Permaculture Intro Series at Straub Aug 15/22/29 + Sep 5

Permacultural aspect: helping animals in a veggie garden; harnessing and maintenance (Photo credit: Wikipedia)Four-Part Workshop Series: Introduction to Permaculture Design
Instructor: Kendy Radasky

Four Consecutive Wednesday evenings, August 22 -- Sept. 5, 6 - 8 pm
At Straub Environmental Center (1320 A. St. NE, Salem)

Permaculture is a design system that enables humans to interact in a positive and regenerative way with our surroundings, as we consciously create lifeways that emulate natural patterns such as diversity, connectivity, resilience, flow, and cycling.

This introductory workshop series will give a taste of the principles and applications of permaculture, and provide an opportunity to see the depth and breadth of its roots. It will be a jumping-off point for understanding how natural systems work and how we can design human environments that produce food, shelter, and energy. It will also provide participants with models of community organization and engagement by which they can strengthen their support network and encourage others to do the same.

The hands-on learning focus of this workshop series is key to its content. The workshops will be taught using lecture, images and videos, group discussion, exercises, and other methods that suit a wide variety of learning styles.

The first workshop in the series will serve as a great beginning to the 4-workshop series, though each of the workshops may stand alone as well (i.e. attendance at the first workshop is not required to attend any of the other three).

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August 15th: Introduction/ Designing with Nature

This workshop will introduce to you the guiding principles and potential applications of Permaculture. We will also explore a number of approaches to the process of design – learning how to integrate systems for efficiency, abundant yield, and beauty. Lecture, discussion, and hands-on, interactive (indoor) activities will help us reach our goals.

August 22nd: Cultivated Ecology and The Living Soil –
Food Forests, Guilds, and Soil Regeneration

Have you ever noticed that there is no waste in a forest? Come to this workshop to learn to emulate natural forest systems in designing and thinking about your yard and garden. We’ll discuss the importance of perennial plants (especially trees) in natural systems and how to harness the innate skills of a variety of plants in caring for your garden. We’ll use an outdoor, hands-on project to explore various ways of improving the life and health of your soil.

August 29th: Water Harvesting / Earthworks and Wastewater Processing

It’s all about water. In this workshop, we’ll discuss ‘water security’ and how to obtain it through passive and active rainwater harvesting. We will also learn about greywater systems design (to make double-use of your shower, sink, and washing machine water) and the power of bioswales to clean polluted wastewater before it leaves your site. Our hands-on project will focus on using simple tools to locate and lay out a swale on the land around the workshop site.

September 5th: Urban Strategies & Social Permaculture

Permaculture is so much more than growing food or harvesting rainwater! It can be practiced on any scale (even an urban apartment) and its principles are very effectively applied to localized social and financial systems. We will learn about small scale urban permaculture strategies as well as skills for projects in re-localization and community-building.

Contact Kendy Radasky to sign up or for more info: kendyrad@gmail.com.

Cost is $5/workshop or $15 for the series. See flyer attached and more info below.