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Permaculture

goes to school...
An education and networking tool from Pacific Edge Permaculture
Permaculture Paper No. 2 — Autumn1997

... ideas and bibliography


for permaculture educators

ideas for permaculture educators 1


By way of introduction...
If there are titles you consider should be
A work of included, please send them in the format
which appears in the bibliographic listing

many people... to Pacific Edge Permaculture. We can


include them in updated listings.

T
he Permaculture in Schools
information kit had its origin at Courses
the Sixth International Courses on permaculture in schools are
Permaculture Convergence which took occasionally offered.
place during October 1996 in Bridgetown,
Western Australia. Readers are referred to the course listings
pages of the Permaculture International
Pacific Edge Permaculture undertook to Journal (PIJ) for details.
publish the information assembled by
participants and distribute it.
How-to information
The PIJ carries a regular, two-page
Aims section on working with children in
The aim of the kit is to bring together the permaculture.
titles of publications and other resources
of potential use to people working in The section is produced by Brisbane-based
permaculture projects in schools or permaculture in schools consultant,
who are working in permaculture with Carolyn Nuttall, author of
children in other circumstances. A Children’s Food Forest.

Most of the resource listings were


contributed by participants at the
Approaches
The articles which follow describe
Permaculture in Schools Networking Day
different approaches to designing
following the 1996 Convergence.
permaculture in school projects.
Others were contributed by participants
Whether you find an informal, small
in Robyn McCurdy’s Children in
projects approach, or a more formal,
Permaculture course which took place
larger project approach more applicable,
immediately prior to the February 1995
we hope you find this education kit of
national Permaculture Convergence at
benefit to your work.
Black Forest Primary School in Adelaide,
South Australia.

Content
As well as the bibliography and resource
listing, there are a number of articles.
P a c i f ic • E d g e
P ermaculture
Thanks are due to all who attended the
Æ Permaculture Design Courses —
permaculture in schools sessions at the
part time in Sydney
convergences and who contributed to this
Æ Home and community gardens —
resource package, as well as to those who
design and implementation
have contributed since. Æ Desktop publishing and design —
The package is not intended as a brochures, newsletters, publicity material
complete listing of all publications of Æ NSW state contact — Australian City
Farms and Community Gardens Network
relevance to the practice of permaculture
in schools or to working with children in Æ Approved EarthWorks program trainers.
permaculture. It simply aims to record Contact us at:
those resources identified as useful ITV\Y\V >WZX IXe`TVh_gheX
by participants of the permaculture Fiona Campbell and Russ Grayson
convergences. PO Box 446, Kogarah NSW 2217 Australia.
Phone: 02 9588 6931
Email: pacedge@magna.com.au

2 permaculture goes to school


Permaculture goes
to school...
A
t a time when school curricula Environmental education and
are crowded and teachers are permaculture are natural allies.
stretched almost to breaking point
Their focus, however, is somewhat
trying to get through everything they
different, with environmental education
are supposed to teach, the chances of
concentrating on the wellbeing of the
permaculture making incursions into the
natural environment and permaculture
education system appear minimal.
focusing on the production of human
But the unexpected is happening. needs.
Permaculture is making inroads into
Given the widespread perception of
schools.
incompatibility between the wellbeing
Not only is this happening in the affluent of natural systems and the provision of
world where permaculture originated, it is human needs — an erroneous notion
also happening in developing countries. perpetuated by some environmentalists
and others quoted in the popular media
There, the link between food, shelter,
— it would appear that permaculture
clean water and communities is
and environmental education should be
frequently more direct than in the
incompatible.
developed world. Because permaculture is
primarily concerned with access to these The truth, as practitioners of
basic human needs, it has a pertinency in permaculture design know, is that
developing countries often lacking in the positive environmental outcomes flow
Western world. from good design which incorporates the
needs of human populations and the
The two artilcles An Australian trend environmental contexts in which they
which follow describe In Australia, permaculture’s move into live.
different approaches to
schools is a trend mainly of the past five It is in this sense that permaculture
permaculture in schools
years. education and environmental education
project design.
There were permaculture in school are compatible and are natural allies.
The first was used in a
projects before that time, of course, but As practitioners of a whole systems design
project in inner-urban
permaculture in schools only really methodology, permaculture designers and
Sydney. The second,
opened up in a substantive way as a permaculture in schools educators know
by Robyn McCurdy,was
developed for the new area of permaculture application in that good design plans for the wellbeing
Tlhelego Development comparative recent times. of both human societies and the natural
Project in rural Now, it is building its own body of environments they occupy and derive
South Africa. knowledge and practical skills. Experience their livelihood from.
The ideas are presented is leading to the development of people
only as a guide. with some expertise in the area, not all of Current status
them with formal teaching qualifications. With several years of experience now
It is important to
behind it, where does the practice of
design projects so they
are compatible with Environmental education permaculture in schools currently stand?
local circumstances, Links are being made with the existing One thing which is evident is that it is
environments, human teaching of environmental education in becoming more widely accepted as a
cultures and resource the school system for which there exists, valued input into the school experience,
availability. in a number of states, formal curricula particularly for primary students.
material, structures and experience.

ideas for permaculture educators 3


conservation of these resources and the
Food gardens will of school administration to act on the
Characteristically, permaculture enters data resulting from the audits, have the
into the school in the form of food potential to reduce energy and water use
gardening. and to reduce school expenditure on these
Permaculture designers are well aware resources.
that gardening is only one component
of permaculture design, however it is Auditing wastes
perhaps the easiest to use as an opening The waste audit, having identified types
into the schools and the most interesting of wastes, their sources and quantities, blah
for the students. has the potential to be developed into a blah
strategy for dealing with them. blah..
Permaculture food gardens, true to
the permaculture design principle of This would involve:
multifunction, can be linked with science,
Æ waste separation
mathematics, studies of local and global
Æ recycling of food and garden wastes
food systems and other curricula subjects
through the school’s permaculture
and become truemultiuser sites.
garden composting or vermiculture
This encourages greater use and makes (worm farming) system
the garden’s sustainability more assured. Æ reuse and recycling of paper and other
wastes
An urgent role Æ strategies for the reduction of wastes,
There is an urgent role which
which normally go to landfill, such as
permaculture school gardens may have
introducing the practice of minimal-
potential to fill.
waste lunches (packaging reduction).
Nutrition and health are seldom a
primary use for the school permaculture Whole school design
garden in affluent countries where people A further use of permaculture design in
see food as something to be bought rather schools is in the development of whole ...a further
than self-produced. school design.
use of
Given the will, it may be possible to link This involves a thorough analysis of
these issues with initiatives such as the the existing school ground — a role
permaculture
Healthy Breakfast program operating for sector and site analysis as practiced design in
in some Sydney council areas. This is a in permaculture design — and the
response to children turning up at school participative development of plans to schools is
without eating breakfast or without
having a lunch.
enhance: in the
Æ individual and class learning
To fulfil this role, permaculture school development
opportunities
garden projects would have to be
Æ shade and shelter from unpleasant of whole
upgraded to a higher level of organisation
winds
and planning. school
Æ the internal climate of buildings by
In some developing countries, school food shading and solar access through design...
gardens already fulfil a nutritional role. the use of evergreen and deciduous
plantings, and structures such as
Resource auditing pergolas and trellising
Other roles for permaculture education Æ areas for active, imaginative and
within the school system other than food creative play
gardening include auditing the school Æ areas for useful plants and animals
use of energy and water and auditing the
Æ natural areas
production of wastes.

Energy and water audits, when combined


with the development of strategies for the

4 permaculture goes to school


Æ areas presenting opportunities for Project sustainability
quite reflection, small and large group The designer is unlikely to be able to
discussion and socialising contribute to the same project for years
Æ areas for adults. on end, unless they are a parent of a
student at the school or a teacher or
Students, parents, local community
groundsperson.
people, teachers and school
administration should rightly be involved It follows that planning for project
...facilitation, in a design of this magnitude, no matter sustainability in the absence of direct
how protracted its implementation. designer involvement be a part of design.
negotiation,
Education is the key to this — education of
conflict People skills a necessity interested teachers and local supporters of
Participative design calls for well
the school.
resolution developed people skills in the
permaculture designer if they are to lead Work in this area in Australia has been
and a the process and implement its community started by Robyn McCurdy, Ross Mars and
range of input stages. Salli Ramsden, among others. However,
it will have to become more widespread
participatory Facilitation, negotiation, conflict
if projects are not to go into decline if an
resolution and a range of participatory
enthusiastic teacher is transferred or if the
skills are skills are useful techniques for the
permaculture designer moves on to other
permaculture in schools activist to acquire
useful through appropriate adult evening
things.

techniques.. college courses, books and audio tapes.


Networks to worknets
Techniques developed by Edward de Bono, If permaculture is a means to taking
such as the Six Thinking Hats, positive/ local action on global issues as well as of
negative/ interesting comparisons, addressing local concerns, then we need to
organising and exploring diagrams would develop effective networks which include
prove of benefit in simplifying the process people in different countries as well as
and maintaining participant focus. people from our own regions.

The idea is to turn these networks into


Challenges worknets through which we can advise
If permaculture designers are to become
and, where possible, physically assist each
further involved in education, then other.
there will be a need to develop skills in
participative design, the groundwork This was a reason for organising the
for which was laid by Robyn McCurdy Permaculture in Schools networking day
at the 1995 Permaculture Convergence at the 1996 International Permaculture
workshops in Adelaide. Convergence in Bridgetown, Western
Australia.
Development of design skills and those
A large core of people active in the area
pertinent to working successfully with
came together on that occasion. More
groups of people will be of advantage.
have signalled their interest since.
So will the ability to develop designs
It is now up to individuals to take the
which are achievable within budget,
initiative and use the skills, knowledge
which are constructed to a timeline and
and experience available through this
which can be integrated into the curricula.
network. Then we will be on our way
to turning the permaculture in schools
network into a functioning worknet.

ideas for permaculture educators 5


Participatory Permaculture
ethics

permaculture design... The ethics guide the


overall direction of
permaculture and
Permaculture works when the designer provide a
takes the principles of permaculture
Work chunks reference by which
design and adapts their application to Even within a small stage, further projects can be
the circumstances and characteristics of dividing the job into chunks of work leads assessed.
different sites and groups of people. to its completion in a logical order. The
work chunks can be placed on a timeline Permaculture
This is how the designer adapts if necessary; those requiring finishing ethics provide
permaculture to different design contexts. before the next step started and those a framework,
which can be done in parallel identified. encouraging
These contexts consist of:
designers to address
Doing small work chunks in parallel,
Æ the physical characteristics of the site the real needs of the
providing there are enough people to do
and the surrounding catchment Earth and its people.
the work, saves time.
Æ the needs of the client group
Æ availability of funding, time and other
resources
Let’s imagine...
developing a whole school plan
Care of
Æ the motivation and commitment of
participants. This might be broken down into a the Earth
number of discrete but connected stages:
• caring for the soil,
Small, manageable stages Æ site and sector analysis including water, atmosphere,
Implementing a larger project as a analysis of the surrounding catchment plants, forests,
connected series of small stages rather, area animals
than dissipating energy and motivation Æ survey of school and community needs
by tackling too large a segment at a time
Æ energy/ water/ waste audits Care of
or by trying to implement bits of several
stages over a longer time period. This Æ developing the brief, a vision for the people
makes a large project manageable and school grounds
• providing essential
achievable. Æ permaculture participatory design
process
needs of food,
The idea is to break larger projects into shelter, clean
Æ presentation to school community
smaller stages, tackle them one at a time, water, healthcare,
consolidate each as it is completed (don’t Æ plans of action
education,
leave small bits unfinished), then move Æ implementation: livelihood,
on to the next small stage.  workshops conviviality
The completion of each small stage can  food garden
be treated as a milestone on the way to  rainforest garden Contribution
the successful completion of the entire  bush food forest • distributing surplus
project.
 plantings for shade and wind resources
Don’t forget to celebrate your milestones. protection
• limiting
A few well chosen words with the group,  pergola/ trellis construction consumption
participants explaining what they liked/
 pond/ mini-wetland for ecology
didn’t like about the work and a mini- • taking
studies
celebration helps maintain morale and responsibility
motivation.  active and passive, creative and
for our lifestyles
imaginative play areas
and actions
 Rotary Trees for Survival, native
tree propagation shadehouse
installation
6 permaculture goes to school
 community arts component It follows that project sustainability is
Permaculture  adult areas something which should be considered
during the design stage.
principles...  access to the various components
 manual for teachers on integrating Education of particpants is one way to
Attitude... project into the school curriculum. ensure sustainability. Another means
• see solutions, not of doing this is to form a design team
These, together, constitute the of people from the local area who have
problems
redevelopment of the school grounds and some permaculture training. They can
• be effective as link to the academic life of the school. be supplemented by others with relevant
well as efficient
Designed to complement one another, skills such as teaching, facilitating,
• co-operate rather appropriate technology, architecture,
the components may be implemented
than compete. over a protracted period of time as horticulture or landscape design
separate mini-projects, so that they are knowledge.
Taking action... manageable and so they can be started as A team approach to design accomplishes
• minimise finance, time and other resources become two main things:
maintenance and available.
Æ it enables the project to continue in
energy inputs while The most appropriate stage is selected as the event of a designer leaving
maximising yield the starting point.
Æ it upgrades the skills of permaculturists
• work where it A school food garden or food forest, for and sets up a team of people capable
counts; educate instance, is a stage of the total project of taking on other projects in their
people who which can be broken down into a local area.
want to learn series of smaller steps to be carried out
Breaking the project into smaller stages
• assist people to in sequential order — site and sector
and, if useful, breaking those stages down
become self reliant. analysis, site clearance, measuring
into work chunks may make the sequence
and marking out garden beds, soil
of events clearer to participants, make a
The biosphere... improvement, plant propagation,
large project seem achievable and make
planting out and maintenance.
• work with nature implementation more manageable.
rather than against it Work chunks such as propagation can be
Working with a design team ensures
• use diversity to carried out in parallel with other works
project sustainability and improves
if a small amount of time is dedicated to
encourage stability. the design skills of team members by
the activity at each work meeting. This
experience on a real project with all its
provides a variety of work for students.
Design for opportunities and limitations.
human The completion of each of these work
chunks is marked by a participatory
settlement...
appraisal of how it was carried out,
• bring food providing a review of procedures and
production back reinforcing the learning for the students.
to the cities to
The process is then followed by a mini-
minimise impact on
celebration to mark the completion of
the land
the segment and the transition to the
• use everything to next, creating an acknowledgement of
its highest capacity; the value of the student’s work and an
recycle all wastes anticipation of the next stage.
and design for
multifunction Teams for sustainability
• make the least When key personnel, those with technical
change for the knowledge, enthusiastic teachers
greatest possible or permaculture designers from the
effect through community, leave a project, the entire
process may be placed in jeopardy and, in
good design.
the worst cases, may collapse.

ideas for permaculture educators 7


The mindmaps on the following pages may be useful in planning
the various stages of a permaculture in schools project.
The order in which they are implemented would depend on the
circumstances of the particular project...

The design project...


A school
permaculture
project starts with an
idea.

The idea is developed,


then taken to the
school principal to
get some indication
of school interest and
project feasibility.

Then, it’s time to


present the idea to
teachers and school
groundspeople,
parents and interested
community members.

A playground
committee made
up of parents,
teachers, students
and community
members can be set
up to work on and
develop the design
brief (a description
of the project’s aims
and purposes) and the
design process.

Successfully
completed, the design
moves into the
implementation stage.

8 permaculture goes to school


Identifying outcomes...
T he first stage of any design project is
the asking of three questions:
permaculture activists with skills
appropriate to achieving our aim
(skills may be identified)
Æ where do we want to get to?
Æ we will implement the garden project
Æ where are we now?
through a strategy made up of
Æ how are we going to get there?
achievable steps and implement the
This is the situation analysis. The aim of project as resources permit.
asking these three questions is to obtain The situation analysis has identified our
group agreement on the aims of the goal — the point we want to reach — our
project. Once this is done and recorded, present situation and the need for a broad
everybody is working towards clear aims strategy to achieve our aim. We have now
which have been agreed upon — they are identified and identified our project.
heading in the same direction.

The answers to our three questions Visioning — where do we


should be short and concise, such as: want to get to?
As part of this process participants
Æ we will design, construct and plant
visualise what the site might look like in
out a permaculture garden using
future, what components there will be in
participatory techniques and with
site and who has helped to develop the
student, teacher and community
site.
involvement
Æ we are a group of people including This information is then sorted to develop
teachers, community members and a group vision for the site.

Broad aims
identified...

ideas for permaculture educators 9


Permaculture in schools
— the benefits
W hen proposing that a school take
on a permaculture project, it might
help to identify the benefits. These may
presenting their different perspectives. No
judgements are made at this stage about
the content of the columns. Its important
be broad benefits common to most to get down the ideas.
permaculture in school projects or a set of
Then, list the negative, staying with that
benefits peculiar to the school’s situation.
category until it is completed.

Brainstorming The Interesting column will contain items


Brainstorming ideas with a group of which do not fit readily into the Positive
participants or a design team is one way or Negative columns as well as those
of building up a list of benefits. resulting from ‘what if’ type of questions.

People will have concerns about the The separate items can then be assessed.
project, so it’s useful to deal with these
openly and promptly.

One way of doing this is to identify


concerns at the same time that benefits
are identified. This reduces the likelihood
that the negative thinkers in the group A few broad benefits...
will dominate the meeting with
doom and gloom reasons why the
project cannot work.

Edward de Bono’s
Positive/Negative/
Interesting table
A Positive/ Negative/ Interesting
(PNI) table enables permaculture
designers to identify aspects of the
project in a graphic framework. It
brings together participant visions,
fears, concerns and other points
that don’t fit into positive or
negative catagories.

To make a PNI table, draw up


three columns on a blackboard or
on butcher’s paper and head these
Positive, Negative and Interesting.

Start by brainstorming and writing


up the positive. Do not move on
to the negative until positive ideas
are exhausted.

It doesn’t matter if there is


disagreement on which column
the idea belongs, people are just

10 permaculture goes to school


Permaculture in schools
— the concerns
T eachers and parents will be capable
of listing numerous concerns about a
proposed permaculture in schools project.
circumstances may be different, they
could provide a general guide to the
reality of fears and concerns and how
they have been dealt with.
Some of their concerns will be valid for
particular sites, some not. Some concerns may be ongoing while
others will be episodic. Vandalism,
All concerns should be treated as valid
an issue which always comes up, has
as they have probably all happened at
proven to be a sporadic event rather than
different times and in different places. All
constant event in some schools.
deserve careful consideration.
A risk assessment identifying potential
It may prove useful to be aware of
hazards and ways they can be minimised
how these concerns have been dealt
may prove useful during this stage.
with in other projects. Although their
It is the role of the designer to develop a
A few broad concerns... plan which minimises negative concerns.

Teacher/ parent/
community concerns may
include:

Æ drain on school
resources
Æ ongoing maintenance
of site, particularly in
school holidays
Æ vandalism
Æ risk management and
safety
Æ supervision of students
Æ use by after-school-
hours drug users
Æ developing teacher/
parent/ community
motivation and skills to
sustain project
Æ aesthetics/ visual
presentation
Æ lack of parent and
teacher time to put into
site development
Æ crowded curriculum,
lack of time to use and
develop the site
Æ being left by designer to
fend for themselves.

ideas for permaculture educators 11


Having completed the visioning process the brief/ site and sector analysis/ design
and brainstormed benefits and concerns master plan/ working drawings and so In the action plan
around the project, we assess whether on. template below,
our design group is capable on achieving
Responsibilities may be assigned or small the objective
them.
teams formed to carry out the stages. would be the
A SWOT analysis is a means to assess this stage of the
We identify the stages and plan when we
because it discloses the groups strengths
envisage achieving them, when we should project to be
and weaknesses and identifies factors
which could limit achievement of the
start them, how long each stage is likely planned; the
to last, which could be happening at the steps would
vision.
same time and which need to be finished
be the work
SWOT analysis before the next step can be started.
chunks which
Now is the time to do a SWOT analysis This produces a timeline or action plan are implemented
of our team to assess our capability of and our stages become a set of objectives
enacting the strategy and reaching our to complete the
to be achieved.
goal. The SWOT analysis identifies our: stage.
Æ S — strengths; those
things working in our
favour
Æ W — weaknesses; those
skills and knowledge we
lack but which we need to
reach our goal
Æ O — opportunities;
factors beyond our own
knowledge, skills and
capabilities which would
work in our favour
Æ T — threats; those things
which are likely to stand
in our way of threaten
the implementation
and sustainability of the
project.

We now have a broad


knowledge of where we stand
and can assess whether we
can achieve our vision.

Scheduling the
steps
To implement our vision we
proceed to action planning
in which the key question is:
What are the most important
things to do to move towards
our vision?

This is where we identify


and prioritise the stages of
the project such as: develop

12 permaculture goes to school


Techniqies, organisational and teaching
Implementation methods are assessed and he actual time of
Having reached group agreement on the completion of the various stages are plotted
design and timing for implementing the against the estimated time.
project, it is time to start the first stage.
This is prepared as a report to the school
We choose an easy-to-implement activity and other participants.
of comparatively short duration to
achieve a visible, quick result. This should Evaluating
motivate participants. At the conclusion to a suitable period —
after one year, for instance — an evaluation
It should be preceded by an introduction
is carried out and written up in a report
to site safety — how to use tools safely,
distributed to participants.
appropriate clothing (shoes, hats,
suncream), caution near cliffs or water This assesses the implementation of the
and the importance of cleaning up the project and the effectiveness of:
site on conclusion of the activity. Æ teaching methods
Æ organisational structure
The activity should involve the use of
imagination, appropriate tools and skills Æ decision making processes
which make use of learning relevant to Æ tools and components used in design
school subject areas. An example would implementation
be setting out garden beds and paths Æ problem areas, their causes and
which utilises skills in measuring, map solutions
reading and spacial relationships. Æ areas of success and the reasons they
succeeded
With tools and other inputs organised
Æ the actual with estimated completion
to be on site on time, it is the role of
times for the stages of the project.
the designer and teachers to supervise
implementation, turning the activity into The evaluation lists suggestions for
a learning experience, co-ordinating the project reorganisation. It is a document
work and overseeing safety. of considerable value to other working in
permaculture in schools.
Concluding and reinforcing
At the conclusion to the activity it might Arrangements are made for the next stage
prove useful to reinforce feelings of of project design and implementation.
accomplishment.

Gather participants into a circle, relax them


and ask what they liked most and least
about the activity, what was one thing they
learned and how the work could be done
better next time. Decide the date and time
of the next work meeting.

This is the concluding phase to the


activity.

Monitoring
Monitoring is done at regular intervals to
assess how the project is progressing, to
identify problems and reinforce strengths.

The conclusion of each school term may be


an appropriate interval for monitoring and
lessons learned can be used to modify the
following term’s program.

ideas for permaculture educators 13


It's olives and vegies at Black Forest...
A delaide's Black Forest Primary School
operates a successful and long-
running school food garden project,
“If I was involved in this type of program again”, Grahan
explained, “I would want more time to support teachers in their
knowledge and skill development.
thanks to the expertise and enthusiasm
of project co-ordinator/teacher, Graham “If you or your school are considering aspects of environmental
Hunt. Graham has integrated the project education, I would recommend that you develop a vision and
into the school curriculum. school-wide commitment to achieve it. The relevance to children
and their increased learning make it worthwhile.”
Funding for the project was obtained
as grants from the National Landcare Black Forest Primary School is probably unique in that the
Program, Greening Australia, Trees for Life students are involved in the processing of olives into olive oil
and from the parents of students. and its marketing to parents.

Graham had to meet a number of The olive trees in the school are remnants of an old orchard which
challenges, such as the development of occupied the site long before the school was built.
staff support and training, production of
written curriculum guidelines and lesson
ideas and production of a resource file. Arts: Mime, Maths: Counting,
drama, song, measuring,
To allay fears that he was stuffing more Health/ PE:
television, painting, graphing, Environmental
into the curriculum than teachers and construction calculating health, air
students could handle, Graham made sure monitoring, water
Integrating Black pollution
that environmental education at Black
Forest primary
Forest involved hands-on activities across garden with
the curriculum. school curriculum Science:
Technology: Design, Ecosystems,
construction of
For any permaculure food growing processes,
mini-glasshouses, investigations,
development to succeed, according to compost bins and English: Story
writing, speaking, energy, gas
Graham, a co-ordinator with gardening energy efficient emissions,
systems newsletters,
knowledge and communications skills is a research,
posters.
necessity. So is the participation of parents resources
and the support of teachers.

School needs
Integration of project with curricula
Assessing needs...
Identification of educational outcomes of project Designers needs
Low establishment and maintenance costs Clear brief about needs of school and students
Safety of students and staff; risk minimisation Knowledge of curricula and how project will be
Supervision of students integrated
Positive public image Good communication and people skills
Attractive appearance Information about resources school will
Assistance with integration into make available to maintain project
curricula, ongoing project Co-operation by and education of
maintenance grounds and maintenance staff
Support from parent groups
Student needs
Learning opportunities Parents/ community needs
Space for recreation, quiet sitting, socialising Children's and community safety
Project design which stimulates interest Visually attractive
Practical, innovative integration in curriculum No pollution - noise, odour, visual
Adventurous but low-risk environment

14 permaculture goes to school


CASE STUDY

Particpatory design of school grounds...


...designed and trialled by Robyn McCurdy,
Tlholego Development Project, South Africa

In 1995, Robyn McCurdy, from


Tui Community, New Zealand,
Survey a representative sample of what is
taking place on a particular piece of
began working with the Tlholego Base survey land.
Development Project in South Africa. Construct a survey relevant for the
age and abilities of the students, Starting from one perimeter,
The Tlholego rural development including language abilities, for use walk across the land to the other
training and living centre utilises in small groups. perimeter. Observe closely what
permaculture and a host of allied lives along that line, mapping it
strategies in pursuit of their aim of If short on time, each group may
take a different aspect of the survey as you go to gain a cross-section
self reliance.
and report their findings back to the of the natural features.
This is an outline of participatory class. If there is plenty of time, each
processes developed at Tlholego for Method
group completes the entire survey.
the design of school grounds. 1. Divide the class into groups of
Map three to seven students
The areas covered are:
The teacher supplies a scale map on — equip each group takes a
Æ Needs assessment A3 paper on which students draw map showing fixed features,
Æ Survey and write information. Alternatively, pencil, pressing board,
take the time to teach the students in masking tape, trowel and
Æ Water storage assessment groups of three to five to draw up a large bag
Æ Inventory of bioregional scale map.
resources — allocate each group a
For a rough approach, stride out the letter such as A,B,C for
Æ Ideas from other schools and perimeter of your school grounds, identification, and write all
permaculture teaching sessions then, with a sharp stick, draw in the the members names on the
soil the shape of the grounds and top of the map
Æ Visioning exercise
work out where buildings and fixed
Æ Decision-making process features are located in this. — each group takes a different
starting point so a variety of
Æ Identifying necessary materials Change the lines, shapes and cross-sections are produced.
Æ Budgetting placement of buildings until the
group agrees. 2. Choose a beginning place on one
Æ List priorities for implementation perimeter and an ending place
Count the number of strides on the opposite peritmeter
Æ Funding between structure and features and
Æ Allocation of tasks and scale this down proportionally. Draw — students walk an imaginary
reponsibilities another map and compare with the line from perimeter to
original. Put in co-ordinates for north, perimeter, looking carefully at
Æ Go for it, and have fun! the ground up to one metre
south, east and west.
either side of the imaginary
Needs assessment You now have the beginnings of a line
Carry out a brainstorming session map for your school.
— students note what is seen
and draw up as a mind map on a big Draw a grid on a large sheet of paper — vegetation, hollows, moist
chart in front of the class. and transfer your drawing in soil onto spots, erosion, trees, changes
Use headings of students, teachers, this paper, again using proportional to soil type, insects, humps
the environment, local community. scaling. etc.
Do the process with the wider You could do a rough sketch map 3. In their plastic bags groups
community. first then a neater one later. collect specimens of plants, soil
types, litter etc
Needs will become evident as you Transect
conduct your survey. A transect is an important part of — specimens are labelled with
the survey. The purpose is to gain masking tape or paper labels

ideas for permaculture educators 15


in the numeric order (1,2,3 specimen numbers. amount of rain would be caught

Participatory school design...


etc) that they are gathered as if there was a roof of whatever
11. Remove plant pressings after slope in between as rain falls
— the name of the group is several weeks. down like a sheet); it is easier to
written alongside each measure the floor area rather than
number and the sample 12. Stick plant pressings onto the
large map climbing onto the roof to take
number recorded on the map measurements
where the specimens are — groups write the names of
gathered. specimens alongside them on 3. Knowing these two figures, you
the map will be able to work out the
4. Soil samples are taken at regular amount of harvestable rainfall
intervals along the transect to a — the result is a map showing over the rainy season; multiply
total of about five samples about what the entire school the average monthly rainfall by
three hands deep (filling the hole grounds is made up of the surface area of your roof and
afterwards) you get the amount of rainfall it is
— draw in the prevailing wind,
— each is placed in a separate areas receiving most sunshine, possible to catch and store each
bag labelled with the location shade etc. month
along the transect where it 4. Determine the school’s water
was taken 13. The map and the soil study
allows students to interpret areas consumption over a period by
— after returning to class, in need of erosion control, low adding together calculations for
students place each sample damp places for wetlands and drinking, toilets, washing and
in a jar of water, shake it, water-loving plants, dry flat areas garden use:
and leave it to settle for a for sports, fertile soil for garden — drinking: show students one,
few hours to determine areas and so on. two and five litre containers
the composition of the soil and ask what amount of a
— clay, sand, silt, loam etc Water storage container they would drink in
a day;
— the type of soil will affect
what use can be made of the
assessment
To calculate the capacity of water add all answers for a class
particular area of land. total then divide by the
storage tanks appropriate to the
5. If the plant samples can be situation, you need to determine number of students in the
identified, students write the the amount of water the school uses class to get an average for the
information on their map or on a over a given period, the available whole class — ie representing
separate sheet. catchment area and the amount of one student;
water which can be harvested.
6 Unidentified species are multiply this by the number
researched and identified by Method (these are mathematics of students in the school,
local common name and botanic lessons in their own right): then by the number of
name later. days a month to gain an
1. Find the annual rainfall and the approximation of the amount
7. On completion of thefirst rainy months — ask weather of water drunk by students
transect, make another transect bureau, find closest source of over a month
between two other perimeters, weather information; for the
carrying out the same sampling. future, set up a rain gauge and — toilets and washing: if you
keep regular records; add the use water for toilet flushing,
8. Each group makes a presentation rainfall figures for each month of how much water per flush
upon completion of the the year to get the annual total multiplied by the number of
transects. and divide by 12 to find the flushed a day, average student
9. Collected plant specimens are average monthly rainfall visits to the toilet;
pressed between newspaper 2. Calculate the total catchment to calculate a monthly
and something heavy placed on area from school building roofs average for the whole school,
top so the plants are pressed flat. by measuring the surface area of multiply the number of
10. Draw a large map of the school the floor (length multiplied by students by the number of
area, enlarging the scale of fixed breadth) of the building which days a month at school
features from the original maps has rainfall catchment guttering
for washing, place a basin
using a grid system; draw every on its roof (imagine the building
beneath the tap and pour
group’s transect onto the large without a roof, with rain falling
the collected water from the
map and include the location of onto the floor — the same

16 permaculture goes to school


basin into a receptacle of to install several smaller tanks — it uses verbal expression and

Participatory school design...


known capacity; (perhaps one for each roof area) creative expression through art
amounting to the same volume as media; it begins by looking at the
similarly for dish washing; one large tank. broadscale through class interviews,
multiply this daily water use key questions and mind maps as
for washing by the number 7. Cost the materials to make
tools; the wider community can be
of students by the number of the tanks, investigating cost
involved in this process.
days at school in a month for different materials such as
fibreglass, plastic, wire mesh and
— garden: mark out a square cement; determine whether the Decision making
metre of garden and run a labour would be without cost or Selection panel
hose onto the soil until the would be added to the budget. Narrow down the ideas listed in the
soil shows a sheen of water;
visioning exercise by applying the
time how long the hose ran Inventory of following checklist:
from turning on the tap to
turning it off;
bioregional resources Æ is it popular
Survey industrial by-products in
Æ does it bring about healthy
take two buckets and run the the region available for recycling
conditions
water again for the same time, and under what arrangements; eg
counting the number of filled cardboard boxes, grass clippings, Æ is it useful to the majority of
buckets for the time; sacks, wood offcuts etc; ask family students
and friends employed in such places
multiply the result by the Æ is it relatively simple to make
to make enquiries and put aside
number of square metres
useful materials for times the school Æ does it require regular
of garden plus trees in the
can arrange its collection; businesses maintenance over the longer term
early establishment stage and
and local authorities are generally
you have an approximate Æ are the costs reasonable
sympathetic to school projects.
water usage for one watering
session; Æ does it fit the school’s broad
Ideas from other vision/ mission/ purpose.
multiply this by the number
of waterings a day and the schools and Have a panel — elected or
number of watering days permaculture appointed — of no more than seven
people, preferably less, decide on
a year (subtracting the
approximate number of rainy teaching sessions the design for the school.
days) and you have some Inspiration and ideas can come
idea of your total garden from audio-visual documentation Scale model
water consumption. of what other schools have done, Using paper machee make the
regardless of where they are in topography of the land thick enough
5. Look up annual rainfall figures the world; sophisticated designs to stick things onto and support
and find out the average longest can often be modifies and made them; the group makes (or has
period between good falls of simpler; expensive materials can made) a model of the grounds
rain; be substituted with cheaper or and fixed features, to scale - and
recycled materials; direct teaching adds to this model all of the new
— work out how much water
of permaculture themes and design features, using representatvie
you would use during this dry
approaches to design can provide symbols to convey additions. The
period;
information to fuel inspiration and model should show the design as
— by multiplying the number commitment. implemented and at maturity. Stages
of days of dry period by of the design (eg. at one year on, 5
the amount of daily water
consumption you can
Visioning exercise years, 10 years) should be shown
separately on large paper, preferably
There is a difference to providing
calculate how much water with overlays.
what you need and what you
you need to store; take this as
want; it is important to identify and Grounds layout
a minimum amount.
provide for essential needs; it is Prepare the grounds for presentation
6. Estimate the size of tanks or empowering to create what you so that people who have input
storage to hold this amount want — as long as it is attainable can see what the design really
and determine what size and fits the purpose and character means on the ground; use ropes
tanks need to be installed and of the school; the visioning exercise to shape representations of the
whether it is more appropriate focuses on both needs and wants gardens and tall sticks for specimen

ideas for permaculture educators 17


trees and other visual aids which
indicate the actual shape and size
Budgeting Funding
Check your inventory of locally Once there is something to show,
of the recommended changes and
recycled materials, then cost other apply for funding for the next step;
additions.
items and make up a budget. begin with parents and school
Presentation to staff, supporters, then the local village,
town or suburb; first, try the places
students, the wider which supply the materials to see
community if they will donate materials, then
Invite people to the presentation approach businesses for finance
at which the panel gives a talk and with the attitude of ‘partnership’
uses the scale model and ground so they feel they are receiving
layout to show how the design will something in return for their support,
develop; invite feedback and put even if it is simply goodwill
the design to the vote conditional Prioritise
upon financial needs being met.
implementation Allocate tasks
Allocate tasks and responsibilities
Identify necessary Decide on what should be done first
and go for the simplest, cheapest
materials thing which will give the best result Go for it
Ask for specialised help in drawing for the shortest period of labour ... and have fun!
up technical details of the design input; this helps build momentum
Robyn Mc Curdy
where necessary and to identify and confidence.
suitable plant species etc; locate Acknowledgements to PELUM,
sources for all materials for the first Zimbabwe, for introducing me to
stage of implementation and aim for the map and transect process.
subsequent stages as well.

Opportunity to help Dear permaculture people,


There is a green school in Hachnop village (Andra Pradesh,
a school in India... India) in the protected area.
One of the outcomes of The school was started in 1991-92 and is being managed by the
the Permaculture in Schools Deccan Development Society.
workshop at the Sixth Most of the children are from a deprived community of dalit
International Permaculture families - those who cannot afford to send their children to
Convergence was the move for school.
permaculture to become a more All the children and staff at the school are involved
self-supporting movement. in the implementation of the school design by practical
participation and exposure to aspects of permaculture.
Implicit in this idea is the need Highly efficient soil and water conservation works such
to support each other’s projects. as trenches and bunds constructed on the contour, gully
We do this by distributing surplus plugging, diversion channels and farm ponds have been
funds, goods and services — completed and are functioning well.
implementing, in effect, the third The land is becoming greener and has already started to
ethic of per,maculture — provide some yields.
the sharing of surplus. We have been struggling to evolve a regular permaculture
curriculum or subjects for the students. So far, due to lack
Narsanna Koppula presents of resources, progress has not been very satisfactory.
us with the opportunity to
In this region of India, we need your help in providing some
implement the third ethic materials and small funds to ensure the poorer students are
by assisting his worthwhile able to continue their studies.
permaculture education project If resources are not there, it is difficult for the students
in rural India. to learn the permaculture ethics.
While visiting Australia as a I hope I will satisfy you with this small amount of
sponsored delegate of India’s information about our work.
Deccan Development Society Any kind help would be welcome.
for the Sixth International Narsanna Koppula
Permaculture Convergence, Deccan Development Society, Pastapur, Zahirabad, Medak,
Narsanna wrote this letter... Andra Pradesh, India 502 318

18 permaculture goes to school

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