Garden Variety: Upcoming seminars on permaculture
Gardeners, wannabe gardeners and anyone else interested in the relationship among plants, humans and the environment should consider attending one of three upcoming seminars sponsored by the local nonprofit Sustainability Action Network. Jan Spencer, a permaculture instructor from Oregon, is the featured speaker at the upcoming educational sessions.
The local nonprofit Sustainability Action Network is hosing three permaculture seminars from Sept. 24-27 throughout Lawrence.
Permaculture seminar dates and times
• Presentation for the Public, 6-9 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 24, free and open to the public. Donations accepted. Douglas County 4-H Fairgrounds, Dreher Building North Room, 2110 Harper St., Lawrence
• Presentation to Student Planning Association, noon-1 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 25, free and open to the public, 308 Marvin Hall, Kansas University campus, Lawrence
• In-Depth Workshop, noon-5 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 27, $27 suggested fee, sliding scale. Fire Station Administration Building, Jayhawk Room, 1911 Stewart Ave., Lawrence. To register for the workshop, contact paradigm@ixks.com or (785) 832-1300. Potluck and social to follow at 5:30 p.m. in Centennial Park.
Permaculture is somewhat new by definition, but it incorporates timeless principles with today’s technology. Bill Mollison, who founded the Permaculture Institute and first used the term in 1978, describes permaculture as a “holistic approach to land use design, based on ecological principles and patterns.” The goal of permaculture is to “create stable, productive systems that provide for human needs, harmoniously integrating the land with people.”
Spencer’s focus for the seminars is Transforming Suburbia: A New Frontier in Permaculture. As an early follower of Mollison’s permaculture principles, Spencer transformed his suburban yard in Eugene, Ore., into a productive system in the early 1980s. He has been further developing his system and teaching others the principles of permaculture ever since.
The free sessions will cover the basics of permaculture design and how to incorporate them into suburban and urban settings, identifying community assets, conservation, renewable energy and similar related elements of study. The student-focused session hosted at Kansas University will focus more on land use. The in-depth workshop Sept. 27 will give greater context to the subject of permaculture, discuss societal trends and historical events, provide examples of working models, and provide information on how to incorporate principles and take action.
Agroforestry and forest gardening are based on similar principles as permaculture.
Additional resources and education on permaculture are available through the Lawrence-based Sustainability Action Network and Kansas Permaculture Institute; Midwest Permaculture, Stelle, Ill.; and the Permaculture Institute, Santa Fe, N.M.
— Jennifer Smith is a former horticulture extension agent for K-State Research and Extension and horticulturist for Lawrence Parks and Recreation. She is the host of “The Garden Show” and has been a gardener since childhood. Send your gardening questions and feedback to Lawrence Living@ljworld.com.