84-Hour Permaculture Design Course

Permaculture design - the ethics, principles and design process - is based on living systems and draws upon indigenous knowledge. It can be applied to physical systems (eg. farms, gardens, cities) and to social systems (eg. organisational flows, business models, school curricula) anywhere. These courses focus on permaculture as DESIGN, which can be broadly applied to land-based, urban, social or economic systems.

PERMACULTURE DESIGN COURSE (84 HOURS)

The 84-hour Permaculture Design Course (PDC) consists of both the Introduction Module (1 weekend) and the Main Module (3 weekends, plus 22 hours of assigned group and independent work - see below).  In order to receive the certificate of completion for the PDC, full attendance for ALL class hours is required, in addition to completion of all independent and group work hours by the end of the class.

Introduction Module - (1 weekend, 17 hours)

May 25 to 27 - click here for details

OR September 21 to 23 - click here for details

Main Module – In-Class Component (3 weekends, 45 hours)

The Main Module goes into more depth with forests, soil, water, microclimates, earthworks, tropical, arid and cold climates, housing design, alternative economics and more. The Introduction Module is a pre-requisite for the Main Module.

September 29 and 30

AND October 13 and 14

AND October 27 and 28

Course Topics:

• Design process review
• Design exercises with design teams
• Observe principles in nature, principles and patterns review
• Trees and forests, functions of forests
• Soil fertility, basics of soil biology and chemistry
• Composting
• Eco-sanitation
• Animals
• Aquaculture
• Creating microclimates, season extension
• Earthworks, landscape, slope, keyline, drainage
• Water, duties of water, slowing down water, dams
• Design for catastrophe, wind-breaks, fire-breaks
• Tropical, sub-tropical, arid climates; agroforestry
• Temperate and cold climates; houses, passive solar, heat transfer, land use strategies
• Siting, orientation, aspect, layout
• Soil conditions and problems in specific climates
• Transition, alternative economics, eco-villages
• Design presentations
• Where to go from here, next steps and resources

Main Module - Group and Independent Component (22 hours)

• Design Projects - Student teams will create permaculture designs, encompassing both the physical and organisational/social structures, for the Andrew Fleck Child Care Services schoolground in downtown Ottawa, or the Just Food Community Food and Urban Agriculture Hub in the Ottawa Greenbelt. The design projects are a key component of the Permaculture Design Course. Presentations will be given by the design teams to the class.
• Assigned independent work topics:
• Observation
• Retrofitting for energy efficiency
• Mapping
• Going deeper on a course topic
• Students will also have the choice of a class field trip or an independent assignment on keyline design.

The course fee of $750 includes the Introduction Module, the Main Module, as well as HST.

Work Exchange for the Introduction Module is $60, including HST.  Work exchange applications due by April 27 for spring 2012, and July 2 for fall 2012.  Inquire for more details.

Work Exchange for the Main Module (3 weekends) is $180, including HST.  Applications due by July 2.  Inquire for more details.

Students who completed the requirements for the Introduction Module in 2011 can also apply the hours and cost as credit towards the PDC.  Inquire for more details.

Teachers/Facilitators: Sebastien Bacharach, Bonita Ford & Douglas Barnes

For more info, or to register:  info@eonpermaculture.ca

Download PDC Registration Form

Download Work Exchange Application