Initially developed by Bill Mollison and David Holgrem in Australia in 1978, from study of the naturally occurring forest ecosystem, permaculture design offers a creative way of seeing the environment in which we live and work. It is a principle-based approach, advocating whole-system thinking, which offers numerous 'ways in', to start tackling large problems with small, realistic solutions.
The basis of permaculture design is to establish the separate elements of any system into mutually beneficial relationships, making use of all products of the system and naturally available energy. This enables us to design systems and environments which maximise yield whilst minimising energy use.
Useful connections can only be made between things if they are put in the right place relative to each other.
Permaculture is a process of looking at the whole, seeing what the connections are between the different parts, and assessing how these connections can be changed so that the place can work more harmoniously. This may include introducing some new elements or methods, especially on an undeveloped site. But these changes are incidental to the process of looking at the landscape as a whole.
The essence of permaculture is to work with what is already there: firstly to preserve what is best, secondly to enhance existing systems, and lastly to introduce new elements. This is a low-energy approach, making minimum changes for maximum effect...
Patrick Whitefield, Permaculture in a Nutshell, [Permanent Publications, 2008]
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