Permaculture Design Course (100 hours)

The course will comprise a combination of Wednesday evenings (6.30-9.30pm) and weekend days (9.30am-4.30pm). It is a classroom-based, theoretical course with site visits, not a gardening course.

Participants will develop: an appreciation of the fundamentals of permaculture and the historical context in which it was developed; an ability to incorporate ecological and energy literacy/understanding in the design process; an ability to read patterns in landscapes and understand how they influence design choices; an understanding of the design processes and the conceptual design tools used in permaculture, as background for later application topics; an ability to design food production and other agricultural systems in appropriate landscapes; an understanding of how communities function and how permaculture concepts can be used to build functional communities; an understanding of how trading functions and how permaculture concepts can be used to build more equitable economic systems; an understanding of how settlements can be designed to meet human needs on a sustainable basis; an understanding of how buildings can be designed to meet human needs on a sustainable basis; an appreciation of the technologies that are available to assist in building sustainable lifestyles – renewable energies and conservation of non-renewable resources; and a confidence in one’s ability to make a difference at the individual level.

Trainers: Beck Lowe, Ian Lillington, Joel Meadows, Kat Lavers, Monique Miller and Taj Scicluna.