THE GROUNDS
Sustainable Community Development
The Chicago District Campground resides on 36-acres nestled among old growth trees, many over 100-year old, and is bordered by forest preserve to the north and south, the Des Plaines River to the west, and the 56-mile River Trail to the east.
As stewards of this historic campground, established in 1860, there are strong arguments in favor of a revitalization plan. It is our duty to preserve this regional gemstone for future generations to exhibit our rich past, built environment, ecology, and cultural heritage. We offer a sense of place, and cultural awareness, with an objective to incorporate sustainable principles into the overall operation.
“Within a Permaculture designed system, wastes become resources, productivity and
yields increase, work is minimized, and the environment is restored."
~Bill Mollison – Permaculture’s Founder
Care of People; Care of the Earth, Sharing of the Surplus
Permaculturists:
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grow food just about anywhere,
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repair environmentally damaged lands,
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design lovely and long lasting green-buildings,
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produce the power they need,
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run successful, people-oriented businesses, doing work they love and
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live meaningful and authentic lives while building genuine community;
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It’s all About Honoring Relationships
According to Bill Wilson, "permaculture is really about relationship – our relationship as humans to the world around us. Will/do we work with the natural abundance and flows of the world around us, or will/do we ignore these? Working with the sun, wind, rain, soil, and plants will allow us to co-create sustainable or permanent-cultures, hence the word ‘permaculture’. Fighting these forces requires a tremendous amount of time, money, and energy from the burning of non-renewable resources (coal, oil, gas), the very resources that all future generations are entitled to as well."
More specifically, permaculture explores practical ways to improve the quality of our lives by re-thinking or re-designing our relationship to:
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The land around us — and how we care for it while providing our food, fiber, medicines and other needs.
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Our homes — how we design and build them for optimum joy and use.
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The energy we use — why we use it, how we use it, and how we generate it.
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Our work — does it reflect who we truly are? Is our work of true service to anyone or anything?
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Have we found ‘right livelihood’ and/or meaningful work?
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Each other — have we created meaningful lives with our families and communities?
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Ourselves – are we living from an authentic experience of self?
"Permaculture design is exemplified when there is a convergence of common sense, indigenous wisdom, and
appropriate technology. The objective is to design livable systems for people and planet that support and mimic
nature’s own ability to create real abundance, with little work on our part. Permaculture is grounded in a respectful
approach to others, to all of life, and to future generations–dedicated to leaving the planet in better condition than we found it."
~ Bill Wilson – Midwest Permaculture
