[Lapg] Permaculture moves forward at the LA County Arboretum & Botanic Garden

Sun Aug 22 12:06:50 PDT 2010

Exploring a place for permaculture in public garden education

http://pcnpg.wordpress.com/2010/08/21/permaculture-moves-forward-at-the-la-county-arboretum-botanic-garden/
Posted by: Erin Marteal | August 21, 2010

Permaculture moves forward at the LA County Arboretum & Botanic Garden

18 Aug. Back in LA and just hours before taking off on V Australia 
#8, I stopped in to chat with Richard Schulhof, CEO of the LA County 
Arboretum and Botanic Garden about the status of permaculture at the 
arboretum.  I was pleased that Jill Morganelli, Horticultural Curator 
was also able to join us.

Despite the recent departure of the garden's permaculture curator, 
Caitlin Bergman, permaculture is not only holding steady, but growing 
at the LA Arboretum.  Plans are afoot for developing a new 
permaculture garden in a space now referred to as 'turf island,' that 
also happens to be right out in the middle of the garden.  It will 
feature native California plants, along with some edible and 
medicinal plants important to local indigenous cultures.  Different 
from the Permasphere tucked off in the back 40, the new permaculture 
garden will be hard to miss.  It will also be well-interpreted.

According to Jill Morganelli, "People want to see how they can do 
this in their own backyard.  To me, our job is to show an example of 
what homeowners can do at home."  Morganelli also emphasizes the role 
of community: "permaculture is as much about community as it is about growing."

One of the challenges of public garden education, according to 
Schulhof, is "how to make it more accessible.  Public gardens can do 
a better job of teaching natural systems.  It's very difficult to get 
people interested in carbon cycling and mycorrhiza.  However in 
permaculture, you're physically doing it; you're engaged in it."

Permaculture also differs from traditional public garden horticulture 
in its focus on process as much as on the end product. According to 
Morganelli, " A permaculture garden is entirely about process."  Many 
public garden displays are about creating a display for the public, 
but don't necessarily teach a visitor how to do it, nor do they 
create an impression that such a display is achievable or accessible.

Another way permaculture stands apart from other types of public 
garden education, according to Schulhof and Morganelli, is that it 
"holds particular appeal for teens.  Especially teenage boys, who are 
one of the most under-served audiences of public gardens."

With such a positive public response and the educationally apposite 
nature of permaculture at the LA Arboretum, why are so few other 
public gardens following suit?  "There is a great deal of risk 
aversion in the museum and public garden fields," suggests 
Schulhof.  Schulhof also posits that some may think permaculture has 
been superseded by other more sophisticated green 
technologies.  "Permaculture is extremely low tech, and you can do it 
in a very local way.  However, understanding of permaculture also 
requires a certain level of science literacy that many people don't 
have."  Many public gardens may also find the low-cost of 
implementing permaculture to hold significant appeal, especially in 
our now sluggish economy.

Yet permaculture is still widely misunderstood.  The first question 
most people ask about permaculture at the LA Arboretum is, "What is 
permaculture?"  When I asked whether any concern or negative response 
about the aesthetic quality of the permaculture garden had been 
raised by the public, Shulhof reports he's heard only positive, great 
things about the aesthetics.  He admits, however, that with the new, 
much more visible permaculture garden, more criticism is likely.  "As 
director," he says, "if I were not provoking visitors to ask 
questions, then what are we here for?"

"I'm from the era of ornamental horticulture, and I really feel I'm 
witnessing the end of that era.  Young people today want to make a 
difference.  I see permaculture in public gardens providing an avenue 
for that impulse and interest."

NOTE: Photos/movie clip from the interview will be coming 
shortly.  Freshly arrived in Australia, I have a few technical 
difficulties to iron out.  I will also be posting on my interview 
with Scott Kleinrock, coordinator of the Ranch project at the 
Huntington Botanical Gardens.

Santa Barbara Permaculture Network
    an educational non-profit since 2000
(805) 962-2571
P.O. Box 92156, Santa Barbara, CA 93190
margie at sbpermaculture.org
www.sbpermaculture.org

"We are like trees, we must create new leaves, in new directions, in 
order to grow." - Anonymous

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