Permaculture Courses

Start: Jan 2 2010 09:00

Timezone: US/Alaska

Re-design your life, re-envision the world!

Are you looking for an empowering and sustainable way to create change in yourself, the land you live on, and your community?

Permaculture is a design science rooted in the observation of natural systems. The principles of permaculture teach us how to design ways of living that have the stability and resiliency of natural ecosystems — they show us positive solutions for creating and managing systems for food, medicine, and building materials, as well as relationships with ourselves, animals, and our communities. Permaculture always keeps in sight three ethics: care of Earth, care of people, and sharing surplus.

We have solutions that are available on any scale, and we can make a change that will reach out to future generations.

See our permaculture design video: Permaculture Design
See Penny Livingston-Stark in the video: Permaculture 101
Find out more about permaculture: What Is Permaculture?

Upcoming courses

Permaculture Design Certification Courses:

We offer the internationally recognized permaculture design certification in two formats: a 2-week intensive course and a year-long course that meets one Saturday or Sunday each month. Following are our upcoming courses – click on the titles for more details and registration:

2-Week Intensives
Early Summer: May 25 – June 9
Fall: August 31 – Sept 15

Four Seasons - Bolinas
Spring: March 2012–February 2013
Fall: October 2012–September 2013

Four Seasons - Santa Cruz
Fall: November 2012–October 2013

Advanced Trainings:

Community Resiliency and Disaster Preparedeness Training
Offered: March 30-April 7, 2012
Location: Maui, HI

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RDI's Permaculture Design Certification Courses

In our permaculture design certification courses, you will learn how to observe and use the same principles that make ecological systems self-sustaining and apply them to integrated homes and gardens. In addition, you will learn how to apply these principles to energy systems and water supplies, healthy communities, meaningful and fulfilling work, ecological economies and global political movements for change.

The course also weaves together the principles and practices of permaculture with nature awareness — participate in activities that deepen your awareness and intimacy with the rest of the natural world. Our program is founded on the reality that we are nature and have an amazing role in our watershed ecosystems.

Throughout it all, you'll be engaged in learning and experiencing an empowering way of living in the world, surrounded and supported by like-minded people and instructors. Our goal is to make you a part of our farm community, incorporating our seasonal activities into your permaculture experience as time permits. Activities may include spring and fall pruning, seed planting, plant propagation, bed preparation, compost pile making, water harvesting techniques, natural building and other activities.

Each of our permaculture design certification courses includes the following:

Permaculture principles and ethics
Reading the landscape
Pattern and pattern application
Water harvesting
Swale building
Zone and sector analysis
Climate and micro climate
Mapping
Urban permaculture
Land access
Community building
Plant guilds

Food forests and agroforestry
The design process, principles, strategies and techniques
Bird language and nature awareness
Soil building and sheet mulching
Pond management and ecology
Earthworks and natural building
Grey water systems
Bioremediation
Renewable energy systems
Forest management
Watershed management
Group work on a conceptual design project

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Testimonials

Read what others have said about these courses