Visit a Permaculture Project Visiting or volunteering at a permaculture project is one of the BEST ways to learn about permaculture and find people local to you who are motivated to think differently and make a change! There are a huge diversity of projects in our network. Check out our interactive map to find local permaculture farms, community gardens, food forests, orchards, renewable energy projects, eco builds to inspire you on your permaculture journey. Find a Permaculture Project Search our online map to find a permaculture project or LAND centre near to you. Click on the project and read more about what they offer and when you can visit. Search the map What is a Permaculture Project? A project is a community initiative that has been inspired by or designed using permaculture principles, designs, ethics, practices or techniques. There are an unlimited range of projects that fall into this category from global movements to back yard gardens in towns, cities, rural areas and online. Many of projects are not open to visitors but welcome volunteers or run events and activities. Find a project local to you and check our events pages to find out about what you can get involved with. What is a LAND Centre? A LAND Centre is a permaculture demonstration site, where you can get a practical experience of earth care, people care and fair shares in action. LAND Centres welcome visitors (by arrangement) and many run open days, events, courses and workshops. LAND Centres vary in scale from domestic gardens through to community gardens and large regenerative farms. They are great places to visit and to get inspired to take action at home or within your own community. Watch this video about our LAND network 7 top tips to make your visit a success 1. Read up on the project Do a bit of background research on the project to make sure you understand what they do and how you can visit them. Find the project on our Projects map, contact them via their website or social media to find out more about their work and facilities. Alternatively, drop them an email or give them a ring to find out what they are offering. 2. Arrange your visit beforehand Many projects have set days / times when you can visit, so make sure that you have arranged your visit beforehand to ensure they are open! Do not turn up without arranging it first unless you know that they have an open door policy, a set volunteering day or are running an open day. Don't forget to look at the project profile, event and courses pages to find out ways to participate 3. Figure out the details If you are staying with the project as a volunteer, you need to know what’s on offer, so that you can manage your expectations and so that you and your host feel safe and supported. Here are some questions that you may want to ask before you visit: What do you both hope to get out of the experience? How long is your visit for? How many hours per day are you expected to work? When do you have breaks/ time off? What food/ refreshments are provided? What accomodation/ amenities are provided? What are the communal spaces/ facilities and what is private? What resources are available to you? (transport/ entertainment/ equipment/ wifi?) Will there be any payment for your work? If so, how much? 4. Accessibility Do you have any special requirements that need to be taken into consideration when you arrange a visit? Some of the projects in our network may be able accommodate a range of needs, wheras others may not. If it’s not clear from their website, contact the project owner to discuss accessibility. Some considerations might be: Is the site wheelchair accessible or suitable for someone with mobility issues? Is the site able to accomodate children? Do the hosts have the capacity to work with vulnerable adults or people with additional needs? What special dietary requirements can be catered for? What type of work is expected of volunteers? Which pronouns do you want to be addressed by? Will there be other volunteers/ women/ children on site? Is accommodation shared or private? 5. Safety Making sure that you are safe when you visit a project is of the utmost importance. You and your your hosts are responsible for safety onsite. Be honest about your level of experience, ability and competence with regards to work on site. Never take on a job that you feel uncomfortable with or that you feel may be dangerous. All projects who accept visitors or volunteers should have public liability insurance and a risk assessment in place, but you might want to check with them if this is the case. Here are some of the things that are considered good health and safety practice: Volunteer questionnaire/ interview to assess competency Site tour and induction, including any high risk areas Volunteer handbook Location of the fire assembly point/ first aid kit Trained first aider on site Appropriate training and supervision for on site tasks Appropriate clothing/ protective equipment available if required Training to use on site equipment Contact person at project if the volunteer has any problems Whether there is a telephone/ good phone reception on site 6. Tread softly Watch your step. Keep on pathways and avoid wandering in the bushes unless you are invited to do so. Generally the best way to behave is conservative, remember you are not aware of 50% of the ideas put into action around you, so be careful when moving around the site and making judgements about it. Whilst being open for ideas and suggestions most hosts have a good idea of what they are doing, it can be rather annoying to be lectured on your mistakes by someone who has minimal practical experience. The departure of such visitors is often a cause for great joy. The basic rule applies to all human relations: respect for others' opinions reaps greater respect for yours. 7. Give feedback We love to know how you found your visit. Share feedback directly with the project or send it to our Projects Coordinator. Permaculture is rooted in accepting feedback and listening to others; our projects are inspired by your feedback and experience. If you've had a great time, be sure to let them know. Mostly stays go well and both hosts and visitors feel rewarded by the experience, but it doesn't always go that way. Let your host know immediately when problems arise. Misunderstandings can be resolved quickly by flagging them. If you feel that there are issues at any project that you feel put you or others in imminent danger or are experiencing extremely inappropriate or threatening behaviour, report this to the hosts and the relevant authorities if necessary. If you have serious concerns and have found this opportunity through our Projects and LAND map, please get in touch with our Projects Network Development Officer and they will look into it for you.