Term

Definition

Blackwater

Water with human excrement.

Cooperatives

Organizations or entities that are jointly owned by its members. Users of cooperatives usually buy shares in the cooperative and may participate in its management.

Food forest garden

A perennial agricultural system that is modeled on a natural forest.

Greywater

Water from laundry, the kitchen, showers and similar uses that is relatively clean.

Land trusts

Land is held in common usually by a non-profit organization rather than being held privately so the profits that come from the land go to benefit the greater community rather than going into private pockets.

Natural systems

Systems found in nature such as forests, wetlands, and streams.

Perennials

Plants that persist for several years.

Permaculture

Permaculture is a design system for creating sustainable human environments.

From Introduction to Permaculture by Bill Mollison with Reny Mia Slay, Tagari Publications, Tasmania, 1991, page 1.

Polycultures

A system having many different kinds of plants.

Riparian buffers

Vegetative areas along streams.

Sector design

The term used for observing and documenting the energy flows from elements that might be present at a site during different times of the year, such as the sunlight, wind, or pedestrian traffic.

Sustainable

Able to be continued.

Sustainable living

One definition is - Living in such a way that we can maintain our natural systems.

Swales

A shallow ditch that's on a contour that helps to trap water rather than having it run off.

Yields

What each element in a site produces or contributes to the site (outputs).

Zones

A concept to use in design work to help place elements. Each zone is determined by how frequently you go there.