Our Good To Great Living Campus- How Permagrows

Our Good to Great Living Campus Presentation for Staff Development Day

 * I would like to thank and acknowledge the resources and information provided by the Permaculture design short course learning facilitators in 2008-thank you Peta Hudson, Jason Ross and Leigh Blackall. I would also like to thank all the real life and "virtual" participants who helped create and continue to grow the permaculture garden at L block,Otago Polytechnic,Dunedin N.Z.Please call Hortykim on 021 735 498 to arrange a visit to this fantastic learning resource.

To do

 * 1) Hello - hortykim was asked to participate in a staff Development Day 30 June 2011 – Panel Presentation.The intention is that this day will showcase good practice under the banner of “What is Already Great” – and we know that there are plenty of good examples at Otago Polytechnic.There will be time for questions and discussion with key points to be recorded for later reporting.We would like to invite you to participate as a panelist in the session on “Living Campus” at 11.00am – 12.30pm. So I said yup ok and worked on a wee presentation.
 * 2) My presentation will share my experiences in helping to create and sustain gardens and facilities that contribute to Otago Polytechnic's Living CampusOur Living Campus is an opportunity to use the entire campus as a teaching aid to showcase sustainable practice.The panel presentation will explore the concept to date and look at what is possible for the future...
 * 3) What is Permaculture?The word permaculture is a portmanteau of permanent agriculture and permanent culture.Permaculture is an approach to designing human settlements and agricultural systems that mimic the relationships found in natural ecologies.Permaculture is a broad-based and holistic approach that has many applications to all aspects of life.
 * 4) Who benefits from the Polygrow Nursery,"Permagrow" Permaculture garden and the Vermagrow worm farm? The answer is all staff,students and our wider community.Students that specifically benefit by Permagrow in terms of earning a qualification are the following: Horticulture students,Occupational Therapy students,Foundation Trades in Horticulture students,and Hospitality students.
 * 5) This is a slideshare presentation of the development of the garden.This garden was created as a learning resource for a short course on permaculture design.The first course started in 2008 and was funded by a contribution from a sustainability fund which Leigh Blackall from EDC alerted me to.Leigh was a driving force in securing the funding and creating a budget in hopes of making a course on sustainability sustainable.Due to many factors we could not attract the number of people required to cover all expenses and keep the course going.The good news is that my manager recognized the value of this area of study and we now offer a module in sustainability(Organic horticulture in New Zealand, Re-vegetation of indigenous plant areas,Permaculture and Vermiculture (worm farming) as part of our full time courses.
 * 6) Mark Jackson's contribution to the panel discussion explained the rationale behind the Living Campus.He believes peak oil will change our society and preparations should be under way to model more sustainable ways of living.We could even go a step further and look at the following quote from wikipedia which adds further credence to the importance of the Living Campus leading a "descent" way forward,"Some observers opine that peak oil should be viewed as a positive event.[128] Many such critics reason that if the price of oil rises high enough, the use of alternative clean fuels could help control pollution from fossil fuel use, and mitigate global warming.[129] Permaculture, particularly as expressed in the work of Australian David Holmgren, and others, sees peak oil as holding tremendous potential for positive change, assuming countries act with foresight. The rebuilding of local food networks, energy production, and the general implementation of 'energy descent culture' are argued to be ethical responses to the acknowledgment of finite fossil resources." Mark also took the opportunity to highlight the new Living Campus website.
 * 7) And finally we were asked to do the following to wrap up the presentation...Tena koutou, Many thanks to all of you for the work you have been putting into planning and preparing for your session/s for the Staff Development Day...Final instructions:Each venue will have newsprint paper, permanent markers and whiteboard markers as well as a class list to be passed around for signatures.Please record on newsprint paper (preferably one page):
 * What impressed people?
 * What questions arose?
 * What barriers were identified by others?
 * What actions are now required?
 * Recording of presentations:If you have PowerPoints or other material that could be made available for other staff to access after the Staff Development Day, could you please email these to EDCStaffSupport@op.ac.nz.

Video

 * Plans become reality.
 * First of many herb spirals.
 * Peta Hudson nutshells the first Permagrow Permaculture Garden practical 2008.
 * Dave Feathers-One of the many staff who support The Living Campus.
 * Hortykim welcomes chooks to Permagrow Garden Oct 2010.

Maps and Photos

 * Map of Living Campus in Dunedin NZ
 * Permagrow garden photos from 2008-2011

===Permaculture Design will run at Otago Polytechnic,Dunedin,NZ from July 22 - November 18 2011.Please enrol or follow along online as we publish recordings and study materials to our wiki page.===