Ecological Demonstration Garden
TreeUtah's EcoGarden was created in 2006 in partnership with the Salt Lake City Parks Department and the Day-Riverside Library. The EcoGarden was developed to facilitate education and skill-building within the community around the topic of urban sustainability. Community members come together in creativity and productivity while learning ecological design concepts, water harvesting, permaculture principles, organic gardening techniques as well as natural building skills.
Programming TreeUtah's commitment to community education is very much a part of the EcoGarden. Classes for children and adults take place on and off site. We offer classes on water harvesting, food preservation, natural building and Permaculture design principles to name a few, and we are continually adding new education topics.
Volunteer Community members are welcome and encouraged to participate in the shaping of the EcoGarden - both in concept and on the ground. Without the support of volunteers from the community, this project would not be possible.
Harvest Anyone who participates in an EcoGarden workshop or workday is welcome to join in the harvest with us each summer and fall. Any extra fruits or vegetables will be delivered to local food banks to provide fresh produce to people in need.
Permaculture
Definition
Permaculture is a holistic approach to landscape design based on ecological principles and productive patterns in nature. Permaculture principles can be applied to any environment, at any scale-from dense urban settlements to individual homes and from farms to entire regions.
Beyond an ecological design science, permaculture is also a philosophy for human living that renews our relationship with the world around us. Instead of degrading our natural surroundings to provide for our needs, we can establish a land design in which ALL life can thrive.
History
The word permaculture was coined by ecologists Bill Mollison and David Holmgren in the 1970's as they discovered a mixture of insights relating to agriculture, landscape architecture, and ecology. The relationships between these disciplines were elaborated into a novel design system termed permaculture: permanent + agriculture. The term does not imply a landscape in stasis but a landscape that cycles resources and generates resources throughout time.
Principles (Mollisonian)
1 Place every element in relation to another so they assist eachother.
2 Each element should perform several functions.
3 Each function should be supported by several elements.
4 Emphasize small scale intensive systems.
5 Plan for efficient energy use in homes and communities.
6 Use biological resources over fossil fuel resources.
7 Recycle energy on site both fuel and human.
8 Use and accelerate natural plant succession to establish favorable sites and soils.
9 Use a beneficial species for a productive interactive system.
10 Utilize edge and natural patterns for best effect.
Workshops and Events
Volunteer
Plan your own Ecogarden
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