Community Outreach

COMMUNITY OUTREACH

The mission of The Resiliency Institute is to transform the suburbs into resilient communities using permaculture design. Participating in community organized events as an exhibitor and presenter provides us with an opportunity to engage communities and groups in a dialogue about permaculture and the benefits of food forests. Please email us at [email protected] with information about your group or event and opportunities for sharing permaculture education.

 

PRESENTATIONS

Introduction to Permaculture (1-3 hours)

The word “permaculture” was coined and popularized in the mid 70′s by David Holmgren, a young Australian ecologist, and his associate / professor, Bill Mollison. It is a contraction of “permanent agriculture” or “permanent culture.” Permaculture is about designing sustainable, restorative ecological human habitats and food production systems. It is a land use and community building movement which strives for the harmonious integration of human dwellings, microclimate, annual and perennial plants, animals, soils, and water into stable, productive communities. The focus is not on these elements themselves, but rather on the relationships created among them by the way we place them in the landscape. This synergy is further enhanced by mimicking patterns found in nature. This talk introduces participants to the founding concepts used in the permaculture design process where sustainable, self sufficient systems are integrated.

From Lawns to Edible Forest Gardens (30-60 min)

Are you working for your yard or is your yard working for you? Forest gardening is a low-maintenance sustainable food production system based on woodland ecosystems. The perennial forest garden is designed with fruit and nut trees, shrubs, herbs, vines and perennial vegetables which have yields directly useful to humans. Making use of companion planting in guilds—which are then intermixed to grow in a succession of layers—builds a self-sustaining edible Eden. With the growing demand on our water supply and natural resources, forest gardens will be a logical step to replacing resource intensive manicured lawns in order to improve personal and community resilience.

Build a Fruit Tree Guild (30-60 min)

Applying the concept of a guild to plants creates a very powerful tool that can be used when designing the permaculture landscape. This discussion will introduce participants to the foundations of “guild building” which is similar to the companion planting concept many gardeners are familiar with. This presentation will provide you with the foundational knowledge to begin transitioning your yard into a permaculture designed, productive, low-maintenance, sustainable system. By choosing the proper plants to use within the guild, all of the plants will thrive and benefit from the designed eco-system—but not as much as the gardener whose work will be minimized and yields will be maximized!

 

 

 

Presentation Schedule: