Building soil – Building community – Building resilience
No previous experience is required! Just openness and willingness to become part of the regeneration movement!
This unique course gives you the opportunity of spending several days learning by doing
What will you learn?
In the study of Permaculture, we challenge the current paradigm of where our food and water come from, the way we are constructing our villages and towns, and how we live our day-to-day and interact with each other.
What can you do after?
Our Permaculture Design Course graduates have gone on to become change-makers all over the world, designing their own land projects, founding eco-communities, redesigning their businesses, becoming consultants, teachers, writers, content creators, spearheading policy change, and continuing to spread the permaculture principles and ethics.
The program
The course includes online theoretical modules and 5 days of practical learning in Portugal.
Every online module includes one interactive class where students will have the opportunity of asking questions and solving any doubts. Moreover, students will have access to the online forum where they will receive ongoing support from the facilitators.
All online classes are recorded and available for self-paced study
MODULE 1 - INTRODUCTION TO PERMACULTURE (Online)
10th - 24th May 2024
Interactive call will be 10th of May from 7 to 8 pm CET
• Permaculture: Evidence that we need to act - Ethics & Principles
• Concepts and themes in design: Natural ecosystems - Web of life - Yield and Resource -
• Design Methods: Observation - Analysis of elements - Flow analysis - Maps & data overlay - Zones & sectors - Slope & aspect - Guilds - Scale of permanence
• Patterns: Understanding natural patterns and how to use them in design
• This module will include an extra live session on mushroom and microgreen production iwth Jack Patch. Time and date will be communicated during the course
MODULE 2 - CLIMATES, WATER AND TREES (Online)
24th May - 7th June 2024
Interactive call will be 7th of June from 7 to 8 pm CET
• Climatic factors: Main climatic zones and their characteristics - Climatic factors - Climatic effects Landscape profiles
• Trees: Trees and their role in the ecosystem
• Agroforestry & Food Forests: Natural forests and natural succession - Food forests - Layers - Greening the Desert
• Water: Water cycle - Water in the landscape - Strategies for water management
• Earthworks: Design - Tools - Types of earthworks (swales, dams etc..)
• This module will include an extra live session on water management with Nick Steiner. Time and date will be communicated during the course
MODULE 3 - SOILS, ANIMALS AND SOCIAL PERMACULTURE (Online)
7th - 21st June
Interactive call will be 21st of FeJune from 7 to 8 pm CET
• Soils: Soil composition - Soil management - Compost - Nutrient management and closed loops - Animals in the landscape
• Social Permaculture: Project management - Group dynamics - Non-violent communication - Local economies - Community living & Ecovillages
• This module will include an extra live session on agroforestry with Eduardo Terzidis and one on soil science with Oli Inglis. Time and date will be communicated during the course
MODULE 4 - PRACTICAL WEEK (Live in Portugal)
19th - 25th October 2024
@Soul Farm, Aljezur, Portugal
Here is a list of the topics covered during the practical week:
• Design and implementation of a new agroforestry system
• Maintenance of an existing agroforestry system
• Syntropic farming
• Water management and earthworks (implementation of a swale or diversion drain)
• Social Permaculture
Note that the exact topics of our practical week will depend on weather, group requests and machinery availability
MODULE 5 - FINAL DESIGN PROJECTS (Online)
21st June - 10th of November
Presentations will be 10th of November
To be able to provide an international PDC certificate, the course will include a final design project. All students will do a project simulating the design for a client. The project will be presented at the end of the permaculture design course and will be a great opportunity for the students to metabolise the newly-acquired knowledge and receive feedback from the teacher.
The hand over of the final designs will be organised with the teachers, who will provide feedback before delivering the certificate.
More info and booking here