Below is an excerpt from a recent article from the Green Journey featuring Nicole Sadlier one of the leading figures at the recent Permablitz at Paradise Community Gardens. The Green Journey site is a great way to stay informed or upcoming events in the Sunshine Coast and Brisbane regions, be sure to sign up for their monthly newsletter. 

Nicole Sadlier (Yogini, Permaculturalist, Adventurer) currently lives in Brisbane.  It was a year long trip WWOOFING (Willing Workers On Organic Farms) around Australia that brought Nic and her partner to Brisbane, where they now find that balance between working in business and following their passions for growing food and engaging in community actions with like-minded people. 

Nicole's story goes full circle ... from leaving the city for the country - with a need to learn more about  food and organic farming methods ... to returning to the city again and teaching others about the potential to grow in an urban environment but this time, with a fresh perspective and a greater appreciation for 'real food'.

"We don’t all have to be living on a two acre block in the country – we can live and breathe Permaculture here in the cities and apply the principles to our daily lives and workplace."

I quickly raised my hand to be part of the facilitation and share the skills and knowledge gained from my teachers - Neil and Stella from Guiding Star Creations - with an eager group of permies and volunteers. 

When people are excited about what you’re teaching, the vibe is electric.

I so enjoy the Permablitz community concept, and am amazed at the genuine people, commitment, energy, and enthusiastic sharing of knowledge that put design into action.  It’s so encouraging to see people in an urban environment engaging in sharing and developing skills in communal areas and people’s backyards.

In a way, I’ve come full circle back to the city and am now able to balance my passions with a working life.  I can see the full potential of what can be done in an urban environment to grow food, engage with community, and connect with nature. 

To read the full article visit the Green Journey site:

http://www.greenjourney.com.au/take-action-lets-sprint/inspiration--for-your-first-steps/inspiring-stories/203-nicole-finding-your-soul-in-the-city

On Sunday 24th July, 2011, Seven Hills State School became the very first school in Brisbane and possibly the world to be Permablitzed, thanks to great networking between the School, Food Connect, Permablitz Brisbane and Northey Street City Farm.  It was an inspiring day of community coming together to create gardens that will provide a living, breathing outdoor classroom where the children and their families will learn-by-doing to grow their own healthy, nutritious, organic food, for countless years to come.

Over 100 people attended the Blitz and an incredible amount was achieved including the creation of a mandala garden, banana circle, path into the orchard, new compost bays, new vegetable beds (designed to accommodate whole classes of children at once), work in the Nature Trail and paving around Cluckingham Palace, home to the school’s chooks.

Highlights of the day included an amazing spread of delicious home-cooked food, garden-related arty activities for the kids, the beautiful cooperation between school families, barefoot farmers and the amazing and generous-spirited Permaculture/Permablitz volunteers, not to mention a Nia warm-up to get everyone ready for action.  We even had a surprise visit from Carolyn Nuttall – co-author of “Outdoor Classrooms”.  She was in awe of our community for attracting so many helpers.

Visit our gallery for lots of great photos from the day.

When the folks from Map Magazine asked us recently to nominate someone from the Brisbane Permablitz movement to highlight as a role model in their August 'eco' issue we were proud to put forward Tim Auld a Permacuture Designer with All You Can Eat Gardens. Tim has been a regular at just about every permablitz for the past 12 months or more. His design work and professionalism is truly inspirational and we thank Tim for all his assistance, dedication and mentorship. We'll be announcing some exciting new collaborations with Tim and AYCEGs soon! You can read the interview below or head on over to Map Magazine for the full issue.

What is your profession?

People come to me with a desire to grow food. I design productive and low-maintenance organic gardens. This involved herbs, vegetables, fruit trees, chickens, fish, beehives, compost, irrigation, grey water and rainwater harvesting.

What training or qualifications do you need to fill this role?

I recommend a Permaculture Design Certificate (PDC), lots of background study, and practice as a minimum.

What are the key skills and responsibilities of the role?

Reading the landscape and seeing how a designed ecology can satisfy a client's needs without artificial inputs. It's important to identify and use 'waste' and create habitats for other life.

How did you get involved in your profession?

I was working for the video-game industry when I was introduced to peak oil. It woke me up to the absurdity of depending on depleting resources for everyday needs. I trained part-time in permaculture, a holistic design system for sustainable settlements. In 2010 I started All You Can Eat Gardens.

Could you break into the industry in other ways?

Permaculture is a framework that can be applied to almost anything. Architects, town planners, aid workers, process engineers, environmentalists, entrepreneurs, policy makers and famers can especially benefit from permaculture. Some may have to build a new career as I did, but you can leverage existing skills, so be creative!

What do you hope to achieve within your industry?

I aim to create or inspire thousands of edible gardens - demonstrating that nature is abundant if you partner with her.

Are you in the industry for the long term?

Graduates of PDCs rarely 'recover' from the experience; you see the world in an entirely different way. There is such a great need for low-energy, carbon-negative design that I expect to be in demand for a long time.

What advice would you give someone looking to emulate your success?

Learn from like-minded people and build a strong support network. A great resource for that is Permablitz, which is like Backyard Blitz, but using permaculture. Take opportunities with both hands.

Did you always think you would be in this role?

Absolutely not! Life took a dramatic turn and it was only a couple of years ago that things started to take shape. It's very exciting.

What was your first paid job?

I received a call from the Graceville Community Garden about a local resident who wanted her garden re-designed. We ended up installing a pond, rainwater tank, paths, fruit trees, herb and veggie beds, and an automatic-irrigation system. We continue to maintain her beautiful garden.

What would you love to do if you weren't in this role?

Organic and local farming! I would love a handful of acres just out of the city.

What inspires you?

Visiting past clients, seeing their smiling faces, hearing the stories of how they grew so much they had to give it away.

Who is your rolemodel?

Geoff Lawton, who runs the Permaculture Research Institute of Australia. Geoff pushes the boundaries and he is dedicated. The world needs more like him.

What are your words of wisdom?

The only food crisis we should have is deciding what to eat!

In the transition to a sustainable world, how can permaculture designers and activists work with communities to bring about effective change at the Neighbourhood scale?

Gavin Hardy, a Brisbane-based landscape architect and permaculture designer, recently completed the Whole Farm Plan for Northey Street City Farm by working with the local community over a five year period. Gavin shares his insights into larger scale community design, including what permaculturalists can offer, the traps and pitfalls, and the skill sets required. This event will be open to the general public and any funds raised on the night will go towards Permablitz (thanks Gav!). Entry is by gold coin donation, and there will be dinner and other goods for sale.

Help us promote this event by distributing the poster.

Time: August 2, 2011 from 6:30pm to 8:30pm
Location: Kurilpa Hall, 174 Boundary Street, West End
Contact : This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

One of the many participants at last weekends permablitz at the Paradise Street Community Gardens, Michael Ayala just wrote in with this wonderful story from the day:

On Sunday morning a large number of environmentally minded friends, neighbours and strangers came together with a common goal: to create an alternative space to fulfill some of the basic needs of humans - fresh food, a beautiful environment and social interaction.

It is at Paradise Park, in Highgate Hill where all these innovative urban gardeners are working to construct a collective dream, the dream of re-connecting community with its environment, the dream of re-connecting people with Mother Nature. Brisbane has good climatic conditions for growing most of the plants we need in our everyday diet. Vegetables such as cabbage, lettuce, beetroot, turnip, beans, corn, sweet potatoes and capsicum are all on the list of healthy “goodies” that Brisbane residents can enjoy throughout the year. Just a little piece of earth, some compost, water, and the will to do some outdoor exercise is what we need to start the amazing experience of growing our own food.

It is not only the enjoyment of growing locally; but also the satisfaction of putting into practice a politically correct alternative that encourages food security and self reliance. Cities are growing organisms that need food to live and grow, but many of us have lost the tradition of growing what we eat. Permablitz provides cities and their inhabitants the opportunity to feed themselves again. Using permaculture principles we can recycle most of the nutrients that would otherwise be wasted in landfill, and transform them into rich compost to nourish the soil.

People of all ages and backgrounds, neighbours and friends, relatives and people just passing by, came together last Sunday to build this amazing project. After a long day of work, we all filled our stomachs, but also filled our minds and our hearts with this sustainable initiative. A relaxing massage after a full day of work was the best reward for all hard workers who came to give a hand in one of the most inspiring community garden projects in Brisbane.

Thanks to everyone for coming and for sharing your muscles, your smile, your conversation and your life. I look forward to participating in these events in the future.

Special thanks to Andrew for putting the video together and all the wonderful people who turned up for the day. We hope to see you all back there on the 16th to help finish off the earthbag construction and rendering. There are lots of photos up in the gallery already, with more to follow.

UPDATE: Another great video from Andrew Carter of the post-blitz Return to Paradise event from last weekend. Click here for the funk version.