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An Introduction to Patterning

September 17, 2016

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AN INTRODUCTION TO PATTERNING

Our world is organised according to linear thinking, moving from A to B, from beginning to end, from Monday to Sunday. However, within the complex systems that make up our world, linear thinking limits our ability to understand the world and effectively interact with it. When we begin to understand the complex web of relationships that make up social and ecological networks, for instance, we can begin to develop new and strengthened practical applications that can contribute to effective and positive change in the world.

How do we enact systems thinking within Permaculture? Think From Pattern to Detail. By drawing on David Holmgreen’s ‘Principles of Permaculture’ we can see that each principle is interrelated. For instance, to ‘Produce No Waste’ is to think of food-waste management systems that can turn into beneficial nutrients and compost for your garden; and to ‘Integrate Rather than Segregate’ is to use beneficial companion plants to create and diversify systems within your food-garden design. By applying these principles in our design thinking we are allowing ourselves to think beyond what we see as the outcome and develop an intimate relationship with the entire process for maximum use and management of each input and output.

Exotic ferns

Thinking with an integrative mindset helps us to understand the ‘pattern’ so that we can plug in the ‘detail’. Systems thinking seeks to demonstrate intricacy and flow, and that is why Patterning in Permaculture is a core design practice. Patterns are the processes we have witnessed through dedicated time within an ecological system. We have watched the sun rise and set, we have sat before dawn to witness the exact point the arc of the sun rays begin on our property; we have seen the sun beat down on our soil and filter through the trees and we have witnessed it’s wily way of filtering through the trees.

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Olduvai IV: Courage
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Olduvai II: Exodus
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