Today’s post is a glimpse of the beautiful town of Quixaya, which in the local Mayan language of Kaq’chikel means “Heart of the Water.” Every Intro to Permaculture Course has a Friday Field Trip day to explore the region and see some other examples of permaculture in action. Quixaya’s community-based agriculture system of integrated wetlands (producing tilapa, snails, and literally tons of watercress), traditional milpa and highland agriculture, and various micro-systems in between are a mind-blowing example of what can be accomplished with permaculture! Enjoy!
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Studying Permaculture and Natural Building in Guatemala offers amazing opportunities to learn from indigenous cultures, rich natural patterns, and enormous diversity. Permaculture in Central America is representative of the edge effect or Edge Valuing Principle of Design. As one of the world’s centres of biodiversity, Central America attracts people from all over the world interested in learning through nature. Permaculture practices and sustainable building designs can be seen in action via the surviving indigenous traditions that are common in Guatemala. Studying permaculture and natural building in Central America offers designers great opportunities to learn from diverse groups of people in incredibly diverse natural settings.