After all the thinking, designing, researching and discussing the time for actual implementing has arrived! It has been quite a journey until this moment. Due to several factors discussed in earlier outputs, some implementation had started already during the design phase, specially relating to the food-garden. But now, equipped with a project plan, the finances set up, the help organized and our living situation re-arranged, everything is in place to start realizing the first wave of the design.

The implementation phase of the IESD masters project brought significant changes to my life, including how this output was produced. I spent much less time on the computer and instead was helping with different tasks and arising needs. So I did not look into new software, nor created many documents ongoing, nor did a lot of research beyond specific questions based on the tasks at hand, but did continue journaling and some sketching. I had help with taking photos, short video clips and drawing sections and plans. There was still not enough time to develop a format that works for this web site and for my portfolio hosted at the Gaia University E-Learning system.

The review of the survey output gave me a great boost in continuing with this project. It included helpful feedback and a number of questions, which I will address here:

• How will the project's unfolding be managed?
  
  • The schedule is managed by using the original project plan, the derived project plan for the implementation part 2, the different levels of details as described in "Project Plan Design Process" and using additional management tools where necessary.
  • The finances will be managed by a monthly project checking account reconciliation and by reviewing the budget and cash flow.
  • Project progress and goal achievement are monitored by writing about it and reviewing periodically the successes and challenges and by collecting feedback from family, friends and visitors.
• What elements are needed to monitor in order to honor all stakeholders, both human and non-human? What structures are put into place to make sure that happens?
  
  • On a physical level the honoring of all stakeholders starts by, for example, discontinuing harmful gardening, construction or any other type of practices and instead creating habitats and microclimates appropriate for a wide variety of plants and animals.
  • On an emotional and mental level by "talking" to the plants and animals (see for example the books "The Secret Life of Plants" by Peter Tompkins and Christopher Bird or more recent in "The Intention Experiment" by Lynne McTaggart), by appreciating all the different things they do and provide and by being thankful for their existence.
  • On a mythical level by accepting plants, animal, nature and its different elements to become my teachers and giving me a helping hand on my life's journey. By connecting to mother earth through ceremonies, fires, sand paintings and inviting the ancestors of the land to share their wisdom with me, for example through dreams.
  • On an energetic level by working with my own energy body through meditation practices, breath work and personal healing work, as well as inviting all the different nature energies and entities connected to this land to also heal me and bring healing to the world.
    
• What are the costs involved with the various steps, and what necessary steps must be taken in order to create a firm foundation for the next phase, etc.?
  
  • By developing a project and budget and cash flow plan.
• How will the learning be presented in a way that incorporates all the fractal elements and presents them in the most easily understood and simple manner?
  
  • I don't know how this will unfold.
  • This will be part of the challenge when creating the final review and potentially a "7th" output, a presentation of this project for the final IESD MSc workshop in October in Tennessee.
• Is there a plan to publish the results?
  
  • There is at this point in time no plan to publish the results beyond what is published on this web site.
• Is it possible to obtain funding for this experiment, or are there new avenues of funding that can be created along the way?
  
  • This has been discussed in the design output on the "Economy" page.
• How can the scope of stakeholders be broadened to include all life on the property? What, for example, would the benefit be for the various animals and insects (imagining their point of view)?
  
  • Beyond more of what is described a little bit earlier in regards to stakeholders and everything coming out of permaculture, biology and other sciences or disciplines, ecological design, personal growth, etc., I actually don't know.
  • For sure I don't want to assume to actually be able to look much beyond my human centered few of the world and truly know what is beneficial to other forms of existence, when it is often unclear to me what is truly beneficial to myself and other fellow humans.
  • Do no harm, use natural resources and materials and tread lightly on the earth and cultivated good heartedness.
  • I trust that mother earth, nature, has the power and wisdom to thrive and heal herself and everything on, in and around her!

In regards to engaging allies and supporters the following questions were raised:

• Who do I know personally and to whom am I most drawn to for what reason? What is the next step?
  
  • Some of this for both questions has been answered in the design output on the "Community" page.
  • One next step could be to initiate a support group.
  • Another step could be to develop a letter of introduction and contacting some people that could take the role of mentor, expert or advisor.

In this phase the goal was to get some basic things accomplished that lay the foundation for the future implementation to achieve the intended goals. This includes some projects that are fairly disruptive, like digging, and are better done first before any other tasks are started. This phase was also intended to get to known to each other - Berta's nephews and us - and give all of us time to adjust our daily routines. This phase's tasks are mostly scheduled in the backyard as they are not so critical in how they turn out visually. This provides the opportunity to see how we can work together and prepare us for the more critical pieces in the front yard, which we want to be looking good and pleasing and are implemented during the next phase.
The main intention in what we are doing is to be for the highest good of all and fulfill the projects purpose and goals.

The main content and outcome of this output are the documentation (text, photos, video clips, drawings, spreadsheets, etc.) of the implementation steps that have been taken, the elements that have been realized and the tasks that have been completed, including how this process unfolded, what went well, what was challenging, what insights were gained and what tools and approaches were used. This output also reviews to a limited degree if the implementation of the design achieves the stated goals, where re-design is necessary now or for future, similar projects and the results of research in regards to materials, products, contractors and regulations. Another outcome is the reflection on the successes and challenges experienced during this phase, personal as well as implementation related. Other important results are the updates to the project plan, budget and cash flow and resources.