Wonderful setting for learning and for enjoying the beauty of the country at the Finca La Marea
Hundreds of fruit trees are in production at the Finca La Marea
Work time... Several days of the class are dedicated to hands-on learning and/or field days.
Simple foods are served during the class; students participate in all class-related chores.
Play time .... Ample breaks are offered in the heat of the day, for siesta and forest hiking
Class attendants enjoy evening community time, music and time with locals and neighbors. At the end of the class a mandatory Talent Show is held to celebrate everyone's talents. Bring your music instruments and other means of self-expression.
READING LIST
Spiral Seed Permaculture
Reader B
Reader C
Reader D
Reader E
Reader F
Reader G
Resources Reader
Is Humanity Fatally Successful? *
Waterharvesting Tradition
Water Harvesting Principles
Carbon-Nitrogen**
Cation Anion Process**
Indigenous Microorganisms**
Nutrient Density *
Lots of Life
1491
A Culture Gets Creative
* indicates documents to READ BEFORE CLASS/ DO NOT PRINT
** indicates documents for your own reference, it is up to you to print or to read before class
The rest of reading materials need to be printed or downloaded by participants and available in class
Permaculture Design Certificate Course in Costa Rica 2013
Photo: Carl Kerrige Photography, http://www.carlkerridge.com
This Permaculture Design Course is taught by world-renowned permaculture instructor Scott Pittman, and a team of guest instructors. Scott brings over 20 years of practical permaculture expertise, experience of working with various cultures in over 18 countries on four continents. Scott is known for his foundational work in establishing permaculture movement in the US Southwest, for which he received a Community Achievement Award from the Permaculture Institute of Australia. For six years Scott traveled and co-taught with the founder of permaculture, Bill Mollison. Natalia Vega, a dynamic and knowledgeable Costa Rican permaculture practitioner, is assisting with this class.
Permaculture Design Course January 26 - February 9, 2013 (during the dry season in Costa Rica). There are 2 days off to allow for exploring local attractions (beaches etc)
(arrive to class January 25 - leave February 10)
What is Permaculture? What is Design Certificate Course? What is Course Syllabus? see it here...
LOGISTICS
Classes are held daily with two days of break in the middle of the class. 6:30 am breakfast (buffet style; class 7:30 - 11:15. Lunch is served at noon, and is followed by a generous siesta in midday heat. Class 3pm - 6pm. Dinner at 6:30 is followed on some days with a permaculture movie/slide show at 7:30. Silence is a must after 10 pm.
Since there is an incredible amount of material to cover, we ask that students come prepare to spend a good amount of time in a classroom setting; working on the land and hands-on component starts about midway through the class. Days are full of learning, conversation, contemplation, journaling, classroom time and time on the land. We ask that students come prepared physically and emotionally to be fully present through this experience. This class runs for 2 extra days beyond the usual 13-day long class. This allows for a (slightly) more relaxed class schedule, which opens up time for occasional exploratory trips to see the region, to take hikes, and to do more hands-on work. During the class, there are short daily on-going small scale hands-on projects in addition to classroom learning.
Upon enrollment we send you a complete package with details, trip logistics(including recommendations on planning your trip), course information, reading materials and more.
PLEASE DO NOT BUY your airplane tickets without registering and getting that information first.
We encourage participants to create flexibility in their departure plans. Quite often we see that people end up wanting to stay in Costa Rica following the class. Keep this in mind in making your plans. There will also be a potential option to stay at class location and other local communities following the course; you need to make arrangements directly with the location owners.
LOCATION:
Course is located at Finca Amrta, a small nature preserve and a sustainable farm 4km away from San Isidro General, elevation of 700 meters in the Talamaca Mountains of the Southern Zone of Costa Rica. This location is very easy to access unlike most other learning centers in the country! We assist course participants with arranging and booking transportation from the international airport in San Jose, Costa Rica. Transportation costs are NOT included in class fees and are paid directly. Directions and instructions on how to get to Finca Amrta are provided upon enrollment (or on request).
AMRTA in Sanskrit refers to godly nectar or the juice of the flowers, ambrosia. Aldea Maesta Reserva de Tierra y Arbolles is the Spanish acronym for the same. It roughly translates as the Queen Bee’s Reserve, or a teaching village and nature reserve. Finca Amrta has small productive gardens, a few horses for riding, chickens, rabbits, dogs, cats and, of course, lots of native wildlife. They practice extensive composting, vermiculture, do most of their own building, and harvest some of their own timber. Baking is done in an earthen oven.
ACCOMMODATIONS:
There are simple cabins for rent, single and double occupancy ($15/night first come, first serve. Bring your own mosquito net). Camping (with your own gear) at campground is FREE - on flat ground with ample shade, very comfortable. Simple but adequate bathrooms are available. Laundry service is provided at additional fee. The facilities are clean and charming and are well maintained, and cared for. All accommodation fees are paid in cash directly to venue upon arrival.
FOOD:
Three mostly organic meals per day are served in the kitchen house; mostly fruit, veggies, fish, eggs, breads, salads, grains. Finca Amrta is vegetarian, and delicious vegetarian meals are served; participants interested in meat/fish will be able to occasionally visit nearby town or restaurants. Occasionally, sweets are served. When ripe, local fruit is gathered and made into drinks/juices. Lots of rice and beans are served.
Raw-food, vegetarians, vegans and gluten-intolerant people are able to find enough food to eat; however you should inform us about your dietary needs and we may advise that you bring snacks to stay happy. Keeping snacks in the tropics is very hard, therefore flexibility and open-mindedness is highly advised. NOTE: all efforts are made to get locally grown chemical-free food; HOWEVER this is a third-world country, and students should come prepared to deal with it. For example there is no organic meat, eggs or dairy products. In fact, Costa Rica does not have an equivalent of organic certification process used in the US, so even food labeled organic may be produced conventionally.
Food is lovingly prepared with local ingredients PDC Costa Rica 2010
Photo: Carl Kerrige Photography, http://www.carlkerridge.com
OTHER CONSIDERATIONS:
The course is held in a tropical forest. In addition to all things beautiful, there will be such things as: sudden rains, big bugs, red mud, mold, monkeys, ants, slippery trails, thorns and other things that take time getting used to. Mandatory are good quality hiking shoes or their equivalent (closed toes); we strongly suggest rain + sun gear. White and light colored clothing tends to get ruined. List on what to bring is provided upon registration. Swimsuits are a must.
REGISTRATION/PAYMENT: Your payment is your registration. Course non-refundable deposit of $300 secures your space in the class. Full payment is due one month before class starts. We accept payments by check (see mailing address at the bottom of this page), money order and PayPal/credit card.
Due to high credit card processing fees, credit card/ PayPal payments are subject to additional fees. Please submit your Essay at the time of payment.
CLASS FEES: $1650 ($1700 if using PayPal). Fee includes: instruction, three meals per day, camp-style lodging (in your own tent), field trip transportation. Tent platforms and cabins are available for extra fees. Fees DO NOT INCLUDE: transportation from and to airport, meals on off days, travel to local attractions on off days.
LAST DAY TO ENROLL one week before the class start date. This class tends to fill up quickly.
CANCELLATION REFUNDS: We don’t issue program refunds unless the program is canceled by us. Please plan your attendance accordingly!
CONTACT US For additional questions about this program, please contact , Registrar
