permaculture

[Robyn Francis <erda@nor.com.au>]

On 14/6/07 8:28 PM, "Linda Shewan" <linda.shewan@bryn.com.au> wrote:

> My children are in a Montessori school (progressive Montessori I would
> say) in Australia and I am running the sustainability module there as a
> volunteer. Some of the small school principles are already in action -
> our 6-12 year olds are currently running projects building cob ovens,
> chook sheds, a rainforest and an edible maze - so hands on projects
> using natural materials in a natural environment are part of our
> overriding principles. With this interaction in nature they care for the
> site and the people in it - because they created it...
> 
> We have also completed a permaculture site design for the school and one
> of the areas within it is a food forest which will be run on Natural
> Farming Principles.

Great to read about your sustainability module at school. What part of
Australia are you?

There's been a lot of innovative programs (hands-on permaculture) happening
in many public schools in Australia over the past 5-10 years, following are
just a few examples:
Carolyn Nutall's Food Foresters program and excellent resource materials
<c.nuttall@uq.net.au>.
Learnscapes Foundation began working with public schools mainly in the NSW
Northern Rivers region, now the NSW education department has taken the
concept on board. Learnscapes looks at the whole learning environment
workshopping with students, staff and parents, designing playgrounds, food
forests, wildlife habitat, gardens, installing rainwater tanks etc.
There's also a Pc team in Wollongong has been developing excellent
permaculture programs in public schools in the area with multicultural
communities for a number of years contact Daniel Deighton
<caredesign@bigpond.com>

While the above have been mainly with primary schools, Virginia Solomon is
working with Eltham College, Melbourne, teaching Permaculture Certificate I
as the sustainability core module with Year 9 students. The first level of
the AQF Accredited Permaculture Training, Cert I in Permaculture is ideal
for junior high school. Virginia and Eltham College are keen to support
other schools to introduce permaculture into the the school program.
Virginia Solomon <vsolomon@netspace.net.au>

Ciao
Robyn

This is all important work