permaculture

["michael snow" <msnow@mountainschool.org>]

I did a fair amount of GIS work in college, even giving a serviceble lesson
during the mapping section of the pdc course I took.  The concept of GIS
(layers of information, manipulation of those layers and the associated
database) is great, and seems to make it a great tool for site designers.
Maybe this is what Tim uses.  Perhaps a Pc-minded GISer could script a
program more suited, or more simple, for this kind of design system.  Sounds
like a great independent project, master's thesis, perhaps even PhD thesis.

Then again, low-tech does have it's advantages.  I remember a work
assignment a professor did in Nicaragua.  He was working
with indigenous folks to map their traditional places, to be better able to
work with each other and more importantly the government, who
wanted as much of their land as possible.  Instead of taking the most
hi-tech stuff available, he took with him what he thought would work best -
some imprecise equipment that was either cheap or old.  This way, the
lines each individual and group drew were often vague, blurred,
overlapping.  So to get anywhere, the stakeholders had to sit down,
communicate, and work details out with each other.

Pretty nifty reminder that best equipment isn't always most hi-tech.

Mike Snow

----- Original Message ----- 
From: <FranksFarm@aol.com>
To: <permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Tuesday, March 29, 2005 8:26 AM
Subject: Re: [permaculture]mapping


> Good day,
>
> Nice post Tim:)
>
> I sure do agree with much of what you wrote in your last post.
>
> <<In order to avoid the same sad fate that awaits all but the most hardy
> utopian movements, I try to implement designs that are modular, compact,
> maintain a high level of flexibility, and can achieve full design function
> within an achievable budget of time, money, water, etc. Instead of taking
> the role of the great architect expressing sublime ideals in space I think
> that permaculture is encouraging us to be humble groundskeepers slowly but
> persistently improving the habitat by finding simple, novel solutions.
> Stewart Brands book How Buildings Learn is a really remarkable argument
for
> integrating the design process into the maintenance. Designers that get
too
> far ahead of the implementation are short circuiting evolution and
feedback
> loops.>>
>
> I'm hoping that you will share some of your expertise on Mapping with
those
> of us on the list who are unfamiliar or challenged by the techniques.
>
> I'm especially interest in how you use your computer to do so.
>
> Hopefully, others will join in and we can make this Topic a future
resource
> for all. Why do we seem to reinvent the wheel all the time? Better to
learn
> from the experiences of others, and try to find ways too go forward, and
improve.
>
> Thanks, again. Look forward to your reply. Frank
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