Why do I unschool with permaculture and what does that mean?
Why and how have I created my own work?
Why do I believe permaculture education is so important?
How was I inspired by leading ecological mentors at Schumacher College and volunteering in the Himalayas?
This podcast on The Urban Farmgives the back story as to why I live this way, why I do what I do, and what drives me.
It went to air on a couple of days ago from the the Urban Farm HQ in Phoenix, Arizona. It is 56 minutes - grab a cuppa, or put it on in the car. I hope you enjoy it.
I was inspired to live a simple abundant life after volunteering in Ladakh, in the Himalayas in 1992 and 1995. My experience there had a profound impact on me.
For 18 years I have lived in a permaculture ecovillage with a vibrant community and beautiful natural environment.
We designed and built our home in affordable, 'buildable' modules - before this, we'd built a coffee table!
Our edible landscape surrounds the house and provides an abundance of vegetables, fruits, herbs, flowers, medicinals, mulch and habitat for a diversity of species. It's a super low maintenance system filled with self-seeding plants and perennials.
Extra information posted on the Urban Farm Website (www.urbanfarm.org) about the contents of this podcast:
Listen in and learn about:
Her path to get to where she is at based on strong ethics, environmental activism and natural health upbringing from her parents.
Her early teenage year with activism and being connected to nature
How growing up with the awareness of nuclear war potentials and oils shortages influenced her messages
Her father’s teachings to look for positive solutions
Being influenced by Fritjof Capra, author of TAO of Physics,
Her adventures in England that introduced her to permaculture foundations and teachings
Her head and heart filling up with possibilities
How she transformed her ideas and inspiration into the reality of her life in Australia
Her life on the amazing Crystal Waters village community (you need to hear all of this to believe it) with 83 households working together in a true permaculture community
WWOOFers that come to the village and the WWOOFing that helps teach her kids so much about the world
When your green you grow, when your ripe you rot
Her son’s homeschool project of solar powered transportation for their community
How she learned so much more about successful permaculture after she left the university
What she feels is needed to start successful polycultural systems
Her connected pods that create her home which expanded as her family did
The story of how their home was built by themselves and what that means to them
How she can forage for food just outside her door
Why she considers her home an ecological system that looks after itself
Some real treats in her garden that demonstrate how many edible parts there are in any garden
What the biggest products that come from her garden are besides food for her family
What she does with the recycling depository in her carport
How her children are already living and speaking permaculture
How she is un-schooling her kids and the benefits of this method
As well as:
How she is learning to accept that some of her ideas have not reached their time yet
Why she thinks her project of Northey Street City Farm is her biggest success
Why feeling the pain and injustice of the earth being destroyed and cultures being dismantled actually drives her to seek out better solutions
Her final piece of advice is to be open and listen to learn