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Welcome to

PermaSolutions

Research and Development

Institute

a not-for-profit committed to promoting sustainable living in and around Fredericton, NB. PSRD does this through research and development of sustainable technology, teaching workshops, and sustainability planning services.

PermaSolutions Research and Development Institute was founded with the vision of creating a greener and more sustainable future for our local and global communities. As a passionate advocate for eco-friendly practices, we recognize the need for a comprehensive organization that combines research, commercial development, education, and consulting and design services to support individuals and organizations in their journey towards sustainable living. With a deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities in this field, we are committed to providing innovative solutions and empowering people to not just live lighter on the earth but to make a positive impact on the environment.

Meet Dana Hartt, our Executive Director.

Dana has been concerned about resource and environmental sustainability since a young age. In 2011, seeing the ties between the economic system and environmental degradation, Dana joined the Occupy movement, serving as one of the lead organizers of the camp in Fredericton. Soon after, he joined ecoFredericton, pursuing a project to create an ecovillage near Fredericton (which is still a goal of PSRD). In 2020, Dana became involved with the Ville Cooperative, and took a position as Agriculture Programs Coordinator in 2021. In late 2023, he incorporated PermaSolutions Research and Development in order to pursue the development of sustainable technologies.

Dana earned a BA in Philosophy and Literature from UNB and a Permaculture Design Consultant diploma from the Nashville Permaculture Guild. He is currently pursuing a Diploma of Applied Permaculture from the Permaculture Association of Great Britain.

Dana enjoys VR, academic audio lectures, superhero movies (esp. Iron Man), foraging, and tinkering with his inventions.

PermaSolutions strives to create low-cost ecologically sustainable technologies to facilitate sustainable living, and permaculture plays a pivotal role in our designs.

Our R&D projects include:

Tin Man: Revolutionizing Organizational Management

Embrace the future with Tin Man, our advanced AI management system that simplifies complex organizational processes. By aiding in project planning and development, Tin Man allows our team to greatly accelerate our innovation and strategic growth. Currently in daily use, it's not just our backbone—it's a glimpse into the future of non-profit management.

HEAP: Cultivating Sustainable Agriculture

Dive into sustainability with HEAP, our High-Efficiency Agricultural Plot project that integrates organic gardening with permaculture techniques. HEAP is a research project which will result in academic paper publications and several innovations, including SwiftCycle, a new outdoor composter. From experimenting with companion planting to pioneering new garden technologies, HEAP is sowing seeds of change.

Willow Project: Weaving Sustainability into Strategy

Grow with us through Willow, a project focused on embedding sustainability deep within our organizational DNA. Willow develops strategies that not only respect our planet but also ensure our operations thrive within it. It's about making every decision count for the future. Willow will be available for use by partners as part of Tin Man.

CREAS: Compact Residential Ecosystemic Aquaponics System

Elevate your sustainable lifestyle with CREAS, our innovative solution that blends compact design with ecosystemic aquaponics. This system allows you to cultivate a variety of plants and aquatic creatures right in your own home, contributing to a greener, more sustainable diet without the need for large spaces or soil.

With CREAS, experience the joy and satisfaction of growing your own food, understanding the science behind it, and contributing to a healthier planet.

PermaSolutions offers a number of services in the interest of promoting sustainable living and being financially sustainable itself. We provide sustainability consulting and design services. We offer workshops on such subjects as: sustainable living, permaculture, gardening, and aquaponics.

We currently offer our Nature's Bounty Foraging Expeditions workshop series.

We will ultimately offer a wide range of workshops, including Home Garden Planning, Starting Annual Seeds for Home Gardening, Upcycling for Cat Parents, Introduction to Permaculture.

Our sustainability consulting and design service is conducted with a heavy focus on permaculture, but common standards such as GRI and ESG are also used. We offer a wide range of consulting and design packages, covering everything from an afternoon walk-and-talk to being your organization's official sustainability partner.

A webstore for our products is under construction.