To improve staff capacity, IDEP held Permaculture Design Course (PDC) for nine days from May 24 – June 1, 2021. This training held in the IDEP office and involved 14 staff who consistently comply with Covid-19 health protocols.
Understanding permaculture for IDEP staff is a must because this concept always becomes a reference in any activities with the community. Ideally, implementing permaculture also started from the small scale from ourselves and our family. Hence, IDEP as a family needs to understand it. Moreover, training on the first day started with introducing the philosophy of permaculture.
Trainer invites participants to get to know permaculture as a culture of sustainable living. In this process, the room is full of dept discussions. They are involved in discussions to explore and grow their understanding. It covered the ethics and principles of permaculture, namely Earth Care, People Care, and Fair-Share. These three aspects are the initial foundation for realizing sustainability and human ability to adapt and survive under any conditions.
After participants know the initial foundation of permaculture, next is the practice part looking for zones. This zonation divided into five, including zone one (self and family), zone two (village/community), zone three (production area), zone four (community forest area), and zone five (conservation area). Starting from the third day, participants will observe the implementation of each zone in several places.
Implementing zone in permaculture starts from the smallest scope. So the first step is applying permaculture from ourselves and our home. The material provided also shows the concept of a permaculture house that is environmentally friendly and follows natural patterns.
Besides building the mindset, participants were also trying to apply the pattern of behaviour slowly. Therefore, this training did not only provide material but also hands-on practice. In the practice session, participants make soap from lerak, virgin coconut oil (VCO), Eco Enzyme, compost, dried food, and a family garden. We can get all of those materials around us, and at the same time, can implement zero waste.
The training always emphasized the importance of research and observation, even from the smallest scope like our home. The benefits are not only in the work process but also in daily life.
Participants use research and observation techniques to see the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats faced by the community/village (as zone 2) in implementing permaculture. The location chosen is Taman Petanu Eco-Neighborhood (TPEN) in Sukawati, Gianyar.
After participants know the steps and practice of observation, there are materials about design steps on the next day. The training was held in IDEP’s rice fields as zone 3 (production). This activity includes making a garden design and its implementation. In one day, the participants spent their time in IDEP’s rice fields.
On the sixth day, participants were invited again to observe zone 4, namely the community’s customary forest. In practice, the participants applied transects and secondary data research around the forest of Kemenuh Village. Some of the selected locations were: Pura Dalem Agung Kemenuh; Pura Puseh Kemenuh; Pura Prajapati Desa Adat Tengkulak; and Tegenungan Waterfall. The four locations are areas around IDEP’s office that relate to IDEP activities.
Collecting primary data is a more in-depth observation carried out in Omah Apik. This hotel is located in Pejeng, Gianyar, and starting to implement the concept of permaculture. Since the Covid-19 pandemic, Omah Apik members must be adaptive to survive. Then, Omah Apik saw that they could use permaculture to dealing with this crisis. Gradually, until now, Omah Apik began to rise again by implementing permaculture.
The next day, participants used observation techniques to see the potential and problems around Tukad Petanu as zone 5 (conservation). However, its function shifted to a production zone when the sandstone mine started operating. This mine didn’t concern local potentials aspects, such as the Tukad Petanu legend that closely related to local culture and the flora and fauna that live in the area. Gradually, this conservation area began to erode as the interest in the use and production of sandstone increased.
When applying permaculture, production areas should not threaten conservation areas. The ethics and principles of permaculture always offer sustainable and nature-oriented vendors. Therefore, the eighth day of training will focus on sustainable business design.
A participant was presenting his plan to make the sustainable venture (May 31, 2021) The principle of sustainable venture can implement Fair Trade, fair to others and the environment. In practice, participants are allowed to design their business plans. There are various kinds of proposals, both in the form of products and services. Several participants also presented their business plans.
After learning and practising the concept of permaculture in this training, participants were allowed to share their knowledge by becoming facilitators. To implement it, IDEP invites various ages of the local community.
PDC participants’ creativity is not limited; they can pour their knowledge with ethics and permaculture principles as the root. This flexibility resulted in various materials make participants who attended felt interested and accepted the information. (Gd)
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