Environment and Ecology

• Permaculture Principles
• Holmgren Design Services
• Ecovillage Training Center, Summertown TN
• Earthaven
• Permaculture Net
• Permaculture Activist
• Urban Permaculture Guild
• Lost Valley Education Center, Dexter, OR
• Permaculture Research Institute (Aust)
• ERDA Institute at Djanbung Gardens Permaculture Education Centre (Aust.)
• Permaculture Institute of Northern California
• Crystal Waters (Aust.)
• Barking Frogs Permaculture Center
• Earthflow Design Work, CA
• International Institute for Ecological Agriculture, CA
• Mendocino Ecological Learning Center, CA
• Occidental Arts and Ecology Center, CA
• Heathcote Community, MD
• La'akea Permaculture Gardens, HI
• Permaculture Drylands Institute, NM
• Finger Lakes Permaculture Institute, NY
• Hancock Permaculture, NY
• Association for Regenerative Culture, NC
• Green Mountain Permaculture, VT
• Kootenay Permaculture Institute, BC
• Falls Brook Centre, NB
• Northern Alberta Permaculture Institute, AB
• Ecocentro IPEC (Pirenópolis, Goiás), Brazil
• Instituto de Permacultura da Bahia, Brazil
• Argentine Permaculture Institute
• Instituto Capixaba de Permacultura, Brazil
• Southern Cross Permaculture Institute, Aust.
• Permaculture Institute, Aust.
• Permaculture in New Zealand
• Permaculture in the Philippines

"Permaculture is a design system which aims to create sustainable human habitats by following nature's patterns. "

The word 'permaculture', coined by Australians Bill Mollison and David Holmgren during the 1970s, is derived as a contraction of permanent agriculture, or permanent culture. The idea of permacuture is considered among the most significant innovations developed by Australian's in the century since Australian federation. However like "nature", the permaculture concept evolves with time making its definition difficult. For example, consider the words of Bill Mollison,

I guess I would know more about permaculture than most people, and I can't define it. ... I'm certain I don't know what permaculture is.

Nevertheless, today permaculture can best be described as an ethical design system applicable to food production and land use, as well as community building. It seeks the creation of rich and sustainable ways of living by integrating ecology, landscape, organic gardening, architecture and agroforestry. The focus is not on these elements themselves, but rather on the relationships created among them by the way they are placed together; the whole becomming greater than the sum of its parts. Permaculture is also about careful and contemplative observation of nature and natural systems, and of recognizing universal patterns and principles, then learning to apply these ‘ecological truisms’ to one’s own circumstances.