Permaculture Sydney Institute’s mission is to see permaculture and sustainable living grow and as many people as possible develop their own permaculture properties. Our educational workshops and courses equip you with the skills and knowledge to make your permaculture dream a reality wherever you live: in urban or rural setting, in homes, schools, workplaces, streets, and communities.
It’s been a productive year for Permaculture Sydney Institute. Workshops have incorporated the permaculture principles of ‘Earth-care’, ‘People-care’ and ‘Fair-share’, and included all zones from 00 (a fermenting workshop) through to zone 5 workshops (“taking a walk on the wild side”). We have provided several Introduction to Permaculture Courses and two certified Permaculture Design Certificate Courses.
Other workshops included: bread and pastry making; the organic kitchen garden; preserving; food forest workshops; mushroom growing; beekeeping; bamboo growing and building; earthworks; dry stone wall construction; stone carving; pizza oven building; straw bale construction; heritage fruit trees; cheese making; and seed saving.
Some of these workshops will be repeated in 2013 with new ones including Cider and Wine Making; Grey water and Energy Efficiency; Social Permaculture; Weeds; and Aquaculture. PSI will continue to surprise you with more as the year unfolds.
The permaculture display at the Better Homes and Gardens Show in September at Homebush Showground and the Farm Field Open Day at Bandusia in October were great successes. PSI supported International Permaculture Day and International Seed Freedom Week financially and by hosting events for each. We look forward to repeats and more in 2013.
A special thanks to everyone who has supported PSI in 2012. Lauren, our Web manager and graphic designer who has created and maintained an outstanding website; Wolfgang, who has kept us organized, especially by getting materials on site; Ronnie, our Woofer who has helped in so many ways; Geoffrey, for administrative support; Peter, Karen, Nick and Kathleen, the PSI caterers who have prepared amazing and delicious meals. A big thank you to Bandusia Country Retreat and to Karonga School for allowing PSI to use their beautiful venues for education. Our local community of St Albans has helped and supported us and we are so grateful and honored to be with such great people.
All of us here at PSI would also like to thank our most extraordinary trainers and presenters throughout 2012. We pride ourselves in having the top permaculture presenters and trainers such as Geoff Lawton; Darren Doherty; Janet Millington; John Champagne; Nicholas Crook; Aaron Sorenson; Dan Deighton; Peter and Silvia Allen; Anthony Andrist; Craig Duckmanton; as well as our international specialist trainers and experts in their fields including Doug Sommerville DPI – Beekeeping; Durnford Dart – Bamboo; and Philip Baker – Stone Masonry.
We would also like to especially thank you, the members, for attending the workshops and enabling PSI to keep providing more.
I hope you have enjoyed your workshops with us and your weekends away if you stayed at Bandusia. I really look forward to attending more with you next year and with your support we can make 2013 even more successful in achieving our self-reliant sustainable lifestyle.
All the best for a productive and fabulous Xmas and New Year,
Penny Pyett
Director PSI
