Visualizations and Permaculture Plans

Posted by Miles Rose on 2/15/2025

By popular request, here's a sample of the visualizations, layouts and permaculture plans for Earthly Wilds Community! As an example, this scaled map layout is designed to demonstrate what one small single acre could hypothetically look like under Earthly Wilds stewardship, in proportion to the massive 60 acres of “The Monacan Land". ( 3D models by Miles Rose )

This scale is to proportion any concerns that “this here land ain't big enough for the both of us”, an unfortunate scarcity based mindset amidst the abundance of land that Twin Oaks “owns”.

Rather than being treated as isolated individual components located far away from each other with separate unrelated management styles, this design shows tiny houses, vegetable rows curved on contour, raised herb gardens, poultry rotation, native pollinator wildflowers, hoophouse, pond, orchards, all treated as closely interconnected components of the same unified cohesive mini ecosystem design. Outputs from one component are the inputs to the neighboring component. Systems which require more human attention are located closer to dwellings compared to more passive systems. This is a holistic design science, informed by Systems Ecology, Permaculture, and Afro-Indigenous land management practices.

Poultry + gardens are an interconnected labor saving rotation system where chickens prepare upcoming garden beds by tilling, weed removal, and fertilization, and are in turn fed by garden scraps tossed in from next to their portable enclosure. This is a soil building machine which will slowly march across the area, helping to mitigate the thin topsoil currently at that location, building depth, organic matter, and compost over time.

Yurts, A frames, and other small inexpensive unobtrusive shelters are nestled into a productive landscape of fruit trees and raised beds filled with kitchen herbs and salad greens, all accessibly located just steps away from where it will be eaten.

Access to direct sunshine is needed for hoop houses, vegetable gardens, and solar panels. This is why hugging along the southern border of The Monacan Land would be the ideal location for this design, since the neighbor's property immediately south has been clearcut, allowing lots of southern sunshine to pour into this area.

This 14’ x 14’ cabin has all of the comforts of home on a small footprint, designed using simple methods and inexpensive materials. Features a kitchenette, bathroom, dining room, entertainment area, and retractable loft ladder to the bedroom.

A small area can produce high yields if designed in 3 dimensions, inspired by the multiple layers of growth in a forest. (Image source Chelsea Green Publishing)

Raised vegetable beds curved to match the natural contours of the hillside serve multiple functions. When it rains, they slow, spread, and sink water, preventing erosion and flooding, while reducing irrigation needs. They make hillside agriculture feasible, which expands the available possible site locations. (Image source: peace corps)

Frequently Asked Questions:

QUESTION: Would this remove land from existing uses or interfere with forestry work?

ANSWER: The intent is to use a very small, clearly defined portion of currently underutilized land while maintaining surrounding natural forest integrity. The design emphasizes compactness and clear boundaries rather than sprawl, and is meant to coexist with ongoing Forestry and land stewardship practices rather than disrupt them.

QUESTION: Would this affect the experience of quiet, privacy, or solitude for hikers/campers?

ANSWER: Earthly Wilds is intentionally designed to be visually unobtrusive, and integrated into existing landscape features. The goal is to preserve the sense of quiet, peaceful solitude and immersion in nature that current hikers and campers value, while using only a small, defined area of the land.

QUESTION: Are these structures temporary or permanent?

ANSWER: Both. Some shelters are lightweight and flexible, while others are small, code compliant cabins designed for long term use. This mix allows adaptability over time without large scale or visually dominant construction.

QUESTION:How would this impact the surrounding environment?

ANSWER: The design emphasizes soil regeneration, water retention, Native pollinator wildflowers, erosion prevention, and biodiversity. Techniques such as raised beds on contour, tree based systems, and minimal ground disturbance are intended to improve land health over time rather than degrade it.

Source: Poet Christopher

-Miles Rose