Permaculture is a design system for sustainable living.  It can also be thought of as the science of assembling beneficial relationships.

In, "Permaculture: A Designer's Manual," Bill Mollison describes permaculture as the conscious design, creation and maintenance of an agriculturally productive ecosystem that has the stability, resilience and diversity of a natural ecosystem.

Permaculture is both a philosophy of earth care and a functional design system based on a clear set of ethics and design principles.

The ethics are 

• Care of the earth
• Care of people
• Create and share surplus

• Achieve the biggest bang for your buck
• Every element must perform multiple functions
• Every essential function must be supported by multiple elements
• Everything is connected
• Energy efficient planning
• Using biological resources
• Energy cycling
• Small-scale intensive systems
• Stacking and packing
• Polyculture and diversity of species
• Increasing "edge" within a system
• Observe and replicate natural patterns
• Pay attention to scale
• Attitude

David Holmgren modernized and streamlined them:

• Observe & Interact
• Catch & Store Energy
• Obtain a Yield
• Apply Self-regulation & Accept Feedback
• Use & Value Renewable Resources and Services 
• Produce No Waste
• Design From Patterns to Details
• Integrate Rather Than Segregate
• Use Small and Slow Solutions
• Use and Value Diversity
• Use Edges and Value the Marginal
• Creatively Use and Respond to Change

Check out Austin Permaculture Guild's website www.austinperm.com for upcoming classes in the Austin Area

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Check out some more useful info such as Permaculture tips, Austin permie resources and maybe some book recommendations

Want to take a PDC (Permaculture Design Course) then check out this nice little video