ROY’S WHAKAMARAMA MAGIC
3 October 2020 by Catherine Dunton-McLeod

Having participated in 10-12 Permablitzes, I am curious how every one of them has had a magical quality. Of course they were all unique, yet they all have had a similar, sacred sort of undertone that warms the heart and makes one feel more connected and more human. What causes that? (Feel free to skip my musings and scroll below to the pics and video.)

Is it that Permablitz co-founders Dan Palmer and Adam Grubb did such a bang up job designing Permablitz that anyone who follows their system could create a beautiful day?

Maybe it’s because people who sign up to host are usually so lovely and
generous, and grateful to have dozens of people showing up at their property to shovel, plant and construct, that the flow from them trickles down to everyone who participates?

Or perhaps the beauty of this blitz was the unique design team:
– Our hosts who had attended many blitzes as volunteers and had significant permaculture education;
– Three to four brand new permaculture designers eager to learn how to run a blitz;
– Tess, our lead designer, is a very competent permaculture gardener;
– Back up senior designers who were there as mentors, watching,
encouraging, stepping in if anything was going awry.
– Was it that our MC Leo is a fab group coordinator who can bring people together as a synced-up, cooperative team?
– Maybe the magic just occurs anytime a group of people come together to help others?

I bet it’s probably a mix of all of the above and other things I’ve not thought to add here.

What ever it is, Permablitzes in the BOP are consistently magical and I
am honored to be a part of  them. If you are thinking of coming along to a future blitz, it’s highly recommended.

Oh, and if you participated on the day, our hosts Sharon, Dave and Billy issue you an open invitation to stop by and see how things are growing!

Check out some of the magic of the day:
(Photos by Olly Roy, Dane Scott Creative and Catherine Dunton-Mcleod)

To the relief of the design team the day dawned clear and cool.

The gorgeous welcome area was ready

About 50 people showed up with food, tools……..

…enthusiasm…

….and heart.

Leo brought us together and helped us come together as a group…

We all offered  a stretch to get warmed up and ready to dive into working.

Our hostess Sharon and our lead designer Tess shared the guiding statement of the family, the property and the day’s activities.

Tess gave us a choice of three projects to work on.

Catherine and Trish introduced Christopher Alexander and The Living Design Process to about 15 of the group. Here’s the before, during and after of creating a privacy hedge between the main house and Dave and Sharon’s hide away….

Before….

Playing with hoses to find the best shapes for the new gardens…

After lunch, the drone shows us taking away the grass and the final shapes emerging….

These koru shaped gardens will get planted out over time creating privacy and allowing access.

The boys and others keen to learn from artist and stonemason and our host David Roy, got stuck in on the rock wall activity.

Click here for a 9 minute video of David summarizing how low rock walls can be made with concrete and mortar.

Our host Billy had been working for weeks, prepping for the blitz and still on the day he had the energy to lead the hugulkulture construction, the banana planting and give a talk on fungi. (I missed his fungi talk so I have no pics or video, however Billy has promised to offer it again at a future blitz.)

Click here to catch a bit of video on how to plant bananas.

Lunch is an incredibly important part of any permablitz, and Melissa and Beth laid out a marvelously colourful, healthy and plentiful feast. Many thanks you two!

Digestion was accompanied by Catherine sharing an exercise on permaculture design.

The biggest activity was the food forest and citrus area activity, led by Byron and Tess. A huge project made light by many hands, backs, space and wheel barrows!

Food forest and Citrus area before……

The whole food forest area can be seen from the air….

And at the end of the day, areas weeded, cardboarded, mulched and herbal ley planted.

Thanks to AgriSea for the generous donation of a trailer of seaweed and 20 Litres of Foliar Nutrition!

About 20 people got to meet Julia Sich and accompany her on a short edible weed walk. Click here for the link.

The day wrapped up with shares, hugs, acknowledgements, and gratitude expressed. Another magical Permablitz.