Regular Events: Environment Day

 

Creating a Fertility System

Creating a Fertility System

This is a basic outline giving a general overview of what the event Environment Day/days is all about.

We hold regular Environment Days (generally mornings) and they are an open invitation for anyone who would like to come and give to the land.

Peter generally facilitates the Environment Days and each one is a little bit different depending on the projects we are running and what needs doing at the time.
They may include but are not limited to:
  • Putting the Principles of Divine Truth into Action in our environment
  • Tree planting
  • Mulching
  • Water Management Projects
  • Waterless systems
  • Fertility/Living Systems
  • Fauna Boxes (making, placing, renovating)
  • Seed Collection
  • Hole digging
  • Removing Barbed Wire
  • Pond Creation
  • Fauna Projects
  • Flora Projects
  • Experimentation
  • And much more
 We Generally meet at the workshop and go out to the site we are working on together. We don’t want lots of vehicles traipsing all over the land so parking is up behind the workshop (big green shed).
We will let you know on the Events page as soon as possible if the day is cancelled for any reason.
The general things to bring are: (for specifics check the Event’s page)
Water bottle with enough water for the day
Snacks (Vegan/vegetarian food only while on the property please)
Work gloves
Own tools -maddock, digging tool of choice

We are also collecting the following and if you have any you would like to donate we would gladly take it off your hands to put into the projects we are doing.

  • We are asking for your old/new/used newspapers and cardboard (or your neighbours if they care to give it to you) that you do not want any more and would be willing to gather and bring along to Kyabra Station, Kentucky, when you come or we can arrange to drop it somewhere central so we can pick it up?
  • If anyone has any old Trampoline Springs (for fauna boxes) that they don’t want. Or if you know of any that others might not want theirs anymore. We would really like them and are happy to pick them up. please let us know if you do have any.
Thank you.
Please contact us if you have any questions.
Email Peter and/or Eloisa at eloisalh@gmail.com or phone 02 67787348.

During some environmental events held here, there may be talks that include discussions about God, the Human Soul and other spiritual matters. However these will not be of long duration and any person can elect to not be present during these sessions.

Making Snake Haven's

Making Snake Haven’s

Regular Events: A Day in the Waterless Garden

New Growth in the waterless garden - self seeded

New Growth in the waterless garden – self seeded

A Day in the Waterless Garden is an event (usually a morning) generally facilitated by Lincon Trelor and Philippa Gray. (Check the Events Page for the next one)

It is an open invitation to come and learn the principles behind the waterless garden concept and to gift and contribute your time to various parts of this on-going project.
Lincon and Philippa hold days periodically and will do so until the project is completed. Check out the Events page for dates you can volunteer your time and efforts if you so desire.
For more information please contact Philippa and Lincon via email.
General things to Bring each time, check Events Page for specifics before you come as items may vary depending on the activity:
  • Water
  • Snacks if you want them
  • Sun protection
  • Gloves
  • Anything you feel you need for a day in the garden outdoors
Parking: Please park cars/vehicles up near the big green shed (Jumbuck) on the roadway and walk to the garden, behind the cottage on the grass oval, Thank you.
waterless garden

Thank You!

We just want to thank the people who turned up on Saturday for your intention to come and clean chairs or give to the land and us. We appreciate it.

We hope you enjoyed the change of plan and thank you so much to Fabio for a mini singing workshop, and running the karaoke for us all. Thank you also for some great songs amongst all our ‘trying’ smile.

Hope you enjoyed yourselves and we look forward to seeing you all again soon!

Love

The Lytton-Hitchins

The Chairs stayed in their places
Fabio gifted us with some great singing
and we all had fun joining in!

CHANGE OF PLAN: Rainy Day Programme

Hi Everyone,

It began raining last night YAY! and it looks to continue over the weekend.

We have decided that we WILL go ahead with Saturday and cancel Sunday this weekend.

If it is raining tomorrow (Sat) we will be in the woolshed doing some inside projects in the morning and have some singing, dancing and a shared meal in the afternoon if you would still would like to join us. 

If we have been in the woolshed all day the evening programme will be cancelled. This will not be decided until 8am Saturday at the morning briefing.

If it clears at all during the day those who desire can go up to the waterless garden and help out.

If it is sunny then some of the outside paddock projects will be going ahead as described on the events page. This will be decided at 8am tomorrow morning at the woolshed briefing. The Sunday projects are cancelled.

Please bring: 

  • wet weather gear, 
  • a towel if you want a shower,
  • tools
  • any snacks you want 
  • a plate of vegan or vegetarian shared food for late lunch/early dinner 
  • Water (enough bottles to take to the field in case it is sunny)
  • dancing shoes


For any more information or if unsure of any of the details please contact Eloisa on eloisalh@gmail.com or phone 04 3411 2585

We look forward to seeing those of you who are coming.

We’ll be in touch with a re schedule of the entire weekend in the near future.

UNTIL THEN ENJOY THE RAIN!

March Weekend Project {2nd & 3rd March 2013 – Day Visitors Guide}

We are currently organising our first bigger project for 2013, ‘March Weekend Project’. This is the first of hopefully many regular monthly to six weekly events we will be having at the Kyabra Learning Centre in Kentucky.

The ‘March Weekend Project’ will be a two day event from Saturday 2nd March to Sunday 3rd of March.

Below is an idea of what will be happening over the two days. You are also welcome to camp for the weekend if you would like to, but it is essential to let us know if you would like to. Please email eloisalh@gmail.com or phone: 0267787458.
 
Visitors Guide
 
This document is designed to provide an overview of the event. If you plan to attend it is essential that you watch or listen to the orientation materials, and see the full facility and event schedule details on the blog post: Extended information
 
The ‘March Weekend Project’ is a two day event to be held at Kyabra Station, Kentucky, NSW. The week is designed to give participants an opportunity to experience hands-on experimental techniques for farming, land re-generation, and home gardening, based around principles such as:
 
Teaching about the land and how quickly we can change it to become more fertile, abundant and balanced.
 
Empowering people to do it themselves in a new way 
 
Educating People who are passionate about the land/environment etc, globally 
 
How to put love back into eco-systems, and to support eco-systems as the most effective and loving way to regenerate nature
 
ORIENTATION MATERIAL
 
1. If you plan to attend on any of the days please read, watch or listen to the orientation presentations found in the following link:
March Weekend Orientation Material, Transcript Or watch the videos ( go to www.divinetruth.com > downloads > Scroll down to 20121106 Creating Loving Eco Systems > you can read, listen to or watch this information, there is an intro, lessons 1-7 and a conclusion to listen too lasting approx an hour to an hour and a half.
 
This information is designed to give you a good overview of the principles behind activities we will be undertaking during the weekend in March. If you are pressed for time the audio files give an overview. If you are interested in a broader scope and examples of the main principles in action watch the youtube videos. If you do not have the chance to watch or listen to these materials prior to arrival in March there will be a daily orientation session where you will be able to watch these. It is important that you watch or listen to this material before joining us in the field so that you have a good understanding of our ethos.
 
2. OTHER SUGGESTED WATCHING MATERIAL:
Chernobyl Life in the Dead Zone: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVv1vsZxV00
 
3. Please RSVP Via Email: eloisalh@gmail.com if you desire to camp for any part of the duration of the project
Or Phone: Peter & Eloisa Lytton-Hitchins ph. 02 6778 7458
 
4.OVERVIEW OF WEEKEND’S ACTIVITIES 
 
There are a few different projects that will be happening over the weekend and you are welcome to choose different activities on different days. Due to being widely geographically placed it will not be possible to change activities if you are only here for one day.
 
 * Activity 1: Re-generation and restoration of swampy land
 
Activity includes using some alternate methods to reduce water logging down from the paddock worked on on day one. We will focus on improving water take up through building living systems above ground and planting shrubs and bushes to absorb water.
 
looking down towards Re-gen site
(near bottom trees)
 
* Activity 2: Barbed wire Removal and Collecting ‘Food’ for Living Systems
 
Activity includes removing the top wire of Barbed wire from fences to reduce risk of small and large animals and birds getting caught up in it. It will also include collecting fallen trees, branches and sticks for living systems to create fertility and improve soil.
 
gathering living system ‘food’
*Activity 3: Waterless Home Gardening – this will be a continuation of what was begun at ‘Summerfest’ last year. It will demonstrate several techniques including fibonachi system to maximise sun and water usage of any area, designing waterflow in your garden, techniques to minimize or completely remove the need for watering, mixed planting incorporating natives both flowering and mulching, fruit trees and vegetables. Working on this project will be finishing off the first section of the Waterless Garden.
 
Waterless Garden in progress
 

 

 
Detailed Information
 
House Rules:
 
The Lytton-Hitchins family request that no meat, cigarettes, alcohol or drugs are brought onto the property. Any persons not respecting this request will be asked to leave.
Also, the family asks that each person comes with an attitude of treating others in the same manner each person who attends would like to be treated themselves.
 
Arrival:
 
Please arrive by 8.00am. Day Parking is available by the woolshed
 
Daily Briefing:
 
Daily briefing and orientation will start at 8am sharp in the woolshed. (Follow the drive straight down past the sheds until you see a big white building with a green roof, this is the woolshed).
 
Times:
 
Activities concerning the environment will run from 8 am to 2/2.30pm each day
 
Evenings:
 
On Saturday evening there will be a shared meal at 5pm and music/dancing from 6-9pm in the woolshed that you are welcome to attend if you desire. 

Sunday afternoon, there will be a short debrief after the workday is completed.

Other Information:
There may be sessions in the woolshed or conversations that include discussions about God, the Human Soul and other spiritual matters. However these will not be of long duration and any person can elect to not be present during these sessions. There will also be Karaoke, and singing presentations during the evenings.

What to Bring:
 
Day Visitors:
Food & Snacks:All food and snacks for self and own family
Campers: there are shower and toilet facilities available and a drinking water tank. You will need to be totally self sufficient in all other areas so bring cooking/cleaning gear, enough food, snacks, gear for all weathers for the entire weekend.
 
Water bottles:There will be facility to refill water bottles throughout the day but we request that each person bring 2Ltrs for themselves to start. Also please bring Hats & sun protection as there is limited shade areas out in the field.
 
Tools: Picks, Shovels, Forks, Rakes, and Gloves
 
Evening Meal:
 
There will be a shared meal on Saturday night at 5pm for anyone who is participating over the weekend. Please bring a plate or pot of vegan or vegetarian food to share on these occasions if you wish to join in.
 

March Weekend Project 2013 {Campers & visitors Guide – Long Version}

March Weekend Project 2013
 
Campers & Visitors Guide
 
Project:
Understanding & Creating Loving Self-Supporting Eco- Systems. Continuing projects started at ‘Summerfest 2012’.
 
The ‘March Weekend Project 2013’ is a two day event to be held at Kyabra Station, Kentucky, NSW. The weekend is designed to give participants an opportunity to experience hands-on experimental techniques for farming, land re-generation, and home gardening, based around principles such as:
 
Teaching about the land and how quickly we can change it to become more fertile, abundant and balanced.
 
Empowering people to do it themselves in a new way 
 
Educating People who are passionate about the land/environment etc, globally 
 
How to put love back into eco-systems, and to support eco-systems as the most effective and loving way to regenerate nature
 
ORIENTATION MATERIAL
 
If you plan to attend on any of the days please read, watch or listen to the orientation presentations found in the following link:
(Kentucky SummerFest Orientation Material) http://www.divinetruth.com/HTML/whatsnew.htm
 
This information is designed to give you a good overview of the principles behind activities we will be undertaking during the days of the March Weekend Project. If you are pressed for time the audio files give an overview. If you are interested in a broader scope and examples of the main principles in action watch the youtube videos. If you do not have the chance to watch or listen to these materials prior to arrival at the weekend there will be a daily orientation session where you will be able to watch these. It is important that you watch or listen to this material before joining us in the field so that you have a good understanding of our ethos.
 
2.OTHER SUGGESTED WATCHING MATERIAL:
Chernobyl Life in the Dead Zone: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVv1vsZxV00
 
3. Please RSVP via Email: eloisalh@gmail.com 
Or by phone: Peter & Eloisa Lytton-Hitchins, Ph: 02 67787 458
 
 
4. OVERVIEW OF THE WEEKEND’S ACTIVITIES 
 
There are various activities you can participate in on Saturday 2nd and Sunday 3rd of March 2013. You will be able to do a different activity on each day if you desire. Unfortunately we wont be able to change activities during the days due to geographical distance. 
 
 * Activity 1: Re-generation and restoration of swampy land
 
Activity includes using some alternate methods to reduce water logging down from the paddock worked on on day one. We will focus on improving water take up through building living systems above ground and planting shrubs and bushes to absorb water.
looking down towards Re-gen site (near bottom trees)

looking down towards Re-gen site
(near bottom trees)

 * Activity 2: Barbed wire Removal and Collecting ‘Food’ for Living Systems

 
Activity includes removing the top wire of Barbed wire from fences to reduce risk of small and large animals and birds getting caught up in it. It will also include collecting fallen trees, branches and sticks for living systems to create fertility and improve soil.
 
gathering living system 'food'

gathering living system ‘food’

*Activity 3: Waterless Home Gardening – this will be a continuation of what was begun at ‘Summerfest’ last year. It will demonstrate several techniques including fibonachi system to maximise sun and water usage of any area, designing waterflow in your garden, techniques to minimize or completely remove the need for watering, mixed planting incorporating natives both flowering and mulching, fruit trees and vegetables. Working on this project will be finishing off the first section of the Waterless Garden.
 
Waterless Garden in progress

Waterless Garden in progress

*Activity 4: Nature boxes – positioning boxes for animals and birds according to their particular needs, providing shelter close to food and water. Scouting for suitable locations and some tree climbing will be necessary. 
March Weekend Project 2013 {Campers & visitors Guide - Long Version}

Nesting Box in place

Nesting Box in place


 
Detailed Information
Dates:
Saturday 2nd and Sunday 3rd of March (Come and leave anytime between the arrival and departure dates)
Venue:
Kyabra Pastoral Group, Kyabra Station New England Highway, Kentucky NSW 2354
17kms south of Uralla On the New England Highway between Armidale and Tamworth
Armidale shopping is a half hour away Uralla is 15mins away with a convenience store
 
House Rules:
These house rules are the request of the Lytton-Hitchins family. Please adhere to their rules since we are their guests:
 
  • Parents are to be responsible for their children at all times 
  • Domestic animals are not welcome, please leave them home 
  • Please bring only VEGAN or vegetarian food 
  • No drugs, alcohol or cigarettes
The family also requests that you ask yourself the following questions before attending the event:
 
1.Am I going to this event to take from people? Or am I going to participate and to give?
 
2.Am I going to this event in the state of rage/anger? Or a state that is open and humble?
 
3.Is there anybody potentially at the location that I am upset with already? If your answer is ‘Yes’ 
resolve the emotional issue IN LOVE, BEFORE you come to the event.
 
4.If a person refuses consistently to address issues of love they will need to stay off the property until they have worked through those issues. When you have you will be welcome to return.
 
If you do not answer in the affirmative to the above questions please do not attend the event.
 
Overview:
 
A fun filled weekend of activities including; self-supporting eco-systems for soil based creatures and insects that rebuild the soil, seeding, tree planting, creating self-supporting home vegetable and fruit gardens, creating self-supporting home native gardens, creation and installation of habitats (for native reptiles, birds and animals), potential karaoke, singing, dancing,  and sing-a-long.
 
We wish to give our time and energy to helping any person in attendance to understand and be able to create very small to very large scale systems that support rebuilding eco-systems and habitats that support all life, from bacteria through to fungi and all forms of flora, from worms and insects through to all forms of fauna, including humankind. While we are doing that primary activity, we have an opportunity to enjoy each other’s company and have a lot of fun.
 
General Information:
 
Most information presented will revolve around how to create loving eco- systems that support all forms of life, and how to replicate these systems from small scale (backyard) to large scale (farming) implementations. These sessions are available free-of-charge to any person who wishes to attend. Any person from the community is invited to attend.
 
Any person who wishes to only come for a single day, or to stay just for the weekend, is very welcome. There will be orientation sessions from 8am to 10am each day in the woolshed for new arrivals that have not watched or listened to the orientation sessions.
 
Other Information:
 
During the week, there may be sessions in the woolshed on some evenings that include discussions about God, the Human Soul and other spiritual matters. However these will not be of long duration and any person can elect to not be present during these sessions. There will also be Karaoke, singing and dancing as well as presentations during the evenings.
 
Weekend Schedule:
 
Friday 1st March, general arrival at Kentucky and setup camp from midday (12pm) onwards.
 
Saturday 2nd – Sunday 3rd March, various activities are to be completed over the weekend. 
 
Briefing for day’s activity 8 am in the woolshed
 
Orientation session for new arrivals 8am daily in woolshed All volunteers meeting 8 am in front of woolshed Staggered work activities begin at 8.30am and finish at 2/2.30pm Showers and personal time from 3pm to 5pm. 
 
5pm shared dinner Saturday evening.
 
Fun activities begin at 6pm and will finish by 9pm (Saturday night)
 
Sunday 3rd March – we will finish at 2/2.30pm and for those of you who need to leave you can dismantle camp, clean up and travel home if needed.
 
Weather:
all over the place. It is much cooler at the moment with sometimes warm or cold days, cool nights, and possible wet weather. It can become very cold, wet and windy as well as hot, dry and dusty! Check weather forecasts for the weekend! Most of all be prepared.
 
Jobs To Do:
Self-supporting gardens Self-supporting food production 
Habitats for native fauna
Tree planting 
Water tanker operations 
First aid 
Life support systems Self-supporting soil regeneration Self-supporting eco-systems 
Habitats for native fauna
Planting supply and logistics 
Cleaning 
Getting supplies 
Managing compost
Public performance
 
What To Bring:
Camping and sleeping gear
– Tents, sleeping bags, swags, blankets, pillows 
– Large tarps if you have any 
– Lanterns, torches, tables and chairs
 
Food preparation
– Utensils for chopping, cooking, eating, and washing up 
– There are no fridges. Bring your own Esky 
– There will be a freezer available to re-freeze freezer bricks outside the orange room (see site map). Please allow 24 hours for freezing and name your blocks clearly, or the name the bag you place them in.
 
All food and snacks for self and own family
– Lunch box for your daily snacks (suggest insulated) The ‘work day’ will be shorter (see the full schedule below) but on some days we will be working in a paddock far from the field so you will need to take lunch and snacks with you.
– 2 X 1L water bottles of water (suggest insulated) – There will be a share meal on Saturday night. Please bring a plate or pot of food to share on this occasion
 
Clothing and personal needs
– TOILET PAPER please hand in your contribution to the Supply Room
– Clothes for ALL weather conditions and maybe an umbrella 
– Clothes for outdoor and gardening activities 
– Hats, sun protection, gardening gloves, gumboots/workboots
– A dust mask if you need one 
– Towels, bathroom and personal stuff 
– Prepare for potentially cold nights, no heating in wool shed 
 
Newspaper, paper and cardboard –Bring as much of these things as possible 
– We shall be able to use them to ‘recycle’ in the projects
 
Tools for gardening
– Shovels/spades (large and small) 
– Picks, mattocks, hoe, etc 
– Label all tools uniquely so they are not lost
 
Campground:
Parking And Camping
 
– Camping will be on a large grassed area below the woolshed 
– Cars and tents will be parked together 
– Please park your car so that NO CARS are blocked from getting out
 
Camp Facilities (see map following for more details)
– There are Toilets (4) and limited Shower facilities (6) onsite 
– Please keep your showers short in consideration of others.
 – A tank of local Drinking water will be provided at the campsite 
– There is a FIREBAN at this time so no fires to be lit on site. Please do not leave any fire/campstove unattended. 
– Hot water – a Hot water urn will be available from early morning on.
 
Waste
– Please be responsible for removing waste other than the material that can be placed in the recycling bins: 
– Recycle bins will be provided for the following material
1. Worm Food – Fruit and vegie scraps excluding citrus, pineapple, onion and large seeds such as avocadoes and mangoes 
 
2. Other Composting Material – citrus, pineapple, onion and large seeds as well as all steel cans – these will be added to the living systems
 
3. All Paper and Cardboard will be fed to the worms or used in the living systems.
 
No Power is available for personal use
– please respect this
 
Map of the camping area
– shows the locations of all facilities marked in BOLD
 
Noticeboard
The Notice board located outside the Orange room will advise of start times for morning and evening activities. Please check for updates.
 
Mudmap of Camp site:
 
mudmap of camp site

mudmap of camp site

 

March Weekend Project 2013 {Campers & Visitors Guide}

March Weekend Project 2013
 
Campers & Visitors Guide
 
Project:
Understanding & Creating Loving Self-Supporting Eco- Systems. Continuing projects started at ‘Summerfest 2012’.
 
The ‘March Weekend Project 2013’ is a two day event to be held at Kyabra Station, Kentucky, NSW. The weekend is designed to give participants an opportunity to experience hands-on experimental techniques for farming, land re-generation, and home gardening, based around principles such as:
 
Teaching about the land and how quickly we can change it to become more fertile, abundant and balanced.
 
Empowering people to do it themselves in a new way 
 
Educating People who are passionate about the land/environment etc, globally 
 
How to put love back into eco-systems, and to support eco-systems as the most effective and loving way to regenerate nature
 
ORIENTATION MATERIAL
 
If you plan to attend on any of the days please read, watch or listen to the orientation presentations found in the following link:
(Kentucky SummerFest Orientation Material) http://www.divinetruth.com/HTML/whatsnew.htm
 
This information is designed to give you a good overview of the principles behind activities we will be undertaking during the days of the March Weekend Project. If you are pressed for time the audio files give an overview. If you are interested in a broader scope and examples of the main principles in action watch the youtube videos. If you do not have the chance to watch or listen to these materials prior to arrival at the weekend there will be a daily orientation session where you will be able to watch these. It is important that you watch or listen to this material before joining us in the field so that you have a good understanding of our ethos.
 
2.OTHER SUGGESTED WATCHING MATERIAL:
Chernobyl Life in the Dead Zone: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVv1vsZxV00
 
3. Please RSVP via Email: eloisalh@gmail.com 
Or by phone: Peter & Eloisa Lytton-Hitchins, Ph: 02 67787 458
 
 
4. OVERVIEW OF THE WEEKEND’S ACTIVITIES 
 
There are various activities you can participate in on Saturday 2nd and Sunday 3rd of March 2013. You will be able to do a different activity on each day if you desire. Unfortunately we wont be able to change activities during the days due to geographical distance. 
 
 * Activity 1: Re-generation and restoration of swampy land
 
Activity includes using some alternate methods to reduce water logging down from the paddock worked on on day one. We will focus on improving water take up through building living systems above ground and planting shrubs and bushes to absorb water.
 
looking down towards Re-gen site
(near bottom trees)
* Activity 2: Barbed wire Removal and Collecting ‘Food’ for Living Systems
 
Activity includes removing the top wire of Barbed wire from fences to reduce risk of small and large animals and birds getting caught up in it. It will also include collecting fallen trees, branches and sticks for living systems to create fertility and improve soil.
 
gathering living system ‘food’
*Activity 3: Waterless Home Gardening – this will be a continuation of what was begun at ‘Summerfest’ last year. It will demonstrate several techniques including fibonachi system to maximise sun and water usage of any area, designing waterflow in your garden, techniques to minimize or completely remove the need for watering, mixed planting incorporating natives both flowering and mulching, fruit trees and vegetables. Working on this project will be finishing off the first section of the Waterless Garden.
 
Waterless Garden in progress
 
Detailed Information
Dates:
Saturday 2nd and Sunday 3rd of March (Come and leave anytime between the arrival and departure dates)
Venue:
Kyabra Pastoral Group, Kyabra Station New England Highway, Kentucky NSW 2354
17kms south of Uralla On the New England Highway between Armidale and Tamworth
Armidale shopping is a half hour away Uralla is 15mins away with a convenience store
 
House Rules:
These house rules are the request of the Lytton-Hitchins family. Please adhere to their rules since we are their guests:
  • Parents are to be responsible for their children at all times 
  • Domestic animals are not welcome, please leave them home 
  • Please bring only VEGAN or vegetarian food 
  • No drugs, alcohol or cigarettes
The family also requests that you ask yourself the following questions before attending the event:
 
1.Am I going to this event to take from people? Or am I going to participate and to give?
 
2.Am I going to this event in the state of rage/anger? Or a state that is open and humble?
 
3.Is there anybody potentially at the location that I am upset with already? If your answer is ‘Yes’ 
resolve the emotional issue IN LOVE, BEFORE you come to the event.
 
4.If a person refuses consistently to address issues of love they will need to stay off the property until they have worked through those issues. When you have you will be welcome to return.
 
If you do not answer in the affirmative to the above questions please do not attend the event.
 
Overview:
 
A fun filled weekend of activities including; self-supporting eco-systems for soil based creatures and insects that rebuild the soil, seeding, tree planting, creating self-supporting home vegetable and fruit gardens, creating self-supporting home native gardens, creation and installation of habitats (for native reptiles, birds and animals), potential karaoke, singing, dancing,  and sing-a-long.
 
We wish to give our time and energy to helping any person in attendance to understand and be able to create very small to very large scale systems that support rebuilding eco-systems and habitats that support all life, from bacteria through to fungi and all forms of flora, from worms and insects through to all forms of fauna, including humankind. While we are doing that primary activity, we have an opportunity to enjoy each other’s company and have a lot of fun.
 
General Information:

Most information presented will revolve around how to create loving eco- systems that support all forms of life, and how to replicate these systems from small scale (backyard) to large scale (farming) implementations. These sessions are available free-of-charge to any person who wishes to attend. Any person from the community is invited to attend.
 
Any person who wishes to only come for a single day, or to stay just for the weekend, is very welcome. There will be orientation sessions from 8am to 10am each day in the woolshed for new arrivals that have not watched or listened to the orientation sessions.
 
Other Information:
 
During the week, there may be sessions in the woolshed on some evenings that include discussions about God, the Human Soul and other spiritual matters. However these will not be of long duration and any person can elect to not be present during these sessions. There will also be Karaoke, singing and dancing as well as presentations during the evenings.
 
Weekend Schedule:
 
Friday 1st March, general arrival at Kentucky and setup camp from midday (12pm) onwards.
 
Saturday 2nd – Sunday 3rd March, various activities are to be completed over the weekend. 
 
Briefing for day’s activity 8 am in the woolshed
 
Orientation session for new arrivals 8am daily in woolshed All volunteers meeting 8 am in front of woolshed Staggered work activities begin at 8.30am and finish at 2/2.30pm Showers and personal time from 3pm to 5pm. 
 
5pm shared dinner Saturday evening.
 
Fun activities begin at 6pm and will finish by 9pm (Saturday night)
 
Sunday 3rd March – we will finish at 2/2.30pm and for those of you who need to leave you can dismantle camp, clean up and travel home if needed. There will be a short debrief at the end of the work day on Sunday.

Monday 4th March – Anyone left over, Pack up camp, finish cleaning up, head home.
 
Weather:
all over the place. It is much cooler at the moment with sometimes warm or cold days, cool nights, and possible wet weather. It can become very cold, wet and windy as well as hot, dry and dusty! Check weather forecasts for the weekend! Most of all be prepared.
 
Jobs To Do:
Self-supporting gardens Self-supporting food production 
Habitats for native fauna
Tree planting 
Water tanker operations 
First aid 
Life support systems Self-supporting soil regeneration Self-supporting eco-systems 
Habitats for native fauna
Planting supply and logistics 
Cleaning 
Getting supplies 
Managing compost
Public performance
 
What To Bring:
Camping and sleeping gear
– Tents, sleeping bags, swags, blankets, pillows 
– Large tarps if you have any 
– Lanterns, torches, tables and chairs
 
Food preparation
– Utensils for chopping, cooking, eating, and washing up 
– There are no fridges. Bring your own Esky 
– There will be a freezer available to re-freeze freezer bricks outside the orange room (see site map). Please allow 24 hours for freezing and name your blocks clearly, or the name the bag you place them in.
 
All food and snacks for self and own family
– Lunch box for your daily snacks (suggest insulated) The ‘work day’ will be shorter (see the full schedule below) but on some days we will be working in a paddock far from the field so you will need to take lunch and snacks with you.
– 2 X 1L water bottles of water (suggest insulated) – There will be a share meal on Saturday night. Please bring a plate or pot of food to share on this occasion
 
Clothing and personal needs
– TOILET PAPER please hand in your contribution to the Supply Room
– Clothes for ALL weather conditions and maybe an umbrella 
– Clothes for outdoor and gardening activities 
– Hats, sun protection, gardening gloves, gumboots/workboots
– A dust mask if you need one 
– Towels, bathroom and personal stuff 
– Prepare for potentially cold nights, no heating in wool shed 
 
Newspaper, paper and cardboard –Bring as much of these things as possible 
– We shall be able to use them to ‘recycle’ in the projects
 
Tools for gardening
– Shovels/spades (large and small) 
– Picks, mattocks, hoe, etc 
– Label all tools uniquely so they are not lost
 
Campground:
Parking And Camping
 
– Camping will be on a large grassed area below the woolshed 
– Cars and tents will be parked together 
– Please park your car so that NO CARS are blocked from getting out
 
Camp Facilities (see map following for more details)
– There are Toilets (4) and limited Shower facilities (6) onsite 
– Please keep your showers short in consideration of others.
 – A tank of local Drinking water will be provided at the campsite 
– There is a FIREBAN at this time so no fires to be lit on site. Please do not leave any fire/campstove unattended. 
– Hot water – a Hot water urn will be available from early morning on.
 
Waste
– Please be responsible for removing waste other than the material that can be placed in the recycling bins: 
– Recycle bins will be provided for the following material
1. Worm Food – Fruit and vegie scraps excluding citrus, pineapple, onion and large seeds such as avocadoes and mangoes 
 
2. Other Composting Material – citrus, pineapple, onion and large seeds as well as all steel cans – these will be added to the living systems
 
3. All Paper and Cardboard will be fed to the worms or used in the living systems.
 
No Power is available for personal use
– please respect this
 
Map of the camping area
– shows the locations of all facilities marked in BOLD
 
Noticeboard
The Notice board located outside the Orange room will advise of start times for morning and evening activities. Please check for updates.
 
Mudmap of Camp site:
 
 

Aviary Update

There have recently been new arrivals in the Aviary including some little fluffy additions also. They are most gorgeous, and facinating. They are so small and trusting and just hang out in the bottom of the aviary seeming to sleep until food is brought to them or they want to feed. We are enjoying observing and learning about these little guys.
The folk at the Aviary now include:
Blue Faced Parrot Finches
Diamond Firetail Finches
Masked Finches
Painted Firetail Finches
Red Star Finches
Yellow Billed Longtail Finches
Yellow Star Finches
Zebra Finches
Some images of the aviary are below.
Painted Firetail & Yellow Billed Longtail

Yellow Billed Long Tails
Yellow Billed Longtail Finch baby (we think) hanging out so still and unmoving (sleeping?). Notice it has it’s eye closed.
Zebra Finch
Zebra Finch Fledgling (Baby Fluffball)
Diamond Firetail Pair
Red Star Finch
Yellow Star Finch
Painted Firetail

Waterless Garden Project Update {Guest Post}

This is a ‘guest blog post’ written by Philippa and Lincon about the findings to date in the ‘Waterless Garden Project’ that they are leading at the Kyabra Learning Centre, Kentucky. There will be a day in the Waterless Garden on Saturday 16th February 2013, for anyone who would like to volunteer their time and give to the land. We feel it is exciting discovering what has been happening and observing the experiments Lincon and Philippa have undertaken so far. Hope you enjoy their discoveries…

 
The Food Forest Waterless Garden Experiment
 
By Philippa & Lincon
The Garden
Findings so far:
 
Of all the Waterless systems that we have created, we have found to date that the plastic lined system held more moisture than the others, due to the water storage capacity.
 
Given the unseasonal conditions we experienced, being very hot & dry, we have been impressed & amazed at the growth & effectiveness of all these systems.
 
Once planted, for the first four weeks we had no rain & 3 of those weeks were 30 degrees plus heat, enough to wilt the sturdiest of vegetables!
 
However, all the systems were still moist & growing well, but needed to be topped up with water given this lack of rain & heat. We both feel had we had the usual summer rainfall this perhaps would not have been necessary.
 
Over the first 9 weeks of the gardens life to date we have watered only twice. 
 
There has been some fixing up required where the kikuyu has come through the gaps where there was either not enough newspaper, the newspaper was not overlapped or the kikuyu in its bid for survival & desire to grow has travelled along under the newspaper & found a thinner spot of mulch to come through!
 
The harvest so far has included ‘whale’ size Zucchini of various colours, watermelons, sweet lettuces & cucumbers. 
The chillies are on the way, as are the eggplants!
 
 
There already appears to be creatures moving into the garden, we have seen lots of lizards, frogs & many six & eight legged wonders!
 
We have also noticed that it seems as though a creature of some sort has made a home in one of the mounds, but to date we have yet to sight it! We will keep you posted….
 
What’s Next:
 
We have two systems left to finish of the approximate 50 that we started with! Amazing, Thank You everyone for the gift of your time.
 
By the middle of this month we will have completed the top half & spread a mountain more mulch to finish the task!
 
Now that the ground has had time to fallow, we will be planting out with the native legumes & other native plants to create the beginnings of the forest canopy & under storey!
 
We have planted some legume seeds (soy & cow pea) to get the  nitrogen fixing plants underway.
 
We will be holding working bees to complete these jobs over the next few weeks.
 
We look forward to seeing how the experiments go, watching things grow & letting you all know about it.
 
Our plans for the lower half of the garden are next, we already have some ideas & will begin to plot them on paper.
 
Having spent more money on the top half than we originally anticipated, funds will be required before we can commence the second stage of the project.
 
Should you have a desire to donate to The Waterless Garden Project, the details are below:
 
Donations for the Waterless Garden Project:
 
Account Name: Lincon Treloar
Account:  9897348
BSB:  638 – 080
 
 

February Events

Hello!

We have had a lovely ‘break’ and are loving this beautiful rain that we have been having over the last few days. We are excited about getting up and running with events for the year, starting new projects and finishing off old ones.

Now that the earth is a little damp we can begin planting trees again.

We are having our first Environment Day next Wednesday 6th February 2013. (Environment Day’s will be becoming regular again this month, check events page for details.)

We are having a chair-cleaning working bee on Saturday 9th February 2013.

Lincon and Philippa are having a day in the Waterless Garden on Saturday 16th February 2013.
If you would like to come along and give some time, effort and love to this project they will be excited to see you there!

We are planning to have regular weekends this year for varied activities. The first one will be Saturday 2nd and Sunday 3rd of March 2013. The weekend’s activities will include: tree planting, gardening, living systems, installing nature boxes and playing with barbed wire. (More information to come on this event, please check the Events static page for details closer to the time).

If you have a desire to join us for any of these events or future events check out the Events static page for details and listen/watch prerequisite material which can be found at the bottom of the Events static page. For more information or questions and queries please contact us via email or phone.

We feel this is going to be a year full of exciting experiments, discoveries, investigations and fun!

Pete’s always wanted a bulldozer, we just didn’t realise it would be God’s version
not man’s, giggle. Welcome to the first wombat in over 100 years or more to the
property. He’s pretty cool, feisty, smoochy and very determined when wanting
to get into our house!!!