The Permaculture Research Institute of Australia

Hello All! My name is Ashley and I am a 23 year old student. I will be graduating from Holyoke Community College in the spring of 2012 with an Associates in Sustainability Studies/Natural Sciences. I will be transferring to UMASS Amherst the following semester to finish my undergraduate degree in Plant, Insect and Soil Sciences with a concentration in Sustainable Food and Farming. I will also be minoring in Ecology.

I first became interested in permaculture this year during my sustainable agriculture class. I have always been very interested in the complex relationships between organisms and the way those relationships shape ecosystems. Therefore, the permaculture philosophy of designing agricultural systems and human settlements after natural ecosystems held much appeal for me.

This summer I will be participating in the Living Routes permaculture design course at Sirius Ecovillage in Shutesbury,MA. Upon completion of the three week intensive course I will be a certified Permaculturist. I greatly anticipate the wonderful learning experience as well as the opportunity to meet with many experienced permaculturists. In addition to my summer program I will also be participating in a summer long independent study through Holyoke Community College where I will be maintaining the schools organic garden as well as the permaculture herb spiral I built as part of my final project.