ALS members Blogs

I've been asked to put some ideas forward on starting a community garden group and I thought I'd share them here.Starting a group in your local community is a great thing to do. It can really change a community and attract a whole new group of residents to that area over time - something I'm seeing happen in my community thanks to having Transition Town, Permaculture and Seed Saving groups here.But there is a process - and here are a few things I've learned over the years. Determine clear goals and objectives - make sure what you're planning is relevant to the people living in your area. Talk to a few people whose opinion you trust before hand, discuss your plans and listen to what they have to say. Work with those who get it! When you first go out there talking about your idea to the broader community, have...

I'd like to introduce you to a new blog. It belongs to Tilly Hinton, someone I've known for quite a few years and I wanted to let you all know it. Tilly is on an adventure that's incorporating local food, growing food, sustainability, Transition Towns, community and much more.I hope you like it - here is goodisbetterMe? I'm in the last few days of exam preparation before the end of my first year of study.There are things happening at uni that relate to this blog, and I'll be posting about them over my summer break before hitting the lectures theatres, tutorials and books hard again next semester.We've had our first bit of rain in many months over night, so things are looking up here - the rainwater tanks were getting a little too low for comfort and the plants were looking very sad.Hope you are all doing well, and welcome...

Hi,Thought I'd put these links up here - Sunshine Coast CouncilIf you click on the link, you'll go to a page with more links to our local government's climate change and peak oil policy and their energy transition policy - both of which feature Transition Town (Sunshine Coast).It seems so long ago now, and it was a lot of unpaid hard work to get it there, but now there is some distance and I look back and be proud of what the community achieved. We've had a change of local government recently and they are a lot more conservative (which is expected - when things get tight economically and job wise expect a conservative shift in govt), so I don't know how they stand now, plus I'm well out of the loop now too.But Transition Sunshine Coast did lead the way in Australia, particularly with energy descent action planning and...

At uni I'm involved in a couple of committees - one is a student liaison committee and the other relates to first year experience, retention and transition.I'm also the coordinator of a student group.(You might see a pattern forming here... )The other day I was invited to attend a workshop held by the university for students who are on committees - it covered governance, chairing meetings, decision-making, conflict resolution etc.When asked what I'd like to get out of the day I said to have some more strategies for building succession planning in on campus groups - by that I mean setting the group up right from the start to be sustainable and last beyond my three years here.Succession planning is also a permaculture principle of course and you know I like to weave permaculture principles into as many things as I can - they are so flexible, adaptive and useful...

Pest management is a big issue for organic and permaculture gardeners and those in the subtropics face a plethora of bugs and grubs that are intent on getting to your food before you are.So if you're new to gardening or would like a revision session on permaculture design strategies, come along to this workshop.We'll follow up the pest management presentation with a garden tour specifically looking at their worm farms and trouble shooting common problems.  For people who can make it to Cotton Tree on the Sunshine Coast, I'll be presenting a workshop on Permaculture Pest Management strategies followed by a garden tour and worm farm trouble shooting session.WHAT: Permaculture Pest Management & Worm Farming workshop DATE: 25th August, 2012TIME: 9.30-11.30amCOST: Gold Coin DonationVENUE: Maroochy Neighbourhood Centre, 2 Fifth Avenue, Cotton TreeTO BOOK: Call 5443 6696 You'll find the poster for this workshop at the bottom of this page link....

Well, I've started semester two of uni and the workload is heavy (but enjoyable!) and time is precious.As I'm studying health, my health has been foremost in my mind, especially with the pressures of uni study, assessments, exams etc. I need to counter all the 'brain exercise' and time spent sitting with physical exercise and good eating.Studying the human body from a molecular level up has really refocused my thoughts on looking after myself. With the added stresses of uni, my health has become even more important, particularly during this flu-prone time of the year. I need to be at my peak health wise when I walk into those exams.I've also started a home-based fitness program which has been great - regular walks and runs and we've dug the old weight bench out of the shed and set it up in the sunshine on the back deck - the perfect...

I feel a little ill this morning.Something I had suspected for a long time has proven correct but there's no joy in saying "I told you so."Instead I'm thinking of all the people who spent good money thinking there were doing what was best for their health, their family's health and the planet's health and instead they were being duped in the worst possible way.I'm talking about the story on the 7.30 Report last night about a local Sunshine Coast 'organic' company who have been exposed.See the story hereThis damages the industry, it shatters trust, and it leaves people feeling angry that they were adding known carcinogens to their soil (and ultimately their food and bodies) rather than the certified organic additives they were paying for.It reinforces why making your own compost and worm castings (and teaching others how to) is the best way. Look for people who teach you...

and on the same theme as the previous post... just click on the image to make it larger (and readable).Original link

Hi, long time no post I know, but I'm in the middle of exam study and I found this list of the 10 Commandments for community health education and thought I'd share.I know many of you do speak publicly about things to do with sustainability, permaculture and Transition Towns (particularly relevant) or maybe you're involved in running education programs either formally or informally, and these 10 ideas are really good to consider when planning your approach.1. start where the people are - you could take this one of two ways, 1. find a place where people are already gathering and take the message there or 2. start at a level they understand and take them from there - from simple to complex, but take them with you2. recognise and build on community strengths - very Transition Towns3. honour thy community - ditto4. foster a high level of community participation -...

The weather's turned cool here, its been drizzling ALL day and I've had a stack of study to do for mid-semester science exams.I needed something quick and easy, tasty and nutritious for lunch. I remembered I have a huge sweet potato so I dug up a recipe for Spicy Thai Sweet Potato Soup (courtesy of Kurma Dasa - you might remember Cooking with Kurma on SBS years ago).Here it is;Heat oil in a saucepanAdd 1 large tablespoon of red curry paste (or laksa paste)Add the diced sweet potatoAdd 500ml of vegetable stockAdd 1 can of coconut milk or creamAdd 1 tablespoon of palm sugar Let simmer for as long as you like, until sweet potato is soft and mushyAdd a splash of fish sauce (or not if you prefer)Add the juice of 1 limeBlitz to a smooth consistency with a stick blenderServe and enjoySo easy - very, very warming and...

It's only a new 'day' on the calendar of 'days' but its already gaining lots of momentum...Set in May each year, International Permaculture Day came out of a permaculture convergence not that long ago (if I remember correctly) right here in Australia as a way of raising awareness about permaculture and celebrating all its done for people and communities around the world. May was selected as that is when Bill Mollison's birthday is... but what about David Holmgren I ask?Anyhoo,Take a look at the website, perhaps there's something happening near you or maybe you're planning something?And take a bow permaculture - you've made quite a mark in the world since you were born in the '70's and permie people around the planet (and probably the planet too) take their collective (and homemade and edible) hats off to ya!Cheers,SonyaOriginal link...

Here's something really good - great to see the new, much bigger platform Costa has to reach people now.He is a person who really lives and breathes it, he gets it and know he's influencing so many more people - and got me back watching Gardening Australia again,Enjoy,SonyaOriginal link...

I was just over at my other Permaculture Pathways blog-site and re-discovered this definition of permaculture which I wrote a while ago and thought I'd post it here...Permaculture is a design process created in Australia, focused on creating human settlements that are both sustainable and abundant.The emphasis is on creating settlements that do not deplete, degrade or pollute natural systems.Food, water, soil, energy, building materials, shelter, income, fuel, mulch, microclimates, animals and people are all part of good permaculture design.The cultivated ecologies and designed systems of permaculture mimic natural systems.Energy and nutrients cycle throughout, waste from one process becomes the raw material of another, each element performs multiple functions, inputs are kept to a minimum, everything is carefully designed into the system - with maximum yield and dynamic stability as the main aims.Most people who study permaculture find it opens up a whole new world and way of thinking for...

well, long time no post.I'm up to my elbows in uni and loving it.We're on an intra-semester break at the moment, so a little time for other things in life - like housework, food shopping, washing etc.On the permaculture front, I've been thinking about health and resilience lately.I'm thinking that perhaps there may be something in the future where I could bring my nursing skills (and with that a weekly wage, perhaps some funding) to do some community based work around food.I'm also thinking back to the days when I ran workshops here that used to run for one or maybe two or more days - Introduction to permaculture weekends, that type of thing.When we did the first morning introduction rounds I was always interested in just why people wanted to grow their own chemical-free food. Was it because of the environment, climate change, economically driven?But instead the number one...

Random tales of permaculture, gettin' vocal about local, local food systems, self-reliance, growing food, traditional skills, beekeeping, small-scale organic farming and creating community. Tales of Australian lives in the 21st Century. A resource for people interested in becoming more self-reliant. Thanks for visiting, hope to see you again soon... Sonya Original link...

Well, I’ve had my first week of uni and I've been busy settling into what will be my life for the next three years.The load is a little overwhelming at this stage – its all so new as to what to do, where to find things and to know what’s expected of me.Slowly but surely though, I’m getting things ticked off my to do list and burning questions answered. Must admit I'm very impressed with the uni and the support they offer and (more importantly) follow through on. You really do get the feel that they want you to succeed.In the meantime, I’ve gathered a few more followers here (on my poor neglected blog) too – welcome and thanks for signing up! Hope you find something of use to you here.I had got a little tired from all my volunteer work with permaculture and let downs, and dare I say...

No, we're not moving house - well not anytime soon.But we have moved our washing machine inside (yay!). Before it was outside under the house and it was right royal pain in the bum to do the washing.We moved here six years ago. Now, we had previously moved house every two years, so being here six years is a big deal for us.Unfortunately, it also means we have gathered a lot of crap - hence the recent decluttering blitz.But I often think about the day when you first move into a new house and unpack - and how all your permaculture design skills seem to go out the window.You unpack in those early days and fill the empty cupboards, shelves and spaces with your stuff.By the end you're exhausted and all you want is some food (probably take away), a shower, some clean clothes, a clean towel and to make...

Crikey, I've fallen off the blogosphere haven't I?Well, I haven't been idle.Been busy making and selling soaps (and working out how I'm going to keep that going with full-time study), doing pre-semester courses to get up to date with things such as; biology, chemistry and maths (yay!) and getting all the other bits of uni sorted (eg preparing all I need to be able to do clinical placements next semester - first aid courses, police checks, blue cards, making sure I'm enrolled in the right classes, hunting down secondhand text books etc).But tonight my focus will be firmly set on permaculture as we have the first Permaculture Eudlo meeting for 2012 happening from 7pm.We took January off, as the first Tuesday would have been to close to New Years and all the busy-ness post Christmas and its often just way too hot here too.So we've agreed (via emails over the...

Some inspirational weekend reading for you...You know I go on about how permaculture is not limited to backyard food forests, here you can ready about "How farms are using permaculture design to survive and prosper" - from the UK based Permaculture Magazine (which is available in Australia).THINK BIG with your permaculture design... Transition Towns are another application of permaculture design within communities and the systems that support those communities (health, education, transport, building, planning, water, energy, food...).Start in your backyard (at your back door, under your nose) and learn your lessons there, then take it beyond and see how far you can go with it.Knowledge and application of permaculture design builds resilience, which is a powerful skill to have now and to pass onto future generations.Have a great weekend and try to stay dry if you're in South East Queensland or Northern NSW!Cheers,SonyaOriginal link...

... or any community group, be it relocalisation, Transition Towns, organic gardening, reskilling...thought I'd do an infrequent series of posts on how I've gone about setting up and running some local community groups here; permaculture, seed saving, Transition Towns.As things change in the world, and particularly as the economy creaks and groans and contracts more people will be looking for alternatives and wanting to connect with others in their community.First it will be the early adopters, who are doing it pro-actively by choice, then it will be those having to do it by necessity.So I'm kind of imagining that there will be an increase in interest about how to make community connections.Now you don't need to be an expert in it to make it happen, you don't need a degree or any other qualifications - we've lost so much of our personal power to believing that you need an expert...