Introduce yourself!

[Kate Swatridge]

Hello! Welcome to the Permaculture Impact online community.
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We hope you find here a supportive space where you can ask questions and share your experiences related to using the resources on Permaculture Impact and about understanding and communicating your project’s impact. Most courses will have their own forum for conversations particular to the course topic. When you enroll on a course, you will gain access to its forum.
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This forum is for EVERYONE who is using Permaculture Impact, for general discussion around the theme of the impact of permaculture projects.
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Please introduce yourself! We would love to know
1. your name and location,
2. the name of your project or organisation,
3. what your project does
4. approximately how many people are in your project or organisation and
5. approximately how many people are benefitting from the project and its work.

[Emma Young]

HI there.
My name is Emma and I am from Thornbury in South Gloucestershire.
I have just found out about this resource and plan to slowly complete each part. It has already opened up several topics that we as a group have not thought about.
I am the lead volunteer at a small community permaculture group – Thornbury Community Permaculture Project that has been going almost 3 years.
The community involved is the groups of residents at a care home owned by South Gloucestershire council.
The group meets once a week for approx 1.5 to 2 hours and also once a month for 1.5 to 2 months.
The group of volunteers currently numbers 3 per week and 2 per month.
Residents of the care home number 42 and 10 staff members.

[Kate Swatridge]

Hi Emma! Thanks for introducing yourself and your project. It sounds great. I am not far from you actually (Bristol). How are you getting on with the course? Any questions or comments, please share them here. We’d love to hear how you are doing.

[Mayi Lekuona]

Hey,
My name is Mayi and I am from the Basque Country (border between France and Spain). A friend and I have a permaculture design cooperative called Maïa Permaculture, here in the Basque country. We offer design and education services to citizens, schools and cities. I am also a permaculture diploma mentor at the Academia de Permaculture Ibera (Spain) and a collaborator of the Permaculture Impact project. Having a positive impact around me is essential, so I guess I directed my focus on working with people from zone 1 to zone 5. 😉

[Gemma Scott]

Hi

I am Gemma, I am a secretary for a private allotment society, have my own allotment and will be starting a gardening business in the next couple of years while I complete my masters in either project management or leadership and sustainability.

My plan is to help the allotment society move from traditional gardening methods and towards permaculture as a form of self-sufficient gardening, and set my partner up in a gardening business which will introduce people to permaculture as an alternative way to manage their gardens rather than just having a traditional lawn.

I have already started with the allotment society by getting us cooperative status with the FCA and having some of the rules changed to be more accomodating to permaculture, e.g. before no weeds were allowed but now this has been reduced to just two types of plants that are considered injurious by the UK government, curly dock and thistle.

[Kate Swatridge]

Hi Gemma, welcome to Permaculture Impact. Thanks for telling us about your plans. Sounds good! We hope you find our courses and other resources helpful. If you have any questions, do use these community forums to ask.

[Christina Laurikainen]

Hi!

My name is Chrissy-Tiina Laurikainen & I’m an independent Environmental Scientist from South-East Queensland, Australia.

I estimate that I have certified between eight hundred to one thousand people, using the PDC (Permaculture Design Certificate) course.

My ‘Evaluation Program’ needs to accommodate every way the PDC course can be used – from individuals who tinker in the garden, to community garden groups, for-profit businesses undertaking eco-upgrades, residential cooperatives, eco-entrepreneurs, permaculture educators, home-based businesses, intentional communities….& of course Permaculture Designers & Consultants! …literally every lifestyle that exists on Earth can be represented from a Permaculture Design perspective. So that’s what my ‘Evaluation Program’ serves.

Any tips or comments are welcome – email me: c.laurikainen@live.com.au

[Kate Swatridge]

Hi Chrissy-Tina, welcome to Permaculture Impact. That’s a lot of people you have certified – superb! We would love to know how you are getting on with using our courses and resources to develop your evaluation program and understand your impact. Please let us know here and / or complete the feedback form found at the end of each course.

[Njodzeka Gilbert]

I am Njodzeka Gilbert, staff of Green Care Association. We are based in Shisong village, Bui Division of Northwest Cameroon. We promote proper environmental management and sustainable agriculture. Main activities include Seed Bank, Tree nursery, Tree planting, Pasture Development, Water catchment protection, Apiculture, and animal domestication. We are current working on Protecting Shisong Community Water Catchment and climate smart agriculture.

[Kate Swatridge]

Thanks for introducing yourself Njodzeka Gilbert. Your project sounds great! We look forward to learning more about the work of Green Care Association as you take our courses, build up your impact portfolio, and join our action learning groups.

[Njodzeka Gilbert]

I am Njodzeka Gilbert, staff of Green Care Association. We are based in Shisong village, Bui Division of Northwest Cameroon. We promote proper environmental management and sustainable agriculture. Main activities include Seed Bank, Tree nursery, Tree planting, Pasture Development, Apiculture, Mushroom cultivation and animal domestication. We are currently working on Protecting Shisong Community Water Catchment and climate smart agriculture.

[Aimee Fenech]

Hi all,

I’m Aimee Fenech, Maltese but based in Southern Spain, Granada region. Together with my partner we run a project called Finca Verde Regen which is a regenerative, agri-food permaculture project. Here we research how to increase biodiversity, water management and integration into local economies as migrants living here on the land.

We welcome people who want to learn more about regenerative agriculture and have been experimenting with different financial models to sustain our farm.

I am excited to be a part of the Permaculture Impact team and have been learning a lot from doing the exercises within the courses offered here.

[Lowie Mulders]

🔹 About Me
Hello, I am Lowie, 47 years old. I am a skilled metalworker and builder, experienced in welding, fabrication, construction, and heavy machinery operation. I have a strong passion for hands-on innovation, constantly exploring ways to integrate engineering and technology into practical solutions.
Although I am new to permaculture, sustainable agriculture, and regenerative development, I am eager to learn how modern tools and technology can complement these systems. Through La Cumbre Sereno, I aim to bring engineering, automation, and smart ecological solutions into a self-sufficient, inclusive community where tradition and innovation thrive together.

🌿 La Cumbre Sereno: A Regenerative Agroforestry & Technology-Integrated Project
La Cumbre Sereno is an emerging initiative exploring how modern technology and regenerative practices can complement each other. We are in the idea phase, actively searching for a suitable location in a Mediterranean region to develop a self-sufficient, inclusive community grounded in permaculture and innovation.
🌍 Project Vision & Next Steps
🔹 Seeking the ideal site – A Mediterranean-region landscape suited for agroforestry, ethical livestock farming, and tech-based sustainability solutions.
🔹 Establishing a foundation – Creating a nonprofit organization to support long-term development, research, and community involvement.
🔹 Combining permaculture with modern technology – Exploring automation, AI-supported resource management, and renewable energy solutions alongside traditional regenerative farming methods.
🔹 Building a food-inclusive community – A place where sustainable farming supports both plant-based and animal-based food systems, respecting individual choices.
🌱 Our Plan in Spain
✔ Land Selection – We are actively searching for a diverse landscape with forest, open fields, and water access to support agroforestry and sustainable development.
✔ Infrastructure Development – Plans include eco-housing, renewable energy systems, and advanced water management to create a self-sufficient ecosystem.
✔ Community & Research Hub – A space for education, experimentation, and collaboration, where people can explore regenerative agriculture and technological innovation together.
✔ Circular Economy & Sustainability – Implementing waste-to-energy systems, ethical food production, and smart ecological solutions to ensure long-term resilience.
🌍 La Cumbre Sereno is not just about restoring land—it’s about redefining sustainability by embracing both nature’s wisdom and human innovation, while fostering a community where food choices are respected and valued.

[Kate Swatridge]

Hi Lowie, and welcome to Permaculture Impact.
I hope our courses and forums can help you in your quest! It’s great that you’ve come here now, because we do recommend planning your evaluation and data collection as early as possible in your project lifecycle, so that you know what you need to measure, and can collect decent baseline data.

Are you aware of the International Permaculture CoLab? You might like to check out their website and consider joining as a member (it’s free), as it’s great network with lots of knowledge and resources in some of the areas you mention in your post above.

[Author]

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