Places filling fast for Transition Town training weekend

Here's some information on the training weekend we have coming up in a couple of weeks - places are filling fast, so please get in quick if you'd like to be part of this exciting Transition Town weekend on the Sunshine Coast. Email if you'd like a flier.

Other weekends are planned for mid-year and later in the year.

ABOVE - a photo of some happy workshop participants and Chippy the dog.

Dates:
Friday February 5 (from 5pm)
Saturday and Sunday February 6 & 7 (9am-4pm)
(We aim to be finished and out the door by 4pm Sunday)

The workshop:
We begin on Friday evening with a shared meal (as local and organic as we can get it) at 6pm with time to meet each other, chat, make connections and gently relax into our weekend of Transition Town training.

First thing Saturday it’s into the workshop. During the two days, we'll take you through a process that will enable you to confidently go back to your communities and either start or continue with your Transition initiative.

We focus on practical, doable and usable information, skills and techniques, bringing together our experience with Transition Towns both locally and from around Australia, years of research and development, and key lessons we’ve learnt along the way.

Learning activities include; powerpoint presentations, facilitated group discussion, small group activities, games (fun ways you can unleash the creative genius in your community!), including our famous Trans-Action and Carbon Dating games, mindmapping exercises, examples of world cafes and other techniques featured in the Transition Handbook and processes for starting, leading and developing your Transition Town.

We'll cover;
History of and introduction to the international Transition Town model

The language of Transition
The Transition Handbook and how best to use it
Transition Towns in Australia
The principles Transition Towns are built on
Finding your running mates
First steps
How to be not just ‘another bloody group’
Understanding the uniqueness of your community
Case studies of other initiatives (how they got started, what they are doing, what’s working)
Understanding group dynamics
Group facilitation skills
Strategies for raising awareness in your community
SWOT analysis of your community
Planning Pathways to Resilience
Defining domains and levels of action
Working with local government
Planning projects and making them happen
Energy Descent Action Planning
Your next steps and your personal pathway to resilience
Whatever else you need to get started…

Each course is tailored to meet the needs of that particular group – sometimes we have a group of people from one geographical area and they can work together on developing a core group and becoming an official Transition Town over the weekend.

Other individual participants will receive a detailed plan for how they can create community support to get their initiative up and running on their return.

Your facilitators:
Sonya Wallace and Janet Millington
Sonya and Janet have been working together in the realm of Transition Towns since 2006 and are the founders of Australia’s first Transition initiative (Transition Sunshine Coast) and local initiatives in their home towns of Eudlo and Eumundi.

They have created and run the world’s first Energy Descent Action Planning course (Time for an Oil Change), which led to the Sunshine Coast Energy Descent Action Plan, now being utilised by both the Sunshine Coast Regional Council in policy-making decisions and Transition Towns in the region.

Sonya’s background (pictured below right) is in state and local government communications, crisis management and community education. She has a Permaculture Design Certificate and a Certificate IV in Training and Assessment and is currently working toward her Diploma of Permaculture. Sonya has also completed courses in group facilitation focussed on Transition Town creation, development and longevity of group dynamics. She runs a small-scale organic farm at Eudlo, where she coordinates Transition Town Eudlo.

Janet’s background (pictured below left) is in education and permaculture. A qualified primary school teacher, she has been teaching and applying permaculture for many years both locally, nationally and internationally, working with people to develop community gardens, school gardens, permaculture groups and she also helped write the national Accredited Permaculture Training. Janet is an active community member in her home town of Eumundi particularly with the Eumundi Markets, which have recently become an official Transition Town initiative. Janet also has a Diploma of Permaculture and is a published author on outdoor classrooms.

BELOW - Sonya and Janet received a regional award for their work in Transition Towns.

Your booking:
To book, simply contact Sonya on 0408 013 012 or email transitiontowns@yahoo.com.au or contact Janet on 5442 7200 or miltech@bigpond.com for further information and to secure your place.

What to bring:
Please bring all you need for the weekend – comfortable cool clothes (weather will be hot in February), walking shoes, hat, sunscreen, notebook, pens, camera, water bottle, food for the Saturday and Sunday (shopping opportunity available Saturday morning at Eumundi Markets), musical instruments if you have them, and any plans, ideas or learning tools you’ve been working on in your own Transition Town. Also pack your creative genius to unleash on the weekend.

Cheers,
Sonya Wallace
Transition Sunshine Coast
Transition Town Eudlo
Think Green Consultancy

Transition Town trainer, facilitator and consultant

Transition Town Training Feb 6 & 7

Transition Sunshine Coast is pleased to announce that they will be running a Transition Town Training workshop on the 6th and 7th of February, 2010 (beginning on the evening of the 5th) at the Bamboo Forest, Eumundi on the Sunshine Coast - see venue BELOW - email transitiontowns@yahoo.com.au to book your place.

This two-day intensive workshop is for people interested in starting, leading or joining a Transition Town initiative.

Learn how to create a successful, long-term, action-orientated Transition Town initiative.

How to work within your community and with local government.

Benefit from other peoples' experience and discover how to become part of this rapidly evolving network of people creating real change in our communities.

The tranquil Bamboo Forest at Eumundi offers a great space for learning and networking and there are plenty of comfortable local accommodation options if you require.

This popular and proven Transition Town course is one not to be missed.

Participants will spend time immersed in learning about Transition Towns and how others are transitioning to a better future among a great group of like-minded people.

We kick the course off on the evening of Friday February 5 with a shared organic meal as we get to know each other a little better.

Then, on Saturday morning, its straight into two full days of intensive learning, sharing, activities and facilitated discussions at the end of which you will leave on Sunday afternoon with a toolbox of new skills, a list of new contacts and most importantly a plan of action tailored to meet your particular needs.

We will also cover David Holmgren's Future Scenarios and how they relate to our Transition Town work.

Your Course Facilitators

Sonya Wallace and Janet Millington (pictured BELOW) have been delivering Transition Town and Energy Descent Action Planning workshops together since 2007.

Co-founding Australia's first Transition Town (Transition Sunshine Coast), and both starting initiatives in their own communities (Transition Town Eudlo and Transition Town Eumundi Markets) Janet and Sonya bring unique experience and expertise to Transition Town Training.

They have worked with communities and governments in Victoria, NSW, Northern Territory and throughout Queensland, most recently hosting a workshop that was the catalyst for Transition Far North Queensland Network.

They are delivering Australia's first Energy Descent Action Plan - which covers the entire region of the Sunshine Coast Regional Council, Australia's fourth largest council - through the council's Energy Transition Taskforce, which they are part of.

Their aim is to see many successful 'on the ground' Transition Towns and Transition Town initiatives and principles featured in government policies and planning strategies for the future.

With combined backgrounds in education, facilitation, community development, permaculture, and state and local government, Sonya and Janet deliver a unique course full of creative ideas and practical action.

Sonya and Janet has also been honoured with a regional award for their work in sustainability (ABOVE - celebrating their award with Sustainable Maleny)

If you are interested and would like to find out more - email me at transitiontowns@yahoo.com.au for a flier.

Cheers,

Sonya Wallace

Transition Sunshine Coast

Transition Town Eudlo

Think Green Consultancy

Transition Town trainer, facilitator and consultant

Transition Town Workshops - Leichhardt NSW

If you are interested in learning more about Transition Towns or getting involved in one and you will be around Leichardt in NSW in November, here our a couple of events you might want to get to...

'Facilitating Transition' Workshop - Nov 14 & 15
Permaculture Sydney South is proud to organise this innovative workshop

The workshop is designed to give you the information and resources to start your transition journey. It provides you with the skills to facilitate engagement in your community for an energy descent future.

It covers:
• The history of Transition Towns and the Australian Initiatives
• Some of the early successful steps in beginning a Transition Initiative
• Replicable successful steps and action around Australia
• Examining your special context to find the best fit actions
• The place for transition in a dynamic community
• A set of tools that can work for the Head, the Heart and the Hands of Transition
• Some planned early actions for your community in transition

When: Sat 14 & Sun 15 November, 8.30am-5pm
Where: Leichhardt School of Arts, 1A Marion St Leichhardt
For Whom: These workshops are for people who would like to gain an understanding of
Transition Towns and would like to facilitate engagement processes in their local community.
Investment: $200 for Permaculture members, otherwise $230.
Bookings: Contact Vicki vicki.f@hotmail.com or call Matt 0438 580 730

Facilitator: Janet Millington is the co-founder and coordinator of Transition Sunshine
Coast. The Sunshine Coast became Australia’s first Transition Initiative in September 2007.
Janet has written and delivered an energy descent action planning course, run a community education centre focusing on climate change and peak oil and now, delivering Australia’s very first community-driven energy descent action plan. Janet is a well-known educator, Permaculture teacher, school gardens expert and author.

and...

Invitation to a presentation by Janet Millington on Permaculture Solutions to Climate Change and Peak Oil - Tuesday November 17

How can we get permanency in our culture when so much of our natural environment is changing and our natural resources are depleting?

For more than 30 years, permaculture has been providing solutions to the very problems it pre-empted back then.

Janet Millington, permaculture practitioner, author and teacher, led with Sonya Wallace, the first transition initiative in Australia to an energy descent future for the Sunshine Coast.

Learn from Janet how permaculture can help you transition your home, family and community from oil dependency to local resilience in response to climate change and peak oil.

Meet Janet and join your local Permaculture group

When: Tues 17 November 2009. doors open 6pm for supper, 7pm-9pm.
Where: Leichhardt Town Hall, cnr Norton and Marion St.
Cost: Free for Permaculture Sydney South members, otherwise $10.
RSVP: Thursday 12 November 2009 via email to Vicki vicki.f@hotmail.com
Membership: Phone Peter 0412679215 or email Vicki.

Cheers,
Sonya Wallace
Transition Sunshine Coast
Transition Town Eudlo
Think Green Consultancy

Transition Town trainer, facilitator and consultant

Upcoming workshop at Eumundi

There is a workshop happening at Eumundi on the weekend of October 3 & 4 on Community Food Self-Reliance.

It will be of interest to Transition Towns as it explore how we might be self-reliant in food within our particular bioregions.

Led by Robina McCurdy, the workshop offers ways to:
develop resilient food growing communities
multi-tiered Permaculture design strategies
efficient use of local resources
creating an interactive local seasonal calendar
practical education and empowerment to get started
increasing local and household wealth by growing surplus and adding value

Held at the Eumundi Bamboo Forest the course costs $280-$180 depending on income and includes; handouts, tuition, basic accommodation, evening meal on the Friday night.

To register contact Janet Millington on 07 5442 7200 or email miltech at bigpond dot com

Dynamic Group intensive workshop

We've just been part of a four-day intensive workshop led by Robin Clayfield on group dynamics and how we can weave ethics, values and heart and soul through the work we are doing in our communities.

There was also a very practical component of how to manage conflict resolution, considering how others view things and problem solving.

This type of work is at the very heart of the Transition Movement - how do we get people engaged, working together, moving forward and long-term sustainability into our social structures of Transition?

We are very lucky to have Robin here in Australia and willing to lend her support and guidance to the Transition Movement. She is now travelling to Bega in NSW for another workshop.

Cheers,
Sonya Wallace
Transition Sunshine Coast
Transition Town Eudlo

Transition Town trainer, facilitator and consultant