Subject: Re: Kinship Gardening

From: [email-masked] (Olafur Brentmar)
Date: Thu, 9 Oct 1997 00:47:36 -0800

Fellow Plant Enthusiasts and Permies!

   In the discussion about plant guilds, coevolutionary kinship gardens
has been mentioned as a type of guild, since my name was also mentioned,
I find it pertinent to briefly explain these layouts here.

   Coevolutionary kinship gardens was conceptually born from a desire to
understand biodiversity (especially as it applies to plants). I was also
motivated by the need to organize our information on plants, our seed
collections, and our plant processing lab and storeroom in some way other
than an 'alphabetical-linear' system. Swedish botantist Rolf Dahlgren's
taxonomy diagrams depicting plant relationships became the basis for
organizing our data as well as comphrehending plant biodiversity. 

   These coevolutionary kinship maps, (as I have called them - they are 
also known as Dahlgrams) translate complicated taxonomical language into 
images. They set a new paradigm for education in plant biodiversity 
replacing alphabetical lists of Latin nomenclature with illustrations of
plant relationships. The difference between a coevolutionary kinship map
and the Linnéan Latin system can be compared to the difference between
looking at geographical map of a state versus reading an alphabetical
listing of the cities, towns and counties of the state.

  After 10 years of entering data, Peace Garden Institue (PGI) has developed 
a database of the world flora indexed by a truly unique coevolutionary
mapping system. PGI's plant database addresses the need for comprehension
of plant 
diversity, in environmental, economic and taxonomic terms. Conceptual 
insight into the many aspects of plant diversity is essential for 
constructive solutions to most environmental issues. The database  
provides the educational conceptual insight necessary for these biologists 
and many other functions. The information has been gathered and prepared 
to serve not only as an educational resource but also as the backbone 
of PGI's model project for a sustainable rural plant based economy.

   As a primary part of the educational approach to plant diversity 
and its internal workings, PGI is setting up botanical kinship gardens
landscaped after the map paradigm. Conceived as the central focus of PGI's
horticultural education project, thess gardens will demonstrate genetic 
diversity and coevolutionary relationships in the flora of our local
bioregion (alongside many other economic plants) thus facilitating 
the practical education of new generations of gardeners, botanists and 
seedsmen. In order to meet the demands of the ecological challenges of the
future, many skilled biologists, amateur and professional, are needed.

    So, the intention with kinship gardens is to learn taxonomic
relationships and, in so doing also, how to manage micro-ecosystems.
In order to make intelligent choices for companion plantings and/or
Mollisonian plant guilds a good understanding of taxonomy goes a long
way. Adapting known biological 'cooperons' to different bioregions is not
trivial, it means finding other species with similar features, these are 
most likely found among its close kins. Thus kinship gardens facilitates 
systematic learning of the many aspects and dimensions of genetic 
diversity its similarities and uniqueness. Comprehension of these issues
are fundamental for success and the advancement of new insights in
'agroecology/agroforestry/permaculture/sustainable-agriculture'

with
peace in mind
Olafur Brentmar

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   *************     Peace Garden Institute    **************
      --  School of Horticulture and Sustainable Living  --
       educational publications and kinship maps available
                        ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
          P.O. Box 3179 - Applegate - Oregon 97530
         tel: 541 846-8995 - email: [email-masked]
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