Tag Archives: photos

Our Cal-Earth Permaculture Course 2012 – Picture Summary

Posted on by Bill Wilson

Pictures and Text by Bill Wilson

For a second year we co-delivered with the teaching staff a combined Superadobe Earth Building and Permaculture Design Certificate Course.  At the close of our training we were pleased to host Geoff and of PRI-Australia who shared their work in desert environments with us while they were in the USA for a brief visit.  This workshop was also opened to the general public seen here at the end of a really great day of learning.  

Our 2012 Cal-Earth on Guest Day with Geoff and Nadia Lawton – Picture taken on one of the Cal-Earth buildings.

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Picture Summary – Essential Permaculture Weekend – Kalamazoo 8/12

Posted on by Bill Wilson

 Essential Permaculture Weekend Training – Kalamazoo, MI – August 2012

 We were invited to deliver our “Essential Permaculture” weekend training in Kalamazoo by a former student of ours who is one of the coordinators of the Trybal Revival Eastside EcoGarden (TREE).  
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Capturing and Storing Energy with Homemade Chokecherry Wine

Posted on by Sarah Spotten

This post is made by one of our students as part of their PDC Completion Home Correspondence Course.

David Holmgren’s second principle of permaculture is “Catch and store energy” (Holmgren, Permaculture: Principles and Pathways Beyond Sustainability, Holmgren Design Services, 2002), often described with the proverb, “Make hay while the sun shines.”  The idea of this principle is that we should be alert for and take advantage of opportunities to capture energy and slow down its flow through the landscape around us, thus ensuring a steady flow of energy through the system rather than an ebb and flow.  One illustration of this principle is the pattern of any water drainage – for example, when the mountains above a river remain forested, the river flows at a more constant and predictable level year-round.  But when the forests are clear-cut, the river floods extensively during the rainy season and can run dry during the dry season or a drought – both situations devastating for human settlements and for the local ecology.  The saga of the Loess Plateau in China (denuded and desertified after centuries of overgrazing and deforestation) illustrates this phenomenon well, with the upshot being that the people living in some parts of the Loess Plateau are now working to reforest their high places, improving the vegetation, soil and water in the entire watershed in a domino effect begun simply by capturing and storing water (energy) higher on the landscape and slowing down its movement.

Chokecherries as harvested from the bush:

Chokecherries

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Pictures From our June 2012, Stelle PDC Course

Posted on by Bill Wilson

 Pictures by Milton Dixon and Bill Wilson – Captions by Bill

Day 1 in the Classroom – The World Map on the Wall is a Nice Addition to any Learning space. – Becky Wilson Teaching

“Thank you Bill and Becky for such an incredible, life-altering week.”
Jody T. – Community Organizer

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Chickens for the Orchard (Part 3)

Posted on by Bill Wilson

Part 3:  8-13 Weeks of Age (As Adventurers)
Part 2:  4-8 Weeks of Age (As Kids)
Part 1:  0-4 Weeks of Age (As Chicks)                                                                                                                                                       

Original Objective: Raise some for food and to also help with insect, grass and weed control in our 2-acre organic community orchard…!!!
New Objective:  Keep our birds alive so that we will have some sort of chicken harvest.  Ouch!

Over the last 5 weeks we have been stretched to learn more about the habits and characteristics of these inquisitive and entertaining birds.  They have been doing a fine job of keeping the orchard grass under control (we have only mowed once this year) and as a result, the amount that we have paid for chicken feed is significantly less than if they were confined to a small area.  This was working really well.
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Picture Summary of UWRF PDC Course

Posted on by Milton Dixon

Pictures and Text by Bill Wilson and Milton Dixon

Thank you to our hosts Dr. Kelly Cain and Cynthia Wells-O’Mally of the University of Wisconsin, for hosting us for a second year.  The bulk of the training was held on campus.  Although we had some university students, most of the people taking this training came from the general public and from 5 different states.   We had a fantastic time.

Course Graduates – University of Wisconsin, River Falls – June 2012

 

Panoramic View of Dr. Cain’s Permaculture Oriented Residence

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Applying Local Resources to Capture Greywater

Posted on by Bill Wilson

The harvesting of is an important technique that we often use in permaculture . Not only does it utilize what is considered a ‘waste product’,  it helps our gardens grow, reduces the amount of fresh water required for our gardens, remediates this ‘waste water’ better than municipal systems can, recycles nutrients, and it creates a direct connection to where we live. Good greywater design can save us time, money, and improve the environment.

We met (greywater and rainwater collection practitioner) while we were in So. Calif. last year and have asked her to join us for our permaculture design course and super adobe earth building training (Oct. 8-10, 2012)  

She is a long-time admirer of ’s work and studied under Nadir Khalili (founder of Cal-Earth) while she was earning her masters degree in architecture.   It wasn’t long before she became friends with Nadir and several Cal-Earth staff.  

She will be leading the installation of a greywater system from a washing machine located in the interns house at Cal-Earth to the permaculture/ garden system that we will be designing and building during the training. 

Candace Vanderhoff, M.Arch, LEED AP
Founder/CEO RainThanks & Greywater

Candace has a masters degree in architecture from the Southern California Institute of Architecture, is certified as a LEED accredited professional by the US Green Building Council, and is an experienced Permaculture designer.

In 2009, Candace trained with Greywater Action in the Sand Francisco Bay area and also completed the Green Plumber Training for water professionals. 

Her current work with RainThanks is managing, consulting and designing systems, sustainable landscapes and water conservation products.

See Pictures of her work below… or by clicking on “Continue reading…”

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Picture Summary: PDC Course at Arbor Day Farm’s Lied Lodge – March 2012

Posted on by Bill Wilson
Pictures by Milton Dixon and Bill Wilson — Narrative by Bill

We delivered what we believe to be the first Permaculture Design Certificate () Course at this world renowned location.  The Arbor Day Foundation is a leader in promoting the importance of trees for us as people and for the health of our planet.  This is solid permaculture thinking.

Our PDC Design Course on an exploratory walk early in the week.
The Arbor Day Foundation hosts their Arbor Day Farm, orchards, hazelnut research field, agri-forestry operation, and the beautiful Lied Lodge, all in Nebraska City, NE.  
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