Permaculture Marin is a local volunteer organization, guided by the permaculture ethics of caring for the earth, caring for people, setting limits to consumption, and sharing resources and surplus. We envision healthy communities where people live in restorative relationships with the land and with each other, thereby assuring an abundant life for both present and future generations. Click here to learn about becoming a member.
In Gratitude
Many thanks to the many teachers who have inspired us on our journey, among them: Penny Livingston-Stark and James Stark of Regenerative Design Institute, Brock Dolman of Occidental Arts and Ecology Center, Jon Young of Wilderness Awareness School, Geoff Lawton of the Permaculture Research Institute of Australia, Darren Doherty of Australia Felix Permaculture, Robyn Francis of Djanbung Gardens Permaculture. For more information about these teachers and their organizations, click here to visit our Links page.
What is Permaculture?
Permaculture, a term coined by Bill Mollison and David Holmgren in the 1970s, is a design science rooted in careful observation of natural systems. By using permaculture principles and techniques, we can create mutually beneficial relationships between human environments and natural ecosystems, thereby establishing systems that can permanently sustain both our communities and the natural environment that supports us. Intrinsic in these systems are a deeper connection with nature and with one another.
The work of Permaculture Marin focuses on projects that offer practical local solutions for reducing our carbon footprint and living a healthier lifestyle, while demonstrating the power of community. We strive to build an organization that is inspirational in the work we do, collaborates with other community organizations, and whose ideas and structure can be adopted by other groups or communities.
Our Membership Structure
In addition to the active members of Permaculture Marin, there is a steering committee that runs the organization. The steering committee operates on an organizational model called The 8 Shields, created by nature awareness educator and cultural visionary Jon Young. The 8 Shields facilitates the even distribution of tasks among the group, balances group energy, and keeps the group vision, goals, and learning moving forward in a productive way. Applying The 8 Shields model encourages leadership from all members of Permaculture Marin. It is a check and balance system that helps keep the collective vision operating, inner development and group tasks running smoothly, and overall creativity flowing. The 8 Shields model is designed like a web, rather than a hierarchy, and minimizes the need for one leader.
