Latest news of permaculture events and activities happening around Manchester, including Birchfields Forest Garden course, The Bulgaria Thing, HEAP (Highfields Eco-Allotment Project) Cob building visits, and Earth Activist Training course with Starhawk.

Birchfield's Forest Gardening Course

The forest gardening course is underway and has involved good numbers for the last two sessions. Sessions are open, if you would like to come along to future evenings. There is also a design day planned, to practise the use of permaculture design at a micro-level, to do a detailed design of one of the forest garden quadrents. There is also a day out planned, to visit the long established Bangor Forest Garden. Dates: Monday evening sessions to run on 7th & 14th April from 6.30-8.30pm at the Roby on Dickenson Road, Forest Garden design day on 19th April, 10-4 in a yurt in the park! and a visit to a forest garden near Bangor on Sunday 11th May. Email Kirsty for more info on amidreaming at riseup dot net.

The Bulgaria Thing

The Bulgaria thing is a group of like-minded community focused people from Manchester, working to create a sustainable eco-village project in southern Bulgaria.The group is at the stage of purchasing land after a good deal of searching and are keen to spread the word about the project, gain as much information and as many new ideas as possible, and expand the group to people who want to be involved, want to keep track of developments or who are in the network of ecologically minded projects and just want to know more. They are having an information night to share ideas so far and this be on April 3rd at Equinox housing coop, please rsvp to Kelda at  thebulgariathing at riseup dot net.

Highfields Eco-Allotment Project (HEAP) - Cob building visits

HEAP are planning a vist to see some cob building, and other self-build structures in Lancaster (at Burnley Offshoots project, and Middlewood Trust.) If you would like to know more about this day out then email tom spencer 1985 at hotmail dot com.

Earth Activist Training

For those interested in doing a permaculture design course, there is an exciting opportunity to do one this July, taught by Starhawk (internationally acclaimed authoress and activist), and Andy Goldring (development worker for the Permaculture Assn.) The course will take place at Ragmans Lane Farm, Gloucestershire. Costs: (Including tuition, two weeks accommodation and all meals) £150 - £500 sliding scale according to income. The closing date for applications is 14th April 2008, and priority is for activists (of varying definitions). If you are interested in taking part in the course, please download an application form from: http://www.earthactivisttraining.org or, email earthactivisttraining at riseup dot net.