The word permaculture was coined by ecologists Bill Mollison and David Holmgren in the 1970's as they discovered a mixture of insights relating to agriculture, landscape architecture, and ecology. The relationships between these disciplines were elaborated into a novel design system termed permaculture - permanent agriculture, permanent culture.

Permaculture can be described in myriad ways. Simply put, it is applied ecology in human endeavors and built
environments; a way to design homes and landscapes that possess the resilience, diversity, and regenerative features of natural ecosystems. It is a design science based on the observations of natural systems, the wisdom of traditional farming practices, and developments in scientific knowledge for creating sustainable human environments.

Permaculture embodies whole systems thinking taking into account not only the elements of the landscape - soil, water, flora, fauna, and people - but where those elements are placed in the landscape in relation to one another. In this way, food is produced, pollution reduced or eliminated, energy is cycled continuously throughout the system, and a perennial, healthy landscape develops which nurtures both people and the environment.

Beyond an ecological design science, permaculture is also a philosophy for human living that renews our relationship with the world around us. Instead of degrading our natural surroundings to provide for our needs, we can establish a land design in which all life can thrive.