Interview with Rosemary Morrow
How long have you been a permaculturalist?
What does permaculture mean to you and you life?
I think this was succinctly put by Bill Mollison (co-founder of permaculture) when he said: Permaculture enables what is morally required and scientifically necessary. So for me, a scientist with moral learnings and wanting to be part of the solution and stop being part of the problem, permaculture through its principles and strategies meant that I didn’t have to do my own research, nor put together my own framework. It fell into place and gave my life foundations and meaning. I love living permaculture because the techniques are not always evident and so there is always room for creative personal response.
Permaculture is about designing strategies for the world that are based on caring for the earth, caring for people and caring for future generations. Within a framework of ethics and principles inspired by nature and by the best that previous cultures had to offer, permaculture offers much toward shaping a more healthy, sustainable and just world.
Is permaculture relevant to people who live in the rural AND urban environments?
I wasn’t sure about urban conglomerations until I saw Hong Kong and met with local permaculturists with their myriads to ideas, techniques, and determination. The whole of the Hong Kong Botanic Gardens and offices are permaculturally designed. And for rural environments, permaculture will rehabilitate all lands. I can’t think of anything else that will. However permaculture does need to improve its content for coastal areas under threat from climate change and rising seas, something I’m working on now.
What type of people would find permaculture useful to integrate into their lives?
It is harder to think whether there are any people who would not find permaculture useful. From premiers and kings, men and women in prisons and in every situation people are always better off adopting permaculture into their lives. Whether its cutting bills for energy, and growing food to running community gardens and local banking – it touches all areas of human lives.
What projects are you working on at the moment?
The two most exciting ones are:

I also do Skype sessions with Miami, Chile, Argentina and so on. Plus I have a commitment of some degree to the youth of southern Europe with their huge unemployment and so I’ve worked there for the past two years or so and now I am lucky to be invited to work in Greece in a very economically depressed community. The organiser is a brilliant young Greek-Australian permaculturists who has returned to Greece to be part of their future.
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Rosemary is the lead teacher on our upcoming Permaculture Design Course taking place in southern Tasmania from the 3rd – 18th April. You can understand why we’re excited to have her, it’s going to be a pretty special course with Rosemary at the helm – why not join us! Click here for more information and to register.
**You can follow Rosemary’s work through the Blue Mountains Permaculture Institute, NSW.
4 Responses to “Interview with Rosemary Morrow”
I so enjoyed getting to know Rosemary. Thank you for sharing. Wise words.
[…] classroom, as well as life in general. Together, we will facilitate internationally renowned teacher Rosemary (Rowe) Morrow’s Permaculture Teaching Matters course, which draws on her decades of permaculture teaching […]
[…] classroom, as well as life in general. Together, we will facilitate internationally renowned teacher Rosemary (Rowe) Morrow’s Permaculture Teaching Matters course, which draws on her decades of permaculture teaching […]
[…] classroom, as well as life in general. Together we will facilitate internationally renowned teacher Rosemary (Rowe) Morrow’s PTM training, which draws on her decades of permaculture teaching experience. Whether you’re […]