Professional Mission Statement: Lynnes Mission Statement: 1 Sentence - - PDF document

Professional Mission Statement: Lynne’s Mission Statement: 1 Sentence professional mission statement: I create healthy regenerative environments using Permaculture principles to enrich the soil and facilitate learning opportunities for people to transition to healthier more sustainable lifestyles. My passion for the Earth fuels my desire to act in her behalf. I am giving voice to her wounds, and celebrating her wonder and diversity. As I co-create with nature and reveal her bounty I also have an opportunity to learn and grow. These seeds of knowledge need to be shared with the community. We are all connected in countless ways to each other and the earth and each

• f our life’s choices makes a difference. My children, future grandchildren and future

generations are all pulling me towards this destiny of caring, sharing and action. This mission requires keeping my body, mind, and spirit healthy and strong, so I can lead by example. To help our Earth, I must start with the soil and help people, both adults and kids, to make that connection in a meaningful way. I want them to really see how our food system, our health system, our mental models need to change if we are to live fully functioning abundant sustainable lives. I plan to do this through my organic growing, coaching, workshops, and community outreach in my retirement years. Little Steps Gardens will grow more than food, it will grow people, community, awareness, and foster a love of nature. One part of Presentation Project Proposal: One of my project proposals is to create a presentation to nudge people into composting little by little starting with baby steps. This could be a whole series of workshops that could be geared towards building the momentum to create a community compost site at a community garden, or a school composting program for a school

• garden. Or just individual separate workshops geared toward different groups, school kids, girl

scout/boy scout troops, home gardeners, or people just interested in doing what they can for the environment. My first presentation is for an environmental fair for our community. In this scenario I am trying to get people in my community excited about composting enough to give it a try. I realize that this fair will have people of all ages, both adults and children. I am going to try to appeal to the kids mostly because I feel that they would actually want to try this method out. This is a project that is very doable, and they can actually have a hand at creating a better environment. I would have some interactive demonstrations, hands on stuff, various stages. Obviously, the kids would need permission from their parents, and maybe some help but I could demonstrate just how easy it is to set up the containers and let them practice doing it. It doesn’t matter whether you live in an apartment, or you have a home with some kind of yard

• r garden. People have this misconception that they need a garden in order to compost. That is

simply not true. Compost Happens, and it can happen anywhere, you just need a little help to get started. So first I ask some questions? Why compost? What are the benefits of composting? Has anyone composted before? What are the misconceptions about compost? I ask why more people don’t compost, and I usually get answers like, why should I do it? (I don’t garden, don’t have any need

to) What am I going to do with it? I am sure I will get some answers like, I don’t want to deal with garbage, it’s smelly, draws flies, etc. too. So what would compel people to compost? What compels people to recycle? Their towns and municipalities require it, or else they might not do it. They understand that when they recycle, less waste goes into the landfill. Metal, glass and plastic can all be recycled and they know it’s better for the earth, less for the landfills, so why not take the leap and do the same for the food wastes they produce? In order to be an effective and informative training workshop the presentation will address these objectives. 1 Ask the right questions, help them to identify their questions. Why? Why not?

• 2. Set a measurable goal for the participants.
• 3. Identify what people need to do. What are the steps they need to take?
• 4. Identify why they aren’t doing it already, what are the stumbling blocks?
• 5. Evaluate the process in the real world. How did it work out? Feedback is important.

One audience analysis: Scenario, speaking at a community fair, addressing various age groups. First I would ask them what they know already, and why do they think it’s important. What would their reasons for wanting to take on this project? Perhaps for girl scouts/ boy scouts they could earn an environmental badge of some sorts. They would be helping the environment, keeping methane out of the atmosphere, reducing impact on landfills, learning about the processes of decomposition, and growing healthy soils. For gardeners, it’s easy; they are creating a very rich addition to build soil health. What would I want them to know believe or do because of my speech? I would want them to understand how important it is to keep food waste out of landfills. I would want them all to know how easy it is to compost, that it can be done anywhere even in an apartment. It isn’t hard to do, It isn’t time consuming, it helps the environment, and feeds the soil, can be black gold to a gardener, and can be a small step that they can feel good about every day. How can I present the information in a way that best conveys my message? In order to appeal to a wide range of people, it has to be fun and memorable. I would have a hands on workshop, I would have various YouTube video links with all the steps we went over in the workshops for the different types of compost, Hot, cool, vermicomposting, barrel, piles, etc. that they could view on their phones or laptops/pc’s as well as handouts with the steps as a back-up. I would also offer my email address if someone wants to ask more questions about the various processes we discussed. I really love the whole idea of using a blended learning experience for my presentations with digital interaction from the group since I think it would make them feel more connected right from the start. This statement by Brown in our text is really a perfect place to start my Little Steps/ Sustainable/ Attainable Permaculture workshops. "The answer to illusion and misjudgment is to replace subjective experience as the basis for decisions with a set of

• bjective gauges outside ourselves, so that our judgment squares with the real world around us.

When we have reliable reference points and make a habit of checking them, we can make good decisions about where to focus our efforts..." (Brown, p. 124) The first workshop would be all about gathering real data to evaluate and access where we are at on this continuum of sustainability. What are our illusions, and misjudgments about living

healthy, sustainable lives? What are permaculture principles? So that is the first step I would take with my audience attendees. Gather data about what living healthy and sustainably means to them. How can they incorporate permaculture principles in their lives and communities? I would have a mini quiz that would ask questions to evaluate where they think they are at they would fill out individually, and use these questions to re-evaluate during and after the workshop series. (Frequent low-stakes quizzes) I would have a whiteboard and ask them all to contribute something from their list of questions. If I could figure out how to create an interactive google doc for people to contribute to I would do that, since seeing their ideas embedded in the lecture notes makes them feel more connected to the material.( If not during the actual first workshop, certainly at least afterwards, we could set up a group doc space.) It isn’t just me being a facilitator and them being an audience. They will be shaping the direction they want the learning of the material to go based on their own experiences. Next I would ask the attendees what habits they have now that are in line with their goals of being more sustainable, and what habits do they need to develop more fully. Then I would break the large group up into groups of 2 or 3 people to discuss some of the items from the whiteboard to compare answers and discuss differences in their own lives. (Peer review) The idea is for them to see the value in learning together, from and with each other since designing permaculture principles into our lives leads us to action. We become more accountable to

• urselves and others. We are coming together in a community setting because community

building is important to protecting our common interests. What is the real value of “the commons”? Since this really is an organic process and depending on how knowledgeable the members of the group audience are about permaculture principles and sustainability issues, I would offer quizzlets to help them become familiar with the terms we will be using on a weekly basis. (Practice techniques to self-test mastery, creating and practicing flashcards, explaining key concepts in your own words) The first simulation based game I would introduce to the group is the Fish Game. (Simulation reflecting demands and changeable conditions expected in real-world settings) I would break the attendees into smaller groups and let them play it in groups of 4-5 players. Then when they see what happens it becomes much more concrete an experience for all of them I would also use videos explaining the permaculture principles (Video-based scenarios) and also have a space where the attendees could post the videos they discover on their own to share with the group. We would certainly be doing hands on workshops together, (composting, cooking for healthy eating, herb spirals, community gardening, activism, and exploring ways to connect to our local and regional communities. (Team building through group activities) Title: Little Steps to Sustainability, Growing workshops series.

Description: Healthier living through conscious choices, small and slow solutions and permaculture principles. Abstract: The framework behind the theory and practice of permaculture is rooted in the

• bservation of natural systems. By observing key ecological relationships, we can mimic and

apply these beneficial relationships in the design of systems that serve humans while helping to restore the natural world. The key concepts are Earth care, People Care and Fair Share. We are all in this together, and we are all responsible to do what we can to create, sustain and strengthen that sense of community. We need diversity to thrive and grow and from our connectedness we create a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts. There is power in numbers, power in an idea whose time has come and the more of us that are doing what we can, where we are now, the better we all will be. Being an activist means taking a stand for what you believe in, and I believe that it’s time we come together, stand together shoulder to shoulder and act as if we cared about this planet and each other. Audience Analysis: 1. “Who am I speaking to?” I will be speaking to workshop participants that are interested in Sustainability, and want to know more about Permaculture, and how to apply the principles in their lives. These are people who are already on a greener path, but who want to know more and do more. 2. “What do I want them to know, believe, or do because of my speech?” I want them to challenge their beliefs and be open to finding solutions. I would like for them to explore the principles of permaculture, and understand how these can be expressed in their own lives and communities. 3. “How can I present the information in a way that will best convey my message?” The workshop will be a series of learning experiences, and we will use videos, discussions, group projects, and a collaborative framework to help each

• ther grow in understanding how we can apply these principles and live more sustainably.

Helping them find the ways to see the connections in their lives, how they can make a positive difference with little steps in their health, the environment and their communities. Demographic and Socioeconomic Factors: Since I live in the Northeast in a working class suburban neighborhood, I guess I will get a range of middle ages with various cultural racial and ethnic backgrounds. I hope to have a group of between 10-20 participants who sign up out of curiosity, and if I can get 1-5 people who will come back for a second workshop, it will have been worth the effort. I probably have a better chance of getting people to come on a weekend than a weeknight as well. What I really want is to connect people to each other, information and resources and give them a sense of empowerment that they can take the steps towards healthier lifestyles and a healthier planet. Action Map (Sorry,  I do not know how to get this mind map to fit on the page.) This is the composting mindmap.

Outline for series of 4-5 Little Steps Permaculture Principles workshops to build awareness, to create a resilient, sustainable community that learns together. So what is permaculture anyway? Why should it matter to me? General purpose: To introduce people to the ethics, & principles of Permaculture and how to apply these concepts to their everyday lives. Specific purpose: To demonstrate that we are all “designers” so how can we design our lives through a series of little steps to be more in harmony with the ethics of Permaculture, Earth Care, People Care, Fair Share. Central Idea: Living more sustainably is possible in our everyday lives, in our families, and our

• communities. .Awareness is the first step to any change. This will be a learning group where

resources are shared. Introduction: We are all familiar with Super Storm Sandy, and the havoc that took place in its aftermath. Look at what has happened this year to Puerto Rico would you be able to live without power for 6 months? There was lots of talk about Jersey Strong and resiliency but has anything really changed since then? The time for action is now, we need to start to put things in place for

• urselves, families & communities. We need to design more resilient sustainable systems, and

permaculture principles and small steps can help us get there. Mulch: (Learn) Introduce The Fish Game as an ice breaker and get everyone discussing what sustainability means to them. Bring plenty of home baked brownies! Set up a google docs collaborative discussion questions. We are all here to learn from each other/ emails list. What are the ethics and principles of Permaculture? (Quizzlet Flashcards-Homework) Sow: (Plan) First Step: What is your ecological footprint? (We will calculate it in workshop and discuss finding) Principle # 1. Observe and Interact. Step 2. Composting workshop Principle #6 Produce No waste (Homework) Take the food waste challenge for a week. Grow (Do) Principle # 9 Use small and slow solutions. How can you take small steps to make a difference in your life and community? Is there a small step in the right direction you can take today? Maybe have a green shirt award based on feedback votes from participants. Harvest: (Teach) Take one of the principles and explain what it is and how you may be trying to implement it in your life. (Pot luck food night to celebrate, are we done learning together?)