Permaculture at John Mall Garden

by Edie Flanagin
WALSENBURG — A group of young volunteers known as the Permaculture Action Team contacted District ONE a few weeks ago to ask if there were any projects they could help with in Walsenburg.  
District ONE had just signed a lease agreement with RE-1 school distrct for two acres which needed to be fenced, fertilized and planted so the Action Day was planned.  According to their website,  “The Permaculture Action Team brings permaculture projects and community organizing to cities across the country to transform the urban landscape.”  Even though Walsenburg can hardly be considered “urban,” the team descended on John Mall High School Thursday with a small army of volunteers. 
The Permaculture Action Day movement started in California a few years ago but really took off when the music group, The Polish Ambassador, invited them to sponsor work days in each of its tour cities.  
Using the same model of going where music groups are having festivals, the team is holding Action Days in the communities near festivals such as Sonic Bloom. The model really works because many festival attendees are young folks who want to give back to the communities they are “invading.”  This youthful energy can go a long way in transforming bare land into useful food production acreage.  About 40 to 45 volunteers from all over the country helped Thursday. 
District ONE executive director, Brian Rosino, said, “It was amazing to see the space transformed so fast; it would have taken us a month to do what they did in one day.  Our team is so grateful for so much help.”
For more information check out the Permaculture Action Team’s website: http://www.permacultureaction.org/