Alex was feeling disengaged from her work and searching for a more meaningful way of life when she discovered her love of permaculture.
After exploring urban community gardens in her neighbourhood, she was captivated by the concept of permaculture, which prioritises care for the land and people. She was attracted to urban community growing because it offered a practical, local solution to food insecurity. Keen to learn more, she embarked on a year-long permaculture course with SHIFT Bristol and got involved in a local community supported agriculture project. She went on to help run SHIFT Bristol, and transformed her allotment into a forest garden full of edible perennials.
A budding orchardist
When she heard about our Certificate in Community Orcharding (CICO) course in Bristol in 2023, Alex knew it was the right fit for her. “I signed up in a heartbeat,” she said. “I liked that it was a mix of self-paced learning with clear deadlines to work towards and the freedom to read up on things in your own time.” She appreciated how easy it was to fit the course around her work schedule.
Alex also really enjoyed the in-person learning days at various community gardens across Bristol, as they provided a chance to connect with the group and other growers and to put knowledge into practice.
“There’s a lot of thought that’s gone into how [CICO] is structured – ” Alex
Through her experience with SHIFT Bristol, Alex already had permaculture knowledge, but CICO solidified her learning and helped fill in the detail. However, she noted that the course is accessible for beginners, too: “I think it would be fine to go in ‘green’ and learn all the basics and fundamentals.”
While on the course, Alex connected with a group of orchard enthusiasts. She described her cohort as “a really lovely group” and she’s still in touch with some of them, months after completing the course. Her fellow pupils came from a variety of backgrounds, each bringing their unique knowledge and experiences into the lessons. Now, she has a rich network of orchardists to tap into when she has questions about fruit trees.
After the course
As CICO drew to an end, Alex found herself asking, “What next?” She realised she was passionate about trees and wanted to work with them full-time. “Not as a tree surgeon per se,” she clarified, “but more as a conservation arborist.” Armed with a cargo bike and pruning gear, she has started offering pruning services in her local area.
Alex ready with her pruning gear.
“I feel equipped now to go out and take care of trees and help with my local community orchard,” – Alex
She’s able to refer to her CICO materials if she needs a knowledge refresher, and the course has helped her find new sources of information to fill any gaps in her knowledge: “I’ve got specialist experience now, and I know where to look up further information or who to ask for help.”
But she’s not stopping there: she’s decided to further enhance her expertise by enrolling on a Level 4 Arboriculture course, which she was able to do thanks to her Level 3 CICO qualification. “It’s so much work and really intense, but I’m learning a lot and it’s absolutely brilliant.’” Her goal is to find a role in conservation where she can spend her days working her dream job: with trees.
Alex’s allotment, which she’s transformed into a permaculture haven!