“Beauty is in the eye of the beholder”
By taking the time to engage with nature we can design solutions that suit our particular situation.
This icon represents a person ‘becoming’ a tree. In observing nature it is important to take different perspectives to help understand what is going on with the various elements in the system. The proverb “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder” reminds us that we place our own values on what we observe, yet in nature, there is no right or wrong, only different.
Weed or medicinal herb?
Consider a plant with leaves that, when used as a poultice, has the ability to radically speed up wound healing. When eaten they boost the immune system, while the seed heads produce the digestive aid psyllium husk. Where could we find such a remarkable plant? Often within metres of the back door. It is plantain, a plant we usually dismiss as a ‘weed’. However in Norway it’s known as groblad, and in the Isle of Man as slan lus, both translating as ‘healing herb’.
‘Weed or medicinal herb?’ photo and accompanying text contributed by Adam Grubb, and featured in the 2013 Permaculture Calendar.
Principle 1: Observe & interact
Goslings with geese, watching and being watched
Social animals survive and thrive by observing and interacting with each other and their environment. By penning geese with newborn goslings on the lawn in front of the home office we can understand their behaviour and hear any alert calls warning of predators.
Photo and accompanying text contributed by David Holmgren
Northey Street City Farm, a haven amongst concrete
Clare finds a quiet space as she harvests salad for a shared community meal. This is also a time for observation and reflection. Clare helped develop an organic market garden at Northey Street City Farm. Observation and learning from the world around us are really only truly valuable if they “reconnect us to the wonder and mystery of life through practical interaction.” [David Holmgren]
Feel it
Kai, 2½, is delighting in a rare summer storm while his father observes erosion control measures. The chains of ponds observed in some stable streams have been replicated here. Rocks have been laid across this diversion channel to slow the flow and catch sediment, and branches laid across the staggered outflow to spread it across the grassed gentle slope in the background. Kai is playing, and learning without trying.
Photo contributed by Richard Telford
