Davis Conservation Foundation Grants $10,000 to The Ecology School

Landscape design bordering buildings and lining pathways will be uniquely un-manicured as we devote well-traveled routes to permaculture gardens. A lesson in ecology will truly be at your fingertips every step of the way!

Thanks in part to the generosity of the Davis Conservation Fund, expansive permaculture gardens  at River Bend Farm will provide education and inspiration to program participants by appealing to all senses: from fragrant herbs used during dinner to colorful wildflowers attracting songbirds to trees which provide shade for reflection. The gardens will produce fruits, berries, and vegetables; restore meadow and wood land; create habitat and food for wildlife, birds, and beneficial insects; protect against stormwater erosion; create hydric soil for rain gardens; provide natural screens; define spaces; and assist in way finding.

 What exactly is permaculture? Permaculture, as defined by Bill Mollison who first coined the term in 1978, is “the conscious design and maintenance of agriculturally productive systems which have the diversity, stability, and resilience of natural ecosystems. It is the harmonious integration of the landscape with people providing their food, energy, shelter and other material and non-material needs in a sustainable way.”