looking for creative ideas

I have been invited to have a table at our local Sustainability Fair in my role as Permaculture Designer/Teacher.  I won't be selling anything (except Permaculture concepts) and plan on having a few of my books there and some posters but I was also thinking about some kind of display that would be eye-catching.  Any one have any ideas for me?

I do not know what you teach, or your areas of focus are,

but I would probably center around them,

possibly use some part of it to pull people in in a demonstration or photos,

things that make people think and stretch there views and the possibility of showing some thing that would make sense to many,

I went to a meeting a few weeks ago on cover crops put on by a neighboring NRCS office,

and there were some photos of there "rain fall simulator" 
http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/NEWS/thisweek/images/rainsim02.jpg

some more info, http://www.ipm.iastate.edu/ipm/icm/2007/7-2/striptillage.html
http://www.extension.iastate.edu/news/2007/may/140901.htm
http://www2.ngdc.wvu.edu/products/conservation_model/index.html


they at times would set up these rain fall simulators, and put trays of soil with various amounts of residue and in some instances growing cover,

they would time a sprinkler and would run on the samples of bout 1" of water, and as one can see the collected run off in the jars,   and see which one would have let the water penetrate, by the amount of water and the conditions of the water run off one could see how much soils was washed away,
the samples were 100 % residue, 30% residue, 0% residue, and not till and range land, usually the 0% was well tilled land,

a short page on the how to make one, and prepare the soil samples,(different place, same idea)
http://www2.ngdc.wvu.edu/~hferguson/educationNGDC/

also a lot of more demonstrations, of soil water holding capacity, and so on,
http://www2.ngdc.wvu.edu/~hferguson/educationNGDC/

s short movie of the second system working, http://www2.ngdc.wvu.edu/~hferguson/video_clips/four_minutes.avi

demonstration like this get my attention, and you educate some one in the process, and spark a seed of possibilities

Ooh, a functional demo - something that moves, rains, can be touched, dug in, etc. would be a great draw! Great idea, Birdman!

If you don't have the supplies or time to create something like that, lavendardawn, then at the very least photos accompanied by clear explanations, or maybe even videos (if you'll have power at the table) would be great. How about looping some of permies.com videos from Paul's youtube channel?

Yes, I think that was a great idea, too.  I really appreciate all those links, too.  Yes, some kind of demonstration like that.  I like the idea of the videos, too.  I was thinking about building soil.  Maybe show the steps that create it.  Maybe all that is too much. Thank you so much for your thoughts.

Fresh flowers are always a great way to draw folks to a booth.  Have very few handouts but provide a list where they can leave their e-addresses and then link then all here

Another good one!  Thanks!  I wish I could hand out fresh food but there isn't much growing here yet.  This will happen on April 21st.

maybe something though provoking, like..what would happen to you if.....wouldyou have food, water, etc..

an then maybe offer some suggestions or solutions ..such as growing a garden..etc.

Yes.  Were you thinking of something like maybe an poster illustrating Permaculture principles?  Or maybe something more elementary?

How about a collection of 40 pics that are really provocative.  And then they show on a big laptop screen.  Thus enticing folks to ask "what was that?"

Great idea!  I've got the big laptop screen.  Just need the collection of 40 provocative pics.  hmmm... where could I find such a thing?

You don't already have provocative pics?

Like hugelkultur and wofati and Sepp Holzer and rocket mass heater and some of your favorite books and .....