that now we have another prong to our fork, another string to our bow, another way to Care for Earth, Care for People and Share Surplus. One system can feed into the other.  They are not necessarily mutually exclusive.  Both have benefits and drawbacks (“Everything works both ways”.)  There was some resistance at first to the Permaculture Institute’s requirement of teacher registration and now we get 3 requests a day.  There is no question that either system wants to “own” Permaculture.  That possibility has long past.  It belongs to the world and those who want to create a future that we choose rather than the one we just “get”.  Now we just have to promote what we believe are the real solutions and if we have observed that we need to come at it through another way then that we must do… and we did!



We can choose to support one system or the other or both.  It is all good; we just have to get out there and do it……together, as a team, as a force.



Bill and Lisa are traveling and writing at this time.  They have been kept informed of the progress towards the APT package and will no doubt make a comment when they return home and/or complete the next book.  I am hoping they will make regular contributions to the PIL newsletter “The Planet” which has performed some of the roles played by our well-loved PIJ.  It is important that the work that PI does is known.  The institute supports overseas projects, offers scholarships, promotes Pc education and many other things that have gone unspoken and unknown for several years.



I look forward to the next National Convergence and in the meantime, invite everyone to a gathering at Pc Noosa March/April 2004.



Please contact me if you have any comment or question and I will endeavour to act on them.

 

Janet Millington

miltech@bigpond.com

Eumundi Crayfish Farm

Permaculture Noosa (Pres)