Category: Blog

Apple tree

Fruit Tree Planting & Care [Part 1]: Tree Selection

Do you dream of harvesting sweet plums, apples, pears, or other delicious fruits from trees in your own backyard? You can begin growing your food forest right now because winter is the time to plant deciduous bare root fruit trees! In this how-to guide, we’ll focus on deciduous bare root fruit tree selection in part one and planting strategies in

Introduction to Permaculture with David Shaw

Permaculture, an Introduction & Overview [Video]

What is Permaculture? David Shaw gave an introductory talk about permaculture during a workshop hosted by Sustainable Solano in August 2017. David is Santa Cruz Permaculture’s Director & Lead Designer. The video and slides from his talk are available below, as well as on our Youtube Channel. To receive updates when we post new videos, please click the red Subscribe

Dandelion drawing shaped as a spiral with the words: gratitude, seeing with new eyes, honoring our pain, seeing with new eyes, going forth

Practices for Hope & Connection in the New Year

Among the many resolutions and commitments being made this week, here is one of many visions that is possible for this coming year: In 2018, more people will become conscious and awakened to the realities of the pain in our world. Rather than turning away to the many distractions of our time, they will find ways to honor this pain

Hand-drawn permaculture design of a garden.

Design Presentations & Party! PDC Reflections [Part 8/8]

This series of eight blog posts by Melissa Ott about the Santa Cruz Permaculture fall-winter 2017 Permaculture Design Course was originally posted on the Green Gal blog in April 2017. Final Weekend: March 11, 2017 On March 11, the three design project teams presented their designs to David, Lydia, and another course guide, Ken Foster of Terra Nova Landscaping. The

People sitting at a table in a park while a person presents about the community orchard project.

Regenerative Community Development & Financial Permaculture: PDC Reflections [Part 7/8]

This series of eight blog posts by Melissa Ott about the Santa Cruz Permaculture fall-winter 2017 Permaculture Design Course was originally posted on the Green Gal blog in April 2017. Weekend Six: March 4-5, 2017 Social Permaculture During our last weekend of instruction, we spent the morning at the Resource Center for Nonviolence. We learned about regenerative community development, Portland’s City

Mandala made with leaves, flowers, branches

Social Permaculture: PDC Reflections [Part 4/8]

This series of eight blog posts by Melissa Ott about the Santa Cruz Permaculture fall-winter 2017 Permaculture Design Course was originally posted on the Green Gal blog in April 2017. Weekend Three: December 3-4, 2016 The third weekend of the Santa Cruz Permaculture Design Course took place shortly after the presidential election, which provided a fitting opportunity to explore the

Seven people standing and digging a swale in an orchard

Restoring Watersheds & Soils: PDC Reflections [Part 3/8]

This series of eight blog posts by Melissa Ott about the Santa Cruz Permaculture fall-winter 2017 Permaculture Design Course was originally posted on the Green Gal blog in April 2017.017. Weekend Two: November 5-6, 2016 The second weekend of the Santa Cruz Permaculture Design course, we explored watersheds, water catchment, understanding climate and microclimates, and the characteristics and management of

The NEST property with redwood trees, the garden fence, and the tent.

Intro to Permaculture Design & Nature Awareness: PDC Reflections [Part 2/8]

This series of eight blog posts by Melissa Ott about the Santa Cruz Permaculture fall-winter 2017 Permaculture Design Course was originally posted on the Green Gal blog in April 2017. Weekend One: October 8-9, 2016 The first weekend of the Santa Cruz Permaculture Design Course, we learned about the ethics and principles of permaculture. We also discussed design processes and

Permaculture Flower with each petal representing a different topic within permaculture.

What is a PDC?: Permaculture Design Course Reflections [Part 1/8]

This series of eight blog posts by Melissa Ott about the Santa Cruz Permaculture fall-winter 2017 Permaculture Design Course was originally posted on the Green Gal blog in April 2017. I recently completed a six-month Permaculture Design Certificate (PDC) course through Santa Cruz Permaculture, which is directed and taught by my good friend, co-mentor, and UCSC colleague David Shaw. He

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