The Permaculture Research and Design initiative at the Gibbs House is an emerging program run by the Office for Sustainability that serves as a living laboratory for students to implement their sustainable design solutions and projects. Located on Parkview Avenue adjacent to Western Michigan University's College of Engineering and the expansive Asylum Lake Preserve, the site features a developing permaculture landscape full of resources and projects to get excited about. Programming on the site enables students to conduct research and implement projects throughout the year and has included black soldier fly larvae, post consumer food waste research, and a compost hotwater heater to heat our hoop houses all year long.
We host a variety of opportunities at the Gibbs House to get involved and learn more about what we do. Typically fall is busiest time for gardening, and volunteers are encouraged to drop by for open volunteering on Fridays, April 6 through November 16, from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.. To volunteer, find out more about site features, or to learn about the Gibbs House Fellowship, please select options below.