North Devon Permaculture

Aim

We are an agroforestry project focused on education, community and wellbeing practicing permaculture to reconnect people with the land

Who Are We?

North Devon Permaculture is a positive-impact fledgling Agroforestry project with the emphasis on education, community and wellbeing.The land upon which the project is based consists of a small woodland which we aim to nurture for use initially by the local community, converting the previously unmanaged woodland into a diverse, productive forest system. For two years we have been managing the land by hand.

Through this process we have been successful in changing the diversity of small sections of land to encourage a variety of species to flourish. With just the two of us this has been hard work but we have enjoyed every minute of it.

What are we doing?

As well as our desire to be closer to nature and work the land using traditional skills, we would like to become a Permaculture LAND Centre, demonstrating and educating people on how to grow their own food, teaching them about natural systems and Permaculture techniques, as well as reconnecting them to nature through Ecotherapy. Along with this we would also like to be able to show people how some plants have a variety of uses and demonstrate abundant living systems which enable them to have a positive impact on the environment.

We plan to list the project as a Community Interest Company (CIC) to ensure that it benefits the community for generations to come.

Why do we need to raise money?

We need to make the land more accessible by controlling the rush which dominates it, and manage the woodland by thinning out the trees, beginning coppice cycles, and planting a greater diversity of trees. We need help in order to do this, so want volunteers to help us, but they in turn need basic facilities. This is where you can help us.

Raising the money will enable us to put in a shelter and basic washing facilities, and will enable us to increase the diversity of the land with the development of our Agroforestry project.

 What will the money be used for?

Our primary aim is to put in a structure to provide shelter for forestry workers, and allow the secure storage of tools.

In order to become a Permaculture demonstration site, we want to be a registered LAND Centre. Your donations will help us to fund the costs involved in achieving this.

We also need to fund the purchase of a large number of trees and plants for our Agroforestry experiment, as well as the good quality hand tools we need to get the work done.

What are our aims?

• Become a LAND centre (Learning And Network Development)
• Be a base site for a local Permaculture network
• Be a demonstration site for basic, advanced and experimental Permaculture techniques
• Become WWOOFing hosts
• Join the Moving Mountains Nature Network (MMNN)
• Run workshops and courses on growing food and using traditional skills
• Work with service users using Ecotherapy
• Offer holistic therapies such as Reiki as part of our wellbeing emphasis
• Work with the Devon wildlife trust to create wildlife habitat
• Develop our Agroforestry experiment
• List the project as a Community Interest Company (CIC) making sure the project stays in the hands of the community
• Set up and run a forest school for the local schools
• Promote alternative farming practices
• Work with local young adults & encourage them to stay working on the land rather than leave for the city, maintaining farming heritage
• Be inclusive, providing workshops for able and non-able bodied people, including disadvantaged youths.

This project successfully funded on 7th April 2014