Name:
Christine Wiltshire
Position:
Tutor
About Christine:
Christine completed her Permaculture Design Course in 2011 and her training as a teacher in 2013, becoming part of a new team of teachers with the Brighton Permaculture Trust for the Introduction to Permaculture course. She graduated in 1999 from The University of Sussex with a BSc in environmental science. In the midst of her diploma in Applied Permaculture Design, she is gaining many new craft interests and has inadvertently become a spinner in her journey to find sustainable clothing.
Courses:
Christine assists on the following courses:
Name your permaculture hero? Why them?
Bryn Thomas. For people who don’t know, Bryn is Brighton Permaculture Trust CEO (acting) who, with a number of other committed characters, formed Brighton Permaculture Trust, providing the environment and opportunity for anyone who would like to learn about permaculture and inspiring so many others with his community orchard planting . So he’s my local hero because without his commitment hundreds of people including me would not know about permaculture or have the opportunity to have experienced the magic of an orchard.
Which permaculture principle do you have to remind yourself of the most?
Integrate rather than segregate, particularly in relationships and segregation in society at many levels is everywhere. Its so easy now not to get involved. I am living in Worthing and help run two social groups, they were at first a commitment that I had to really work hard at, with some difficult people at times. When you are volunteering your time this can easily make you want to retreat and batten the hatches, but 5 years since moving here, I feel I have established much more satisfaction and social belonging from taking an interactive role.
Which permaculture principle is always popping up in unlikely places?
The problem is the solution, Apply self regulation and accept feedback, Create no waste and Use small and slow solutions. In-fact, I could probably not move and entertain myself with these principles all day! I am a obsessive up-cycler and can regulate my consumption of unnecessary items by the problem they create as they mount up. I then turn this problem into a useful or beneficial item by Creating a yield (getting a bit nerdy now). This is done without any time pressures so there is plenty of space for creative energy.
Best example of permaculture in action?
My ‘orange skirted slug’ string puppet, made out of an old sock and twigs