Murfreesboro Program Summer 2025

“Some of them want to be soil scientists, marine biologists, and landscape architects. All of them are starting to imagine what’s possible.”
— Notes from the field, Week 3 of our Permaculture and Food Forest Design Course for Youth.

The energy is growing.

Our 96-hour permaculture and food forest design course in Murfreesboro is in full swing. Through mapping, hands-on fieldwork, and restoration activities, students are connecting the dots between sustainability, community, and their own futures.

They’re researching Indigenous land practices. Digging into native plant work with a local nursery and next up: invasive plant removal, a volunteer day at a national park, and a field trip to a permaculture site in Nashville.

It’s been especially powerful to see students begin to see themselves in this work. One wants to be a soil scientist. Another, a marine biologist. Another, a landscape architect. That’s what this program is really about: growing into your future, one idea at a time.

“Thanks for sharing. This is so exciting! We’re developing a newsletter to share this project with all our alumni—it’s exactly the kind of work that inspires.​”
— Tao Orion, OSU Permaculture Program Administrator/Instructor

“It’s wonderful to hear this feedback about your work and the course. Way to go!”
— Marisha Auerbach, OSU Permaculture Instructor

“I'm so glad this is such a success 🙂”
— Andrew Millison, OSU Senior Instructor, Permaculture Design

But the most powerful reflections are coming straight from the students themselves. Cole, one of our participants, said it best during a conversation with Monica: 

“This course is showing me how many ways there are to help the environment, not just one path. It makes me feel like I can actually do something real.”

And he is.

🌱 Want to learn more about our summer high school program in Murfreesboro?
🔗 https://www.facebook.com/OutdoorMboro?mibextid=wwXIfr&rdid=mmPBlTgun0WJobz7&share_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fshare%2F1DbnmoVcBL%2F%3Fmibextid%3DwwXIfr

📩 Want to bring a youth permaculture intensive to your city?
🔗 https://www.eco-designers.com/key-features.html 

🌎 Want to invest with us?
🔗 https://abundantearthfoundation.org/bod/