The SPG Teaching Team was invited by two native families living on Black Mesa on the Dineh (Navaho) Nation in NE Arizona to come and offer the Permaculture Design course. We were honored by the invitation, and we knew we would learn more from these native families than they would from us. As it turned out we taught and collaborated there for three summers and  blended our knowledge together to develop a hybrid system of land restoration, which the native residents named Naviculture. The course was free for the five Native Americans who attended, and thirteen other participants attended to help defray the cost. Besides offering all the core teachings on integrated site analysis and design, we worked hard to develop a well defined integrated design for the massive Dinebito watershed. We then worked together to establish water harvesting structures, which could stop further erosion from over grazing, open up old dry springs, and allow us to start planting the native forest and grasses, restoring the natural plant guilds of Pinion/Juniper Forest in the area.

                Gabion building across washes to stop erosion, harvest water, and collect organic matter so we can use these moist fertile pockets to restore native vegetation. We also constructed hundreds of one rock check dams in the upper reaches of the watershed to stop erosion at its source.

Damaged land due to over-grazing. Traditionally the Dineh people moved their sheep and goats with the seasons, so grass in one area had time to recover, but now that isn’t possible due to fixed settlements and other time commiments.

Building swales along contour to spread and sink overland rainwater flow during heavy storms. These swales were then planted with  juniper and pinyon guilds of native trees and shrubs that were protected from the goats and sheep.

After a traditional opening ceremony inside of the Hogan that served as our classroom

Using a traditional dryland farming technique, we constructed a rock wind shield and water catcher around each native squash and melon plant. Each plant was placed in it’s own small basin to collect the summer rains.

The Sonoran Permaculture Guild’s Teaching team travelled by Amtrak train to El Paso, Texas in August to give the first 72 hour Permaculture Design certification course ever held in this city of 700,000 people. Seventeen enthusiasic participants graduated, ready to spread Permaculture in far West Texas. The class was held in a historic warehouse in the old garment district, now converted into offices, a cafeteria, a musuem, classrooms, and arts space by the non-profit La Mujer Obrera. Each team in the course completed a design of a real world site at the La Mujer Obrera Urban Farm, and each individual presented a complete final design project. The course participants also constructed part of their group designs. Our design team follows closely the curriculum developed by Bill Mollison and others for the 72 hour Permaculture Design course. Our teaching team members also emphasizs the use of patterned design templates that work well for designing and building in the real world. 

What is the best way to decide where to plant a shrub or tree around a swale? Become the plant and then decide where you would thrive

Natural Building Workshops

Water Harvesting Workshops

 Permaculture Design Workshops

Eighteen participants from our annual Permaculture Design class held the traditional graduation and local foods potluck on Spring Equinox to celebrate the successful completion of the five weekend course.