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James Islander Shirley Brown has turned her front yard into
a permaculturist's
dream with productive plants and a sustainably designed
garden.
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Permaculture may conjure up images of drum circles and
people of the patchouli persuasion, but it's much more than a hippie lifestyle
handbook. In fact, many people are practicing its principles without even
realizing it. If you've recycled, composted, planted a garden, bartered with a
neighbor, or canned vegetables, you are already on the road to becoming a
permaculturalist. Although the definition is as ever-changing as the
environment it seeks to imitate, permaculture is an ecological design system
that aims to create efficiency using three main tenets: take care of the earth,
take care of the people, and share the surplus. In practice it can take the
form of solar panels, straw bale houses, bicycles, aquaponics, backyard
chickens, or rain barrels, and it's often associated with homesteading.
At the most recent meeting of the Charleston Permaculture
Guild, attendees ranged in age from 20 to over 60, a diverse group of people
who work in affordable housing, agriculture, medicinal herbs, and computer
science. The common thread among the group is learning how to utilize
permaculture principles to help themselves and others live more efficiently,
with a smaller footprint, and with increased self-sufficiency.
Chris Carnevale, a co-founder of the guild, admits that he
was surprised at the mix of people that attend Charleston meetings compared to
the more granola audience he saw in Colorado. "Our membership is over 120
people, and it is very diverse. Our members are looking for practical
solutions." (Read further: Source)
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