Permaculture Design Certification (PDC) & Reskilling Connections

Permaculture design courses I often recommend are listed below;

I'll add more to the comment section in the future.

My business, Earthcare Garden Designs, does onsite permaculture design consultations, and I care for numerous edible forest gardens.

You're welcome to give a me a call, or come by for an afternoon working visit to our micro-edible forest garden- http://transitionwhatcom.ning.com/profile/HeatherK

I've written the below in response to many request I receive from those interested in taking a 2-3 week course, to obtain their Permaculture Design Certification (PDC).

I recommend first choosing a teacher you want to learn from. And consider doing a PDC course on land with residents that are implementing permaculture principles, rather than an online course, or at a site with fancy lodging. There are many great teachers on our continent & abroad.

* Before completing my PDC (permaculture design course), I researched many global courses & instructors, and finally chose a course offered at the Bullock Brothers Homestead on Orcas Island.- http://www.permacultureportal.com/courses_current.html

I highly recommend the quality of the Bullock's course, which have some of the best visiting instructors! The students are diverse in age & skills and we experience camp-life together for 3 weeks, working & learning both hands-on & in an outdoor classroom, surrounded by an edible forest garden. They have an an internship option, with many folks coming right after they complete their college degrees, with exceptions made. As the Bullocks PDC fills months ahead, you may want to consider another PDC course. They also offer an intro-permi course, that includes a tour of the land where both humanure & graywater are treated as a resource.

* Another well respected instructor is Penny Livingston, at the Regenerative Design Institute, in CA, who teaches all over the world. In 2011, she is co-teaching with Robin Francis up from Australia! Penny's website- http://www.regenerativedesign.org/courses-events/permaculture-desig...

Link to the upcoming 2011 Regenerative Design PDC course - http://transitionwhatcom.ning.com/events/permaculture-design-1

* Locally, Bio-Dynamic Farmer Brian Kerkvliet, at Inspiration Farm in Laurel area, offers an apprenticeship, and is a teacher & master in many fields! His TW profile at- http://transitionwhatcom.ning.com/profile/BK . Any workshops he offers should be listed on his profile page under his events link.

Inspiration Farm Apprenticeship- http://www.inspirationfarm.com/newif/classes/apprentice.html

* In addition to hands-on reskilling & classroom work, if you learn by reading or watching videos, here are links to my recommended favorites-

* “Online Resources, Videos, Libraries for Permaculturists/Edible Forest Gardeners”- http://transitionwhatcom.ning.com/group/organic/forum/topics/online...

* “Books Treasured & Useful”- http://transitionwhatcom.ning.com/group/organic/forum/topics/books-...

* “Videos- Permaculture & Horticultural Lectures -plus- Edible Forest Garden Talks”- http://transitionwhatcom.ning.com/profiles/blogs/videos-permacultur...

More Permaculture Design Course opportunities:

* Toby Hemenway, author of 'Gaia's Garden', often teaches at the Bullocks, and also in Portland & Ashland, Oregon. He is one of my favorite permaculture teachers!! - http://patternliteracy.com/

* Overseas, Patrick Whitefield, author of 'The Earthcare Manual' teaches a PDC on his farm in Europe - http://www.patrickwhitefield.co.uk/pdc.htm

Local & Regional Permaculture Teachers or Consultants-

* Heather K- http://transitionwhatcom.ning.com/profile/HeatherK

* Chris Wolf- http://transitionwhatcom.ning.com/profile/ChrisWolf

* Bruce Horowitz is both a raw food instructor & has taught permaculture internationally http://transitionwhatcom.ning.com/profile/BruceHorowitz

* Skeeter from east side is another well loved instructor, with Friends of the Trees - http://www.friendsofthetrees.net/aboutus.htm

* Kelda & Marisha down near Olympia also do many PDC...too many to list here! Here is Kelda's TW page- http://transitionwhatcom.ning.com/profile/KeldaMiller

* * * (Friends- let me know if I've missed listing someone here!) * * *

Online International Integral PDC Course:

* 'Integral' PDC is an online course with students from all over the world. https://sites.google.com/site/nodoespiral/english/-integral-permacu... and http://permaculturescience.com/

Stefania Strega-Scoz (Stella) is the primarly facilitator & lived internationally -http://permacultureinstitute.pbworks.com/w/page/15951610/StellaCV

Monica in Bellingham is taking this online Integral PDC & initiating a local study group.

Read David MacLeod reviw of this PDC & connect with this discussion at- http://transitionwhatcom.ning.com/forum/topics/online-permaculture-...

* The Permaculture Activist journal, lists many current courses, as would a google search. (Copy of the journal can be found at Terra Organica).

* Reskilling classes are also being promoted also by the Whatcom Folks School - http://whatcomfolkschool.org/ Look for their catalog near local news stands.

* If you reskilling interests relates to growing medicinals & edibles, you can join the local Earth Gardens Network -”People Caring for the Earth, Sharing Knowledge, Creating Work-Exchanges & Event....” http://transitionwhatcom.ning.com/group/organic .

We also share news & events on Shannon's Garden E-News. Many of us do hands-on volunteer community garden work and offering workshops & classes, often posted on the TW Events page- http://transitionwhatcom.ning.com/events or posted on the Sustainable Bellingham email calendar - http://www.sustainablebellingham.org/

* If you decide to go for a college degree with an Integrative Studies degree, I can highly recommend Warren Wilson College in Asheville, North Carolina - http://www.warren-wilson.edu/external_index.php More and more schools are adding majors that integrate permaculture with social & ecological restoration principles.

* Locally, Gigi Beradi, at WWU, offers an Agro-Ecology & BioIntensive class through Huxley College-http://faculty.wwu.edu/gberardi/Tribal.html

* Farmer Walter Haugen, has taught both on his farm & in the classroom- http://transitionwhatcom.ning.com/profile/WalterHaugen

* Writer & speaker David MacLeod will be facilatating a series "Principles & Pathways Beyond Sustainablity", centered on the video teaching of author & Australian permaculturist David Holmgren- http://transitionwhatcom.ning.com/profile/DavidMacLeod

Internship Opportunities-

"Sustainable Food Production Internship-OUR Ecovillage” offered May-Aug 2011 http://transitionwhatcom.ning.com/events/sustainable-food-production

Internships also offered on Orcas Island at Bullock Brother's Homestead, and in Laurel farm zone of Whatcom county at Inspiration Farm. Links to both above.

Summary:

* Best to reach me by phone or in person if I can assist you further! Let me know if this info has been helpful to you.

Bring your tools, your skills, & your good energy with you wherever you go and you will be welcomed in many communities!

* * * * *

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Permalink Reply by Heather K on May 10, 2011 at 5:13pm

Introduction to Permaculture – Weekend Workshop May 20-22- on Orcas Island- Details at http://www.permacultureportal.com/courses_current.html Also the Bullock Brothers PDC is full, and they are now taking names for the wait-list for the summer 2011 Permaculture Design Certification course on Orcas Island....or you can register for the 2012 summer course.

Thanks Monica for the encouragement. I'll be around next week, Tues & Weds, and hope Dave can make room for me in the June class- "Principles & Pathways Beyond Sustainablity", centered on the video teaching of author & Australian permaculturist David Holmgren- http://transitionwhatcom.ning.com/profile/DavidMacLeod