Mark down permaculture weekend

Wangnaui City PHOTO/FILE

The Whanganui Permaculture Weekend is lined up for its third consecutive year on the weekend of September 12-13.

This year's edition will include a wide range of property tours, along with workshops on pruning, fruit tree care, organic gardening, composting, rocket stove mass heaters, solar energy, introduction to eco-design, choosing the right heater for your home, reducing heat loss through windows, creative re-use, tips for growing great tomatoes, nutrient dense food, and choosing the best garden tools.

Co-organiser Nelson Lebo describes it as Whanganui's premier sustainability event.

"These events are all about inclusion and co-operation," he said.

"It's about holding a common kaupapa. In permaculture we talk about earth care, people care, and fair share. These are the ethics of the permaculture movement."

The Sunday afternoon will be set aside for Whanganui's biannual seed swap. Organisers of the swap want people to come along and share their passion for homegrown produce.

"You don't need to bring seeds in order to participate. A cup of tea, a chat, some stories and a bounty of wonderful seeds are all on offer," Dr Lebo said.

All the events are free and open to the public thanks to the generosity of local permaculturists and support from Adult and Community Education Aotearoa.

While there is already a solid line-up of events, organisers are asking even more ideas, although they must be in the areas of growing food, land management, eco-design, green homes, and creative reuse of materials for a functional purpose.

"No other region in the country can pull off an event like this," Dr Lebo said. "We have a lot to be proud of here, and look forward to offering another world class programme."

As in the past, the event will be preceded by Adult Learner's Week - He Tangata Matauranga, which will retain its focus locally on eco-literacy.

-Nelson Lebo's Eco-Thrifty

Renovation column: See Page B5