154. We’re the Species Who Could Do It
Rosemary Morrow on becoming the restoration species
For over 40 years, Rosemary Morrow has travelled the world, blazing a pioneering trail teaching permaculture as a tool for restoration. From Vietnam and Cambodia, to Greece, West Africa, and Australia, her at times death-defying journey has helped countless communities in all sorts of situations restore healthy living systems. And it was arguably all set in tow when, at the age of 15, she ventured solo to the Kimberley here in WA.
Rosemary Morrow (pic: Permatil Global).
“I don’t believe in despair. We’ve seen too many unexpected things happen, good and bad, that it would be presumptuous and arrogant to believe that I knew what the future holds. We have to accept that over my right shoulder or your left shoulder can be some solution we don’t know. And we don’t know. And we can’t say it’s coming either. Just that that’s a possibility.”
This is a conversation Rowe’s not accustomed to having, but she was customarily fearless in having it. And for me, it continues a kind of accidental series with women elders. One I’m finding to be a great gift. In this case, Rowe was kind enough to spend some time with me on a visit back to where she grew up, here in Perth. She was touring her new book, a revised and updated edition of her classic Earth User’s Guide to Permaculture – now called the Earth Restorer’s Guide to Permaculture.
It’s been endorsed by the UN as part of this Decade of Ecosystem Restoration, has a foreword by Vandana Shiva, and throws down the gauntlet for what’s still to be done.
This conversation was recorded at Ecoburbia, just south of Walyalup / Fremantle, on 24 November 2022.
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Find more:
Rosemary’s book, Earth Restorer’s Guide to Permaculture.
Enter the draw for a gift pack of books from Melliodora Publishing, including Rosemary’s new one.
Join me at Regenerating Country, a live podcast conversation at the World Science Festival Brisbane on 26 March 2023.
Music:
Regeneration, composed by Amelia Barden, off the soundtrack to the film Regenerating Australia, available for community screenings now.
Earth People Fair, by Formidable Vegetable.