Geoff Lawton's online PDC course - Pattern

Week 4 Introduces Pattern


Introduction
1.Patterns in nature. Pattern forms. Fibonacci Sequence.
2. Formation of pattern. Working with nature and patterns. Scale and order of size.
3. Order and form. Edge areas.
4 Edge effect. Working with pattern design events.
5 Looking for existing patterns. Translating pattern form. Water design at Tagari Farm.
Class Questions.
7. Traditional use of pattern. Re-patterning society.
8 Pattern for productive form –the herb spiral.
Pattern Understanding Conclusion.

Rebecca Holman wrote:7. Traditional use of pattern. Re-patterning society.

I believe it's this video that has a very interesting and entertaining story in it!

Anyone know what happened to #6? Maybe a mislabeling on 7 and 8?

6 Re-patterning a river. Wind patterns. Pattern used for passing on knowledge.

Sam Boisseau wrote:
6 Re-patterning a river. Wind patterns. Pattern used for passing on knowledge.

Yeah its up there now. #9 is also up. I think when Rebecca started the thread there were videos missing. They fixed it shortly after my post. Maybe I should start another thread for the following question, but I'll just put it here. What do you guys think of the course so far? I'm really enjoying it. I love Geoff's way of teaching and explaining things. Very understandable. The Q&A's have been almost as good as the course material. The "methods" Q&A's really stand out with the addition of pics and videos of the subjects he is talking about.

Let me preface by saying I'm loving the course and I'm learning a lot. Now, however, I feel the need to vent! What does it take to have your question addressed in the Q&A's? I just went through the pattern Q&A's and he fielded 15 annoying questions of the basic structure:

Banana circles are COOL! I want one! How can I have one in New Jersey??

(You can't. They are a system for creating and holding soil in tropical areas, where your mulch can disappear in 3 months just because everything breaks down so quickly. Make a hugelkultur bed.)

And yet, never answered *my* question about polyculture versus garden rotation in tight urban situations. Previously I thought I had a good question about invasives, also not addressed. So, here on permies.com, I shall whine:

What about MY questions?

Yes, I'm using my name and location. Yes, I'm marking it as a question. Yes, I'm submitting them in the first part of the week (on Sunday or Monday, can't remember exactly). Are only questions asked on Saturday getting answered? Who is going through the river of posts and pulling out questions for Geoff to address? He is answering an awful lot of questions, and that's cool, but so many of them are uninspiring, to say the least.

Julia: YES! I am left scratching my head about how some of the questions get picked. I think some people are coming at the course from the very basics and the staff is pulling the most common questions to try to keep them engaged. From what you've said, your questions are deep and may require more time to answer. Maybe they will be answered in later lectures as they seem well thought out and detailed. Would you post them here? You know you can always get quick feedback on permies.

Some of the PDC questions are hard to read though...

Part of me wonders who pays that kind of money and doesn't have a clue at all about what they are getting into? I'm not dumping on people, I just thought most people would have a lot of the basic terminology down pat before beginning such a course. I salute anyone who just dove in head first. It just takes a lot more commitment to get up to speed.

Then part of me wonders how many trolls are lurking there just to make a mess.

I like the bit about a 40 meter wide herb spiral. You can tell he deals with a lot of magical folks with good intentions and bad planning skills.

I was chuffed to see them put up visuals of "purple permaculture practitioners" on YouTube when he talked about metaphysics.

Julia Winter wrote:What does it take to have your question addressed in the Q&A's?

I asked a ton of questions last year and I think most got answered. There was a long time delay though.

I do think half the questions wouldn't have to be asked if the forms were set up better! I've responded to a few peoples questions but it was really hard to search for a known question, much less an unknown one.

I've been watching all the Q&As and I promised I'll applaud when I hear your name come up (it will eventually).

2014 pattern Q&A's are up.

Julia Winter wrote:
What about MY questions?

OK Julia, he finally answered one of yours! Pattern understanding Q&A #2 about 35 minutes in.

Thanks for noting that!

I can barely keep up with the lectures, haven't tackled the Q&A yet....

Julia Winter wrote:Thanks for noting that!

I can barely keep up with the lectures, haven't tackled the Q&A yet....

Trees is a really short chapter. It's about an hour and a half all together. It's a good week to play catch-up. I've been doing the Q&A's while cooking dinner through the week. It's not something that takes a terrible amount of attention like the lectures do. The Q's have been a lot of repeat basics IMO. There are some gems so it's worth sifting through them when you get some time.

Anyone else have the same 2 questions about banana circles?! LOL

Per Rebecca's invitation, I am posting the 'overview' videos I have been doing on my YouTube channel here on her weekly chains about the course.

I've had a YouTube channel for a few years and I knew that I would be too busy with the PDC to record most of my usual YouTube videos, so I decided I would do these overviews for the purpose of:

1) Getting the PDC info deeper embedded in my skull
2) Spread the concepts of Permaculture to more people
3) As a precursor to our own PDC far down the line.

I hope you enjoy: