Permaculture: Diversity & Interdependence from the Ground Up

This is the campus of the Restoration & Wellness Center in the Ferguson-Florissant School District. Back in August, I met up with Principal Isaiah Melendez and Science Coordinator Eric Hadley to begin envisioning the project before us: engaging students and teachers in the planning, building, and enjoyment of a permaculture/regenerative garden. It was a broiling hot St. Louis day, but after an hour together we could practically smell the lavender, taste the sorrel, feel the fuzz on a sage leaf, and hear the gentle splash of water through a fountain. Earlier that day, Eric and I had scoped out possible garden and outdoor learning sites alongside Carlisha Elam, assistant principal at Griffith Intermediate School, also in Ferguson-Florissant. We’re all delighted and inspired to be in the earliest stages of this project under the auspices of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., and excited to collaborate with other partners in D.C. and St. Louis. on can be found by clicking here:

In the coming weeks I’ll write more about what we’re talking about when we talk about permaculture!