PDC Day 4: Trees (Sunshine Coast)

I start classes for my Masters Degree in Human Ecology in Lund, Sweden tomorrow. I recently recovered from the final stages of jet lag and from some unexpected food poisoning and I have decided that I'd better get this blog post out so that I can make room for all of the the new stuff to come, and of course so that I can share with you some photos and comments from my last Permaculture class with Delvin and the PDC crew.

Victor and I by the cob cabin at Rolling Earth (photo by Beata)

 The module was Trees and we were up at beautiful, family-run, Rolling Earth Farm (http://www.rollingearth.ca) on the Sunshine Coast. We spent the day exploring the Permaculture farm with it's cute cob cabin and cob oven/solar water heater combo, then through the gorgeous evergreen forests surrounding the farm as Delvin led discussions about the many multitudes of functions that the trees provide. We mainly talked about the linkages between trees and the different life cycles of the planet such as the water cycle, the nutrient cycle, the flow and purification of air, soil creation and much more.

The functions of trees are really infinite: they purify the air and water, add organic and nutrient matter to the soil, act as water pumps, moderate harsh climate, CREATE (yes, create) rain clouds, stabilize the earth, shelter plants, provide habitat and food for innumerable species, including humans, and so much more. Trees are the wise kings of the forests and way too often we take them for granted. Even ecologically minded people often don't stop and think about all of the services that trees offer. I think it's really important to pause and consciously do this every-so-often as a grounding exercise and to get back in touch with this sacred knowledge.

 

A slanting lecture hall (Photo by Paola)

Walking through the forest we paused in areas going through different phases of succession. For example, we stopped in one zone that had been logged and replanted about 80-100 years ago and compared the straight rows of nearly-identical trees to those in the old growth zones (perhaps these areas had been logged a long time ago and were allowed to regenerate naturally - I'm not sure, but there were many big old trees and it looked like old growth).

Logged and replanted area (photo by Lucie Bardos)

The difference between the two is quite stark. It's important to remember that when logging companies say they will replant the trees they cut, it does not mean that they will replace the forest or that the forest that grows back will be the same as the one that was there prior to logging.

 

Forest area that was further along in the natural succession process (photo by Lucie Bardos)

As we chatted and listened to Delvin's teachings, gathered for lunch and snacks, I became sad to think that this was the last time I would be with our great group of people. I have learned so much during this first part of the PDC course and I certainly hope to pick up where I left off with another great group sometime in the future!

Our PDC group! (photo by Lucie Bardos)

I Dream of a Life in the Country

I dream of a life in the country. A rural life*.

City people would say "boring", "nice for a get away but then it would be boring", "seriously, what would you do all the time?"

Take a look at the above statements. See the words "get away" and "do all the time". It seems to me that people are addicted to being in prison states of stress. The obsession that people have with taking vacations, going on "get always" or just "getting away from it all". Doing things ALL THE TIME. This is "normal"?

There is this huge fear of not having enough to DO. Like when you stop rushing and working and stressing, you are wasting your time. It scares me. It scares me that people think stressful city lives are normal. Please, I urge you, take one evolutionary biology course that touches on our species. Or maybe just employ your common sense. City life, the 9-5 daily grind, needing to be on time, in place, on your best behaviour, being better than your friends, better than your colleagues, not being good enough, stressing about getting this funding or that promotion, processed snacks, beeping, ringing, roaring, droning. This is NOT natural and it is NOT normal.

Monte Adone Wildlife Protection Center, Italy (Photo: Lucie Bardos)

Monte Adone, Italy (Photo: Lucie Bardos)

I suppose that if you have never known life in the country, you might very well think it is.

Think of your best childhood memories. Mine are at my grandparents' cabin in the mountains. When I ask people this, for them it's usually something like playing outside, building forts, climbing trees, etc. Why do children always cry when parents try to sit them down in a nice restaurant, imprison them in a high chair surrounded by loud munchers and the clinking of hundreds of pieces of cutlery with dull music in the background? I remember a Permaculture
workshop I did a few years back. The teacher had her 1-year-old strapped to her back or sitting beside her picking salal berries as we built berms and mulched vegetable beds in the semi-wild garden space around the main house. This was for hours at a time. I don't remember hearing this child cry.

La Hesperia Biological Station and Nature Reserve (Photo: Lucie Bardos)

Read some poems by the romantic poets or essays by the American transcendentalists. They had the right idea. They understood that humans are only at the peak of their happiness and intelligence and understanding of life when surrounded by a natural landscape. They knew that getting back to nature was getting back to ourselves.

"Getting away" from what is "normal"? That doesn't even make sense!

La Hesperia Biological Station and Nature Reserve
(Photo: Lucie Bardos)

Now lets talk about DOING. I have lived in the country. I have been to my grandparents' cabin, I have spent lots of time at ranches, animal rescue centres tucked in the mountains, cloud forest nature reserves. Every time the same thing happens. Time slows down. Everything you do makes sense according to your surroundings, has a purpose and a meaning to you. You feed animals who will live because of you, you tend to plants which will feed you in return, you walk in the woods that teach you about ecology and imagination, you hike and exercise your body, you build something and receive a structure to serve your needs for years to come. 

You work with others and build relationships that are not founded on unnatural amounts of competition and stress. You work hard and are tired but still have energy at the end of the day for talking, dancing, and music. Food tastes better. Your body feels better. Your mind is clearer and you take time to think by yourself, problem solve, meditate without feeling like you are wasting time. You have enough time. You may not realize that you are happy until you get back to "normal". Then you realise you were happy. Then some of us forget. And go back to what is normal.

La Hesperia Biological Station and Nature Reserve (Photo: Lucie Bardos)

Well I haven't forgotten. I need to live in closeness with nature. I am not against cities but too many of our cities are not build with human well being in mind AT ALL. Redesigning cities for human and other species' well being is essential and a whole other topic.

For now, I dream of a life in the country. I am working towards a life in the country. A rural life*.

*By "country" and "rural" I don't mean huge monoculture farms as those who know me may have already presumed. I mean a rural existence in accordance with the laws of nature, specifically based on Permaculture principles. Don't know what Permaculture is? Google it. It's awesome and it makes sense.

PDC - Day 3 Soil (Roberts Creek)

PDC - Day 3 Soil

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Owl at the centre of the Roberts Creek mandala. Photo by Lucie Bardos

Today was a day of going with the flow and a series of unexpected events. Paola, Jordan, Victor and I were meant to catch the ferry to Roberts Creek at 9:40. Due to some unexpected website changes, we ended up missing the ferry and having to wait 2 hours before the next sailing. At first we all felt a degree of frustration but creative minds are never idle and soon a song was a-brewin'. We decided to use our spare time to come up with a rap song about the soil - the topic of the day. We even came up with a band name "The Permie Wormie Dirt Band" and song title "This Earth Beneath My Fingernails" with such fantastic lyrics as:

Refrain (sung):

This earth beneath my fingernails

Ain't grime or dirt or filth,

It's one fine slice of paradise

It's Earth's delicious tilth

Finger lickin'!

(Thanks to Jordan for these awesome words! Perhaps a secondary career as a rap artist is in the works?)

We ended up performing the song in front an enthusiastic audience - Delvin and the rest of the class - after we arrived just before lunch. I guess this was a classic example of making lemonade when life gives you lemons. I think we made some pretty good lemonade!

                                          The Permie Wormie Dirt Band. Photo by Jocelyn

After another potluck feast we headed to the Heart Gardens where Delvin talked about soil health, mulching, explained key nutrients, biodynamics (including key biodynamic plants and practices), composting and worm composts. He also showed us how to inoculate the soil with beneficial fungi and brew a biodynamic tea to feed the soil. 

                              Beneficial fungi. Photo by Lucie Bardos

Upon reflection, it seems strange to me that we are losing such quantities of topsoil every year when there are so many simple and effective soil-building techniques (mulching, teas, green manure, cover crops, nutrient accumulator and pioneer plants, composting, worm composting, etc.). It makes me realize that people need to wake up SOON so that this doesn't continue happening, and also that the world needs more Permaculture teachers.... hmmm that's a thought!

 

                                      Biodynamic tea with plants including as yarrow, dandelions, and nettles. Photo by Lucie Bardos

Afterwards we all gathered in a circle to play a card game where we had to create a mandala by matching Permaculture principles to folk sayings, drawings, and photographs. It's always neat to see the associations that people make and in this case it was interesting finding out the "right answers" at the end, as there was an actual answer key.

 

                                              Mandala card game. Photo by Lucie Bardos

At the end of the day my wallet was left at the health food store in Roberts Creek. I feared I'd have to go a week without it when one course participant was kind enough to drive it to the ferry terminal. She probably wouldn't have made it in time but the ferry was late and all was well.

Next week we are back on the Sunshine Coast to talk about trees - those wise sentient beings that are willing to teach us so much. I look forward to it!

PDC Day 3: Patterns

This class was all about flow: us flowing from space to space, the rain flowing from the sky, and the observation of the flow of patterns.

We first had a delicious brunch at Ethical Kitchen in North Vancouver. I had been to this lovely spot before and remembered purchasing a delicious home-brewed lavender soda, but I'm surprised that I didn't know more about it. I'm sure glad to have rediscovered this ethical eatery right in my own neighbourhood! Delvin introduced us to the topic of the day and we played a neat pattern recognition game. It was fun placing different images in categories like "spiral", "scatter", "streamline", "circle within circle" and Bill Mollison's own "overbeck jet". It made everyone realize how much the same patterns are repeated on different scales in nature. Delvin went over some more maps as we chowed down on eggs, salad, sauerkraut, and guzzled kombucha, and then we were off!

A circle within a circle! Photo: Lucie Bardos

The first stop of the day was Loutet Farm - once again in North Vancouver! This farm is located on an old landfill site, which was previously covered by underutilized parkland. Some creative minds decided to collaborate and create this functional organic farm that brings local veggies to many neighbours! Delvin told us to try and spot the differences between this place and the Permaculture garden we would visit later that day.

 

Soil building at Loutet Farm. Photo: Lucie Bardos

The next stop was Strathcona Community Garden off Strathcona park. It was an amazing oasis in the city and the real fun was observing the different gardening styles people used when tending to their plots. Some plots were a giant tangle of flowers, other neat rows of lettuces, others used sculptural and artistic accents - it was really all over the board!

Flowers at Strathcona Community Garden.
Photo: Lucie Bardos

Neat beds next to a more liberal gardening approach.
Photo: Lucie Bardos

What patterns do you see? Web, scatter, lobes, star....  Photo: Lucie Bardos

The final and most beautiful garden was across the park: Cottonwood Community Garden. This garden was designed according to Permaculture principles and it was definitely visible! Everything seemed to flow together and I was able to spot many Permaculture elements from intensive vegetable beds to orchard/managed woodland. I was definitely able to note the differences between this place and Loutet. While Loutet used straight lines, domed greenhouses and had a lot of exposed soil, Cottonwood has very little exposed soil and very few straight lines! Comfrey was growing all over the place there and Delvin explained how the greenhouse made excellent use of the available sunlight by having a thick heat-storing north wall, a sloping South-facing wall, and thick insulated glass.

The greenhouse at Cottonwood Community Garden. Photo: Lucie Bardos

For the last talk of the day we huddled in a bamboo grove then sped off to the Homesteaders Emporium where visiting teacher Kimchi led a fun lesson/activity on addressing destructive patterns/problems such as lack of time, GMO's, and poverty by utilizing Permaculture principles. I really loved how she brought us into the realm of social Permaculture as this is a topic that I am really interested in. In general, I really love the fact that you can apply Permaculture to any aspect of life: business, economics, the home, social studies, art.... everything!

Looks like next class will be back on the Sunshine Coast to talk about soil: can't wait! I read a great quote from Toby Hemenway today "...soil is miraculous. It is where the dead are brought back to life." Take a second to think about that. It's pretty amazing on a scientific and spiritual level, ain't it?!