[Sdpg] Permaculture Resources for Children/ Carolyn Nuttall, permaculture in schools pioneer/Childrens Permaculture Resource Network

Sun Jan 30 18:12:35 PST 2011

  Below is a writeup of the work of Carolyn
Nuttall one of the leading Permaculture Teachers focus on Children's 
education and also a resource page of PC resources for children
hope this helps
wes

Carolyn Nuttall, permaculture in schools pioneer
by Russ Grayson - last modified 25-07-2007 21:38
Carolyn Nuttall based her first book, 'The Childrens Food Forest', on 
her experience with primary children in food growing projects at 
Brisbane's Seville Road State School, where she was a teacher. The 
book marks the start of the use of the permaculture design system in 
schools and pointed to an alternative direction for environmental 
education. More recently, Carolyn wrote a workbook for use in schools 
and has been guest speaker at conferences of the Australian City 
Farms & Community Gardens Network (www.communitygarden.org.au), which 
hosts permaculture in schools practitioners. That

'The Childrens Food Forest' is still in print is testament to its 
value after all these years.

  The latest addition, added today, is a fantastic new book - Outdoor 
Classrooms, A Handbook for School Gardens 
http://www.outdoorclassrooms.com.au/- from well-known Permaculturists 
and primary school teachers: Carolyn Nuttall and Janet Millington. 
Arming the next generation with a practical, sustainable skillset is 
more than expedient, and this book will help teachers and parents do 
just that.
Here's an editorial blurb on the book:

The Outdoor Classroom handbook - a must-have for school gardens
Queensland teachers Janet Millington and Carolyn Nuttall have 
officially launched their book Outdoor Classrooms - a handbook for 
school gardens.

The book is the culmination of many years teaching in and out of the 
classroom, of practical gardening experience and learning how best to 
integrate a garden into a school community and creatively weave the 
outdoor classroom through all levels of curriculum.
School gardens are proving to be more vital than ever in these 
current times and Janet Millington, who lives at Eumundi on the 
Sunshine Coast, said that was one of the prime reasons they wrote the 
book.

"Food issues, economic concerns, human and planetary health, and 
future sustainability are all under intense scrutiny. School gardens 
address these concerns while teaching practical life-long skills 
children will carry into adulthood," Ms Millington said.

"Teaching a child how to live more sustainably is one of the most 
important lessons we can offer for the future. Outdoor classrooms 
create the perfect environment for self-learning and self-directed 
development to occur.

"It's okay for them to explore and be creative in the garden. They 
can be as hands-on as they want, getting dirt under their nails and 
plenty of exercise."
School gardens also have a wonderful flow-on effect beyond the school 
fence line.

"Children become really excited about growing their own food. They 
appreciate how difficult it can be at times to do it successfully. 
They are so proud of their abundant harvests they often can't wait to 
start a vegie patch at home to teach the rest of the family how to do 
it too.

"A successful, supported school garden has the potential to benefit 
an entire community," Ms Millington said.

Carolyn Nuttall, who lives in Brisbane, said their combined 
experience in designing, creating, maintaining and teaching in school 
gardens ensures the book is both teacher-friendly and relevant to 
today's curriculum.

"We've aimed to make the book as practical and useful as possible for 
teachers, while maintaining a high level of creative learning and new 
ways of looking at things," Ms Nuttall said.

"Teachers have a busy workload and anything that can make their lives 
easier is appreciated by them."

The book explores the many benefits a school garden offers when it is 
creatively used as an outdoor classroom.

"Children experience a joyous wonder at seeing a seed become a plant 
and that plant become lunch," Ms Nuttall said.
"The outdoor classroom offers a unique space to learn skills of 
production, resourcefulness and care. It allows children to exercise 
their natural curiosity and creativity as learners.

"It has never been so critical to take the young into the outdoors - 
away from computers and white boards into a classroom where they 
learn practical skills for life and preparation for the challenges of 
the 21st century," Ms Nuttall said.

Both Carolyn and Janet share a passion for creating a wonderful, 
nurturing outdoor learning experience for all school children - and 
what better place to start than in a garden!

Childrens Permaculture Resource Network

http://childrenspeaceguild.webs.com/cprn.htm
The C.P.R.N. serves as a clearing house of Permaculture-related 
information. It was created as a constantly evolving hub of print 
material, online resources, history, and support to further expand 
the network of childhood education.
Additionally, the C.P.R.N. carries a selection of books, zines, and 
pamphlets for children, parents, and educators. Topics include 
Permaculture, Primitive Skills, Gardening, DIY, and Self-Sufficiency 
among others.
For a current list of available titles, to recommend a contribution, 
or for more information about joining the network contact: 
childrenspeaceguild at yahoo.com

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