Different states and areas around the Northeast region have been developing more local or “sub-regional” permaculture gatherings and events over the past few years. A pattern is emerging that would have these sub-regional efforts alternate with the return of our larger Northeast Regional Permaculture Convergences (which are likely to come back in some new incarnation in 2017).
New Hampshire has been successful at running the annual NH Permaculture Day for several years now. The Finger Lakes area of NY has seen the emergence of various tours and events. In Vermont, a more music-and-permaculture oriented festival took place last year. That brings us to….
2016 Maine Permaculture Day
This year here in Maine we are encouraging permaculture designers, practitioners, farmers and activists to open their doors (literal or proverbial) on Saturday, August 20th to help make permaculture work more visible and accessible in its many varied forms.
How can you participate?
- Host an “Open House” at your site (suggested open times for that day are 9:00 am to 2:00 pm). Your site doesn’t need to be picture-perfect, just demonstrate how you are working with permaculture design, principles and techniques…even if you consider your place a work in progress. You don’t need to give guided tours during the open house unless you want to. Just being present to chat and answer questions could be completely adequate. Feel free to have business cards and literature handy to tell about the work you do, if applicable.
Host a work party or permablitz.- Organize a workshop or skillshare.
- Hold a screening of Inhabit or another permaculture or regenerative ag/design film.
- Have a party or a tasting of the items coming out of your permaculture system in August.
- Attend any and all of the above events! We will publish the list of open houses and events the week before 2016 Maine Permaculture Day! Don’t forget to RSVP on our meetup site!
Use this form to register your open house, event or other offering!
This year is an experiment in offering things in a decentralized, volunteer-based way that doesn’t require much in the way of organizing capacity. But as a permaculture community here in Maine, we may want to build on this in future years! Thinking back to the amazing energy of the regional convergences we’ve hosted in Maine (2010 and 2014), I could see something even more exciting emerge!
