Episode description

How do we tend to land and culture at the same time?

This episode was a conversation of hope for me, exploring the concept and practice social forestry with Tomi Hazel Vaarde - everything from ancient indigenous knowledge to stories of forests. Also Tomi reflects on design - avoiding it being an imposition, but something that emerges from connection with place and community  - an incredibly important distinction for a permaculture designer.

Social forestry is the Tomi's big picture thinking, their frame of reference for engaging in local and bioregional restoration. "Social forestry is tending the land as people of place. How do we cooperate with each other to do useful things in these places? It's always site specific, and it's always culturally specific."

Tomi Hazel Vaarde is a long-term resident of Southern Oregon and is deeply situated in place and permaculture. He's a prolific permaculturist - advising farms, stewarding forests and teaching environmental sciences for more than 50 years, even helping Bill Mollison in the first PDC on the West Coast.

Tomi's latest book (published April 2023 by Synergetic Press) is Social Forestry: Tending the Land as People and Place - an acclaimed guide of practical placemaking advice and ancient lore - a must-have for anyone wanting to have a reciprocating relationship with their communities, themselves, and most importantly their awe-inspiring forests and landscapes. 

In this conversation, we also discuss this book and the many projects that have informed its emergence.

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This podcast is a project of the Permaculture Education Institute.

We work with people on six continents, teaching permaculture design and skills - from how to be a community leader to creating a regenerative permaculture livelihood. Visit our website to find out more. You can start any time, in any capacity!

We teach permaculture and host permaculture teacher courses. We also share conversations through monthly masterclasses, Our Permaculture Life YouTube, and offer free monthly film clubs in a supportive global community.

This podcast is broadcast from a solar powered studio in the midst of a permaculture ecovillage food forest on beautiful Gubbi Gubbi country.

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