9 Pathways to Get Skilled in Sustainability!
Aug 27, 2023
Living a permaculture lifestyle means living more sustainably, so we have designed our curriculum with hands-on lessons + monthly zero-waste challenges into this program to help you transform your life to live well and grow abundantly, without costing the earth.
Below, you will find the lesson lists and information about interest-led learning, with our 9 learning pathways to get skilled in sustainability.
But first, let's talk about what the pathways are...
...in short, a pathway is like a themed category. As you can see in the image above, each flower in the Nature Kids garden represents a specific pathway, that can be followed for specific interest-based topics. For example, you might want to do some DIY or practical projects first, then perhaps enjoy some nature art and up-cycled crafts. Essentially, you can follow your interest.
Whilst many people love to learn about permaculture in our module-by-principle option (see article), the 'pathways' are a short-cut and offers more flexibility. For example, you might want to make a Herb Spiral Garden and jump into that lesson via the DIY practical projects pathway, rather than waiting until you get to module 7: Design From Patterns to Details in July.
The 9 Pathways as illustrated in the image above, yet they haven't been numbered in any particular order of importance. It is up to you to pick your favourite!
Here they are:
- Nature connection and learning: choose your own fun to grow with the seasons, cycles, and plant and animal allies.
- Permaculture mindset: seek solutions with creative problem-solving. Healthy minds, thinking for the future and abundance within.
- Nature art and up-cycled crafts: make and create. From waste to resource and fine motor skills to bring imagination into handy work.
- Permaculture design and planning: edible gardens. From concept to creating efficient, organic food systems for every household and community resilience.
- Nature play adventures: get outside for some down-to-earth fun. Explore and embrace the elements whilst caring for landscapes in your region as earth carers.
- Zero-waste challenges: be a conscious consumer and regenerative producer. Gain new habits to have more with less and quality over quantity.
- Practical DIY projects: hands-on do-it-yourself projects to create your abundance. Life skills to develop your outdoor classroom and grow and eat food the permaculture way.
- Monthly mindfulness and movement: kids yoga, stories, dance, exercise and meditation. Improve mindfulness and energy level in a variety of ways.
- Healthy lifestyle habits: good for you and good for the earth. Personal and household tips, tricks, activities and resources for health and wellbeing.
Our online platform has been designed with interest-led lesson links to explore all the pathways with ease, so you can print, play, create, and enjoy a full range of practical learning.
What is interest-led learning?
Also known as interest-based learning or self-directed learning, it is an educational approach that centers around a learner's individual interests, passions, and curiosity. Instead of following a predetermined curriculum or set of subjects, interest-led learning allows learners to explore topics that genuinely captivate their attention and motivate them to learn more.
Key principles of interest-led learning include:
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Autonomy and Personalised Learning: Learners have a significant degree of control over what they learn and how they learn it. They can choose the subjects, projects, and activities that align with their interests. Their learning experiences are tailored to the individual's needs and preferences, which often leads to better retention and understanding of the material.
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Curriculum Flexibility: Unlike traditional education systems that prescribe a fixed curriculum, interest-led learning encourages adapting the learning process to suit the learner's interests, pace, and style.
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Passion, Engagement and Intrinsic Motivation: By focusing on topics that resonate with the learner, interest-led learning fosters deeper engagement, motivation, and a genuine desire to explore and understand concepts. Learners are driven by their own curiosity and desire to learn, rather than external rewards or pressures.
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Real-world Application and Life-long Learning: Interest-led learning often involves hands-on projects, problem-solving, and practical application of knowledge, which can result in a more holistic understanding of subjects. It encourages a love for learning beyond formal schooling, as learners realise the value of pursuing knowledge for personal growth and fulfilment.
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Diverse Learning Paths: Since learners are pursuing different interests, their learning paths may vary widely, promoting diversity in skills and knowledge.
The flexible option of interest-led learning is often applied to home or unschooling contexts. It's particularly effective in fostering critical thinking, creativity, and a deep understanding of subjects. However, it's important to strike a balance between allowing learners to follow their interests and ensuring they gain exposure to a broad range of foundational knowledge and skills.
Parents, educators, and facilitators play a role in supporting interest-led learning by providing resources, guidance, and opportunities for exploration. They can help learners identify resources, connect with mentors, and navigate challenges, while still giving learners the autonomy to shape their own learning journeys.
Whilst the Nature Kids Permaculture Program is for kids, it is equally for their adults who will essentially facilitate the print, play and 'do' elements from the online portal to make it accessible for head, heart and hands-on learning.
One Step After The Other
Some processes or methods in Permaculture need to be done in order or step-by-step, so they make sense and can be effectively implemented. Therefore, some lessons connect to each other if relevant, such as our 7 step design process.
The following list of lessons has been put into the recommended order of study or noted if the lesson can be done as a stand-alone activity or game.
- NATURE CONNECTION & LEARNING:
- Create Your Book of Kin
- Make Your Observation Chart
- Observe Your Local Plants & Animals
- Stand-alone lessons:
- Creative Reflection & Expression
- Leaf & Flower Pressing
- Loose Parts Play
- Life Cycle Story Stones
- Animal Ally
- Plant Ally
- PERMACULTURE MINDSET:
- Know Your Eco-Footprint
- Human Energy Cycle and Personal Audit
- Electricity Savings Test
- Shower Audit
- Eight Forms of Wealth
- Stand-alone lessons:
- Love the Bugs: Integrated Pest Management (IPM)
- Beyond Your Comfort Zone Abilities
- NATURE ART & UP-CYCLED CRAFTS:
- Stand-alone lessons:
- Seasonal Nature Art
- Make a Sensory Nature Table
- Activist Artwork
- Create a Nature Mandala
- Pay It Forward Rock Art
- Egghead Planter Friends
- DIY Recycled Art Container
- DIY Natural Confetti
- DIY T-Shirt Bag
- Gratitude Spiral Wind Spinners
- DIY Art Puzzle
- Make A Seasonal Wreath
- Event Candle Calendar
- PERMACULTURE DESIGN & PLANNING:
- Creative Design Process & Checklist
- Dream Big, Start Small - Outcome Framework
- Know Your Climate & Play With Microclimates
- PLAN to Grow Your Food Garden Yield
- Create Your Base Plan to Maximise Your Edges
- Create your Zoning Plan
- Create your Sector Plan
- Concept Design to Detailed Plan
- Stand-alone lessons:
- Diversify Your Garden Varieties
- Planting By The Moon
- Plant Green Manure Cover Crops for Fertility
- Seed Save to Save the Seeds
- Veggie Garden Crop Rotation
- NATURE PLAY ADVENTURES:
- Stand-alone lessons:
- Nature Adventure BINGO
- Moon Gazing - A Night Time Adventure
- Waterways & Waterplay
- Bingo ~ 10 Self-regulation Games
- Dynamic Feedback Dance
- Create a Forest Folk House
- Patterns in Nature BINGO Hunt
- Weaving Patterns with Nature
- Go on an Edible Weed Walk
- 'Round the Garden' BINGO
- Spaghetti Eastern & Egg Race
- Natural Treasures Memory Game
- A - Z "I" SPY
- Ecosystem Explorer
- ZERO WASTE CHALLENGES:
- Do a Waste Audit
- Save Glass Jars & Bulk Buy Whole Foods
- Swap, Scrump & Emu Bob
- Feast With An Eco Diet
- Know Thy Farmer
- Make Your Own Re-useable Kit
- Plastic-Free July & Zero-waste Kitchen Swaps
- Join a Community Garden
- Join The Slow Food Movement
- Join Your Local Seed Savers Group
- Set Up A Book Exchange
- Source Seperate & Create
- PRACTICAL DIY PROJECTS:
- Stand-alone lessons:
- Make a Bean Teepee or Bush Shelter
- Make a Mini Ant Farm
- DIY Solar Oven
- Make a Terrarium
- Propagate Perennial Plants
- Make a No-Dig-Garden
- Make a Sundial
- Make Seed Bombs
- Make a Hot Compost Pile
- DIY Herb Spiral Garden
- DIY Mandala & Keyhole Gardens
- Plant a Companion Guild
- Make an Integrated Chicken Coop
- DIY Weed Tea
- DIY Bug Hotel
- Potting Mix & Seed Raising Little Plants
- Grow a Food Forest
- Make a Bird Feeder
- Plant a Medicinal Garden
- Make a Wicking Plant Pot
- Make a Pond Ecosystem
- Plant Fedges (Food Hedges)
- Make a Vertical Garden
- Grow Mushrooms & Beneficial Microbes
- 'Chop & Drop' to Accelerate Succession
- MONTHLY MINDFULNESS AND MOVEMENT:
- Peace Begins With Me
- Energy Goes Where Intention Flows
- Breath and Body Connection
- Move Like The Animals
- Dragon Breathing & Magic Carpet Ride
- Hike, Bike or Climb 'Plogging' Adventure
- Essential Movement for Kids + Incidental Exercise
- Integrate Stretches Into Your Day!
- The Tortoise and Hare Yoga Poses & Breathwork
- Step Outside For Five
- Sensing Your Edges
- Lean On Me
- HEALTHY LIFESTYLE HABITS:
- Stand-alone lessons:
- Extend the Life Of...
- Make Stock, Sprouts & Sauerkraut
- Extending the Yields
- Set Up a Swap Shop
- Food for Thought Feast Event
- Self-regulate Skill Set
- Eat A Rainbow
- DIY Beeswax Wraps
- DIY Nutmylk & Bliss Balls
- Regrow Before You Throw
- DIY Personal Care Kit
- DIY Gift Wrapping the 'Furoshiki' Way
- Pen Pal Snail Mail
- DIY Gifting, Cards & Decorations
Want to come backstage to see what this program is all about? Here's a quick video which shows you how to log into the Nature Kids Program Portal!
