Permaculture Action Network (The Network)

The Network began with a collaboration within a touring music festival that encouraged attendees to work on local environmental causes in conjunction with the concert. The Network was formed to create action days around concerts, festivals, and art events to promote environmental stewardship. During festivals, the Network holds informational spaces featuring hourly speakers on permaculture and sustainability. ² The Network also conducts courses, workshops, and trainings throughout the U.S., but with its focus on California, Colorado, and Oregon. ^{3 4}

History

The Permaculture Action Network began in 2014 when Ryan Rising organized the Permaculture Action Tour with music producer The Polish Ambassador to get concert attendees to work on local environmental causes such as planting community gardens, cleaning public spaces, and planting food in each city along the tour. ¹ Through the tour of 33 cities in 19 states, the Network was formed. ²

Action

The Permaculture Action Network is a loose collective that connects educators, creators, and organizers to mobilize people to take action on regenerative environmental projects. ⁵ The Network collaborates with performing artists and cultural events to organize hands-on work such as planting community gardens, placing rainwater catchments, planting fruit trees, building greenhouses, infrastructure for farmers markets, tiny homes, outdoor kitchens, community centers, disaster preparation hubs, or painting murals depicting sustainable food development. ⁶

The Network’s organizing entity consists of bioregional crews that build relationships with communities and facilitators to determine local needs and organize events. ³ In addition to organizing action on projects, bioregional crews host and facilitate courses, workshops, and training. ³ The Network has organized at least 92 permaculture action days in 65 cities in 26 states. ⁷ The Network has supported over 100 projects and organizations, conducted at least eight permaculture action courses, two design courses, and has over 200 course graduates. ⁷ Almost all courses are conducted in California, Colorado, or Oregon. ⁴

The Network hosts action days that mobilize people from a music festival, concert, show, or cultural event to work on sustainability events for a day. ⁸ At music festivals, the Network hosts action hubs for gathering and workshop spaces where attendees can learn about permaculture and community organizing including hour-long presentations throughout the day. ⁹

Finances

The Permaculture Action Network is fiscally sponsored by the nonprofit Social Good Fund. ¹⁰ In 2016, the band Rising Appalachia raised over $16,000 to bring Permaculture Action Network to its concerts. ¹¹

Leadership

Ryan Rising is a founder of the Permaculture Action Network. ¹² Rising has also worked as the executive director at the Rhize Program, a research, educational, and demonstration space for regenerative agriculture on the site of a former Campbell’s soup plant. ¹³ Rising specializes in eco-social design and organizing, and was involved in facilitating the first general assembly of Occupy Wall Street. ¹²