Our signature course - a 'PDC' provides learners with an internationally recognized body of learning which incorporates each of the permaculture principles, centring around tropical permaculture teachings and culminates in a full design experience. Participants will learn from the dirt up, how to design a site, no matter how big or small, and will leave with experience in consulting, designing and installing a permaculture landscape project. This course is designed for everyone, of all skill levels, is an excellent community building and networking event and will assist in creating employable skills at a variety of levels. 

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Further information available on our PDC Course page. This course is available to locals as a day course, and to international students wishing to gain the full experience by camping with us for the 12 day span. We offer camping accomodation, meals and transportation in a variety of pricing structures.  

We are pleased to offer our popular 10 day PDC as stand alone modules. By teaching one module each month and repeating the modules yearly, we aim to spread permaculture education to those unable to take an intensive 10 day course. Collect all 10 modules in any order, and complete a final design project to receive your Permaculture Design Certificate, OR simply pick and choose a few subjects as stand alone interest courses.

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Please see our individual courses for complete descriptions. Also note that each module or course can be taken as a standalone for those only interested in a few topics. Registering in advance for the full 10 module course saves $150.

 

Different systems of land use and tenure are analyzed. Students are exposed to the concepts of Bio-regions and Bioregionalism, Supply Chains and Food Miles. Details are given on what makes successful villages, towns and cities and what rules regulate their survival . Case studies are analyzed of what have shown to be successful cities that are sustainable and that have evolved or are designed using the principles of Permaculture. Goods and services that are traded without the use of money are demonstrated as alternatives when modern economic systems have failed.

 

This is a 2 part module in which both parts must be taken at once. Group homework will take place between Module 10a and Module 10b. We will do a review of all the design methodologies used during the preceding workshops, then go over costing for projects and the challenges of creating a successful design. Design skills, and consultation strategies will be focussed on. Teams of 3-4 persons will be given a client to interview, a real site to design for, a budget to meet with a detailed costing of the design. group work will be carried on and final presentations on Jan 11th for Module 10b.

 

This represents the conclusion of the PDC training! Persons that have attended all 10 of the modules and, as a team, have been given a site to analyse, a client to interview and a month to design, will present their final designs to receive their certificate in Permaculture Design. Individuals are also welcome to attend Module 10 as a standalone course but both 10a and 10b must be taken simultaneously. Previous Permaculture training is recommended before taking this course. This event will be followed by a celebration.

 

Learning to observe patterns in space and over time allows us to create designs that suit the landscape we are given rather than altering the landscape to suit our design. We will begin the step by step process of analyzing a site to capture valuable information. Hands on activities will include reading and observing patterns, utilizing all your senses as you analyze a site and exploring Walkers Reserve to look at microclimates and how to modify or create them.  Participants learn how to survey and draw their own map of a site.

 

in this workshop we look at wild and farmed animals in permaculture systems. Allowing farm animals to exhibit their natural behaviours while performing valuable work on a site is the goal. We will look at aquaculture and aquaponics options for growing food and generating income. we explore the roles wildlife plays in regulating pests in the environment. We will look at bat boxes and mosquito control, visit bee hives and look at how to set up a multi-functional small pond to encourage aquatic and semi aquatic wildlife.

 

We look at different catastrophic scenarios and create a checklist of how we can "disaster proof" our landscape. What can we design into our sites to make them more resilient to hurricanes, earthquakes, fires, floods or droughts? How do we start again after a catastrophe? Rootcrops can be dug up once a hurricane has removed most of the vegetation from a site. Vetiver grass (Khus Khus) can stabilize slopes that have been damaged by storms or fires. Starting a simple nursery is the first thing households and farmers need to do after a storm.

 

The backbone of perennial systems are tree crops and food forests. We will we explore the roles of trees in nature and in permaculture designs, analyze fruit and food crops for local situations to create gardens that will yield year round. We will examine the roles of microclimates and how they can be created to increase the biodiversity of a site. Plan out an organic garden. Learn about the correct ways of rotating what you plant in your beds, plants that act as companions to others and how to effectively control pests or reduce their destructiveness.

 

Healthy produce comes from healthy soil. During this workshop we will look at the chemical, physical and biological aspects of soil, learn basic analysis of soils to determine what its needs are. We will explore the different soil profiles at Walkers Reserve, learning about plants that grow in particular soils and ways of working with difficult soils by composting and making compost teas. In Permaculture waste is always considered a resource for another project. The workshop will look at the different waste streams created on a site and how to turn them into resources.

 

We explore all forms of slowing, storing and sinking water from rooftop collecting and filtration to large ponds in the landscape.How can we aid in sinking it to recharge our aquifers instead of letting it flood straight out to the sea?

We will learn about earthworks from the scale of a shovel to an excavator. Moving earth is one of the most expensive aspects of large designs. Properly designed earthworks can be extremely durable and cost effective in the long run. 

 

A one day workshop on Permaculture Ethics and Principles with a guided tour of Walkers Reserve, a permaculture quarry regeneration project.

Permaculture's core ethics are: Care for the Earth; Care for all People; Fair Share; Care for Community 

Learn how these ethics are translated into actions following a set of principles. See how these principles have been applied at Walkers Reserve. Begin to learn to read landscapes and patterns and create your first designs that will integrate food, water, and shelter! Meet like minded people that will support you!

 

Students are exposed to current and alternative building designs that utilize local, less energy intensive materials. Different natural building techniques are showcased and the pros and cons discussed. Prepare to get dirty, we will show participants how to assess their soils and how to create a construction soil mix. We will all have an opportunity to make mud bricks and if time permits do some earthern plastering. This module also teaches students about finding appropriate technology that is affordable, simple to build and maintain and durable.