Habib's Garden

"Energy Descent" David Holmgren. Back in the late 1970s when oil prices rose and the world began to fear instability I embraced the "alternative life" and almost bought into a commune in Kempsey NSW but I was about 5 years younger than many of the people and I ultimately changed my mind and decided to go to university instead. So you can see that I've been interested and involved in Permaculture from its beginning but have only recently been able to practise many of its principles.

I am blessed to be living in a house with a wonderful aspect and am enjoying implementing information learned through the PDC and through my interactions with members of the Permaculture Blue Mountains (formerly Blue Mountains Permaculture Network). Here is our contact email: bluemountains@permaculturesydneybasin.org.au.

Permaculture Blue Mountains (PBM) has evolved from a list of 180 email addresses that received a quarterly newsletter to a group of 100 members who receive information via email and now here on WiserEarth. We used to meet in each other's homes but as interest has grown we now meet in a purpose build public space (see Home Page for details) that provides resources for lectures and presentations.

My main interests are "Working Bees" and "Seasonal Gatherings". Meeting and interacting with people is a vital part of Permaculture. I can "do" Permaculture activities on my own but I'd rather participate in projects with other people and similar groups eg Mid Blue Mountains Seedsavers.

Until recently, was teaching a course called "English in the Garden" - I would teach English to a class of 12 ESL adults and in the afternoon I would team-teach with a horticulturalist. The students constructed raised beds (no dig) and are planting and harvesting throughout the year. It's been  a privilege to be able to teach this class; I would like to see more classes like this in TAFE for ESL students AND I would like to be teaching Permaculture.

In April 2009 I survived 3 short courses (delivered back to back) by Robyn Francis at the EarthCare Centre in Richmond; all with the purpose of bringing permies together to create a bioregional campus model (we now have a presence on wiserearth called thinkbig) and to assess and train more permies to be accredited teachers (see APT on www.permaculture.com.au).

Those six and a half days have clarified some of my permie knowledge (PDC in 2006) and given me a pathway to become a teacher of Permaculture in TAFENSW. Very interesting. I am the current contact person for thinkbig.