UK PDC-2018
Dates:
5th -19th July 2018
Facilitators:
Chris Evans
Tomas Remiarz
Looby Macnamara
Duration:
90 hours over Two Weeks
Course Description
This practical course will bring the possibility of significant and positive life changes. Although permaculture is most commonly thought about in connection with gardening & farming, its principles, ethics and design methods can be adapted and used in each individual's own work, interests and home to bring about a more harmonious & sustainable lifestyle.
Permaculture offers a perspective on all aspects of building a sustainable future. Permaculture encourages us to use our individual skills, knowledge and interests, whilst drawing on traditional wisdom, science and our innate ability to observe and learn from the world around us.
Course participants will be awarded the Permaculture Association (Britain)'s internationally recognised Certificate in Permaculture Design.
Course content
Spirals of erosion & points of intervention ~ People based designs ~ Boundaries & limiting factors ~ Observation skills ~ Site surveying ~ Permaculture ethics & principles ~ Design methods ~ Soil conservation & improvement ~ Green manures & dynamic accumulators ~ use of Micro-climates ~ Kitchen gardening ~ Integrated pest management ~ Water in the Landscape ~ Agroforestry & Forest gardening ~ Trees & their Microclimates ~ Patterns in nature ~ Sustainable economics ~ Urban permaculture ~ Green architecture ~ Non-land based design ~ Accelerated learning techniques ~ Seed saving & plant propagation ~ The Permaculture Association & Diploma WorkNet ~ Where next?
& lots more......
We use group work, discussions, videos, slide shows, observation, guided walks & practical activities as learning methods. These are supportive of different learning styles & for people with learning difficulties. We will also be visiting projects where permaculture theory is being put into action.
Design courses are not just about imparting information to the students, there is plenty of knowledge out there, the important thing is knowing how to use this & feeling confident to do so.
Empowerment is the essence of the course. We will be using practical and theoretical teaching methods to create a fun, lively & inclusive course. The course culminates in the main design activity that helps to consolidate all of the learning & empower students to take permaculture back into their own homes, lives & community. As a group we will benefit from collaborative learning & from having fun together. We don't expect any previous knowledge & recognise that everyone has their own unique skills, knowledge & areas of interest to bring to the course.
By the end of the course you will be able to:
- observe patterns in nature & apply what we learn to create guiding principles.
- use permaculture ethics, principles & design tools to create sustainable systems.
- understand the importance of caring for soil & water, & to know techniques for doing so.
- start using permaculture in your own life, towards creating a more sustainable lifestyle.
- understand how to apply permaculture design to both land-based & people based systems.
Anyone wishing to bring positive change in their lives
I have really enjoyed the [PDC] course. I particularly liked sitting in the woods and seeing layering reflected in nature. I really enjoyed making the [practice] design with my team and was surprised how quickly we were able to create it!
there was a very clear progression of ideas and delivery, a very good mix of practical and theory to reinforce learning, and I particularly liked the structured way of approaching design.
Logistics
Facilitators & Venue
Chris lives at Applewood with his partner Looby and children Shanti and Teya. He has taught permaculture in the UK, Europe, Nepal, India, U.S.A. and Mexico. He is also a UK assessment level tutor for apprentices working towards their diploma in applied permaculture design with the Permaculture Association Britain.
Tomas has been working in permaculture since 1997. He is author of Forest Gardening in Practice. Over the years he has designed and helped to create private and communal gardens, commercial and amenity woodlands, wildlife reserves and ecological restoration sites.
Tomas has co-facilitated with Looby and Chris on Permaculture Design Courses and the Training of Teachers at Applewood. He lives close to Applewood Permaculture Centre and has plenty of connections both professionally and socially with Looby and Chris.
As well as time spent at Applewood hosting and teaching courses and gardening on the land here, Looby leads a productive career as a pioneer of permaculture and Cultural Emergnece. Looby is author of People and Permaculture, 7 Ways to Think Differently and Strands of Infinity. People and Permaculture Is the first book globally to translate the use of permaculture principles and design for people based systems, widening the definition of permaculture and making it relevant and accessible to all. She is creator of the Design Web, a holistic design framework that has been used thousands of times globally for all sorts of personal and social designs.
Looby has been chair of the Permaculture Association Britain and is a senior diploma tutor.
The Venue

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