A Definition Of Permaculture

Permaculture is a design system based on ethics and principles which can be used to establish, design, manage and improve all efforts made by individuals, households and communities towards a sustainable future.

David Holmgren (co-originator of the permaculture concept)
http://www.permacultureprinciples.com/

Permaculture brings together sustainability sciences, ethics, environmental principles and just plain common sense into one overall guide for living.

The main features of permaculture can be summarised as:

• A system for creating sustainable human settlements by integrating design and ecology
• Synthesis of traditional knowledge and modern science, applicable to both urban and rural situations
• Taking natural systems as a model and working with nature to design sustainable environments which will provide basic human needs as well as the social and economic infrastructures which support them
• Encouraging us to become a conscious part of the solutions to the many problems which face us both locally and globally

Rosemary Morrow, Earth User's Guide to Permaculture (1993)

Permaculture Principles

Permaculture is a philosophy based on 12 design principles. For a good introduction to the 12 principles, take a look at David Holmgren's website or watch the video below :

There are many books on permaculture, get started by reading a free e-book called "Essence of Permaculture" - a summary of permaculture concepts and principles taken from "Permaculture: Principles & Pathways - Beyond Sustainability" by David Holmgren.

Get Involved

If you would like to get involved, come along to one of the Permaculture Association of Western Australia (PAWA) events or courses.