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My guest today is Karl Treen, the creator of Food Forest Card Game, a deck of cards designed to teach the needs, yields, and connections of plants and animals within a food forest and within nature, so players can then take what they learn and apply them to gardens and the world around them. All while cooperating, having fun, and subversively learning a message about how to care for Earth.

Karl then shares how he lives his ethics by making inexpensive options available for teachers, giving back to his local community, and offsets the impacts of the production of these cards, and his interest in reforestation.

After the conversation with Karl, I include a short conversation with Jason Godesky on his insight into the intersection of games and education.

Find out more about Karl and Food Forest Card Game at:

Food Forest Card Game

What I like about games in a permaculture context is the social atmosphere games create for us to work with one another, in a cooperative game, or to compete in a friendly way with no or low stakes involved. These interactions provide a slow and small solution to get to know others and foster the long-term relationships necessary to build our tribe or create a community of others interested in the same kinds of activities. Though they may not engage in permaculture directly, we need everyone to join us to create the social, cultural, and political change to create the world we want to live in. One of us can make a huge difference, but together we increase our diversity and the number of connections and possibilities.

If there is any way I can help you find an interesting game for your classroom, a game night, or a party, let me know.

Also, I’d like your feedback on this two guest, single subject episode. Was the addition of Jason’s voice helpful in understanding Karl’s approach to The Food Forest Card game?

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The Permaculture Podcast

From here, for Patreon supporters, check your Patreon feed at patreon.com/permaculturepodcast/posts on Wednesday, November 1, as I’m giving away a deck of Food Forest Card Game cards to supporters. There is also another giveaway still active for Wayne Weiseman, Daniel Halsey, and Bryce Ruddock’s Integrated Forest Gardening: The Complete Guide to Polycultures and Plant Guilds in Permaculture Systems.

The next interview, out ad-free on November 7 for Patreon supporters and November 10 via the website, iTunes, Stitcher, or wherever you find your podcasts, is Kai Sawyer who joins me to talk about permaculture in Japan and how he navigates living in the gift economy.

Until then, spend each day creating the world you want to live in by taking care of Earth, yourself, and playing games with your community.

Resources

From Karl Treen

Cities in the Wilderness

From Jason Godesky

Organizations and Individuals Researching the Impact of Games