Permaculture is an approach to designing relationships as ecosystems by prioritizing the wisdom of natural processes and recreating communities that restore our relationship to the earth and with each other. Its ethics and principles outline ways to mimic values and patterns observed in the natural world such as mutuality, reciprocity, and interdependence. The three goals of permaculture are to 1) care for and feed humans 2) care for and regenerate the soil/earth and 3) care for the future. What make permaculture different from sustainability is that it's not simply about maintaining our current level of extraction: rather, permaculture promotes ways of interacting with ecosystems that regenerate the earth where our connection to her is broken and foster healing for a more nurturing future. 

 

In this session, we'll talk about what permaculture offers to urban agriculture, climate change reversal, and human communities. For us, permaculture's most radical teaching is that our ecosystems, like nature itself, must promote biodiversity and polyculture for our survival. How can we design ecological and human environments that will save our future on earth? Come talk to us as we explore our questions!

 

Anna Carella is certified in Permaculture Design and is currently in the process of becoming a Tennessee Naturalist. She hails from a long line of Italian(American) gardeners and homesteaders, and was raised in a rich food culture. Her day job is reproductive rights and anti-racist advocacy. Her night job is finishing her PhD at Vanderbilt. In the rest of her free time, she obsesses over space exploration, hikes with her dog, and reads about native plants.

 

Marie Campbell is certified in Permaculture Design and is currently in the process of becoming a Tennessee Naturalist. She hails from a long line of Southern florists, farmers, beekeepers, and teachers, and was raised in a fried but home grown food culture. Her day job is edible landscaping and pollinator advocacy. Her night job is finishing her MA in community-based conservation. In the rest of her free time, she obsesses over music, plays with her dog, and reads about environmental justice.