1. PATTERNS
“Nature’s forms are the most practical
and functional and most efficient in
terms of space, materials, energy, and
time. Nature’s patterns teach us how to
get the most from the least.
-- Michael S. Schneider

2. Humans observe nature
We see patterns!
Amazing, right?
As keen observers,
we notice what patterns do.

3. The Branch
The Branch ……..
gathers,
collects and
distributes the flow
of water, air, energy,
or material.
It increases
exchange and
transport and
anchors them.
SOURCE

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5. Fractal image location

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13. The Lobe QuickTime™ and a
decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
• The lobe provides surfaces for
exchange, edges, or interfaces where
two things meet. The edge is the most
productive and fecund part of a system,
where the most interesting things
happen.
Source: Permaculture Activist #19

14. INCREASING
EDGE
Source

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18. Slime Mold
Source The article is worth reading if you don’t know
about slime mold.

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Source
Source
Source

20. Lobed Stony Coral: 500 years old
Source

21. Mima Prairie, Washington State
Source

22. The Spiral
• The Spiral has the function
– of speeding up or slowing down,
– of concentrating or dispersing, depending on
which way the flow is going.
• It’s regenerative
• It concentrates or disperses energy

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35. QuickTime™ and a
decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
The Net or Web
• The net or web is used for sorting,
collecting, filtering and small surface
exchange. It distributes both tension
and force. We can use this pattern to
strengthen and reinforce.

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43. Dendrite

44. Brain Image

45. A Quark: source

46. Source Side note for fun: Click here
Move the blue square!

47. X x x The Scatter Pattern
x x x
x x xx x
x x
X xx x The Scatter pattern
x xx x introduces the
element of chance
into a system.
It breaks things up
and slows them down.

48. s

50. Photo courtesy of Jean Straatmeyer

51. Photo courtesy of Cindee Karns

52. The Rhythm/Wave Pattern
The Wave pattern
--streamlines, zig-zags and
flows--provide pulsation,
timing and the possibility of
measurement over time into
a system. Waves transfer
energy, slow speed, and
catch and store things.
Source
Your heartbeat is a wave
pattern.

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58. The HOLON
The holon pattern is the same
pattern nested into a bigger one.
It is used as a growth pattern--
it spreads.

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61. FRACTALS
Click HERE to see them in action
Click HERE to
go one step further
It’s amazing.

62. The Overbeck Jet
These are resting patterns,
Like eddies in the river
There’s a block in the flow
and the water raps around it.
It’s a resting place for big rainbow
trout!
Look at the model and decide
where the flow is coming from.
SOURCE

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68. Bill Mollison
calls all of these patterns,
which we’ve noticed in nature,
part of the…..

69. The General Core Model
Bill Mollison identified the core
model as the model from
which all other models come.
It is used for gathering up and
then exploding forth.
Think of writing a research
paper or giving birth.

71. Can you
see how
the
patterns
fit in to
the larger
whole?
Mollison, Page 73

73. Maybe it
will help if
you see its
movement
or flow…

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78. ALL PATTERNS can be found in the General Core Model
It’s just amazing!

79. So---now you know what you are looking for!
They are hard to find in real life.
An easy way to see them is to look for the flow.
1. What’s happening?
2. Where is the energy coming from?
3. Where is it going?
4. What’s the relationship?
5. What purpose does the flow serve?
You can even map your community to look
at all of the flows. Like: where are the flows
of traffic, or flows of money, etc.

80. A great resource book
That I just finished is called:
A Pattern Language
By Christopher Alexander
May the rest of your day be filled
with looking at patterns!