Uploaded October 2025 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago

---

Water is the lifeblood of every living system and the foundation of good permaculture design.

In this first episode of Discover Permaculture: The Podcast, Geoff is joined by Ben Missimer, Eric Seider, and Sam Parker-Davies to explore how water shapes landscapes, communities and even peace itself.

Learn More & Join the Community:
🌐 Visit the podcast homepage to listen with your preferred platform: discoverpermaculture.com/podcasts/discover-permaculture-the-podcast
🎓 Explore Geoff's online courses: discoverpermaculture.com

Key Takeaways:

- 00:01:48 – 00:03:26: Water is the mainframe of design—slow it, spread it, soak it, and deserts like Jordan’s Dead Sea Valley can turn into abundance.
- 00:04:13 – 00:08:35: High-resolution LiDAR mapping has revolutionized permaculture, exposing the flaws in low-resolution satellite data and giving designers accuracy to work with.
- 00:15:34 – 00:19:04: Myths about water persist—pure water doesn’t “go off,” swales don’t breed mosquitoes, and clean rainwater is often safer to drink than tap water.
- 00:22:08 – 00:23:56: Designing with water means reducing evaporation, increasing condensation, slowing flow, soaking, storing in ponds and aquifers, and letting water touch as much life as possible.
- 00:40:19 – 00:41:42: Condensation drip from trees is more reliable than rainfall—cutting down “rain trees” collapses the hidden cycles that keep rivers and streams flowing.
- 01:09:02 – 01:11:32: New mapping reveals entire catchments and flood flows unseen before, allowing designers to prepare for floods and store years of water in hours of rainfall.
- 01:24:42 – 01:25:45: Water can be a peace blanket—when designed well, it provides enough for everyone and removes reasons for conflict.

🌏 Guests

Eric Seider — Eric is a permaculture consultant, designer, and educator since 2008. He has helped communities around the world create resilient systems, working across deserts, forests, and urban landscapes. As the leader of the Permaculture Community Group in Fair Oaks, California, he cultivates a local hub for education, hands-on learning, and collaboration. Eric turns ideas into thriving ecosystems and empowers others to do the same.
🔗 Website: ericseider.com
📸 Instagram: @ericseider
▶️ Youtube: youtube.com/@EricSeider
📘 Facebook:
facebook.com/ericseider22
🌾 Permaculture Community Group: permaculturefairoaks.org
🌿 Community Facebook: facebook.com/permaculturefairoaks

Ben Missimer — Ben is a regenerative designer and technologist who uses LiDAR, drone imaging, and GIS tools to reveal the hidden patterns of the land. From remote landscapes to urban projects, he transforms terrain data into actionable designs that restore ecosystems. His work combines science, technology, and permaculture principles to guide landscapes from degraded to abundant.
🔗 Website: pearlriverecodesign.com
📸 Instagram: @benmissimer
▶️ Youtube: youtube.com/@benmissimer/videos
📘 Facebook: facebook.com/PearlRiverEcoDesign

Sam Parker-Davies — Sam is a global permaculture designer, teacher, and consultant with projects spanning deserts, forests, and mountains across 12+ countries. He blends hands-on implementation with deep design thinking, helping communities regenerate both ecosystems and the social systems that depend on them. Sam’s teaching and consulting showcase how practical permaculture can create abundance in even the most challenging environments.
🔗 Website: samparkerdavies.weebly.com
📸 Instagram: @samparkerdavies
▶️ Youtube: youtube.com/@sam.parkerdavies
📘 Facebook: facebook.com/sam.parkerdavies