About Tree of Life Ecological Services
Mission
Tree of Life envisions humans as integral players of the ecosystems we inhabit. Thus, we design and implement ecological and economical strategies that care for both human needs and the greater ecological community. By providing information, inspiration, creative design, and implementation techniques, we hope to be a catalyst for the adoption of sustainable land stewardship practices.
Permaculture
Permaculture (permanent agriculture) is the conscious design and maintenance of agriculturally productive ecosystems which have the diversity, stability, and resilience of natural ecosystems. It is the harmonious integration of landscape and people providing their food, energy, shelter, and other material and non-material needs in a sustainable way. Without permanent agriculture there is no possibility of a stable social order.
“Permaculture design is a system of assembling conceptual, material, and strategic components in a pattern which functions to benefit life in all its forms. “The philosophy behind permaculture is one of working with, rather than against, nature; of protracted and thoughtful observation rather than protracted and thoughtless action; of looking at systems in all their functions, rather than asking only one yield of them; and of allowing systems to demonstrate their own evolutions.”
-Bill Mollison, Co-Founder of the Permaculture Design concept
Permaculture is a sophisticated system for designing and carrying out land use practices that seeks to replicate ecological functions in every aspect of providing for human needs. Fossil fuel energy is inherently minimized because ‘work’ is accomplished through harnessing the renewable forces Nature as much as possible. The ‘waste’ products of one part of the system are diverted and transformed as inputs for another element of the system. In this way, Permaculture tries to devise ‘closed loop’ systems that are self-sustaining in terms of energy use. Tree of Life uses Permaculture design methods along with a strong aesthetic sensibility to generate landscape designs that best meet the needs of the client. Our goal is for you to feel at home in the landscape. We hope that you will spend a lot of time enjoying the beauty of Nature surrounding your own home, while our smart and efficient systems discreetly do the watering, weeding, fertilizing, and more. Your ecological and economic conscience can be at peace while we keep tabs on unnecessary costs in both departments. Be on the lookout for website updates that include downloadable articles about Permaculture by Brian Barth and others.About Brian Barth
Brian Barth has been doing ecological landscaping work for over 8 years. After studying natural history and the principles of ecology while at UCSC in the late 90’s, he completed a certificate course in Permaculture Design in Hawaii in 1999. His inspiration to work as an ecological designer and educator stems from a great desire to bring the ideal of ‘living in harmony with nature’ into reality. In addition to creating productive garden landscapes for clients, Brian oversees the Mataganza Garden Sanctuary at the Live Earth Farm in Watsonville. As the thesis project for the completion of a Bachelor of Arts degree at the New College of California, he initiated this garden as a place to demonstrate holistic and environmentally-sound approaches to agriculture, building, culture, and community. The Garden Sanctuary also serves as a venue for educational and community events, such as Permaculture Design Courses, an on-going internship program oriented towards college students, herbalism studies, Junior High School On-Farm Education, and spiritual retreats. There and at other central coast venues, Brian has facilitated workshops and courses and given public talks in the areas of Permaculture Design, sustainable water management in the landscape, edible landscaping, food forests, ecology as a tool for personal growth, plant propagation and appropriate horticulture, and local ecology. His current interest is in aromatic herbs and in the near future he and his partner Bernadette intend to put their accumulated skills and experiences into practice in a diverse farm enterprise producing herbal products, tree crops, nursery plants, and animal products. In the mean time he continues to reside in his yurt in the Watsonville hills where he tends to the Garden.