Teaching holistically and making the most of your experiences

by Wenderlynn Bagnall

My journey as a Permaculture designer and educator has taken many directions. There have been times however when I have questioned the direction I was taking, leaving me wondering not just if I was capable of becoming a designer but more importantly whether being a Permaculture teacher was for me. 

Over the last couple of years I have seen and felt myself evolve into an imaginal cell, becoming part of the wings of change. I had hoped that attending the Permaculture Educators Course (PEC) in Friland, Denmark would give me the answers I needed.

Friland

Being a member of the Permaculture Association offers numerous opportunities. For me, one of these was applying for funding to attend the Permaculture Educators Course. I'd completely forgotten about it when I received an email in March to say I'd got the funding. I was very excited: it was a great opportunity to develop my skills as a permaculture practitioner. 

Once I had settled down from the excitement, I started to panic. The gremlins were here! Some of these gremlins have been with me since school. I was anxious about stepping out of my comfort zone and leaving behind what was familiar to me but... I wanted to experience what was on the other side of this fear. So I began to ignore the voices in my head. Every day I did something towards my trip to Denmark, always imagining myself doing the things I was afraid of. It began to get easier. I booked my flight and made a list of things I needed. 

With the support of my husband Iain and his understanding of my fears, I was ready to step off the edge and journey into the unknown.

For me the PEC was more than a course about how to teach holistically, it was a discovery of where I've been, who am I and what comes next. It was also a good exercise in helping me deal with my severe anxiety.

I hoped that by using the 5 ways to wellbeing I could make the most of this experience and put some of my gremlins to rest. 

1 . Connect: "Connect with the people around you... Think of these as the cornerstones of your life and invest time in developing them." 

I feel this is quite appropriate within Permaculture and... for me it was especially relevant to the PEC. I found bonds that were like family and created friendships that now reach all corners of the earth. The internal community within the group was paralleled with the intentional community of Friland. I took valuable lessons away with me on what's important in building community. This was helpful as a facilitator to the North Devon Permaculture Network which I initiated as one of my diploma projects. There is now a Facebook group dedicated to PEC 2015, (Permaculture Educators 2015). We can now stay connected, building and maintaining the new relationships made. 

2 . Be Active: "Go for a walk or run. Step outside. Cycle. Play a game. Garden. Dance....." 

Games, activities and being outside were an important part of how we learned and had down time. From a limbo dancing to a morning walk on the beach, the course was filled with opportunities to be active and spend some time with nature. On the final night, we were celebrating our achievements not only on the course but of the work we are all doing to spread Permaculture around the world. 

As children we learn to use play as a way of communicating and developing who we become in later life. As adults play is just as important. It helps us to relax, learn and connect with others as well as reconnect to the child within ourselves. 

3. Take Notice: ".....Remark on the unusual..... savour the moment....reflecting on your experiences will help you appreciate what matters to you." 

Friland was indeed an unusual place. The community was filled with 'artists', people who had used their creativity to construct their own homes. Some had used Christopher Alexander's pattern language for the basis of their designs. 

I was amazed at how completely 'free' it felt to see people being able to express themselves in the architecture of their homes. I enjoyed every moment walking round Friland, from gates made with bikes, to houses built inside a green house. 

My walks in the mornings and evenings with 'my house mate', Norah, gave the opportunity to take in the surroundings of where we were staying. We were lucky enough to be able to view Friland from afar. We saw it in its glory at sunrise and sunset and one on special occasion we shared seeing a deer together. I did indeed take notice.

A gate made from a bicycle. "Remark on the unusual"

4. Keep Learning: "Try something new. Rediscover an old interest. Sign up for that course...... learning new things will make you more confident........." 

The diversity of cultures of the participants added an edge to my experience. Learning how to facilitate with someone, regardless of the language they spoke, wasn't a barrier. From learning the Theory of Learning to sharing different teaching styles and techniques, the course showed us how to use Permaculture to deliver an holistic approach to teaching. Cat and Andy, (whom I've collectively now named Candy), facilitated a structured, yet fun, creative approach to their delivery. From planning a course to untangling human knots, we were guided each session towards becoming Permaculture Educators. 

A couple of phrases stuck out for me during the course:

"If a student participates from the beginning then they will participate all the way through," 

and,

"Just do it!" 

I knew I wanted this course to mean something so I reminded myself of the former whenever I felt a little 'shy'. I wanted to 'learn' as much as I possibly could, not only about being a Permaculture teacher but about myself. I did indeed rediscover that I was more than capable of being a teacher, it being something I have wanted to do since my children were small. I found my confidence again. Both phrases are not only good for the course but great mantras for getting you through life and towards your goals. 

5. Give: "Do something nice for a friend, or a stranger. Thank someone. Smile. Volunteer your time......" 

A morning on the beach

A great ending to my time in Denmark and the PEC was the opportunity to share my knowledge with Danish people outside of the course. Emilia, a course participant, shared her couchsurfing hosts with Flo and myself. Before the course we had decided to extend our stay in Denmark to experience the culture of Aarhus. 

The hosts were keen to have us share our Permaculture knowledge with them. So in exchange for their songs and accommodation, (and as if by commission), we not only gave them some garden design advice and Permaculture resource information but we showed them our PEC presentations. They seemed to absorb our skills and knowledge with glee. Our time with them ended with an exchange of gratitude and seeds. 

For me there were many aspects of learning during my time in Denmark. I learned that by truly facing my fears I can overcome them and discover what I'm capable of. I learned to trust Flo and Emilia with their nomadic travelling experience; thanks guys for guiding me through Aarhus. 

I learned that we CAN change our life story any time. Our negative experiences don't have to hold us prisoner. Most of all I've learned that I can be the best Permaculture teacher I want to be. 

Being a member of the Permaculture Association gave me the opportunity to attend this course. I'm sure at some stage, I would have found the answers to my questions, but I'm glad that it was through the PEC 2015 that I received them. My advice to anyone who wants to have the same opportunity is.... "just do it!", join the Permaculture Association

Inspiration and insights from a Teacher Training Course

by Nenya Milne

The Permaculture Association bulletin advertising funded places at European training courses came just at the right time. I was feeling increasingly stuck for impetus to pursue the many permaculture projects I had ambitiously hatched in my head. I knew I needed to improve on my skills to engage with different audiences, and to gain confidence in the more democratic forms of education compared to the university framework I was used to. 

Nenya and family

Somehow I had never seriously considered a teachers’ training course – perhaps because the scale of investment, both in terms of time and money, was completely out my reach. 

Having already made plans to pack my two-year old off to granny’s for most of October, the opportunity to apply for funding for the October Permaculture Educators’ Course in Denmark was too good to miss. With only a few meaningful questions to answer, my application was soon on its way. Incredibly, I got the answer in just three days – and I was going to Friland!

I arrived in Denmark feeling slightly intimidated yet excited about the course, but both emotions soon gave way to an almost palpable sense of being just where I needed to be. I made friends with some of our group even before leaving Copenhagen on a 4 hour bus journey to Friland, which lies about an hour’s drive north-east of Aarhus. I met the rest during the charming candlelit dinner at our course venue – a spacious eco-building called The Raven (Ravnen). Our accommodation was partly in Friland’s equally amazing and varied family homes, made from wood, straw bale, or cob, and partly in the ‘normal’ Danish village of Feldballe across the road from Friland.

Friland is an unusual intentional community in that it was set up NOT to become a parallel alternative community, but to demonstrate that you could lead a green, low-impact life while staying fully integrated with the rest of society. Friland’s children attend the local school in Feldballe, and the preconditions for getting a plot to build your own house in Friland were not being in debt, and having your own (not necessarily land-based) business. There were also limits imposed on how much you could sell your house for, to deter anyone with the ambitions of a would-be developer, and attract people with a long-term commitment to the community. Many of the houses in Friland were still being built (and from what I heard the strain of self-build proved too much for a couple of families), and it was in no way a postcard picture of an ideal village – though it did not stop people from wanting to visit, get involved, or seek to replicate Friland’s experiences elsewhere. And for good reason, everything that succeeded had withstood the tests of both time and usefulness, and Friland is a well-functioning as well as a deeply inspirational place.

In addition to getting insider perspectives on Friland, staying in family homes meant that we got the chance of a decent rest during the night (unless paired up with a snoring roommate…), as well as a daily change of scene and some space of our own. I even had the benefit of a cat’s company which was wonderful for relaxation! We were also very well looked after at the course venue: we were spared cooking and other house work by our incredibly efficient hosts Jo and Lars and their kitchen helpers Nicolas and Alison, who also provided wholesome and delicious food and freshly baked bread, and yes, “Mmmm, garlic..!”

There was also time for fun and games, mushrooming in the local woods, gentle warm-ups to energise us in the mornings, and plenty of socialising in the evenings. All of this was important given how intensive the course proved to be, and it was amazing to see how it was carefully designed to enable maximum learning and retention of useful information – packed and interactive sessions alternated with time set aside for reflection and opportunities to practice teaching in a safe and supportive environment. 

We gained useful insights about how we learn (the process and the different learning styles), the importance of thorough preparation and timing, of a good learning environment, and of tailoring the methods and content to specific learning outcomes. We practised teaching in pairs and giving feedback to each other, while each of us received useful feedback from our tutors Andy Goldring and Cat Dolleris, as well as an insight about how to improve our body language and ‘presence’ from a fellow trainee Armand, a dance teacher with a keen interest in bodily awareness.

Although we all had different starting points in terms of confidence and experience in teaching permaculture, I can safely say that the course was useful to everyone, but especially the beginners, and it will continue to bear fruit for many years to come! For myself, things that seemed insurmountable before suddenly appeared doable and far less intimidating, and as the ten days of training progressed, I felt increasingly empowered – as well as grateful and incredibly moved by the emerging friendships, wisdom, and mutual support.

Our stay in Friland was not without incident: a couple of days before the course ended, one of the huge straw piles not far from the venue went up in flames. Speculation abounded as to whether the moisture that penetrated the bales had led to such high levels of microbial activity that the straw ignited in the generated heat (much like an overly hot compost pile), or whether our group or the bus tour of pensioners that happened to visit Friland on that day harboured an unconfessed pyromaniac… One thing was definite according to the firefighters: our quickly improvised bucket chain helped save the nearby building from catching fire as well.

Discussing the first micro-teach
while on a DIY tour of Friland (Photo by Cat Dolleris)

Now, almost 6 month later, I still feel a very strong sense of connection to all my course folk, and I am looking forward to meeting at least some of them at the September IPCUK in London. I also feel their support in all I am doing to put my newly honed skills into practice: since returning from Friland, I have enrolled in Diploma; ran my first Permaculture Introduction course, a homemade cosmetics course, and started shadowing an established teacher’s PDC; helped teach a permaculture practical on Edinburgh University’s 3rd year biology course; organised a collective design exercise for a local park; started a project to create a forest garden in the local school grounds and am now working on a Forest Gardening course to accompany the project in the autumn.

About the author:
Nenya Milne lives in Edinburgh with her husband Richard and their son Lawrence. She is a self-employed gardener and permaculture designer and teacher, enjoys botanising, gets ridiculously excited about plants (especially unusual edibles), and is working on involving her local community in the Inch into food-growing projects.