Back in August, 70 or so wayfarers came from across the east coast and Canada to a quiet stretch of mountain riverbank near Celo, North Carolina, to share, study, reconnect and redesign the future for themselves, their families and the fate of planet Earth. This was not a summit of diplomats, scientists nor Ivy League scholars, but a gathering of folks from all walks of life with the common thread of promoting and demonstrating sustainable human living patterns and permaculture.

Permaculture is a term often credited as being coined by Australian Bill Mollison in the late Õ70s to represent the concept of a permanent agri culture being the conscious design and maintenance of agriculturally productive ecosystems which have the diversity, stability and resilience of natural ecosystems. Permaculture design is a system of assembling conceptual, material and strategic components in a pattern to benefit life in all its forms. (Permaculture: A Designers Manual. Tagari Publications, Australia, 1988.)

This may sound like other environmental-type movements, but with a little study one finds that permaculture goes further than a simple food growing system. It reaches out to include the integration of values and ethics of human settlements and strives to mimic natural systems where humans live as a part of the process rather than above it, and includes how we relate to the natural world as individuals, societies and as a global community. (see www.permacultureactivist.net)

Since 1993, our ever-evolving group has come together each year to share much more than an enriching educational weekend amidst a tranquil mountain setting. The interactions, conversations and celebrations that took place reinforced some ways of thinking, shattered others and left all of us with the sense that we can make both personal and social progress. The days and nights were filled with circles, breakout sessions, hikes and group mental exercises on a huge range of topics, not to mention feasting on some of the most tremendous organic food youÕve ever seen, most of it grown by the participants themselves.

This gathering is an opportunity for participants to share their own experiences, learn from one another and to expand their understanding and enthusiasm for sustainable living, good earth stewardship and coming together as one. Demonstrations with hands-on learning and celebration play important roles in the gathering by allowing participants to see some of the permaculture principles applied and by building a sense of community spirit through shared efforts and shared expression.

On Saturday I opted for two separate Knowing Nature hikes from the long list of smaller group discussions Ñ or Affinity Circles Ñ the group arranges for itself each morning, ranging from Intuitive Dowsing, Climate Changes, New Urban Design, Medicinal Plants, Interpersonal Communication, Tai Chi, Public Policy and much more. As both a hiker and a plant enthusiast, I jumped at the idea of spending time in the wood with folks who really know their tree, shrub, grass, forb and mushroom stuff. My expectations were exceeded as we discovered Jack-o-Lantern mushroom that glow wildly under moonlight and several other species unrecorded from previous years. Everyone had the opportunity to design their own weekend based on personal interest and complete freedom É what a concept. Heavy rain cancelled the traditional bonfire and drumming circle that night, the festivities moving inside and morphing into a most incredible night of celebration and ceremony, song and dance, laughter and real sharing among our temporary community.

Sunday morning came too soon and our tribe found itself in one last group activity before everyone began to pack up and return to the other world. We formed a large circle and were instructed to turn so that everyone faced a person next to them, then we were to stand close and look directly into the other personÕs eyes for five seconds and share our message with them, with or without words, then move to the next person and repeat the process. Murmurs went around about feeling awkward, five seconds is a really long time, and IÕm not comfortable doing this, but all agreed to try after the words Just trust were spoken. It wasnÕt long until five seconds werenÕt long enough, then 10 seconds, then 20, then time mattered much less than the messages being conveyed. Magic happens in many ways, and did that weekend.

Not everyone can run away to a quiet cove for three days, and some critics have charged that we are dodging responsibility by living in this dream world for the weekend. I would counter by saying that we are choosing to read the handwriting on the walls of the world, and rather than dropping responsibility we are assuming it by making the effort to direct our own futures and the future of the planet that we happen to inhabit. You can learn a lot in the woods on a rainy weekend if you put your heart into it. And who knows, it may just help warm you through the winter months ahead.