Walkers Reserve is an amazing ecosystem restoration project; a 300 acre silica sand quarry undergoing a transformative regeneration programme utilizing permaculture practices. Walkers has moved from barren land, deteriorating sand dune ecosystems and an extractive past, to soil building, regeneration, native species increase, endangered species protection, carbon sequestration and agricultural yields.  From sand mine to food forest; the Walkers Reserve is an exemplary venue to observe permaculture in action.

CPRI’s home within Walkers Reserve is developing organically as we grow. Our facilities currently include a brand new teaching area with AV facilities and internet, a teaching kitchen and bathrooms, a group learning shelter area with access to a nursery, intensive demonstration and experimental planting areas. Teaching will occur in all areas of Walkers Reserve relating to each topic covered. This will include beach side dune ecosystems, sand pit, regenerated alleys and food forest, lakes, ponds and chinampas microclimates, old growth natural areas, bee yard, irrigation ponds/dams and flooded/dry swales, steep slope planting areas, areas experiencing stress from salt spray, extreme heat, drought, below water level, flood prone, slippage, extractive quarrying. Walkers can showcase many permaculture elements from composting to rain water collection, natural material building and cooking, nursery production, swales and earth works related to soil conservation, ecosystem development, apiary programme, food forest and syntropic agroforestry. You will be exposed to the many problems and solutions which Walkers Reserve has to showcase as it relates to each of the permaculture principles explored throughout the course.