Ben,
There is enormous opportunity in SD for organizing around permaculture. I'm not able to help out much at the moment. I've forwarded your message on to Marc B, who may be able to, however.
I don't want to push ideas I will not be supporting--but if you can get to
Quail Springs when Geoff Lawton is there and hear the story about the
Permaculture Noosa organization, that may be an example SD can benefit from.
Addressing your questions:
> 1. Is there an active Permaculture group in San Diego?
Many people working in different ways on different pieces. SDFoodNotLawns, however, seems to have most of the local pc-aware people following it--try posting these questions to their email list--
sdfoodnotlawns.com.
> 2. If so where do they meet? If not would you and others be interested in
> forming a group along with several of our interested members?
> 3. Do you ever speak to groups about Permaculture? If not do you know some
> one that does?
I've had great intentions and plans but have not followed through in any significant way--
> 4. Are there ever local Permaculture Design courses? If not then how would
> we go about getting a certified instructor here locally to teach a group?
>
Marcia Boruta of
sdecc.igc.org organized at least one of these at camp stevens in Julian in 2003. I believe, however, she has retired from organizing and speaking about PC.
Lawton / the Designers' Manual recommends weekend PC courses for developing local teachers and local PC--
We need some dedicated locals to go get certified and then set up weekend courses here. People who want more experienced teachers can always go to quail springs or other places. The
rhizome collective may be a good example for developing our local PC.
--------------------------
There is a lot of potential here to educate and organize around PC.
My recommendations:
(1) establish a once-a-month weekend work party/trading party/skill share with a brief meeting as part of it that rotates at people's houses/at community PC-related projects or businesses. Travelling for short evening meetings over such a vast area as SD county does not make sense.
(2) establish local multiple-weekend PC cert courses.
(3) Generate demand for (2) by showing films related to PC at local venues--e.g. global gardener, & and the gardening australia video Marc B and I got from Josh.
(4+) Consider why PC has not yet found wide appeal in SD and SoCal--are there cultural barriers that could be opportunities?
I have a vision of SD where the excessively wide streets are depaved, sculpted for rainwater harvesting, and planted with useful and edible spieces. Maybe in the future I can help out, but for the time being I'm focused on spending more time in the forest.
I hope that you are able to find more collaborators through Marc B, SD Food Not Lawns, or through all the links on the web sites I've created in the past--such as
sdperm.blogspot.com,
sdtjdph.blogspot.com.
Peace,
Colin
> To give you some background about myself. I have been interested in
> Permaculture for several years now. I have been getting really serious about
> it in the last year or so as I see the status quo destructive practices of
> society starting to bear fruit. I want to get involved and involved now to
> preserve some semblance of a future for my descendants. I am a 5 generation
> Californian and am deeply distressed as to what this state has become
> especially in light of its past natural grandeur and agricultural history. I
> am currently the chair of the local California Rare Fruit Growers
> organization. You probably know about us already and what we are about. If
> not you can find out more about us at
www.crfg.org and at our local chapter
> website
nc.crfgsandiego.org We have several in the group that would like to
> also practice Permaculture on our backyard gardens and at a local level
> besides being active in CRFG. There are some really talented folks in our
> group that could bring multiple disciplines to bear. Looking forward to
> further discussion. Ben Pierce
