Permaculture Manchester . . . lets put some green on the urban scene

July 30th and August 1st
 

This is the final in a series of four forest gardening weekends that we have organised over the last year at Middlewood Permaculture Trust on Slack Bottom Farm near Lancaster. We have had over 70 people in the garden over the previous weekends, and you are invited to come along too, and lend a helping hand in the forest garden, gain skills and knowledge, and celebrate the special time known in the ancient pagan calanders as the Lammas (or Lughnasadh) 'fire festival'.

Last summer a group of us hatched a plan to open up the forest garden, and bring about fresh energy and change. It was agreed that we would organise a series of four weekends, to co-incide with the pagan festivals: Samhain, Imbolc, Beltane, and Lughnasadh. As a result, a hardy group assembled for Samhain (Halloween) last year, and set about opening up the forest garden, making it accessible, and building a large fire pit, around which we drummed and danced under the full moon ... until the wind blew up and the rains came in!

There are still 4 place left on their beekeeping course starting on Saturday July 3rd. Please see attached poster for more info. Very good course, very good value for money. Pls contact Offshoots directly if interested .. details below.

Because it is such short notice, if you are unable to start until week 2, then this is OK.

Phill Dewhurst
Offshoots Project Manager
Offshoots Permaculture Project
Tel: 01282 450270
Fax: 01282 436138
Web: www.offshoots.org.uk

Click image to enlarge.

40% prefer it to remain entirely green!

Our Hulme began its independent consultation on local people's opinions about Birley Fields in mid October. The following 2 charts show the opinions of the first 106 respondents. This page will be updated periodically as more people complete the survey.

The above chart shows that from 106 respondents:

• almost 40% would like to see Birley Fields remain entirely as green space;
• 76% of people would like to see half or more of the area remain as green space;
• less than 2% would like to see most of the green space developed.

Although the survey does not ask the question, their is plenty of anecdotal evidence that the sections local people would most like to see remain as green space, are the area known as 'Birley Common' opposite the post office, and the adjacent stretch down to Homes For Change housing co-op. These are exactly the areas where MMU plans to construct its high density 5,000 student campus. In terms of surface area, they are also the two most significant plots of land.

17/07/2010

Led by Angus Soutar and Kelda Platt

"Barefoot surveying" involves gathering information on a piece of land without the need for expensive instruments and formal training. Our map-making sessions show you how to create hand-drawn maps, and include the use of simple, traditional drawing instruments.
 
Venue: Greave House Farm, Stocksbridge, Sheffield, S36 4GH
Greave House Farm is situated in open farmland above the town of Stocksbridge, about 12 miles northwest of Sheffield, deep in the Pennine Hills. The Farm's owners wish to create a welcoming, inclusive and therapeutic environment where people can get involved in various activities - animal care, gardening, and also in trainingcourses, such as environmental education - all in a supportive, caring atmosphere. Find out more

Manchester Permaculture Network's April event is to take place at Birchfields Park Forest Garden.

Last year an experimental planting was undertaken in the south west corener of the forest garden, using mypex, to test its effectiveness at weed control, in the establishment of the forest garden's gound cover layers. On the evening of Weds 28th, we will be returning to the forest garden, to see how things have progressed.