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nother key moment followed when Daniel Christian Wahl invited her to co-lead a Gaia Education certification course, also held at Son Rullan. The program unfolded over a year in four modules—social, ecological, economic, and worldview—and brought together leading teachers from around the world. It was a great success, and soon after, PermaMed began offering its own Permaculture Design Courses and certifications.

PermaMed has grown organically alongside its founders. What started as a focus on education expanded into a wider network of people and projects. As their children grew, so did the initiative, opening spaces for young people to develop their own experiences and skills in permaculture.

Today, this has led to a network of active hubs and initiatives, including Escola Kumar, Circles of Permaculture, and projects such as Youth in Permaculture, PermaEduca, and La Casa Integral. Their work focuses on education, landscape regeneration, collaboration, and the creation of living demonstration sites—permaculture hubs that offer practical examples and inspiration.

I visited Mandy again at Can Gaia in Selva, one of these demonstration fincas. Others include Son Barrina in Llubí, Can Bustan in Sencelles, and Perlita Verde. The latter belongs to Doris Rijkers, who had joined Mandy and her family on that day, along with other PermaMed members. Over lunch, made from what was growing in the garden, we spoke about the experience of running PermaMed as a family of collaborators, mostly volunteers. It really does feel like a family. Her son Elias, now in his early twenties, shared how growing up in this environment has shaped him and is something he knows he will always return to.

Walking through the garden, I asked Mandy how she defines permaculture. “It is the holistic design of human environments, inspired by nature, and guided by three ethics: care of people, care of planet, and fair share.” For her, holistic design means everything is included, “your artwork, your music, your computer, your friends, the earth, the trees, your food, the economy, your politics, everything. There cannot be permaculture design without holistic design.”