I’ve been involved in local bush regeneration projects, seed saving and sustainability for more than two decades. I came to permaculture because I was committed to making a positive change to my local environment by participating in earth remediation projects. Permaculture deepened my understanding of taking personal responsibility for my actions, and that meant considering personal sustainability and contributing to community resilience. Permaculture provided an ethical thinking tool that informs practical solutions for a world in transition; that still resonates with me.
How has your garden at the Wollongong PCYC (Police Citizens Youth Club) evolved?
The garden first sprouted in 1999 as a place for the rental community to see permaculture in action. Our initial focus was growing and sharing food together, in a beautiful subtropical food forest designed to provide respite from the industrial cityscape. This was a time of experimentation, with a variety of natural gardening practices that proved successful in our bioregion. It was also a time of celebration, because I was involved in creating something meaningful, and pioneering with friends.