[MonashCommunityGarden] Fwd: Permaculture course

[maikkeli]

See below, from the grow-food-unimelb group.

I've had some classes with Peter Allen -- he knows his stuff and is a
great teacher.

 maikkeli.

On 12 February 2011 09:40, Katelyn Brown <katie_b_87 at hotmail.com> wrote:
> I recently came across a PDC course which will be held in the Mt. Dandenongs
> and looks to be very interesting. Rather than the standard 72 hr course it
> will run for 147hrs and only costs $500 as oppose to the average $1000-1600
> as it is subsidised by the government. Anyway the course will start on the
> 22nd Feb and is held Tuesday during the day (and some weekends) until 19th
> July. I know this pobably won't suit many people, being during the day and
> so far away!, but thought I should spread the word, just in case. Here is a
> link to the site if you are interested:
> http://www.petethepermie.com/node/40.
>
>
>> Date: Mon, 24 Jan 2011 21:57:17 -0800
>> Subject: Re: Food Garden Project - more potential sites
>> From: maddie.e at hotmail.com
>> To: grow-food-unimelb at googlegroups.com
>>
>> Hey,
>> so sorry I have not replied to any of the many ideas being thrown
>> around lately. There seem to be lots of suggestions but no stand out
>> choice for the moment. Would anyone be around next week, or the one
>> after to have a discussion and decide which space our favourite.
>> Then, if we need to, we can rehash the old proposal?
>> Katelyn, I love the idea of rooftop gardens! I'm in a similar
>> position though, of feeling like it's a very different kind of process
>> without knowing how exactly it would be different.
>> happy summer vibes,
>> Maddie
>>
>>
>> On Jan 24, 11:35 am, Katelyn Brown <katie_b... at hotmail.com> wrote:
>> > This could be an incredibly far fetched idea. But what about trying to
>> > use some of the roof space at the university for a garden?! It struck me
>> > today how much space is going unused when looking down from one of the
>> > higher buildings. Although it might require much much more work, I can't
>> > imagine that too many people would take issue with it, considering a lot of
>> > the spaces appear to be completely empty.
>> > Anyway, just a thought!
>> > Katelyn
>> >
>> > From: muz... at hotmail.com
>> > To: grow-food-unimelb at googlegroups.com
>> > Subject: FW: Food Garden Project - more potential sites
>> > Date: Tue, 18 Jan 2011 17:04:52 +1100
>> >
>> > Hi folk,
>> >
>> > check out this correspondence from Grounds Manager Andrew Gay about the
>> > other garden sites we proposed.....looking pretty good & he's sounding quite
>> > supportive....
>> >
>> > Date: Tue, 18 Jan 2011 15:49:53 +1100
>> > From: andre... at unimelb.edu.au
>> > Subject: RE: Food Garden Project - more potential sites
>> > To: muz... at hotmail.com
>> >
>> > Hi Dan,
>> >
>> > I was pleased to receive your email although already now the Christmas
>> > break is a receding memory.
>> >
>> > Glad to hear you are maintaining energy in pursuit of a campus food
>> > garden and appreciate your initiative in proposing alternative sites.
>> >
>> > Site 1 is certainly underdeveloped and there are currently no plans that
>> > I am aware of that would disallow a consideration.
>> >
>> > Site 2 would not work. The Old Radiation building has been found to
>> > contain low-level radiation contamination (hardly surprising!) and planning
>> > is underway for it to be demolished possibly as soon as later this year.
>> >  Not sure yet what might replace it and on what footprint. Currently waste
>> > skips are located on the adjacent road surface and the waste truck operators
>> > are notorious for a lack of care for how the skips are shoved around. The
>> > pine barrier is unlikely to offer much protection. Also in the shorter term
>> > the steps to the south between the back of Mechanical Engineering & the ERC
>> > building are to be remade. This will be quite a messy job while its
>> > happening and will close the area off for a time.
>> >
>> > Site 3 could be heavily impacted by any works with Old Radiation but may
>> > hold a prospect down the track.
>> >
>> > I’ll see what I can do to get consideration to Site 1.
>> >
>> > Regards
>> > Andrew
>> >
>> > Andrew Gay
>> > Grounds Manager
>> > Property & Campus Services (Asset Services)
>> > Lincoln Square South - Building B (no. 218)
>> > 625-631 Swanston St. Carlton
>> > The University of Melbourne, Victoria  3010
>> > ph. (03) 8344 5539; mobile 0425 798 377
>> > fax (03) 8344 7759
>> > email: andre... at unimelb.edu.au
>> >
>> > P Please consider the environment before printing this email.
>> >
>> > From: Dan Musil [mailto:muz... at hotmail.com]
>> > Sent: Friday, 31 December 2010 2:15 PM
>> > To: Andrew Gay
>> > Subject: Food Garden Project - more potential sites
>> >
>> > Hi Andrew,
>> >
>> > Hope you're enjoying a fine christmas break.
>> >
>> > Thanks so much for your support and advice with the food garden project
>> > - it is much appreciated.
>> >
>> > Thanks also for sending through those contact details for University
>> > House and the Child Care Centre - we will follow them up.
>> >
>> > To throw some other possibilities in the mix, we've found three more
>> > sites which may be more suitable from everybody's perspective.
>> >
>> > I've attached photos of the three spots, and would like to discuss them
>> > with you when next possible.
>> >
>> > The three sites are (1) on the lawn outside the Chemical Engineering
>> > Building 1 on Monash Road, (2) on the small strip of lawn that runs
>> > north-south to the west side of the Old Radiation Laboratory Building,
>> > alongside the small road and (3) a strip of soil along the road on the west
>> > side of chemical engineering building 2.
>> >
>> > We think these sites would all be very suitable for our projects as they
>> > are all relatively close to Union House, are low profile spaces with very
>> > little current use or traffic over them, and no existing gardens on them.
>> > All spaces are mostly low-quality lawn, that seem pretty un-loved, or at the
>> > very least, un-used. A nicely planned vegetable garden with edging could add
>> > to the visual amenity of the sites.
>> >
>> > Site (1) is well suited to food growing, with deciduous trees to the
>> > north to shade in summer and allow light through in winter, a brick wall to
>> > act as a heat bank, and a small lawn which would compliment a raised garden
>> > bed - we're thinking that raised garden beds running along the north facing
>> > wall of the Chemical Engineering Building 1 (over what is now un-used lawn)
>> > would work well.
>> >
>> > Site (2) appears to be strip completely unused lawn, bordered by some
>> > decrepit knee-height pine fencing and the Old Radiation Laboratory Building.
>> > It has good exposure to the Northern Sun and is well placed to capture water
>> > off the building's roof of the building in a small water tank. Raised beds
>> > against the concrete path could greatly enhance the aesthetics of the site,
>> > would run no risk of being trampled whilst being close to a walkway, and
>> > would not interfere with any existing use of the site.
>> >
>> > We're thinking that site (3) could compliment either of the other sites,
>> > with climbing peas or vines to run up the wall, next to the narrow roadway.
>> >
>> > Would be interested to hear what you think of these sites - happy to
>> > discuss them with you if you have time.
>> >
>> > As of the start of 2011, I'll be officially leaving my role as
>> > Environment Officer, and will therefore lose access to my
>> > @union.unimelb.edu.au  email address. I'll still be very involved with the
>> > project, as will next year's Environment Officer Maddie, and i will be
>> > contactable via the email address - muz... at hotmail.com or on 0432 485 869 .
>> >
>> > Thanks again Andrew,
>> >
>> > Dan
>