Office Hours Q and A - OSU PDC PRO - Winter/Spring 2024 - 4/10 - Permaculture Beginner Mistakes

0:00 START: How's everyone doing?
7:26 QUESTION: Every year, around 200 lives are lost and 300 elephants perish in this struggle in Sri Lanka and Polonnaruwa has the highest casualties. My 60-hectare farm exemplifies the hardship firsthand. Eight guards struggle nightly against electrified fences breached by desperate elephants. They devour mangoes/other fruits & vegetables and rampage during season, and simply migrate through during lean times. Adding fuel to the fire, recent government approvals allowed 2,500 hectares of nearby elephant grassland to be converted to farmland. This displaced them, pushing them towards villages and farms like mine, fuelled by fear and hunger. Guns and crackers escalate the tension, creating angry, distressed animals. However, I seek a solution beyond conflict. I envision an "elephant corridor" within my 60-hectare farm, offering safe passage while protecting my crops. Moreover, I propose dedicating 10% of my yield to wild animals, fostering coexistence.
But concerns remain.
Does this attract more animals, worsening the problem? If so, the feasibility of achieving the preliminary requirements for Zone 5 might be impacted would it not? An increase in wildlife threats could impact the feasibility of achieving the preliminary requirements for Zone 5. Are there any successful examples of "elephant corridors within farms" or similar initiatives being implemented in other countries or regions with human-elephant conflict?
20:00 QUESTION:You’ve seen so many designs, you’ve made many yourself, you’ve implemented them too, you’ve watched people start their designing journey.
I wonder, have you seen any patterns in the mistakes that beginners make? Are there any common mistakes? Or can’t it be generalised? Are the mistakes different depending on the size of the site or perhaps relating to what climate we’re in, or related to age of designer or client perhaps?
50:45 QUESTION: Could you talk a bit about the “ecological function” column in the Plant ID sheet of our microclimate work?
57:34 QUESTION: I am working ahead so I have some slack for a site visit. Regarding upcoming water flows…I saw one of your past class videos where you talked about permeabilities? The different amounts of water that flow off different surfaces. Metal roofs were 90%, but some soils were down to .05%. Based on the lack of gulches, ditches, and ravines, I think my site is more the latter-little rain falls and almost all of it is absorbed. Can you give some guidance on how to talk about water flows on a site where little water flows?
REFERENCE: Darren Doherty - Regrarians “Make Farming Boring Again” “Before you’re green, you have to be blue and black”
shorturl.at/xEGMX
REFERENCE: Film “Reading the Landscape” by Dan Palmer and David Holmgren
readinglandscape.org
BOOK: Restoration Ecology by Mark Shepherd
amzn.to/3TYDUiC
BOOK: Water for Every Farm by Mark Shepherd
amzn.to/3TYDUiC
BOOK: Water for Any Farm by P. A. Yeoman
amzn.to/3xBpRYp
Oregon State University offers one of the most design focused Permaculture Design Certificates focusing on training Permaculture Designers available today.
Every other week during the PDC PRO students meet with their grader (in this case me) and ask questions about the course, permaculture and regenerative land design.
If you're interested in the course check the link below:
allpointsdesign.ca/workshops/...
Learn more about Javan and All Points Design at allpointsdesign.ca