Terra Nova Ecological Landscaping blog

An exciting new workshop series in collaboration with Jon Young

Designing a regenerative culture depends on a harmonious relationship between nature and people, in which observation and thoughtful interaction provide the knowledge and inspiration necessary to being a resilient community. In this program we take the time to listen to the birds, follow the stories of [...]

Terra Nova owner Ken Foster is now serving on the
steering committee of a new group called Transition Santa Cruz. Here’s our new logo!

Using the guidelines of the ‘The Transition Handbook’ we are taking on the challenge of reinventing the city of Santa Cruz in the transition from oil dependency to local resiliency. We recommend reading [...]

We are very proud of our Santa Cruz Permaculture Design Course graduates.

Here is a collage of pictures from the final design project presentations.

Our fearless leader Larry Santoyo with his wife Katherine Santoyo.

Here’s David I. Theodoropoulos after giving a class to our Permaculture Design Course on June 22nd, 2008 on the topic of his book: Invasion Biology: Critique of A Pseudoscience
Dave gave a very interesting talk explaining the reasons why he calls invasion biology a pseudoscience.
What is invasion bioloogy? It is the attempt to address through science [...]

We have been fascinated with green roofs since we first learned about them.
Terra Nova won the Sunset Magazine’s WESTERN LIVING AWARD for a garden with a green roof we did at the S.F. Flower Show in 2004.
Here we are building that garden with a green roof using succulents and native grasses.

Below are pictures of that [...]

Our Permaculture design groups working/playing in the sand with their projects.

Tom Broz of Live Earth Farm giving a talk about his farm’s solar panels.

Brian Barth giving a talk at the Mataganza Garden Sanctuary.

Heather Flores author of Food Not Lawns teaching a class on seed saving.

Read the Book ! Food Not Lawns

This is a photo of the first weekend of the Santa Cruz Permaculture Design Course with Larry Santoyo holding court.

Testing soil in the soil class.
Larry Santoyo will be joining local Santa Cruz Permaculture teachers including Ken Foster, Lydia Neilsen, Bruce Beernink and Brian Barth and Heather Flores for a Permaculture Design Course begining February 16th [...]

First get some cardboard
do some weedingfeed the weeds to your chickens (they love oxalis!)lay cardboard over bare soil with drip irrigation over cardboardlay down Chai mulch
Here with a truth window so you know there really is cardboard under all that mulch and you’re done! Keeps weeds down for a good season. After a couple of [...]

Lydia Neilsen and Lochlan Cuthbertson of Dirt Dragon Designs held a grey water class and the Terra Nova crew pitches in to help install a grey water reed bed and pond. What is Grey Water? Learn more at the Oasis website.

Here’s Lydia Neilsen teaching a very inspiring and informational grey water class.

Wood chip filter and [...]