Edmonton High School Creates Perennial Food Forest

Since February, I have been fortunate enough to work with students at Jasper Place High School to create a perennial food forest system in the school’s largest courtyard.  Containing more than seventy different edible perennial herb species, the garden is not dependant on outside human care; of particular importance for summer holidays.  As the system was designed with a forest in mind, the garden does not depend on watering, fertilizing, tilling, or chemical application.  What’s more, is that because the system is perennial by nature, it will not require yearly cultivation and has the potential to continue surviving on it’s own without human intervention.

Creating self-regulating perennial systems, susa as the one found at Jasper Place, was originally conceived by permaculture founder Bill Mollison in the sevenites.  By observing patterns and principles commont to ecology, Mollison began experimenting with design strategies that care for both people and the ecological systems that sustain them.  Since its inception, permaculture has branched into a diverse number of applications; from urban agriculture, to community and city planning, land reclamation, financial systems, social networks, and now education.

In an educational context, permaculture emphasizes creating an open learning enviroment with a focus on connecting curriculum with students interests and community needs in a multi-disciplinary approach.  It is my hope, that in addition to providing positive examples of conscious design, food security, and ecological restoration, a permaculture program can act as a cross-curricular linking point between education departments and the wider community.

For a complete record of permaculture at Jasper Place High School, check out the program’s blog: http://permaculture.jasperplace.ca/

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Submitted by Dustin Bajer, Edmonton, AB