APPRECULTURE DESIGN

Holistic Sustainability Framework

Appreculture was created in the Fall of 2010. Inspired by a living question, an apricot tree, and the healing power of circles and appreciation. Appreculture design framework stands for a culture and world community that is rooted in gratitude, ecological understandings, indigenous wisdom, science, and whole systems design.

What Is Appreculture Design?

“Appreculture” or “Appreculture Design” is a holistic sustainability framework and integrated design system based on the patterns and principles of nature, ecology and the garden. As an “appreciation” based and “appropriate” culture design system, it supports humanity to thrive and live in harmony. 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. A simple road map for how we can operate our lives in a more holistic and integrated way.

CORE MODEL

Spheres & Elements

The Appreculture Design Core Model (ADCM) above includes the 4 Spheres & 4 Elements (and the 5th Sphere discussed more in the future). Using the ADCM, we focus on resilience and survival through Energy, Water, Food & 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 truly sustainable, regenerative and resilient world. One of the core foundational principles of Appreculture Design is the power of each individual to be the center of change. The primary epicenter of creating a better world because change is an inside job! Let us all be the change we wish to see in the world, together!

Within each Sphere of Sustainability,

the goal is to balance the four elements and/or quadrants,

which I call the Four Elemental Energies of Design.

Each element relates to a relatively scientifically known and understood

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

This old and traditional people’s song and poem is actually very accurate:

“Earth my body, water my blood.

Wind my breath, and fire my spirit.”

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 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. How to best serve?

An intention to be guided in creating a healing framework uniting both inner and outer landscapes. A restorative, regenerative and healing system to solve some of humanity’s most pressing problems.

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

~~~ Restoring The Circles of Life ~~~ Inside & Out! ~~~

After sitting and connecting with an old apricot tree in the Ojai Foundation (now Topa Institute) garden, I understood more deeply the meaning of the prefix (“APPRE-” or “APRI-”) of Appreculture. It came to me when I was carving wooden “talking pieces” from an old apricot tree that had recently died in a drought. I was reflecting on the beauty and wisdom the wood contained within in circles. The beautiful glowing and shining amber growth rings. I was intrigued by the perfectly defined and aesthetically pleasing concentric rings. This led me to wonder about the symbolic meaning of the “apricot”. 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.

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. My dad was a full time beekeeper and natural health food enthusiast. He strongly believes in the potency of bee pollen, bee honey and bee propolis as having powerful healing properties that people desperately needed. He provided bee sting therapy to friends and colleagues based on the Chinese Medicine Practice of Acupuncture.

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!