The Northern Light's PERMÉ ÊTRE Handbook

THE PERMÉ ÊTRE HANDBOOK

A Manual About Permaculture Collaboration Work with The Northern Lights Notes by Krystel Tabet Photographs by Glen Slattery Graphics by Zain Gaia

“Permaculture challenges the Western-European agricultural practices that separate man, the farmer, from nature, the resource. In turn, it places people within the natural ecosystems, creating a more integrative biological community. This outlook on our role in nature is indigenous in origin. “Traditional ecological knowledge facilitates the implementation of stewardship practices such as burning, pruning, sowing, tillage, and more.” (USDA) Prior to global colonization, communities everywhere cultivated symbiotic relationships with their natural environment. With the arrival of European settlers, however, these farming, foraging, and co-living techniques were all but destroyed.”

-From The Origins of Permaculture by the Cacao Lab Journal

Introduction Learnings Brain

cycle

Introduction

In June 2022, 35 participants from 7 countries joined the team at THE Northern Lights in Saint Nizier du Bouchoux to learn more about agroforestry, permaculture design and earth works. This experimental 12 day workshop aimed to help participants learn by doing: The farm that was being designed according to permaculture principles and agroforestry, gave the participants the space and knowledge needed to learn how to:

.Design the space and utilize existing resources to

.promote harmony with nature

.Take on tools and start implementing the design

.Reflect, observe and learn different methods based on the sharing of theory as well as the implementation of said theory.

These were the direct results and objectives of the course, however, this course had indirect results as well that are celebrated by the participants and the organizers, these results include:

. Building of a cross country network: Needless to say that connection with nature promotes the connection between the human beings, and the 12 days the participants spent together in the farm consolidated relationships and bonds. Today, participants are meeting in different places, for different purposes, and are still connected through a whatsapp group that is constantly engaging participants with new opportunities, as well as different informal channels.

. Personal learnings and developments: Many participants shared that they were incredibly inspired by their fellow participants and the learnings, and are carving ways to include permaculture and nature more profoundly in their daily lives. It is equally important to note here the learning that was shared by participants with each other during lunch breaks, over dinner and while working.

. Network of support for the Northern Lights project: Needless to count the number of times where several participants returned to the farm to help out and offer support. This goes to show the deep connection that was created with this safe and beautiful space

We could develop sections that touch on the results of the course, but in this report, we want to focus on what we actually learned during the 12 days together on the farm. This document serves as a reference document to all participants should they seek to go back to the knowledge exchanged during the course.

Learnings

The course kicked-off with an introduction to ‘Connecting with Nature’. On this first day, the participants learned about the nature deficit disorder, the brain patterning cycle, routines to connect with nature and how we learn. The following section will include all the learnings from the first 7 days of the course.

Brain patterning cycle:

Core Routines to..

Routine 1: Seed Spot

A place you go to everyday in nature, ideally many times a day, to get to know it more and better. This allows for a deep contemplation and hyperawareness. Choose a spot that is comfortable in your garden, outside space, etc. (the closer the easier). You can do whatever you want, as the point is to get to know the spot super well. The more you visit your seed spot, the more you get to know your ecosystem & the animals around you will start approaching you. Wildlife will also start considering you as a friend if you go every day. You can have several seed spots, one main and several seed spots.

Routine 2: Story of the Day

Write and reflect: what was the moment of the day, not how your day went, but go back to your day and share your story.

Routine 3: Expanding Our Senses

We are hardwired to connect with nature, because our ancestors were preys. We lost touch with that because we became the predators. There are several practices to expand our senses, this includes: peripheral vision, which allows us with exercises to reach more than 180 degrees, these exercises broaden the vision. The other type is focal vision.

Routine 4: Wandering

Go get lost in nature and be open to what nature has to offer. Instead of using pre planned routes or maps, use your body as radar.

Routine 5: Mapping

Practice mapping whenever you’re wandering. Write on a piece of paper what you saw, to learn how to have spatial awareness. Map as much as you can, it helps you analyze, archive, see and raise awareness.

Routine 6: Exploring Field Guides

Existing knowledge on how to track animals, recognizing plants, hazards, etc.

Connect with Nature

Routine 7: Journaling

Having the space and time to sit and write how I feel, what I observe, etc.

Routine 8: Learn about Survival Living Skills

What to eat in nature, wild edibles, how to make a fire with nothing, how to make a shelter, how to defend yourself (a weapon), etc.

Routine 9: Imagining

Imagine all the time

Routine

10: Bird Sounds

Interpret the patterns of bird songs, if you learn them you know what’s going on around you without seeing it. Birds are the connectors of wilderness.

Routine 11: Thanks-Giving:

Thank and be grateful. Celebrating the ancestral way of sharing abundance with neighbors and friends.

Routine 12: Tracking Animals

The art and act of questioning. A good tracker is never sure until they see the animal: questions:

Who? Who pooped here for example What? Did they eat When? When did it happen Where? Where’s the next clue? Why? Prediction + ecological planning

How? Empathy, how did this come to be / how did it happen

Routine 13: Animal Forms

Dress Up like animals, and enact animals; when tracking for example, walk like a fox

! Remember: You are a human being and you are part of the ecosystem, you have the right to be in nature - if an animal moves because of me, it’s ok.

! Remember: Never touch a wild animal.

The Book of Nature: The 8 Shields

1. trees: core to our survival 2. Birds: the messengers of the wilderness 3. Hazards: learn them, and how to fight them 4. Motivating species: things to cut, eat, tend 5. Mammals and other trackable creatures 6. Plants: grocery store & medicine cabinet 7. Biological indicators 8. Heritage and knowledge: wisdom of our ancestors

Permaculture: The Basics

Ethics of Permaculture:

. earth CARE

. people care

. Fair share

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. Respect limits and boundaries

. Bill Morison (teacher) and David Omgren (student) met and developed together the concept of permaculture. When in Tasmania (Australia) they realized that the forest is self maintained, it goes through cycles. But why do we do agriculture differently? This is when they developed the concept of permaculture.

. You can apply permaculture in your balcony, in a big space, on a country level, etc.

. Clean energy is energy you don’t consume

! Permaculture design is a way of designing sustainable & regenerative models

! It is NOT a permaculture garden if it’s not designed.

The 12 Principles of Permaculture Design

1. Recycle waste, entropy

Use edges & value the marginal: important things happen at the intersection, there are ecosystems at the edges

Observe & interact: observe for at least 1 year before you design

Design from pattern to details: looking at the big picture & then the small elements / details

Catch & store energy: like water, wind, sun, knowledge, mental health, etc.

Use small and slow solutions

Use and value renewable energy

Apply self-regulations and accept feedback

Integrate rather than segregate

One element responds to many functions, one function serves many elements

Creatively use & respond to change

Accelerate succession & accompany evolution

Water management

Water is life, but it can also be very destructive.

The key is to manage water.

.90% of water is in oceans and seas

.3% of all water is sweet water

.75% in ice and snow

.13.5% is deep groundwater (rainwater that falls and goes down all geological layers in the earth)

.0.03% in rivers

.0.035% in the atmosphere

.10% shallow groundwater (800m and above)

.1% is stored in soil

Principles of Water Management

Start with a deep and full observation of:

1. Rainfall patterns

2. Distribution of water

3. Decide your place inside the watershed (between partition lines)

. On earth, there are imaginative lines that are water partition lines: it’s the highest point in the landscape . All landscapes on earth are divided by this line.

. Water and wind have created all our landscapes

. Start from the highest point and go down

When you design water management systems, start with the highest point in the landscape

Start small and simple

Keyline design

1. Slowdown water: infiltrate and soak in 2. Harvest that water and chanel 3. Store for using later

. Water (from rain) that falls on bare land, creates cracks and create explosion (very violent on soil) and then possible erosion

1. Always consider overflows as potential resources

2. Build organic matter in soils: every 1% of organic matter is equal to 20,000 L per hectare

3. Do more than just store water (think of all possible water uses)

4. Observe, analyze and upgrade continuously

. Ridges; Water dividing line, usually the driest part

. Valley: Water concentration line, usually humid

When these lines are very close to each other, it means the space is steep

! Basis of water management: Reduce the amount of water you need

! Pedoepuration: A way to treat waster: one of the ways to filter and process sewage water

! Water is the best thermostat, it retains heat and gives cold

! Water is also excellent for reflecting light

. Types of soil: Silt, loams, clays (what you find at the bottom of ponds) and sand

Earth Works

The types of infrastructure that you can make and build for water

1. Swales: layers that hold vegetarian - the overflow will water all the swale lines

2. Fascines (for very difficult landscapes):

a. It doesn’t channel the water but it slows it down to infiltrate the soil

b. Very simple technique

c. It’s a tool for torrent correction

! If you have sandy soil (drains water a lot) then you might need a diversion drain) L diversion drains need to always have trees so that it holds the water in the soil

Three basic types of rock:

Sedimentary rocks: limestone, sandstone, etc. They are made out of sediments that were once at the bottom of the sea (sea shells, algae, etc.) They settle on the ground and become fossils then rocks. Heavy in calcium. (liquid form: petrol)

Metamorphic stone: (graphite, granite, marble) stones that are either sedimentary or other, but go into extreme temperatures where all the minerals are pushed into each other. Less water absorbent.

Magnetic stones: lava, allows water to go in, perfect for soil.

. Hydrologists: science of the movement of water that is visible (biosphere)

. Hydrogeologist: science of the movement of water that is not visible (geosphere)

. Earth surgery: Creating infrastructure to help water go into the soil

. Permafrost: Soils that are permanently frozen. When they breathe, they liberate Co2 through the form of Methane

How to identify the type of stone:

? Limestones: high hill with canyons (vertical)

? Metamorphic: the mountains you draw on a piece of paper (like a roof)

? Granite: make round shapes

Book Recommendations & Additional Resources

.The book of Nature & 8 shields model

.What the rubbing nose

.Kamana program, the naturalist training by John Young

.The salamander guides in France

.The four agreements by Don Miguel Reez

.Indigeneity to all life, by Daniel Christian Wahl (new approaches to permaculture that doesn’t recreate white occidental practices)

.The one straw revolution by Fokoka (the feature of natural agriculture)

.Crystal ecovillage (Australia)

.Sepp Holzer’s Permaculture: A Practical Guide to Small

.H2O documentary by Arte

.The keyline design, Alfred Yeonans (water for every farm)

.QGIS: free software, geographical information systems, open source for building maps and analyzing them

.Open drone maps: also open source and very cheap

“In a beautifully written article by Abby Maxwell, we learn that “Land is the essence of discussions of food and agriculture, as well as of settler-colonialism and Indigenous rights: land use, land loss, and land theft. Historically, land has been the primary source of capital since contact between colonists and Indigenous peoples. Since the capitalist ends of the colonies required utmost efficiency in its productivity, Indigenous erasure was legitimized “by claiming that Indigenous people did not know how to use land ‘properly’, dismissing Indigenous farming, hunting, fishing, and gathering practices as inferior”. Despite its ethic of caring for the earth and people, permaculture is not an exception to the violent nature of the settler-colonial project: if the land on which the swales are dug is unceded territory, and the mouths that are being fed are largely those of white settlers, this material and epistemic violence persists. Furthermore, the leftist and progressive stereotype embodied by typical members of Western alternative food movements portrays them as “incapable of participating in the overt racism one can normally find within radical right extremist white-bodied organizations”[ix]. Thus, all critical exchange is stifled and the permaculture movement continues to grow with accumulating force, further marginalizing the outspoken voices that its core ethics claim to support.”

-From The Origins of Permaculture by the Cacao Lab Journal