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  • From: "L.Santoyo Designs" <santoyo@earthflow.com>
  • To: permaculture <permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [permaculture] Re: PC Curriculum Re: Succession
  • Date: Thu, 10 Mar 2005 12:44:28 -0800

Toby, Scott, Michael, Robyn, Lawrence et al;

Dang it! -Every time I think of something that'll make me look good and sound all smart -you guys say it first!

I too have said for years that the course needed serious revision (a la Michael Kramer "looniness"), but Scott Pittman and Robyn Francis made me realize the importance of keeping Permaculture -well... Permaculture. That is -a strict adherence to the curriculum as outlined in The Designer's Manual...

Although we disagree on different format issues, at least Scott is willing to give that part a try... but as much as I too wanted to change the curriculum -I have realized that The Permaculture Design Course (unadulterated) IS the pioneer level of succession and where Permaculture is applied is the next level of succession and so on...

Once people have taken the full course including theory, ethics, soil, water, patterning, agricultural models etc. -then they are ready to APPLY it to finance, social services, industry, business and sure -the military -why not?. Those are the next courses, the ones that come after the Design Course...

Through our org, we conduct Continuing Permaculture Education Courses where we apply permaculture design to business and industry models -but the basic Permaculture Design Course is the prerequisite. I tell my students that -one doesn't do permaculture, one applies permaculture to what they do. You don't DO permaculture -you USE permaculture...

I think that Michael may think he is on to something new and revolutionary -when this whole time -the skillful teachers, who have spoken, were already on to it. Of course you can APPLY permaculture to social and business models -That is what you are supposed to be illustrating and teaching your students already!!!

If we are going to use natural succession as our metaphor, let's consider putting it in a different perspective -when you start natural succession with the design course as the pioneer. -what comes after that basic course are the next levels succession... like business, community and green building courses -and although we used an application permaculture to get us there, without including a strict adherence to the curriculum as outlined in The Designer's Manual -those applications shouldn't be called and are not a "permaculture design course".

I too used to insist that the pioneer needed to change... Now, I understand that trying to morph the pioneer into more of a climax species is problematic and unsound. Bill Mollison was clear when he taught us to never "dumb it up or dumb it down" -Maybe I disagree with some of you here (Toby?) but I think that engineers, government officials, students, housewives, rich, poor, Black, White, Brown and other peoples can all "get" Permaculture -that is the beauty of using natural models as the basis of design and for our teaching metaphors -My experience is that it IS understandable AND is relatable to most...

About those "much later but more popular teachings" that we spoke of... (Eco psychology, Ecological Design, Natural Capitalism, Natural Steps etc.) I think that they are really just part of the "next level of succession" stuff that I'm talking about here. Some of those I'll bet are even rooted in Permaculture Principles... They are just plain better "marketed" and sexier to the general public -like most things closer to climax...

Respectfully,


Larry Santoyo
EarthFlow Design Works
http://www.earthflow.com/consulting.html







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