Permaculture Design Course in Lithgow
In April, we were thrilled to be in Lithgow, at the newly re-opening WSU campus, to run another PDC+ – our Permaculture Design Course with an additional Social Enterprise Design and Mentoring component. We were the inaugural course, starting on campus even before the official opening of Maldhan Ngurr Ngurra – The Lithgow Transformation Hub.
Throughout the course we visited numerous sites in Lithgow and the Blue Mountains, and participants worked collaboratively on designing both the PCYC site in Lithgow and social enterprises for their futures.
We focused our theory on looking closely at the world through ecological lenses and understanding how systems work so that they can be redesigned for a better future. Our site visits were truly inspirational and included Matt Anslow in Hartley, Kevin McClusker at Killinbinbin Native Nursery at Dargan, Andy Stevenson at Vanam Retreat on the Darling Causeway, Rowe Morrow in Katoomba, the Katoomba Organic Community Gardens, Blackheath Community Farm, Eskbank House, Terrie Wallace from ‘From the Paddock’ in the Capertee Valley, and Gang Gang Gallery in Lithgow to learn more about Destination Pagoda.
Visiting teachers included Robin Shannon, a soil specialist, and Julie Favell from the Lithgow Environment Group and Destination Pagoda.
We were thrilled that by the end of the course, three of the participants were already able to start on their social enterprise ideas. Two were looking at living and working at ‘From the Paddock’ to set up a permaculture enterprise and one took on a plumbing apprenticeship with a view to eventually becoming a specialist in grey and black water recycling.
It’s fabulous that employers are already turning to the Pluriversity, recognising the calibre of the young people motivated to study permaculture and social enterprise design to create a better world.
You’ll hear a lot more about this group as we continue our mentoring program!
