Is permaculture training useful for Transition Town Lewes? If so, how do we use it?

Pippa (host), Nick, Chloe, Polly and Chris

Pippa gave us a short introduction to permaculture and expressed her concerns about lack of take up of the permaculture course she has offered in the TTL programme of events, asking if permaculture has a place in transition towns and how can she promote it differently.

Pippa outlined the three ethics of permaculture:

  • earth care
  • people care
  • fair share (particularly revelant to an energy descent plan: how to share the earth’s resources)

Permaculture Principles are taken from the observation of natural systems. We can look at how, for example, a woodland is resilient, robust, self-perpetuating and produces no waste. We can then apply the principles by which the woodland works to human environments to create a robust, resilient, self-perpetuating and low waste society. This is just what we are attempting to do with the Lewes EDAP.

All agreed that permaculture is essential to transition towns and creating en energy descent plan.

Pippa has offered a two day weekend course, An Introduction to Permaculture, comprising theory and examples of applications of permaculture, giving participants tools to apply in different situations.

Possible reasons for low uptake of course:

  • too long
  • cost too high
  • lack of knowledge of permaculture and its relevance

Ways to take permaculture forward in the TTL context:

  • offer training to transition groups
  • create a TTL permaculture group
  • find funding for permaculture courses for the transition groups and the public
  • long term course
  • event to increase awareness of permaculture
  • offer shorter courses
  • create a course solely relevant to energy descent planning

Next steps

begin with a talk by Pippa for ttl active members about how people involved in TTL can apply permaculture ethics, principles and design tools to the transition town process – a two hour Saturday morning or afternoon in October or November (Pippa, Chloe, Polly and Chris will organise this event)

organise a permaculture event for the spring programme: talk by Pippa and exhibition by Brighton Permaculture Trust’s students

Get involved: contact hello [at] TransitionTownLewes.org.uk