Saturday 7 December 2013

Living Bridges Northeast India

In the depths of northeastern India, in one of the wettest places on earth, bridges aren't built - they're grown.

The living bridges of Cherrapunji, India are made from the roots of the Ficus elastica tree. This tree produces a series of secondary roots from higher up its trunk and can comfortably perch atop huge boulders along the riverbanks, or even in the middle of the rivers themselves.

Cherrapunji is credited with being the wettest place on earth, and The War-Khasis, a tribe in Meghalaya, long ago noticed this tree and saw in its powerful roots an opportunity to easily cross the area's many rivers. Now, whenever and wherever the need arises, they simply grow their bridges.

infos taken from:http://rootbridges.blogspot.in/

see my slideshow here:

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/ep1usmx13me2f5a/KC_Tvz0SS8

amazing experience,beautiful people and environment......enjoy

PDC DARJEELING with Rico Zook SLIDESHOW

look at some pictures from the last PDC with Rico in Darjeeling
here is a short slideshow with some pictures of a magical PDC experience we shared together in Darjeeling with Rico Zook as Main Teacher.please have a look and enjoy:


Thanks to Rico,all the Mineral springs families and the amazing participant group.

best wishes Roman

PDC COURSE with GOVINDA SHARMA at SAPNEY FARM,INDIA

join us for this 2 week experience with amazing Govinda Sharma from Nepal.
Hope this message finds you in good health and happiness. We are glad to inform you that we are fully booked with our Feb PDC, due to many interested participants willing to join our PDC, we have organized one more in March with a brilliant and experienced teacher's team.

As per your interest in joining us for the PDC, the following are the details with more information. This PDC is Internationally qualified, all the successful participants will be awarded with a certificate on the completion of this PDC.

Please feel free to write to us if you have any specific queries, we will be happy to get back to you as soon as possible.

Heal The Soil PDC

MARCH 10th to 24th 2014

Head Teacher & Facilitator: Govinda Sharma
Co Teachers & Facilitators : Martin and Roman
Guest Speakers and Lectures : Bernard & Deepika, Pitchandiculam, Snehal, Jade and more.
Teacher's Introduction:
Govinda Sharma
Govinda has been practicing and teaching Permaculture since 1992 and has facilitated 28 PDCs and about 250 short courses in various aspects of Permaculture. His trainings have included participants from almost 55 countries. Currently he is serving as Executive Chairman of HASERA - a Permaculture Farm in Nepal (-http://www.organichasera.org/) and Vice President of Nepal Permaculture Group (NGP).
He has a Masters Degree in Ecological Agriculture and has worked with farmers all over Nepal and in countries like Austria, Japan, Malawi, India, Qatar and France. Govinda also published several articles on Permaculture and sustainable agriculture in the last few years.
RomanRoman has been studying and living with Permaculture since 4 years which brought him to a diverse range of Projects, Countries, Climates, Cultures and People all over the planet.

He has lived, worked and learned in places like Africa, India, Nepal, the Carribean and Portugal. He was part of 5 PDC Courses and his teachers and mentors include Alex Kruger (Berg en Dal Ecovillage), Chris Walker (PaNthunzi), Bernard Alonso (Permacultureinternationale), Deepak Suchede (Natueco Farming Science).

Currently he is living in India and co-creating the Sapney Farm Design with focus on perennial Gardens and Food Forest. He is part of the Permaculture Association UK and at the moment doing his Applied Permaculture Diploma.
MartinAfter completing a master in Anthropology and a degree in Humanitarian Project Management, Martin went to live for one year in the Indonesian jungle of Siberut with the Mentawaian tribe. There he discovered a highly sustainable life style based on a careful observation of natural laws and resource management. Following this life changing experience, he decided to stop his academic career to go into organic farming and sustainable living. After a first experience working as project manager for an organic rice-farming project in Vietnam, he followed a PDC with Heal The Soil in February 2013. Since then he has been learning and practicing Permaculture by co-developing the garden at Sapney Farm, teaching monthly Permaculture Introduction Workshops and volunteering in a reforestation and seed conservation project called Peeble Garden.
Curriculum:Classic 72 Hours Permaculture Design Certificate Curriculum with lots of theory and some hands-on experiences plus Design Exercises in groups. We are going to visit some amazing projects in the Auroville area and also have expert guest speakers.
Permaculture uses ecological principles to design sustainable human communities that are harmoniously woven into the environment and that aim to have the diversity, stability and resilience of natural ecosystems. It offers a framework for critical decision-making and right livelihood. It is a design approach for realizing a new paradigm, meeting human needs while preserving and increasing ecosystem health.
Topics include:

History and Definition of Permaculture
Ethics and Principles of Permaculture
Design Methodologies
Patterns in Nature, Culture and Society
Reading the Land – Observation
Land Restoration Techniques
Water Harvesting Techniques
Grey Water Recycling
Natural Building Strategies
Cultivated & Productive ecological Gardens
Food Forests and Plant Guilds
Energy Conservation Technologies & Appropriate Technologies
Integrated Pest Management
Compost
Soil
Water
Forests and Reforestation
Animal Management in Permaculture
and much more
The course is adapted to a wide variety of learning styles and is presented via lecture, images, video, group discussion, individual and group exercises, and design projects. Class usually lasts from 8AM to 5PM.
Course Price : 540 USD. Includes vegetarian meals and accommodation. 
Early Bird Discount : 450 USD if booked before January 15th.

for more infos please contact:
Snehal: snehalflash@gmail.com
Roman; entelechie@posteo.de

Certified PDC - South India - February 2014

Full Permaculture Design Course (PDC)
Hands on learning while 'creating a useful design' benefiting an underprivileged village community towards sustainable life of Kottakarai transition village.

PDC Plus is a 72hr 'Permaculture Design Certification Course' for beginners. Will be accompanied with a participating 'flying team' of practitioners who already hold permaculture certifications. Part of the funds raised is used towards creating a 'Social Business' involving local villagers. HTS is looking into collaborations with other local NGOs and organisations, together with whom we can give a year round training of permaculture methods to village families. This training will help them and their community to implement and practice permaculture in their own other villages around them.

This 18-day course will consist of a broad range of topics applicable to life anywhere on the planet, at the same time catering to the specific needs of the participating students.

Classic 72hrs PDC Curriculum

Plus introduction to:
- Bio-dynamics
- Local Buildings
- Regional Art and Craft
- Medicinal Plants
- Waste Management
- Social Business
- Community Gardens
- Terra Cota Potteries
- Indian Cookery
- Documentaries
- Idea Pool
- Guest Speakers

Dates: 
2 February 2014 - 24 February 2014

Teachers
Bernard Alonso from www.permacultureinterationale.com and Ilumalai co-founder Heal the Soil CSA www.healthesoilcsa.org 

Apprentice Teachers
This course is open to offers from apprentice teachers wishing to gain teaching experience. 

Fees:720 USD Includes Accommodation, Food and Training


Venue information

Heal the Soil CSA
Sapney Farm, Kottakarai Village,
Near Auroville, South India

Permaculture Design Course in the Himalayas

Hi everybody,

here are some pictures of the PDC in the Himalayan Farm Project we organised in collaboration with Ben and Sam,Himalayan Farm Project and Heal the Soil.enjoy the magic of the mountains and thanks to all the beautifull people who shared this experience together.......


www.healthesoilcsa.org/