Blue Hippo Tipi Village and Retreats
Courses: (more information below)
A CELEBRATION OF THE HEALING ARTS – 21 to 23 March
PERMACULTURE DESIGN COURSE AT THE BLUE HIPPO - 24 MARCH TO 4 APRIL
A Celebration of the Healing Arts Retreat – 21 to 23 March
WITH INTERNATIONAL SOUND THERAPIST KAILASH KOKOPELLI
AND KUNDALINI YOGA TEACHER PRANA
Join us for a magical weekend at the Blue Hippo Tipi Village in celebration of life, love, music and nature.
The weekend will consist of:
· Kundalini Yoga (instruction and practice)
· Meditation
· Shamanic sound journeying
· Kachimo – Kailash chi movements
· Fun, laughter and healthy vegetarian food
Kailash Kokopelli ia an internationally renound sound therapist and inner world musician taking us this weekend on a musical journey to the source of self-healing and inner guidance. The soundscapes he creates through didgerido, native american flute, crystal singing bowls, drums and spirit-chanting have a profound healing effect on a physical, emotional and energetic level. www.kailash-kokoppelli.com
Kundalini yoga is a dynamic form of yoga that involves breath, chanting and specific meditations to awaken your creative potential. It works strongly on the energy bodies, balancing the chakras. Great for elimination and detoxing. The yoga will be suitable for all levels.
KACHIMO is the unique combination of different traditional and non-traditional Chi Gong styles, blended with a poetic and spiritual approach of profound depth and beauty.
Accommodation will be in Tipis - Cost: R850 pp all inclusive
For more information and booking please contact: Prana on 0282549595. info@bluehippo.co.za. www.bluehippo.co.za
PERMACULTURE DESIGN COURSE AT THE BLUE HIPPO -24 MARCH TO 4 APRIL
WHAT IS PERMACULTURE?
Permaculture is an approach to planning human settlements that uses intelligent design to increase the abundance of natural systems and the efficiency of human activities. It is rooted in the careful observation of the natural patterns characteristic of a particular site. The integration of human environments with natural cycles is key to Permaculture.
Permaculture applies techniques and principles from ecology, cooperative economics, appropriate technology, sustainable agriculture, and the wisdom of indigenous people to create sustainable human environments, at home, at work, at play, and in our communities.
WHAT?
A 2-week residential Permaculture Design Course (PDC)WHERE?
Blue Hippo in Greyton – find more info on www.bluehippo.co.za
WHEN?
24 March to 4 April 2008. (Arrive 23 March, depart lunch time 4 April)
HOW WILL IT BE FACILITATED?
The course, facilitated by Sue Spies, is different from most other PDCs in South Africa in that participants learn how to design by implementing the Blue Hippo design through the Zones, based on Permaculture principles that:
A. WORK WITH NATURE
Finding and applying ways we get nature to do the work, rather than us do the work.
B. APPLY BIODIVERSITY
Using a range of species to work together to make things work better, stronger and more stable.
C. ARE EFFECTIVE AND EFFICIENT IN FUNCTION AND SCALE
Considering what must be achieved in the design and finding ways to use space effectively
D. USE SPACE AND TIME EFFECTIVELY
Finding ways put things in the right place, at the right time, in the right sequence
E. IDENTIFY AND USE RESOURCES SUSTAINABLY AND EFFECTIVELY
F. PLAN FOR ENERGY EFFICIENCY
Energy sources are for the basics of human needs (cook food, heat water, etc. as well as to maximise human energy)
G. CHANGE OUR ATTITUDE
Getting out of the box in our thinking and our approach to the way we do things
The course takes participants step-by-step through the design process as it would happen in a real scenario, based on what the participants on the course need as soon as they arrive, and sequentially thereafter. The basic conditions of the site will be examined in terms of:
· Sectors – the energies entering onto the site that must be managed (wind/water/people, etc.)
· Elevation – how rainwater flows over the site
· Network – how parts of the site are connected to each other (e.g. the Tipi village / office / kitchen / arbour / orchard) and strengthening these relationships
· Zones – placing things in the right clusters to create less work
ZONE 0 / 1
Once participants have settled into their camping accommodation, the first step is to set up sustainable ablution facilities, including
· A low-tech water heating system for an outdoor shower (also building a rudimentary shelter for the shower),
· A grey water harvesting system,
· A compost toilet or similar system that is appropriate for the site.
Thus, we can't have a shower until we have built the bathroom!
The next step is setting up a sustainable kitchen. We will be cooking together in teams, applying the methods put in place:
· Solar cooking
· Earth oven
· Grey water harvesting for the kitchen washing up area
Thus, we can't eat until we've set up our kitchen!
ZONE 1/2: the harvest requirements of Blue Hippo will be taken into account with the design and layout of the intensive food production areas. Issues that will be considered will be:
· What to plant and when to plant it (seasonal planting, companion planting, crop rotation)
· Short- and long-term soil conditioning plans
· Water harvesting (from a roof, on the ground, grey water)
ZONE 3 : Identify the main crops and what these require. Income generating and/or food for the table.
ZONE 4: Considering what elements are placed in Zone 4 and which of these will be applied. (Grazing -if any, dams, woodlots.
ZONE 5: Establishing a wilderness area in the right place, or possibly clusters of wild areas
What to expect on this course:
Sore muscles, blistered fingers and loads of fun. This is not an armchair, academic learning environment. This is a get-down-and-dirty practical course. It covers all the theoretical content of a PDC but presented in a hands-on way.
· It is fully participatory.
· The crew and participants live together, cook/eat together, work together and learn together.
· Theoretical information will be kept to a minimum during the daily sessions, but background information is provided in electronic format that is accessed during the course (a take-home manual on CD) in a both structured and unstructured way.
· A comprehensive research library will be available for participants' projects and leisure reading.
· Participants are involved in research projects and presentations, competitions, games and other fun learning activities.
· The carbon footprint of the course will be calculated and the appropriate number of trees will be planted during the course (including participants' travelling to and from the course).
· Evenings will be a combination of entertainment and games; sometimes social, sometimes learning (quizzes, games, presentations), or both
The course is not following the SAQA accreditation route. It does satisfy the requirements of the Level 5 Permaculture Unit Standard, but the focus is following the international PDC way of doing things. The point of this course is to provide people who really want to apply Permaculture in their own context with skills and knowledge that will enable them to do so.
WHO?
We are limiting the number of participants to 25, three of whom are Blue Hippo staff members.
This course is appropriate for people who want to gain hands-on skills in living sustainably in any context (at home, at work). It is intensely practical, both mentally and physically, as it applies theory in a real situation.
RUSTIC ACCOMMODATION:
In tents. Ideally participants bring their own, but tents are available for hire. Bring bedding.
HEALTHY MEALS:
Low impact (predominantly vegetarian), prepared in teams, using the kitchen built ourselves. Bring mess kit (knife, fork, glass, plate, etc.).
LOW-ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT ABLUTION FACLITIES:
Compost toilets
Outdoor low-tech solar heated shower (with fuel wood back-up for rainy days)
Therefore, this course is not suitable for people who would prefer to attend a course in a chocolate-on-the-pillow environment!
HOW MUCH?
R3000 per person including course resources, camping fee (bringing own tent, excluding hired tents), and food
HOW DO I REGISTER?
If you wish to book your place we will send you the registration pack. Email suz@telkomsa.net with BOOK MY PLACE in the subject line.
Click here for more information about Blue Hippo and retreats