Greening Arunachala – 1989 – ….

PERMACULTURE PRACTICAL COURSE

Be the change; a course with a difference

ARUNACHALA, TIRUVANNAMALAI

TAMIL NADU, INDIA

December 5 – 15, 2017

with John Button and Francesca Simonetti

arunachala huge productivity- medicine, timber, bio-diversity, water re-flowing

“Don’t ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and go do that, because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” Howard Thurman

at ARS Permaculture Demonstration Farm and other sites

Samudram Ery, Nalavanplayam, Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu, India

ARS Permaculture Demonstration Farm - before-after

ARS Permaculture Demonstration Farm – before and after 8 years

An opportunity to understand the essence of Permaculture with a rich program of hands-on activity & learning, in an environment of wasteland regeneration to abundance.

John Button, Francesca Simonetti of NatureDesigns and GreenGaiaProject, plus others, will hold a 10 day workshop in Tiruvanamalai, Tamil Nadu immediately after the International Permaculture Conference & Convergence.

Building on more than 35 years experience in permaculture, sustainability, activism, community building, reforestation, gardening & wasteland regeneration, we will break from the traditional Permaculture Design Course to focus on what we feel is essential to participants, leaving space & time for themes inspired by participants.

At the foot of the sacred mountain of Arunachala, (I played a significant role in its reforestation), you will learn the most important design principles & attitudes which make Permaculture so vital, with the emphasis on applying them in hands-on applications. Getting our hands dirty, building a sense of community through learning, working & playing together.

You will emerge from this course richer, knowing the incredible capacity of Permaculture integration, & how you can directly apply it immediately to make a better life and better world.

Themes include:

Permaculture principles & attitudes
Design basics
Wasteland Regeneration strategies & techniques
Creating abundance; setting up a new system from zero
Diverse garden systems & strategies
Food forests/forest gardens
Reforestation & land regeneration
Community Building
Soil creation, protection.
Water: collecting, storing, distribution, usage

A Permaculture Practical Course certificate will be issued.

The Venue.

Will be divided between the Annamalai Reforestation Society Permaculture Demonstration Farm immediately south of Arunachala, 5 km from town, and our own land nearby, bordering on the Samudram Ery (large monsoon lake. I (John) designed and helped to establish 25 years ago. There will also be field visits to other sites during the course.

The Facilitators

John Button, Francesca Simonetti, and others.

naturedesignsjohnfranci

John Button(Australian): I’ve been working and playing with Permaculture for 35 years, designing, teaching and implementing in many parts of the world, in extremely diverse climatic, topographic and cultural situations. I’m passionate about my work-play, and absolutely believe in our collective capacity to create a wonderful, abundant and just world. I am determined to play an active part to achieve that dream.

From 1989 to 1997 I co-ordinated the Annamalai Reforestation Society greening of Arunachala, the first successful reforestation action on the mountain, as well as wasteland regeneration sites, the Permaculture Demonstration Farm, educational programs, a huge nursery in the main temple. I’m blessed to work with my beloved life partner Francesca.

Dr. Ag. Francesca Simonetti (Italian): I’m an agronomist and counsellor, with more than 15 years of professional experience. I have worked for public administrations, public and private clients, in various sectors, such as: landscape design, phytopathology and valuation of existing trees (VTA Visual Trees Assessment), environmental assessment, montoring of forest and agricultural plants, environmental education and creative workshops for children.

Together we create a rich team, integrated and stimulating, that unites professionalism, passion and broad experience, to serve for a present and future more conscious and sensitive.

Our method of design is based on the principles of Permaculture, adapted specifically for each situation, including climate and culture. The specific quality of each landscape and the people associated with it, necessitate individual consideration and response.

We welcome the opportunity to work with anybody who shares our confidence and dreams for a better, juster, healthier world, characterised by inpiration, support, self-empowerment and love for each other and the glorious world which we share.