‘THOUGH THE PROBLEMS OF THE WORLD ARE INCREASINGLY MORE COMPLEX, THE SOLUTIONS REMAIN EMBARRASSINGLY SIMPLE....’
- Bill Mollison, co-founder of the world-wide permaculture movement
The philosophy within permaculture is one of working with rather than against nature, and of protracted and thoughtful observation rather than premature and thoughtless action. Permaculture design techniques encourage land use which integrates principles of ecology and applies lessons from nature. It teaches us to create settings and construct ecosystems which have the diversity, stability, and the resilience of natural ecosystems. In the spirit of sustainability, it also teaches us to allow natural and designed ecosystems to demonstrate their own evolutions.
Certification
Our permaculture training is based on the original certification course developed by Bill Mollison and David Holmgren. The course meets all requirements for certification. Participants that attend all sessions of this class and complete the final design project will receive Certificate of Permaculture Design. If you must miss one or more sessions please contact us to discuss arrangements. Depending on the situation, you may be asked to pay a little extra and arrange a special meeting with the instructor to make up for the missed portion of the class.
Course Topics Include:
- Principles of Natural Systems
- Naka-Ima - The Practice of Honesty in Group Dynamics
- Sustainable Design Methodologies
- Patterns in Nature, Culture and Society
- Reading the Land & Understanding Natural Processes
- Large Scale Land Restoration Techniques
- Water Harvesting Techniques
- Design Principles of Sustainable Human Settlements
- Grey Water Recycling
- Natural Building Strategies
- Cultivated & Productive Ecologies
- Food Forests, Plant Guilds, Gardens for Self-Sufficiency
- Energy Conservation Technologies
- Appropriate Technologies and Renewable Energies
- Urban Environment Permaculture
- Wildlife Management and Biological Pest Control
- Land Arts and Community Activism
- Invisible Structures: EcoVillages & Credit Unions
- Community Supported Agriculture
- Strategies for an Alternative Nation
At the end of the class, students engage in a group design project.
Sample of Permaculture Design Certificate Course schedule
Weekend Permaculture Design Course Schedule 2007
Program shedule:
our most current schedule can be found herepermaculture certificate course; read more here
LOGISTICS:
We offer classes in multiple locations, therefore logistics vary from place to place. See photos of our learning sites, and read very detailed descriptions of site-specific logistics, travel information, and suggestions on what to bring by visiting LOGISTICS page. Our locations range from urban community centers to remote ranches.
Format and Teaching Methods:
We offer the Permaculture Design Certificate Course in several different formats: 2-Week Intensive , Three-Weeks Extended Training, Weekend Program and multiple days workshop series. The participants of our programs meet in an informal classroom setting for a combination of lectures, discussions, hands-on excersises, slide shows and field trips. Participants keep a journal reflecting their experiences in addtion to the classroom notebook(s). Homework assignments are issued every session. All programs cover the same material, with extra hands-on learning opportunities offered through our Extended Training program, and throught Workshop Series (Seeds of Change workshops). Whenever possible, we offer access to all course handouts online, to avoid waste and printing.
Fees
Please see our Registration Portal
for fees, deadlines, refund policies and all other pertinent information.
Scholarships and Educational Loans
Whenever funding allows, we offer scholarships to assist those in financial need. The scholarship fund is highly unpredictable, and we strongly recommend doing your own fundraising and saving funds to attend the class. It is truly worth it!
With questions about borrowing money for this class, please contact Permaculture Credit Union, a New Mexico based lending institution that may be able to assist you.