APPRECULTURE DESIGN

Holistic Sustainability Framework

Appreculture is a design framework and philosophy envisioned in the Fall of 2010. Inspired by a question, an apricot tree, and the power of Nature.

The Appreculture design framework stands for a culture and world community that is rooted in the ancient wisdom of gratitude,

ecological knowledge, indigenous traditions, modern science, regeneration, and whole systems design.

What Is Appreculture Design?

“Appreculture” or “Appreculture Design” is a holistic sustainability framework and integrated thinking and design system or philosophy based on the patterns and principles of nature, ecology and the garden. As an “appreciation” based and “appropriate” design system, it supports humanity to thrive and live in harmony through deeper understandings of the patterns and principles of Nature. This system is based on the practice of using “appreciation and appropriate design” as we work to make the world regenerative, resilient, and more beautiful.

It’s a simple road map for how we can operate our lives in a more balanced, holistic and integrated way.

CORE MODEL

Spheres & Elements

The Appreculture Design Core Model (ADCM) above includes the 4 Sustainability Spheres & 4 Classical Elements. ADCM focuses on resilience, abundance and survival through integrated systems design of Energy, Water, Food/Soil & Climate Systems, while applying the Four Spheres & Elements of Sustainability, which I like to describe as E4 & P4. These spheres represent the main areas of transformation and change needed to create a regenerative and resilient world. One of the core foundational principles of Appreculture Design is the power of each individual, at the center of all change and growth, to be the catalyst of a better world. Each of us is the primary epicenter of a positive impact because change is an inside job and all great change in the world starts with virtue and value based principles and empowering leadership. As Gandhi says, “Be the change you wish to see in the world!”

Within each Sphere of Sustainability,

the goal is a dynamic balance of the four elements and/or quadrants,

which I call the Four Elemental Energies of Whole Systems Design.

Each element relates to a relatively scientifically known and understood

“state of matter” and the associated ecological system they express.

This traditional song and poem is actually very accurate:

“Earth my body, water my blood.

Wind my breath, and fire my spirit.”

-Original source, unknown.

Each of the 4 Elements has different characteristics & forms of expression within the 4 Spheres. Combined they are the components of what the fields of ecology & environmental biology call the Ecosphere or Biosphere.

Energysphere is a term I use to describe the “energy cycle” or energy flow in, around and through life’s systems. From the sun (and from within the Earth) energy arrives, cycles through life on Earth, and emits energy back into space. Over the course of 12 months, the Earth’s systems — land surfaces, ocean bodies, and atmospheric gases — absorb and radiate an average of 340 watts of solar power per square meter!

The Appreculture Design Wheel

The Appreculture Design illustration depicts the Nature-based interactions, synergies, and relationships between the 4 Spheres and the 4 Elemental Energies from the Personal to the Planetary.

Where Did Appreculture Design Come From?

Appreculture emerged from a living question of how to best serve the health of people and the planet?

A regenerative framework uniting both inner and outer landscapes. A restorative and healing system to help solve some of humanity’s most pressing problems.

Appreculture Design is based on the fundamental energy patterns and elemental expressions that unite all the various fields and spheres of sustainability.

~~~ Restoring Healthy Circles & Cycles of Life ~~~ Inside & Out! ~~~

I was searching my mind for some kind of word combination appropriate for a Nature-Based framework that embodied the holistic design theories and philosophies I teach. The name actually came to me while sitting in the shade of an old apricot tree at the Topa Institute garden (formally The Ojai Foundation) as I was carving wooden circular discs, or “talking pieces” from the branches of a tree that had recently died in a drought. I was staring intently at the wood reflecting on the beauty of the tree rings and the years of experience and wisdom being in the garden which was contained within the circles. The dark shining reddish amber growth rings told a story through time and place. I was deeply intrigued by the perfectly defined and aesthetically pleasing concentric rings and I began to understand more deeply the meaning of the APRICOT prefix (“APPRE-” or “APRI-”) which is the prefix of “Appre-culture”. This musing led me to wonder about the symbolic meaning of the “apricot” so I looked up the meaning in latin and greek and found nothing of significance or relevance. Then, remembering apricots actually originated in the Middle East and parts of Asia, I looked up the meaning of Apricot in Mandarin translations. This is where it really landed for me.

The word “Apricot" in Chinese Mandarin characters, directly translates to "healing circles" and has the secondary meaning of "educational medicine” or “educational circles”. The phrase “expert of the apricot grove” is still used to this day in Asia, and other areas, as a poetic reference to modern day healers and physicians. I grew up in a healing and medicine family and personal health issues from a toxic building is what started me on my sustainability journey. For me it has always been a parallel inner and outer journey. As a child, my dad was a full time beekeeper and natural health food enthusiast who also looked to Nature for inspiration and guidance. He strongly believed in the potency of bee pollen, bee honey and bee propolis as having powerful healing properties that people desperately needed. He provided a bee sting therapy (apitherapy) to friends and colleagues based on bee stings strategically located on the Traditional Chinese Medicine meridians and acupuncture points on the body.

This Chinese meaning of “APR” also references the literal medicinal properties of apricot fruit (and apricot kernels), which traces back to a story of the philosopher Confucius who taught his students in a circular apricot grove. “APR” is also the root of the month April which is best known in the Northern Hemisphere for being Springtime, symbolizing emergence and new growth. Therefore, along with "appreciation and appropriate design" this Chinese meaning of the prefix “APRI” regarding “healing circles” is really the essence and intention of Appreculture. To heal and restore the circles of life, inside and out. With educational medicine, applied integrated design, and massive transformational action we can create A BETTER MORE BEAUTIFUL NEW EARTH!