INSPIRATION FROM THE FOREST
Since the 1970's Majuli islander Jadav Payeng has been planting trees in order to save his island. To date he has single handedly planted a forest larger than Central Park NYC. His forest has transformed what was once a barren wasteland, into a lush oasis.
( PFD )
PERMACULTURE FESTIVAL DESIGN
Course by Helder Valente and
The New School Permaculture team
28 July to 1 August 2023
Douro Valley - Portugal
Oficial website HERE
Welcome to the permaculture life changing experience
The New School Permaculture with Helder Valente and Festança Festival will be working together to present a Permaculture and traveling festival at the Douro Valley in the north of Portugal.
For 5 days before the festival starts we will learn how to design and organize a permaculture event with a special focus on the practical experience, so we are actually going to be involved on the construction of the festival.
For many people being part of the organization of an event is the most empowering and inspiring transformative process of their lives...and they carry this with them everywere they go....and thats our goal.
This experience will be guided by Helder Valente of the New School Permaculture.
😊 Helder studied and worked with Bill Mollison, Geoff Lawton, Graham Bell, Sepp Holzer, Doug Bullock, Rosemary Morrow, Darren dougherty, Ernst Gotsh and others, and has been teaching all over the world. Helder started in 2009 teaching permaculture to students at the agriculture university and since then learning and teaching on many different climates. While living in the city he dedicated 3 years on developing a urban permaculture project in the center of Lisbon.
For more than 20 years Helder traveled 50 countries learning about diferent comunities and climates and co created several Permaculture Institutes, schools and programs. During this time he spent 1 year traveling the high Amazon region and has worked and studied with indigenous people like the Shipibo, Quechua, Queru, Dakota, Yawanawa and Kamanawa..
There will also be other activities that you can chose to participate like you can be part of the PDC and also chose to be part of the local visits , practical festival design and stay until de end and celebrate at Portugal Permaculture Festival in the Douro Valley region.
See you there.
Contact:
maininfonsp@gmail.com
Before the starting of the festival we will have a PDC Permaculture Design Course, with this course you will get your permaculture certificate at the same time that you help design the festival.
To know more about the Festival course click Here
À boleia do HitchFest – o festival da boleia (o projecto mãe), mas com a essência deste. O foco nas viagens e nas experiências vividas e partilhadas mantém-se!!
Many people look for Sustainability projects because they have a concern related with the way humans are interacting with nature and the impact they have on the planet. By being part of this movement we look to reduce our ecological footprint and develop a deeper connection with nature
Permaculture its a design based system that looks to create balance between man and nature by a sustainable management of resources. Permaculture its about understanding how nature works and work with nature rather than against nature. Permaculture its also a way of living based on functional design and decision making from the perspective of flow of energy.
By being part of the development of a permaculture project we envision to develop our capacity to become active agents of change towards a positive future. Despite all the problems in the world our choices determine our impact, by a regenerative management of our resources and materials we can create a brighter future
Permaculture projects have a big focus on reducing their ecological impact, the intelligent management of garbage, the production of food using organic methods and the construction of houses using local natural materials are some of the good examples that you will find, permaculture its a life changing experience and you will find many things to discover.
By focusing on nature we discover the importance of rhythm and seasons, often we wake up with sun rise or stop to work at sunset,we plant the seed and wait months or years to have the harvesting, understanding natural cycles its a very important part of permaculture studies and to be attuned with the energy flows of nature, deep observation its an essential part.
Water is the source of all life, and its availability can change dramatically from a dry climate in the desert to a wet climate in a rainforest. Proper water management becomes a priority in ecological design and to see water following a functional human designed system its a special experience.
By being able to close cycles we see organic garbage from the kitchen become super fertile garden compost that will then produce delicious organic food. Soil creation and improvement, its the first thing we design for when we start a new project and once it starts it never finishes.From compost to natural fertilizers, to worm farming to animal feed, there are many ways to manage the organic waste but it usually stays all the project and its all converted on precious black soil.
One of the great experiences in permaculture projects its to be able to eat the fruits of our work, its very usual to find large abundant vegetable gardens and diverse food forests producing a large diversity of fruits and berries .Producing its a part of it but also important its the processing of such crops.To make marmalades, vinegars, sourkrauts, jams and wines its a common experience in permaculture projects. Be ready to have great meals.
There are many different visions towards ecological regeneration, sometimes you find regenerative agriculture that has a special focus on animals, sometimes you find agroforestry projects that have a special focus on trees and sometimes you will find organic farming that focus on all aspects of farming, permaculture also focus on building of houses, natural architecture, how to organize social networks and project management.The main line that connects all of them its to use low impact natural methods instead of intensive short term chemical options.
Repair, reuse, reduce, recycle, repurpose, that is all part of closing the cycles : To be able to have a future in harmony with the planet we need to stop exponential growth and exploitation of resources. To reduce our need for new things means to reduce the need for mining and industrial contaminating factories in poor countries, closing loops its the way to avoid that.
By working outside in direct contact with nature you will experience what it is to feel the wind on your face and the soil under your feet, that helps with our sense of belonging to the planet and you will find that closer connection. Nature can also be devastating and with strong energy flows, we have to be able to adapt and figure out the best way to deal with it.
Natural Building is a hot topic that everyone naturally gets interested in. Everyone has the dream of a beautiful natural house in Nature. It is common to find houses made of clay, of wood, of stone and even houses of straw, it always changes with climate and available resources but the focus is always bioclimatic architecture and natural bioconstruction.
Animals There are people good with plants, and there are people good with animals, some people are good with both, find your place and what do you especially love. Connection with farm animals is a great way to ground the stress and to take care of a very sensitive being. By doing this we have a strong help to find where we fit.
By being part and helping on a permaculture project will give you some more clear ideas about how we can live in harmony with nature and how to design a future that goes from competition to cooperation, from exploitation to abundance and from egocentric to ecocentric. Take a step on this brighter future and you will see the world change around you
Are interspecific hybrids a big marketing plan or are they the real deal?Pluots and other hybrids list. Rankings and myth busters
September- October, 2020
One thing was clear for me from the beginning- if among all this world pandemic chaos, all these people are still coming for the internship, across the middle of the Atlantic- it’s going to be a special one! I felt inspired, supported, understood, challenged, encouraged. As they say, every conflict is an opportunity, and if we see this pandemic as a global conflict, then it could indeed be a great opportunity- for change, for slowing down, for going deeper not further, for (inner) gardening, for Permaculture!
I’m grateful for all the amazing people I met during the courses, so many laughs, hugs, spontaneous dancing, building and burning our first fireplace. Our Perma-tribe was led by our eco-shaman Helder, the most unusual, non-conformist teacher I ever had, with his great sense of humor & observation skills, he knows how to bring out the best in people. Lots of cool (horror) stories from his many experiences around the world. Bring popcorn.
And so, brave people from 10 different countries, so different from each other, yet we got together for the same reason or cause- we want to shift from an outdated broken society model to a conscious, harmonious co-existing with Nature, where we can all be involved, from growing a pepper on your urban balcony (and maybe some guerrilla planting shhh) to regenerating soils, forest, and rivers. It’s a change of mindset where you realize (or more like you are being reminded) that ANYONE can make a change. Anyone can grow food, in any conditions. Each of us plays an important role, wherever we are, and whoever we are- a farmer with many lands, or the weirdo of the family, backpacking around the world- we are all connected in this web of transformation and we are the influence in our community or family, and nowadays, influence is power. So this Permaculture internship was for me, among other things, about Empowerment.
Empowerment and understanding the Essence- whatever the question is, the answer can be found in Nature, by observing, interacting and experimenting. We humans, as Observers, can change the world around us, thus we are creators of our own worlds (inspiration from quantum physics). When we slow down and observe Nature, we see problems as solutions, we understand the natural succession of things, where each part plays a role in the cycle of life, where there are no invasive species, just pioneer soldiers doing their job to balance something our or to regenerate damaged soils or ecosystems. By understanding the Patterns in Nature, we understand ourselves, and by understanding ourselves we move upward in the spiral of Life.
I’ve learned that Permaculture is about compassion, for all life forms- it’s empathizing with the Earth, with Nature, with the plants, with the animals, the insects, the rivers, the soils, but also with ourselves and the other humans beings across the globe. It’s a holistic approach on Life.
I’ve learned that techniques and recipes are useful but once you understand The Essence of a process, you don’t need the recipe anymore. You can make your own fertilizer, you can make your own vinegar!
I’ve learned that when working with Nature, as with people, being gentle is more important than having a lot of knowledge and experience. Mindset and attitude are more important than any material resources.
With every course of the internship it felt like I’m putting a puzzle together to finally see “the bigger picture”:
Social course: challenging for me personally, as it requires A LOT of extroversion and getting out of comfort zones, but I survived apparently!
Playing games (the games saved me) as a way of learning and rediscovering the inner child, the true source of creativity. We learned each other’s gifts, talents, fears and dreams.
We talked about eco-villages and community projects, their challenges and perspectives, and how decisive communication methods are. Alternative economies were also touched, as well as event design & celebration in the context of a successful Project Management.
The “World Café” method of group work really inspired me, to see my colleagues brain-storming on world problems and their solutions, like how to introduce Permaculture in poor areas, in refugee camps, to the elderly and to the children, and how we could get everyone involved in making this world a better place.
Another cool moment I’d like to mention is learning about the role of a Teacher (Permaculture teaching or other)- we tried different approaches and methods of teaching, and my personal discovery was that as long as you teach about something you’re passionate about, about something you personally enjoy, teaching becomes fun, a game of “take and give”, where the “master” becomes the “student” and the other way around.
Again, we had inspiring interviews with Permaculture friends, like Silvia Floresta and her Food Forest ; or Pedro Teixera with his Urban Permacultue project “Espaço Compasso” in Porto in the north of Portugal, talking to us about Sociocracy as the alternative healthy “politics” of the future.
