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Intensive Permaculture Design Course
June 4, 2017
$1300
From the Austin Permaculture Guild –
Our Summer 2017 Permaculture Design Course (PDC) starts June 4th and will earn its graduates a permaculture design course certificate allowing them to advertise themselves as permaculture designers. See the course schedule and other essential information below. If, after reading this page, you have any questions, contact Taelor Monroe at taelor@austinperm.com
INTENSIVE PDC COURSE TUITION INFORMATION
Our class starts June 4th and ends June 18th, 2017. It is a two-week intensive course that offers participants an opportunity for full immersion into the function of design, and a complete paradigm shift, allowing you to see problems as solutions, eliminating waste and unnecessary work in your life. This course enables all of us to give back more to our planet than we take from it. There will be camping and food provided on site (included in the price of tuition).
Tuition has a sliding scale course cost of $900-$1300 with a non-refundable deposit of $200. You pay what you can anywhere in between that range. Meaning, you decide your own price from the range we have provided. This system allows more accessibility to a wider audience. If you do have the ability pay the full amount, that is preferred.
After you pay your deposit, the remaining $700-$1100 will be paid to Austin Permaculture Guild on the first day of class.
Please click the link here to submit your deposit to hold your space. Once your deposit has been submitted, a form will be populated. Once you have filled out the form your registration will be complete!
SATELLITE MINI-COURSES If you can’t commit to the entire two weeks but want to learn more about permaculture, we are providing an opportunity to jump in on a few days of this class! Please be aware, there is a limit of 5 spots per class day. Read below to discover which section you’d like to attend. After submitting your tuition via PayPal, you will be re-directed to the final registration page. Please fill out the form and your registration will be complete!
Introduction to Permaculture: June 4th-6th
Day 1: Introductions, Site Tour, Permaculture History & Ethics, Day 2: Permaculture Principles, Design Methods Intro, Day 3: Methods of Design, Zones and Sectors, Patterns in Nature
COURSE COST: $225, includes camping and 2 meals each day.
Click the PayPal button here to register.
1-DAY WORKSHOPS
Immerse yourself in the knowledge of the soil, earth, and water! Read below to pick a subject that you would like to learn about. These are topic specific workshops on the following days:
June 7th – Day 4: Water on this Planet, Water Catchment Systems, Water in the Landscape, Aquaculture
June 8th – Day 5: Soil Basics, Advanced Soil, Soil Strategies
June 13th – Day 10: Trees & Forest Systems, Succession, Savannas, Tree Guilds, Animal Systems
June 14th – Day 11: Landscape Profiles, Earthworks
COST PER DAY: $75, includes lunch and camping the night before each class
Click the PayPal button here to register.
SUMMER 2017 INTENSIVE PERMACULTURE DESIGN CERTIFICATE COURSE
This Permaculture Design Certificate is certified by the Permaculture Research Institute and signifies completion of the 72-hour curriculum set forth by Bill Mollison in “Permaculture: A Designers’ Manual.” This is not a vocational certificate. But the permaculture design skill-set is so practical, and so much needed in today’s world, that you can consider the course a kind of universal vocational training.
COURSE SCHEDULE
June 4th – Day 1: Introductions, Site Tour, Permaculture History & Ethics
June 5th – Day 2: Permaculture Principles, Design Methods Intro
June 6th – Day 3: Methods of Design, Zones and Sectors, Patterns in Nature
June 7th – Day 4: Water on this Planet, Water Catchment Systems, Water in the Landscape, Aquaculture
June 8th – Day 5: Soil Basics, Advanced Soil, Soil Strategies
June 9th – Day 6: Climate, Micro-Climates, Urban Design Project
June 10th – Day 7: Farm Tour Day
June 11th – Day 8: DAY OFF
June 12th – Day 9: Urban Design Presentations, State of Local & and Global Food Market, Business & Finance
June 13th – Day 10: Trees & Forest Systems, Succession, Savannas, Tree Guilds, Animal Systems
June 14th – Day 11: Landscape Profiles, Earthworks
June 15th – Day 12: Urban Permaculture, Eco-villages & communities, Design Workshop 1
June 16th – Day 13: Appropriate Technology, Natural Building, Design Workshop 2
June 17th – Day 14: Design all Day!
June 18th – Day 15: Design Presentations, Graduation
This course includes classroom instruction, hands-on projects and activities (including your site design project), presentations by guest instructors, and hands-on workshops. For more details about the content, scroll down this page. We look forward to having you in our class!
ESSENTIAL INFORMATION FOR PARTICIPANTS:
The Summer 2017 Intensive Course will be held at Thigh High Gardens in San Marcos, TX. Purchased in 2012 by Stephanie Bledsoe, Thigh High Gardens was little more than some old barbed wire and pasture for cattle grazing. The Farm sits on 20 acres just outside San Marcos. The location was chosen to be the best spot for their purposes: A symbiotic Farm/Brewery through a partnership with Darkside Fermentation. Step by step they have transformed it into the farm it is today, with some serious support from friends and family in San Marcos and beyond.
The idea was to create a space for the community to come together to share information, pool resources, and get hands-on experience in homesteading and permaculture/sustainable practice. Water and Energy use being paramount, their efforts include, but are not limited to:
-Rainwater Harvesting
-Drip Irrigation
-Emphasis on Native Species
-Drought tolerant trees/plants
-Photovoltaics (Solar Power)
-Biodiesel production
THG is also the home of SMTX Permaculture, a group that meets every first and third Thursday of the month to discuss how to better implement the ideas in their community and spread awesomeness. Third Thursdays are potluck style so bring a dish if you want.
Meals and camping will be provided throughout the course and are included in the price of your tuition. Camping is not required but is highly encouraged. There will be three wholesome homemade meals a day with options for vegan, vegetarian and gluten free. Every meal will be complete with fresh local produce, grains and sometimes an optional serving of locally sourced meat. Please help us achieve zero waste by bringing your own reusable cup, silverware, water bottle, etc. A more detailed list of what to bring will be provided upon course sign up.
Each day you arrive into the classroom, our schedule holds four 1.5hr sessions with a 30 minute break in between each session and a 1.5 hour lunch. We strive to be conscious of everyone’s needs during this immersive course. Breaks allow time for information to sink in and absorb. There is so much information given during these two weeks, we are sensitive to and value your personal time throughout the duration.
Before the class day starts, participants will be grouped into teams to practice and maintain farm chores, help prepare breakfast, and assist with other various tasks around the property. These group chores build camaraderie between all of the participants and encourage and support working within a team environment.
The schedule also holds one day of rest and one off site visit to local permaculture farms in the area. The owners/managers of each farm, give a tour of the space and how each site uses permaculture in their over-all plan, history of the site, and how to volunteer. This will be the perfect opportunity to ask these farm leaders questions. Often they have produce available and plants for sale that they have propagated themselves.
WHAT WE WILL COVER IN THIS COURSE:
INTRODUCTION: Course, Student and Teacher Introduction, Learning Agreement, Host Site Tour, Permaculture History & Ethics
CONCEPTS & THEMES IN DESIGN: State of the World, Principles of Natural Systems, Observation, Function, Edge Effects and Harmonics, Flow, Work, Productivity, Resources, Analysis of Elements, Maximum Use, Stacking and Packing, Diversity
METHODS OF DESIGN: Zones of Use, Sector Analysis, Function of Design, Design Methodologies, Alternative Design Methods, Pattern Literacy, Patterns in Design
WATER & AQUACULTURE: Passive Water Catchment, Hugelkultur, Rain Water Catchment, Water Storage, Grey Water, Black Water, In-soak, Water Cycles and Management, Water in the Landscape, Aquaculture, Mari-culture and Aquaponics, Wetlands
SOILS & COMPOSTING: Soil Analysis-pH, Soil types: Sandy-Loam-Clay, Humus Creation, Micro-Nutrients, Macro-Nutrients, Composting, Compost Tea, Bio-Fertilizer, Propagation Methods, Companion Planting, Tree Guilds, Herbs, Seed Saving, Perennials and Annuals, Gardening
CLIMATE & URBAN DESIGN: Macro-climates and Micro-climates, Design Strategies: Temperate, Tropical, and Arid, Design Activity, Volunteering, Community Organization
FORESTS & TREES: Wind, Light, Rain, Transpiration, Types of Forests, Establishment of Forests, Forest Management, Agro-forestry, Silvo-pasture, Orchard Systems, Tree Planting, Tree Grafting, Wild Planting, Food Forests, Cover Crops, Farmer’s trees
EARTHWORKS: Landscape Profiles, Reading the Landscape, Earthworks, Dead Barriers, Swales, Ponds, Mapping, Role of Slope, Irrigation Systems, Keyline Design, Terraces, Diversion Drains, Gabions, Dryland Strategies, Roads, Canals, Contour Mapping, Surveying
NATURAL BUILDING: Straw-bale, Cob, Adobe, Compressed Earth, Light Clay, Earthen Floors, Auxiliary Systems (Russian Oven, Pizza Oven), Orientation to the Wind & Sun, Design for Catastrophe, Home Energy Conservation, Alternate Forms of Power: Solar-Wind-Hydraulic, Roofing, Foundation
COMMUNITY & APPROPRIATE TECHNOLOGY: Informal Economy, Formal Economy, Financial Strategies, Village Development and Infrastructure, Educational Strategies, Commerce and Trade, Legal Structures, Communication Structures, Community, Consensus Decision Making, Outreach, Recreation, Waste Disposal, Recycling, Re-use, Emergency Preparedness
BONUS OPTIONAL WORKSHOP SESSIONS:
At the end of each day some participants may be tired and have their heads swimming, full to the brim with information. Other participants may still be hungry for more! Once the class day is over we organize and schedule activities and further learning experiences with optional participation. These sessions include but are not limited to: Herbalism Basics, Fermentation 101, Student Skillshare, Documentary Nights, and more. There will be an opportunity for everyone to share their own knowledge and gifts during these sessions. Each of us has a passion and skill, making all of us learners, and all of us teachers.
SCHOLARSHIPS
We are providing two worktrade scholarship for this design course. These spots will be firstly given to people of color who apply. Although, in the chance that not enough people apply, they can be given to anyone, so please still apply if you are interested. These full ride scholarships require no payment in exchange for taking the course, but do require a worktrade agreement, working 3 days before and 3 days after the course. If you would like to apply for either of these two available spots please submit a photo of yourself, resume and letter of intention attached in an email addressed to Taelor Monroe, monroe DOT taelor AT gmail DOT com . The letter of intention should give a brief history of your current work in this world and how you think you can make the biggest impact in your community if you were to receive a permaculture design certificate.
Deadline: Only applications received on or before May 1st, 2017 will be accepted. Responses will be given Friday, May 12, 2016.
