Loxahatchee Permaculture at Sunsport Gardens Initiative

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1 Loxahatchee Permaculture at Sunsport Gardens Initiative This is a proposal to create a pilot permaculture development site utilizing the area directly behind Lots 49 and 49a between the access road to Hugos house and the Beach. In a predominantly overgrown area of Brazilian pepper and ever encroaching old world fern. With the eventual goal of increasing the area managed to include more of the areas overrun by invasive species. And to manage sections of the 50 foot perimeter border by maintaining the sight barrier while simultaneously increasing diversity and productivity.

2 Why Permaculture and What is Permaculture Permaculture is a method of integrating the growing of human food and the natural processes of Nature. It has very high yield and a very small impact on native forest life. It seeks to increase diversity using only the natural relationships found at work in a forest. It is also more than a way to grow food, Permaculture recognizes the harmonies and communities found in nature and incorporates those qualities to create a paradigm where ethics and social awareness are integral to the processes and way of life known as Permaculture. Much along the lines of Naturism in terms of philosophies. Permaculture has been a rapidly growing phenomena in the last 20 years and has attracted people of all ages and sexes. Especially younger people who are drawn to nature and have a strong belief in social awareness and environmental ethics. In this regard the marriage of Permaculture and Naturism is a natural and will ensure the values of Naturism will survive into the twenty first century. As well as cement Sunsport Garden s reputation as a leader in Naturism and ecological awareness.

3 Kashi Ashram - Case Study The Kashi Ashram is a good case study of what can be accomplished when incorporating Permaculture into an organization of similar values and structure to Sunsport. Kashi Ashram is spiritual center located several miles to the north of us. They are roughly of the same model as Sunsport - as we have a naturist resort they have a spiritual center where visitors come to enjoy the ground, meditate and eat at the restaurant. They also have many permanents residents living on the grounds as does SunSport. With the addition of a Permaculture teaching facility they have been able to reach a much larger audience and often a much younger as their founding members grow older and smaller in number. The hold regular permaculture teaching events and host festivals. Geoff and I have spent the weekend there at the Florida Permaculture Convergence and got to see the operation first hand. Even though we don t have the substantial donations of their well to do members we could eventual rival them in visual beauty and the experiential learning of visitors.

4 My Horticultural Experience I have spent the last 8 years, many of the years working only several weeks total learning how to create a food forest in the most difficult terrain at Sunsport ranging from high elevated and dry conditions to low wet flood conditions using the least amount of labor and maintenance. And how to maximize the sunlight challenged growing conditions under a canopy of pine, oaks and invasive Brazilian pepper. As a result of the work done in these last several years I have a good idea what are the practical goals that that can be met with a minimum of labor and time as initially the work will fall onto just a few people. My previous experience has been building meditation gardens and designing and building the largest garden club in NYC of which I am a founding director. (Pictures of garden at Sunsport)

5 Why is All This a Good Idea? Create attractive desirable camp sites for overflow demand Create enhanced productive borders Control illegal and difficult to eradicate invasive plants like old world vine Appeal to younger crowd Move naturism into 21 century - While upholding and strengthening Naturist ideals Bring Naturism to a wider audience Bring world wide attention to Sunsport Create a Naturist friendly attraction to increase number of visitors Increase flow of income to Sunsport thru ecotourism which is a growing segment of the tourism industry Supply healthy fresh food to Sunsport s restaurant Increase the health quality of the restaurant food and reputation while reducing expenses Make use of troublesome land that needs to be addressed because of invasive species Attract a more Naturist oriented and positive minded clientele who contribute to the wellbeing of Sunsport Introduce new people to Naturism by experiencing the nurturing and beauty of a food forest Stress the values of Sunsport like diversity from seeing the lessons of permaculture in action

6 How? This project will strive to be self funded thru donations and teaching workshops plus running a small nursery business selling plants important in the practice of permaculture. Much of the labor for permaculture at SunSport will be volunteer. Such as students taking workshops and also people coming from the WWOOF program ( Hopefully it will eventually prove to be source of revenue for Sunsport directly and also indirectly by increasing the number of visitors to the resort area. It will work with Sunsport Management who will have final say on visitor arrangements for classes and festivals. It will exist solely at the discretion of the share holders who reserve to the right to absolve the agreement without cause. The Initiative should be managed by certified Permaculture teachers. At this time Geoff Farmer and John Dodge are certified in Permaculture practice by Geoff Lawton who is the premier permaculture practitioner and teacher in the world. ( It should be under the direct supervision of the shareholders and work along side the Board and Managers to harmoniously integrate with the resort and wild areas. It will present regular progress reports to the Board to ensure avoidance of any conflicts of purpose and to maximize the enhancement of SunSport in general.