Summary of talk at a forum held at Lawson by BMET in October 2023
By Rosemary Morrow
As we take on more and more technology, everything from our phones, cars, sports, meetings online, and work at home, we also are teaching our children to be a new people: a people who cannot listen to the land, nor see it in trouble. We don’t know where and how to intervene to mend, support and work with the land to restore it. And yet, we are the species who could do this special, and I call. It is sacred work.
A life spent mainly inside with ‘screens’ creates a glass wall between us and the land we live on, the waters we drink and the skies that bring sunshine and rain. We lose our ability to ‘read the land’ and to work with it. When we spend our lives indoors and our ‘outside’ life is walking the dog, running or on a sports field, we lose our ecological literacy.
There was a time when most of the human population spent most of their time outside and they discussed and learned from what they saw - the clouds, the wind, the new plants, pollinators, and animals. They recognised their functions and they valued them. They sought to protect them.
We don’t value and discuss what we don’t know. We are losing our knowledge. We can’t see damage to our environment. And we certainly don't know where and how to intervene to support and reverse the damage we are doing. We see tidy lawns we don’t see the loss of butterflies, moths, worms, or pollinators. If we are to have a habitable planet and leave it in good order for future generations - and that is surely a moral duty - we need to become ecologically literate. How do we become ecologically literate?
Go outside. Stand and stare. Ask yourself what was this place like before I was here, and who was here before I was here, and before that? What did it look like, was it forest or desert or sea? Know your evolutionary history. Then think about the recent past, the last 10,000 years or so, what was it like for most of that time? If it was a forest, what were the trees, the shrubs, the ground cover and who lived in all the ecosystems? How did they stabilise life and the climate? Learn a little about Orders of magnitude that will lead you to sustainability and what the elements of that were that kept the waters clean and running in dry times, the soils in place, and managed climate variability. What do you see now? If you don’t know join a Bushcare group, or National Parks, make it your business to know, and become literate about what was the good health of your bioregion. And take care, because as you do and its miracles and marvels are revealed to you, you will grow to love it, and also to be hurt when it is damaged. You will see it as a wonderland.
If you wish to be a partner in restoration Ask yourself what is the best place to intervene? What is the best time? What is the best technology? What will be the consequences? Will it multiply life? It’s important that your work counts.It may be that you just have to watch and pull out competitive weeds. Perhaps you need to plant pioneers or nurse plants, to protect the final vegetation. There are things to learn - how to restore rivers and creeks, and certainly how put water back into the water table. And this becomes wonderful knowledge and your conversations with others much richer and more meaningful. You will need to know about succession in restoration which occurs when land is badly degraded from fire, machines, over grazing, deforestation or just lawns. You will be elated when your work, in partnership with Nature, becomes a spiritual duty. Life, as a ‘Nature Restorer’ takes on meaning when you realise that air will be cleaner, water shaded and run longer, wind cleaned, life multiplied because of your work. It is good to stay small and work with wind, water, animals and soil. There’s so much we don’t know but so much to delight us. And there is no end to our learning as we become ecologically literate.
Here are ten ways people can reconnect with nature:
Nature Walks: Take regular walks in natural settings such as parks, forests, or along riversides to immerse yourself in the beauty of nature and to experience its calming and rejuvenating effects. Take your shoes off, walk in the grass, on the sand and over rocks.
Outdoor Activities: Engage in outdoor activities such as hiking, camping, birdwatching, or kayaking to experience the wonders of the natural world firsthand and to connect with the rhythms of nature.
Gardening: Start a garden, whether it's a small container garden on your balcony or a larger plot in your backyard, to cultivate a deeper connection with the earth and to experience the satisfaction of growing your own food or flowers. Create a garden that mimics natural ecosystems by using permaculture design principles such as diversity, polyculture, and companion planting. This fosters biodiversity and resilience.
Mindfulness Practices: Practice mindfulness or meditation outdoors, focusing on your breath and senses while immersing yourself in the sights, sounds, and sensations of nature.
Nature Journaling: Keep a nature journal where you can record your observations, thoughts, and feelings about the natural world around you. Sketch plants, animals, and landscapes, and write about your experiences and reflections.
Nature Photography: Take up nature photography as a hobby, using your camera or smartphone to capture the beauty and diversity of the natural world. Share your photos with others to inspire appreciation for nature.
Volunteer for Conservation: Get involved in conservation efforts by volunteering for local environmental organizations or participating in community clean-up events, tree planting initiatives, or habitat restoration projects.
Outdoor Yoga or Tai Chi: Practice yoga or Tai Chi outdoors, connecting your movements with the elements and rhythms of nature. Allow the natural surroundings to enhance your practice and deepen your sense of connection with the earth.
Stargazing: Spend time stargazing on clear nights, away from city lights, to marvel at the vastness of the universe and to feel a sense of awe and wonder at the natural beauty of the cosmos.
Unplug and Disconnect: Take regular breaks from technology and screens to disconnect from the digital world and reconnect with the natural world. Spend time outdoors without distractions, allowing yourself to be fully present in nature.
By incorporating these activities into your routine, you can cultivate a deeper connection with nature, promote personal well-being, and foster a greater appreciation for the natural world.
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While I pawed through and pored over, the alternative ideas in my parents’ Earth Garden, Down To Earth, and similar magazines, in my teens, I have only recently put some of the permaculture principles into the creation of an abundant oasis.
A year ago, I moved to a very cheap cottage on an almost bare block in a little town in the NSW Riverina. I had a vision of a food forest based on some of the permaculture gardening concepts I had used in patches in other gardens, and on reading and observing.
A year on, and I am beginning to understand the reality of allowing plants to find their way after some initial trial and error.
The fecundity of this garden that now surrounds the little cottage and provides us with more, and more, than enough for ourselves and others, is incredible. At the moment we almost have to steel ourselves each early morning as we head out with buckets to pick zucchinis, cucumbers, beans, kale, carrots, beetroot, corn (including popping corn), lettuce, rocket, rhubarb, melons, pumpkins and cut flowers.
The fruit trees, vines and bushes are growing and we have had a few apricots, plums and passionfruit already. The seven avocadoes I grew from seed are taking off and the hazelnuts we grew from cuttings have got their roots well down into the red soil.
From what looked like a weedy, unhealthy ecosystem favouring a couple of insect species and nasty (think Cat Heads) weeds, has emerged a chaotic, crazy life-filled area, with very little mowing thank goodness, that we share with a huge variety of creatures, microbes and plants.
We are letting plants go to seed where they want to, which works for them and us, we also harvest seed and replant in other areas, we mulch paths to walk on then put that broken down mulch back on the beds, we cut back and use that as mulch, we create compost then put it back in the garden, we use fruit fly netting and garlic spray, plus get rid of any fallen fruit immediately to keep the fruitfly population at a minimal level, we are planting natives for more birdlife and garden structure plus protection for other plants from the severe heat in summer and frosts in winter, and working on better watering systems.
Water is probably our biggest issue, in that the garden takes a lot of water, despite mulching and composting. We are still learning after only a year.
To refine my energy in and energy out techniques, and to co-create with nature to have a sustainable and regenerative garden, I am now considering doing some structured permaculture study and joining Permaculture Australia to join the social ecosystem of like-minded people.
As I walk in the garden, amazed at the growth and life, I realise how humans are not the main feature of nature as we would like to believe, but a part of it, and if we don’t begin to understand that as a collective, soon, we may well be relegated to a much smaller part.
I am still a wanderer at heart, but the joy of an abundant edible, fragrant and beautiful garden to share with a myriad of life forms, is something else. Maybe with some permaculture training, I can work it so the garden can manage without me at times while I go exploring other gardens.
I purchased three WaterUps Oasis wicking beds after pricing a DIY option and realising these are quite good value and probably easier to construct. My husband put together the raised bed component, the first one took longer than the subsequent two but they were not too difficult. He used the paper instructions, and there is also a video you can follow. I used the video to install the waterproof lining and WaterUps cells, this was quite straightforward, you just need a sharp knife to cut out the hole for the water inlet, it took a bit of work with my blunt Stanley knife! I used Perlite for the wick component, you just need to fill up the wells in the WaterUps cells. Then filled the beds with layers of cane straw, mushroom compost, rock minerals, organic fertiliser pellets, seaweed solution, cow manure, compost and potting mix. The water cells are easy to fill from the inlet, I planted out a mixture of veggies from seed and seedlings. I watered minimally from the top until the seedling's roots took hold and could absorb the water coming up from the cells and also kept the seeds moist. All of the seeds germinated and all of the seedlings survived (rare for me!). It is nice not having to water each day when it is hot if I am busy. We have had some dry spells since I have been using them, the shortest amount of time I have had to top up the water is 2 weeks. I use a piece of dowl to measure how much water is in the cells. These wicking beds have been a game changer for me; our property is on tank water only, so the water saving has been fantastic during the dry spells, and the veggies are thriving. I have just purchased two more beds and over winter am going to try installing one of the Sub-irrigation Channels in a neglected swale veggie bed. I highly recommend these beds for their ease of construction, water-saving, time-saving and amazing veggies!
Note from Permaculture Australia
Julie was asked by Permaculture Australia for this reveiw. Julie is not associated or commission by Waterups in anyway, just a very happy customer.
As a member of Permaculture Australia, Jenny received 20% off WaterUps® products (Australian delivery only)
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All set up: Water inlet on the top right, overflow on the bottom right.Bed with wicking holes filled with perlite.Beds filled and ready to plant, next to the water tank.A few weeks later….A few weeks later….A few weeks later….
This month we lost a Permaculture elder, author, teacher & educator. Dr Ross Mars was many of those thing’s but he was also a husband, father, pop, brother, uncle, friend and mentor to many. Not many people know, but we actually have Ross’ wife Jenny to thank for bringing permaculture to Ross. It was her who first did a Permaculture Design Course and suggested Ross do one too.
The rest, as they say, is history.
Ross’ contributions to permaculture were numerous, and if we tried to list them all, we’d be here until tomorrow and would probably still forget some. Ross’ involvement in Permaculture has spanned more than three decades during which time he had two “Candlelight Farms”, wrote and co-authored twenty books for the beginner Permie, the Permaculture classroom, Permaculture disguised as Science in the Garden, and his last one on Regenerative Agriculture, which only went to the publisher this August. He played an integral role in establishing approved greywater and black water recycling systems in Western Australia, and was a member of the Greywater and Wastewater Industry Group. He was one of the main organisers for the 2016 Australasian Permaculture Convergence here in Perth and contributed to many others. Ross was a teacher, a high school science and math teacher in fact, and he brought that skill into Permaculture facilitating and delivering numerous courses – Introduction to Permaculture, Short Workshops, PDCs, Advanced Courses, Teacher Trainings, Permaculture Earthwork Courses and all levels of the accredited training sector. He wrote and established the accredited training for Permaculture from the Certificate I to Diploma level and made WA the forefront of accredited Permaculture training in Australia. In addition, he also brought Certificate I & II Permaculture qualifications into high schools through the Vocational Education & Training in Schools system. As a designer and consultant, Ross’ name and “Candlelight Farm” will be found on numerous designs for schools, colleges and community gardens as well as his work with property owners helping them achieve their dreams. We could go on, but what we really want to talk about is how many lives Ross touched in doing all this. How many people felt that he changed the direction they were travelling in and his influence on their life. He changed not only people’s properties, but also their worldviews and in many cases the directions of their life.
Two themes keep coming up when speaking with people about Ross: His humour and his generosity. We are the best examples of that and neither of us would be where we are today without Ross. He taught us much of what we know and encouraged us to go out, start our own business’ and to teach others – sometimes with a (not so) gentle kick in the behind. He supported our baby steps with patience, and trusted us as we grew wings and found our own teaching styles. We could also question and disagree with Ross and he would listen and take on our point of view or differences in opinions, but we always knew we were still mates. How many weekends were spent at Candlelight Farm learning from him? Financially, it was never worth it for him, he did it to inspire others and because of his love of teaching and his belief in what Permaculture could do for a community. He would say to us on more than one occasion, “When it comes down to it, Permaculture is about Community, Soil and Water” and although we’ve tried to think him wrong, he had a point. Permaculture is about Community and that was what Ross fostered by his actions and innate generosity. I remember doing one of the courses with Ross around 2011 and he brought in these MASSIVE Bunya pine cones happily declaring he was going to harvest the seeds and make us a gluten free, Bunya Pine Nut Chocolate Mud Cake for our next teaching session. True to his word he did and I’m yet to find a better chocolate mud cake than Ross’ “Bunya Pine Nut Chocolate Mud Cake” – he was onto gluten free before we even knew what gluten was. That was the lengths Ross would go to for his students to harvest enough pine seeds to make us a chocolate cake just so we could experience it.
We like to think that our countless hours of fixing his reticulation, propagating new plants, making mudbricks, building straw bales, sanding, concreting, surveying or building something was actually helping him. Most likely though, he spent more time fixing it up afterward but you would never hear him complain. What his approach taught us though, was that it was okay to have a go and learn on the job. To use tools we weren’t naturally comfortable with, and that circumstances didn’t need to be perfect to work. Ross had an uncanny sense of smell for cake and a knack for materializing out of thin air whenever it appeared. If we needed to speak to him, all we had to do was announce morning tea to our students and his cheeky grin would poke around the corner under the pretence of “selling” books, or needing to talk to our students about something. Teaching was carried out in a refitted shed with the ablutions consisting of a homemade composting toilet with a bucket, a toilet seat and a container of sawdust. This proved a little too overwhelming for many students as in the end it was upgrade to a “normal toilet” that flushed. Ross handed over the teaching reins to us a few years ago so he could enjoy more time with his beloved wife Jenny, their dog Bruno and all the family. We hope we can do him proud and continue his legacy. He was a teacher and mentor, but to us, and many more in the permaculture community – he was much more than that, he was our friend and he will be greatly missed.
Some time ago we inherited a very large garden. I was not a gardener but strangely enough I come from generations of farmers. So, I learned fast. I also wanted a method that would suit my wife who was injured in a car accident and sometimes found bending painful. Trawling the internet, I found Strawbale Gardening.
This was some seventeen years ago. I have experimented with the method, and it works very well. I have taught it in the UK, Australia, America and Canada.
Firstly, you do not need soil. So, it follows that you can start your new strawbale garden almost anywhere. On grass, concrete, on your drive, patio or in the backyard. There is no digging and best of all no weeds. There is no waste. When the strawbales are “tired” having had no soil borne diseases they make first-rate compost.
Speaking for myself and a few friends these seem to be the most popular vegetables to grow in strawbales. Pole beans, onions, tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, spring onions, marrows, pumpkins, peas, beetroot, cucumbers, lettuce, cabbage, and cauliflower to name but a few. I have had extremely mixed results with sweetcorn so I would probably advise you to steer clear until you have mastered the technique. Strawbales fit in most spaces, you can grow on the surface of the bale, being careful to plant right to the edge, and vertically using poles.
One of my favourite strawbale systems uses three bales and seven canes. I grow three varieties of tomatoes up the canes and lettuce, cabbage and marrows on the surface. I have attached a bad drawing to illustrate. You can also plant flowers to act as companion plants. Strawbale gardening is not simply a question of throwing a few seeds in the bale and hoping for the best. It is a little more complicated than that. But it is very doable and very worthwhile. The main thing is to get the strawbales composting. You achieve this by adding water and a nitrogen-based feed over some time and in varying quantities. This gets the bales “cooking”. I have devised a seventeen-day “maturing” schedule and by the end of this time, the strawbales should be ready to plant and or sow into. This is a vital part of the whole operation and when done correctly ensures good crops.
Potatoes are great fun to grow in bales. There are two lengths of bailing twine going horizontally around the strawbale. This is one of only a few times I removed both the twines. It gives the potatoes a bit more freedom. Choose a potato that is not generally available in the shops. My favourite is Pink Fur Apple. It is a great little salad potato and super tasty. When you pull apart the strawbale to reveal your potato treasure it should come away in slices. If you lay this down it makes a great bed for marrows and pumpkins, so not a thing gets wasted. Incidentally, this method is great for children and makes a good classroom project.
One last thing, a strawbale garden looks great. I hope this has whetted your appetite to have a go at strawbale gardening. If you need any further information, please use the Contact Us page on my website. If you want all the lowdown, then I have written an e-book that covers everything.
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