Emma Clopton 

Week 2 Blog MTSE

As we close off the second week of Mountaintop, I feel much more confident about the project as a whole. I feel like I have never had this much clarity about our goals and overall mission, which has made me overwhelmingly excited to begin the substantial transformation process of the park. To learn more about the team’s accomplishments from the past week, feel free to read more here. 

This week, we finalized a major plan for making the park more accessible to the community and creating a safe space for enjoying nature. We have designed plans for a pathway, a natural deer repellent “hedge”, converting our Hugelkultur mound into a raised community garden bed, and maximizing growing space by moving our seating area under shade and building a new Hugelkultur in the sun-exposed spot. This will require a lot of heavy lifting and work, but I am excited to be a driving force in this transformation and take responsibility for improving the space. 

Throughout the week, the team has done substantial research as to how to maintain the use of permaculture techniques while making changes the space. It has been really interesting to learn how natural systems work with and against each other and how putting certain plants or natural materials can make major differences. For example, while studying how to build the best Hugelkultur mound, I discovered a list of trees that are suitable for the mound. I would never have thought that a certain type of tree would make a substantial difference to the efficiency of the mound, but there is such a contrasting difference between every species. Additionally, learning about companion planting and how to best support pollinators while serving as a barrier to deter deer from strong scented plants has been such an interesting thing to learn about. 

One of the most profound aspects of personal growth I’ve experienced at the Permaculture Park is the recognition of my role as a caretaker of the Earth. The park has provided me with a platform to actively contribute to environmental regeneration and to educate others about the importance of sustainable living. The team often comes to me for guidance about park maintenance info and what to do, which has built my confidence as someone who is deeply interested in the science and philosophy of permaculture. I feel like over the course of the project, I have really aligned with the ethics and sustainable practices. I have always seen food as medicine and firmly believed that when nature is cared for, it will reciprocate with significant healing powers. Being able to have the opportunity to learn from the Earth and care for it while being a full-time student has been such a unique experience I never thought I would have in college.