Learning Intentions and Pathway Design- a recipe for success
Creating a Learning Intentions and Pathway Design (LIPD) for my first and capstone years at Gaia was paramount to my success. The process is beneficial to me, setting goals and strategies for accomplishing those goals.
I really felt like my Learning Intentions and Pathway Design for my first and capstone years in Gaia reflected why I was so interested in Gaia University in the first place. I had already begun developing a permaculture demonstration site. Why not validate myself for what I’m doing? I went to Gaia to continue the development of my goals. I kept the visions of my goals clear for so long and I’m finally seeing some of my visions come to fruition. My entire vision for my Gaia education was for me to continually develop a permaculture demonstration site in preparation for utilizing it for educational purposes. Not only was I to develop the site further but I was also creating a stronger foundation for myself to disseminate sustainable and regenerative design to others. Documenting my learning intentions and pathway design was the first step for me to create the design for me to reach those goals.
Building the Foundation.
Time line of output progression
Following is a revised calendar for my first “year” of Gaia University. I was supposed to finish my master’s program in the fall of 2012 but I didn’t. I ran into times where I was so busy I could barely get enough rest in between working. I couldn’t find the time to set aside for Gaia so my schedule changed. Here is the timeline of when I got things done in my first “year”.
Subterranean Heating and Cooling System
For my first Gaia University project I built a Subterranean Heating and Cooling System for two different greenhouses. This project was the first to fulfill my goal of leading through examples for my first year at Gaia. I had first seen this technology at CRMPI in 2005 and finally implemented it in 2010. When I saw what Jerome Osentowski had done with this technology at 7000’ in Colorado, I knew it would work well on the site at Love Creek Permaculture. I had helped to install parts of one when at CRMPI but didn’t know much about the whole project. One of my permaculture teachers from CRMPI created a website explaining the whole process so I researched it and step-by-step I completed two greenhouses with the technology. When it was all done I had created a new educational tool as well as functioning elements at Love Creek Permaculture. You can research this topic further in my Output packet 2.
Professional-
Doing this project gives me the knowledge and confidence to build more of these greenhouses. It also made me very proficient in explaining the technology so I can give people a clear picture of how the technology works. I use these greenhouses to extend my growing season, grow perennials that won’t survive the winters outside and also to start seedlings in.
Personal-
I have one of these greenhouses attached to my house. It has a couple three-year old peppers in it and provides me peppers, greens, stevia, lemongrass and galangal throughout the year. It provides a place to over-winter plants like prickly pear, avocado, citrus, and other tender perennials.
The Great Mushroom Book
The second project I undertook was still about leading through examples, but it wasn’t for the site development of Love Creek Permaculture. It was more for the development of confidence in myself to be a source of good information. I created the template for myself to write the Great Mushroom Book. A passion that I’ve had since a kid, my knowledge of mushrooms really grew a lot throughout my college career. I took several mushroom field courses and also took a mushroom cultivation course. Even though I haven’t written the actual book yet my goal through making this template is to create an easy to use source for learning about several different edible species of mushrooms and how to utilize them. Some of which I cultivate myself, but many I continue to forage for professionally. You can look into my Output Packet 3 for more details.
Professional-
My goal for this project was to create a unique resource that can be used to help promote the underappreciated mushroom in our culture. Many people are unaware of the culinary uses of mushrooms as well as their health benefits. This book is meant to be an introduction for those that are new to the fabulous world of fungi as well as a reference for those that are already interested.
Personal-
Having the confidence in my knowledge to share in this form represents how my passion can drive me to achieve things I would never even think about doing. Through this project I will bring one of my passions to a professional level.
Hydraulic Ram Pump Irrigation System
My third project was back to the site development of Love Creek Permaculture. With a market garden to water and having to schedule the watering of the crops around time of use schedules, minimizing the electric bill and well use, my dad, my neighbor and myself installed a hydraulic ram pump system. Through this pump a small spring feeds a storage tank on top of a hill at my neighbors house. The tank provides my neighbor with gravity-fed water for an orchard, for my market garden and a small fountain at my dad’s house. This example can be utilized wherever there is running water and a need for water storage and use. A great example of how the needs of electricity and wells can be eliminated or reduced. You can learn more about this technology in my Output Packet 4.
Professional-
This project is a demonstration of a design element that can be incorporated into properties with the right water resources. I can use this project to showcase the technology to clients as well as promote it as an appropriate technology.
Personal-
I feel like I made a step towards living more off of the land and in harmony with the earth through this project. It feels good to reduce the electricity needs of Love Creek Permaculture. To me reducing the needs of external inputs is one of my ultimate goals as a permaculture designer.
Mushroom Cultivation chamber
Continuing with my passion for edible mushrooms I worked on a design for a mushroom cultivation chamber on site. It can work for both generating income by selling the product it produces and also used for educational purposes. Due to the price tag on this project it is still on the list of things to do. I have been continuing outdoor mushroom cultivation on logs for production and education. For the process I went through to create this design check out my Output Packet 5.
Professional-
This project will allow me to generate a significant amount of income. Cultivating mushrooms will provide me with fresh mushrooms when wild gourmet mushrooms aren’t available. Increasing my availability of fresh product, I will be able to better market the mushroom aspect of my business.
Personal-
This project will bring me the satisfaction of creating a profession out of one of my passions. I’ll also get to eat more healthy mushrooms.
Summing up my first year at Gaia, I worked on developing myself, and my demonstration site to continue to build the foundation for my business Love Creek Permaculture.
Capstone projects
In 2012 I was trying to stay on schedule to finish in the fall but I had big ambitions that year. I ran two market gardens and began my first intern program. I didn’t start my capstone year until the early winter in 2012-2013.
Branding Love Creek Permaculture
Early in my capstone year I began the process of branding myself, and my business as a voice and agent of change for sustainability in my community and my bioregion. The many accomplishments I achieved prior and during my Gaia education have led me to be able to begin marketing some of those accomplishments as a business.
A new logo and development of a social media framework for further marketing will help legitimize my business even further. The basic social media framework I developed is meant to be a template for reaching out to people through different types of social media. I’ve begun the process of familiarizing myself with different social media and using them. I have adapted some permaculture principles into one site I’m excited about contributing more to, Permaculture Principles in Practice. I have had a blog for several years already and update it about once a month. I’ve used Feedburner to imbed my blog on other sites such as my Gaia portfolio and my main website. Social media isn’t entirely new to me, although this framework is. I do note that this is just a framework, so I don’t expect to create all of those individual pages. I do however intend to have at least one of each of the main elements and keep them updated. My goal is to market myself, and my business, as well as promote regenerative design. If you want to more about how I designed the marketing of my business check out my CAP OP 2.
Aha moments-
I like the visual of the social media framework. For me it would work even better if I could have the image with actual links embedded into it. The visual does however with or without links present, allow me to think about keeping up to date on each element within the framework. Another aha moment I had was that I can’t promote my business by myself. I need the help of experts to do my artwork, build my main website, print brochures and the like.
Professional-
This project made me take a more professional stance with my business. My new logo and social media framework will help to promote my business. I learned the basics of all of the social media I have begun to use already.
Personal-
On the personal level I was glad to hire my good friend Tobin Newburgh to render the art for my logo. I was able to barter some of my dried gourmet mushrooms in trade for his artwork. I was happy to trade something I specialize in with something he does. Taking this more professional stance with my business commits me even more to working towards the goals I have with it. I will continue to have to make sacrifices to achieve those goals.
Next Steps
I have some work to do on the social media framework. I had spoken with a friend of mine that has built several websites to see if I could have him build me a website. The price tag has been too much for me to pay for now but I want to get enough capital together to hire him soon. I recently bought a new camera so I need to start compiling photos that I can share through either Facebook or even through an image- sharing site like Flickr. I am really excited to start creating more content for my blog, Permaculture Principles in Practice. It will deepen my understanding of the principles by trying to connect them with projects that are done at Love Creek Permaculture. Designing a brochure for my business is definitely a next step I need to take in promotion.
Sustainable Living Workshop Series
Continuing to push forward with my passions towards regenerative design, permaculture and sustainability, I scheduled my first sustainable living workshop series. It is also partially a continuation of the work I did on my previous project and even in projects from my first year at Gaia. A sustainable living workshop series is one way to continue branding myself, and my business as a leader in permaculture. It’s also a next step for a curator of knowledge, to pass that knowledge on. This year I held three very successful workshops, a fruit-grafting workshop, a mushroom cultivation workshop and a workshop on how to install a Subterranean Heating and Cooling System (SHCS) for a greenhouse. I employed the expertise of my good friend, Nate Berner, to lead the fruit-grafting workshop and I took care of all of the logistics. The mushroom cultivation workshop had some relevance to the mushroom cultivation chamber I designed in my first year, although it was for outdoor mushroom cultivation instead of indoor mushroom cultivation. For the SHCS workshop I was able to utilize one of the demonstration projects that I had built the first year of my Master’s program. Over the course of the workshops I had several return attendees that are eager for future workshops. Unfortunately I’ve had to put these workshops on hold as my local planning department claims that I can’t hold these classes on residential property. This hit me at my busiest time of year so I haven’t had the time to present my case to them to fix this problem yet. If you want to know more about the courses I did teach for this workshop series and how I designed it, check out my CAP OP 3.
Mushroom cultivation workshop.
Aha moments
After short notice and only two weeks to promote the first workshop (fruit grafting) I was very surprised when 17 people showed up eager and ready to learn. I realized that people are excited to learn in a hands on workshop, especially when they get to take something home with them, in this case it was two newly grafted apple trees. To ensure that students are satisfied, I want to create more workshops that entail people walking home with something after the workshop rather than just the knowledge they gained.
Professional
This project creates the opportunity for me to be a professional teacher. I can take the skills, knowledge and passions I have and share them with people that are excited to learn about them. The practice I had in teaching is beneficial to continually refining my presentation as a teacher. I learned a little bit more on how effective I have been in my presentation. I learned that having other passionate teachers come teach their passions could help offer a more diverse range of courses. I got to work on collaborating with another teacher to host a workshop. I promoted his skills to recruit several students for him to pass on his knowledge.
Personal
It is really inspiring when people come to learn my passions from me. I get satisfaction when people take what they learn from me and incorporate it in their own lives. It gives me motivation to continue with my goals.
Next steps
I will be giving two workshops at Sierra Green Day in Murphys, CA on September 21st this year. One is on ‘how to incorporate permaculture principles into your lifestyle’ the other is ‘making seedballs’. When my market garden season begins to slow down and I have more time I will continue the conversation with my planning department to be able to hold workshops at Love Creek Permaculture. I will also seek other venues to hold workshops at other venues in my community. Before the New Year I want to develop the 2nd annual Love Creek Permaculture sustainable living workshops series. Regardless of whether or not I hold the courses here I want to begin tentatively planning workshops I want to do, and gathering other teachers to hold other workshops.
Permaculture Design Certification Course
My third project for my capstone is the climax to my Master’s program at Gaia University, and a great prelude to graduating and continuing my work beyond Gaia. A Permaculture Design Course (PDC) is naturally a program for a Permaculture demonstration site to include. I’ve wanted to be a part of hosting one ever since I took Permaculture Teacher Training in 2009. The site I have will lend itself well being able to host a PDC. I’ve always been excited about the idea of having many permaculture enthusiasts here at once. There are several elements on site that fit well into teaching permaculture design. Part of the reason for hosting a PDC is to showcase the site, but another is to test my skills as someone that can pass the skills on. I began this project just prior to enrolling at Gaia University in 2010. When I was accepted to Gaia I put the project on hold while I began my Gaia pathway and have reserved this final space within Gaia to hold it. I feel it is a culmination of my entire Gaia pathway. A PDC is considered to be a pinnacle of permaculture education by many. Once you are committed to putting that much effort into being in one (paying for it, spending the time on it) you have joined the thousands of others around the planet that have committed to becoming a permaculture designer. One of my main goals to accomplish through Gaia was to increase my ability to foster change for sustainable living for individuals and our culture at large. Teaching designers to also do the same is one of my ultimate goals. Many hands make light work. And I see that there is a lot of work to be done. If you want to learn more about the process I went through for this project, check out CAP OP 4.
Aha moment(s)
After spending quite a bit of time on developing this already I’ve realized that it is still going to take some time to develop it to be as effective as possible. Trialing with new students, old students, and other permaculture teachers will help me develop my own and possibly inspire others to either work with me on developing and sharing it further. I’ve been tentative about meddling with the standard PDC but I’ve realized through my own experience that a PDC in the Socratic method could be a powerful tool in educating new permaculture designers.
Professional-
To me, a PDC is the pinnacle of a Permaculture Demonstration site. For my business this will begin to put it on the map as a place to come learn about permaculture. With this unique approach to a PDC, I can start a dialogue in the permaculture community about teaching through the Socratic method. I can further develop it to become an alternative to the standard PDC.
Personal
Teaching a PDC is a goal I’ve had brewing for at least four years now. This project will help me fulfill that goal. To me it will mark a successful achievement of one of the ultimate goals of my business. It feels good to finally bring it to fruition.
Next Steps
Trialing the first run of the course. I’ll be checking in with my two prospective students to see if I can fit it into their schedules. I’m hoping they will both be into trialing the course this fall. That will give me time this winter to work on any adjustments that need to be made. I’ll be looking for students to take the second trial run sometime next year. I have a friend and colleague that will be looking over it soon, so I’m looking forward to hearing his feedback. I also recently spoke with Jay Ma of Living Mandala, and a Gaia associate, and he was very interested in learning more about an alternative to the way the PDC has been taught.