Greening The Desert Project

The Middle East Arid Climate Permaculture Demonstration Site

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Permaculture Courses & Events

2 Weeks Permaculture Internship

19th TO 30th OF November 2023

This is an opportunity to experience a Permaculture Master Plan project in action and learn directly from its main designer, Geoff Lawton. Part of the time you will be engaged in practical daily work while other parts of the program you will be learning theoretical aspects of applied permaculture.

Geoff Lawton
10
Days
CAMPING
FROM
$2600
BOOK NOW

Permacultue Design Certificate Course

2nd TO 13th OF April 2023

The 72-hour Permaculture Design Certificate (PDC) Course allows you to be the change you want to see in the world. Based on Bill Mollison’s Permaculture Designers’ Manual, it provides skills and solid knowledge in Permaculture design.

SAM PARKER DAVIES
10
DAYS
CAMPING
FROM
$1800
BOOK NOW

Visit The Project

CULTURAL EXPERIENCES

Learn how to cook traditional food, roast Arabic coffee or make Jordanian traditional bread.

PERMACULTURE CAFE AND GIFT SHOP

Arabic Coffees and delicious deserts await in the Greening The Desert Cafe.  It's the perfect spot to sample some Baklava with a Qahwah arabiyya or two.

GROUP TOURS & PRIVATE TOURS

Pick up a map and take a self guided tour of our permaculture project or book a guided tour and gain in depth knowledge on sustainable living.

ACCOMODATION

Our authentic 8 bedroom guesthouse is your home away from home. Stay a while and enjoy all that our village has to offer.

Become a Volunteer

Volunteer your time to gain practical permaculture skills in a hyper arid climate.

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Support Our Permaculture Aid Projects

Latest Updates From Our Projects

Behind the Scenes 2019 Project Summary

On his final day at the Greening the Desert Project (https://www.greeningthedesertproject.org) this year in Jordan, Geoff takes us on a unique tour of the property. Rather than showcasing its renowned living systems, he’s excited about how the … Read More

About The Greening The Desert Project

How it all got started...

Geoff and Nadia Lawton first got involved in the original Greening the Desert project site in 2000, when they were a part of a permaculture design and consultancy team for three years funded by a Japanese aid organisation. During this time the original site flourished, the tree systems that were introduced started to regenerate their own soil, even soil microbes and fungi had returned to the site.
However, after three years the funding stopped and with no funds for local staff the project site was abandoned. Nevertheless the site kept on regenerating itself…

Geoff and Nadia did not want their efforts to go to waste and they knew that the only way to prevent projects like this from being discontinued was to create and manage the projects themselves, hence Nadia Lawton founded the local NGO the Jordanian Association for Environment and Soil and in 2008 initiated the second Greening The Desert Project site that you can visit today.

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Our Mission

To empower people to create sustainable livelihoods through permaculture design education and practical permaculture aid initiatives

10+ years and still going strong!

Over the past 10 years, Greening The Desert demonstration site and education centre, located between the villages of Al Jawfa and Al Jawasreh in the Jordan River Valley, has exemplified the imperative impact of a permaculture integrated approach in an arid climate. Incorporating organic agricultural production, water and waste management, soil amelioration, renewable energies, environmental sustainability and ecosystem diversity, it provides a unique model for self-sustainable farming. Hit play to se a slideshow timeline of how it all happened.

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