The Resiliency Institute is a nonprofit organization using permaculture education and design to foster nature and human connection, grow food security, and build resilient communities. Permaculture is an ecological and ethics based philosophy for designing resilient lifestyles, landscapes, and communities that care for people, care for the earth, and care for the future.
Vision
Communities of people caring for the earth, for each other,
and for future generations
Mission
Transforming the suburbs into resilient permaculture communities by empowering people to live resilient lives, grow resilient landscapes, and build resilient communities
Experience
Permaculture Teacher Certification
Jodi received her Permaculture Teacher Certification in August, 2017 from Cascadia Permaculture led by Jude Hobbs and co-instructors.
Forest Therapy Guides
The Resiliency Institute Certified Forest Therapy guides, trained by the Association of Nature & Forest Therapy Guides and Programs, offer publicly available guided Shinrin-yoku walks in collaboration with area forest preserves, park districts, counties, and arboretums.
Ferry Forest Garden
A public edible forest garden on a third-acre of DuPage County right-of-way land along the Illinois Prairie Path. The goal of this project is to establish an alternative, productive use for right-of-way land. Site work for this project began in the fall of 2014 and continues with the goal of a public dedication ceremony in summer, 2017.
Northern Illinois Food Bank Growing Food Security Garden
In the fall of 2014 we donated and installed a fruit tree guild at the Northern Illinois Food Bank to demonstrate a permaculture strategy for growing food security. Our hope is to receive a grant to launch a "Growing Food Security" garden program that will fund the planting of fruit tree guilds at the food bank's network partner locations.
Whole Foods Market Edible Forest Garden
In May 2013 we began designing the first edible forest garden in Naperville on The Conservation Foundation's McDonald Farm. Installation of the 130' x 50' garden began in the fall of 2013 and was publicly dedicated in May, 2016.
Darren Doherty Permaculture Theory & Practicums
In August 2014 Jodi and Michelle spent four and a half days learning from Darren Doherty as he applied his "Regrarian" style of permaculture to the 140 acre MA Center property in Elburn, IL.
Mark Shepard Restoration Agriculture 101 - Keyline Farm Design
In August 2013 Jodi and Michelle participated in an instructional hands-on experience with Mark Shepard, author of Restoration Agriculture and manager of New Forest Farm, a permaculture farmstead. On Versaland Farm in Iowa City, they practiced site evaluation and assessment, implemented keyline design using laser levels and a Yeomans-style subsoil ripper, determined proper pond site selection, and learned about silvopasture layout.
6th Ward Edible Forest Garden
In July 2013, Jodi and Michelle participated in a week long design charette for the 6th Ward Edible Forest Garden in Helena, MT led by Dave Jacke, author of Edible Forest Gardens Vol 1 & 2. This experience honed their site assessment and design skills while fostering collaboration, leadership, and community.
Amma Center Food Forest
In April 2013 Jodi and Michelle volunteered their labor to install a section of food forest at the MA Center Chicago under the tutelage of John Scheffy, a permaculture farmer and consultant. They learned about managing a large volume of water through the use of swales and hugelkultur beds, plus bare root planting and proper use of inoculants.
Permaculture Design Certificate
Jodi and Michelle both received their Permaculture Design Certificate from Midwest Permaculture in 2012 & 2013 respectively.
