PERMACULTURE
DESIGN COURSES (PDCs)
Upcoming Courses and Events In North, Central, & South America
(and, occasionally, outside these regions)
Background photo by https://www.pinterest.com/SeeValerie22/
What are you doing tomorrow?
Here are the places and times where you can get
Mentoring, Instruction, Hands-on Experience,
and Basic Foundation #Permaculture #EarthRepair Principles,
(with Occasional Adventure and Action), in The Americas!
(and sometimes elsewhere)
Sharpen your skills in planetary, regional, local, and personal choice-making / problem-solving.
- Learn to grow and cultivate life-support systems for family, friends, community, and all-our-relations / co-symbionts.
- See how humans can re-inhabit, re-wild, rehydrate, and re-store the all-too-many damaged places in our world.
- Discover how to move landscapes in the direction of enriched sustenance, nutrition & beneficial macro- and micro-flora / fauna…while on a trim budget with limiting AND challenging circumstances (e.g. climate crisis, etc.).
- Find out how you can massively increase carbon capture and storage while reducing (or eliminating) consumption of fossilized and toxic products of dead-end enculturation.
- Develop your resourcefulness, usefulness and skillfulness with appropriate tools that can be repaired (or regrown).
- Master the arts of resilience in times of drought, flood, winds, mass migrations (& other annoying conditions.)
- Practice regeneration. Show others how.
Please note:
The PDC is the foundation 72 hr standard international curriculum.
ALL Permaculture Design Courses will issue a certificate of completion
if you participate fully in the training.
The certificate does NOT mean that you are certified to teach the PDC
or that you have all the tools and skills to be a professional Permaculture designer.
The PDC is the foundation; students still need to build the walls, roof, openings, finish, and landscape.
Some students bring less experience than others. That's OK.
Advanced courses, teacher trainings, diplomas, and practice with professional teachers
/ designers are encouraged for all those who wish to expand their teaching and design practice.
Visit the Permaculture Institute of North America for further details about mentoring
toward diplomas in advanced permaculture subjects.
(Event listings cannot all be investigated by us due to limited time and staff.
Before using any of these services, we recommend asking for references
or otherwise doing your own due diligence.)
Please contact us if you would like your permaculture event listed on this page.
You may also use our do-it-yourself online calendar for North American permaculture events.
(The DIY calendar does NOT automatically add your event to the calendar listings below.)
JANUARY
FEBRUARY
MARCH
APRIL
MAY
JUNE
Cascadia Permaculture’s Advanced Teacher Training Course
Dates: June 15 - 21, 2024 (arrive 6/16; depart 6/24)
Instructors: Jude Hobbs, T.A. Carol Burton and Guests
Location: Cottage Grove, Oregon
Tuition: $900.00 – $985. sliding scale. Includes: The e-book, Cascadia Permaculture Educator’s Guide by J. Hobbs and other course materials, camping and 3 nutritious meals daily. Contact for Daily rate.
We are committed to encouraging BIPOC communities along this career path. We are open to adapting fees to insure your attendance in this course.
Prerequisite: Permaculture Design Course Certificate or instructor’s approval.
This is a Certificate Course offered by a Diplomate of the Permaculture Institute of North America
Enrollment: Limited to 15 participants
For further information and registration: https://cascadiapermaculture.com/advanced-trainings/current-trainings/
Contact Jude with any questions: infocascadiapc@gmail.com
Permaculture Design Course at the Whidbey Institute
June 20-July 4, 2024
With Penny Livingston & World Class Instructors!
Pamela SeaMonster, Doug Bullock, Michael Pilarski,
Brian Kerkvliet, Dave Boehnlen, & other special guests!
Embark on a transformative journey into regenerative living. This comprehensive
program is designed to empower individuals with the knowledge and skills needed
to design and create regenerative, resilient human based eco-systems.
Whidbey Institute: info@whidbeyinstitute.org 360-341-1884
www.whidbeyinstitute.org
July
Permaculture Design Certificate
Date: July 15 – 22, 2024
Location: Central Rocky Mountain Permaculture Institute, Basalt Colorado
Website: https://crmpi.org/permaculture-certificate-1
The Permaculture Design Certificate (PDC) offered through CRMPI is the longest running course of its kind in North America. The PDC at CRMPI you will learn from a campus-homestead where permaculture has been practiced for the past 30 years. Not only are you learning the essential concepts and practices of permaculture from a world-renowned team of master teachers who imbue their work with rich depths of life wisdom, you learn the tools to design and engineer sustainable systems, such as forest gardens, renewable energy systems, water conservation systems, and other eco-technologies. You’ll not only be learning the concepts, you’ll be applying these the skills needed to implement them, and seeing the fertility and abundance that result from decades of applied permaculture. Instructors: Jerome Osentowski, Stephanie Syson, Mathew Davis, Adrian Fielder
Cost: $1875 – includes camping and organic meals
Summertime 2024 Weekend Series Permaculture Design Certification Course
Dates: Full Days Onsite; July 18-22 and August 22-26
Location: Shelburne Falls, Western MA, USA.
Description: Immerse in the Permaculture Design Certification Course during the growing season with Sowing Solutions at our Permaculture Center in the artisan Village of Shelburne Falls in Western Massachusetts. Practice ecological design alongside leading permaculture designers and educators in the northeast; Gain your permaculture design certificate with Sowing Solutions who is celebrating over 18 years of interactive permaculture education; Network across the region and form lasting friendships and webs of mutual support; Visit numerous inspiring demonstration farms, homes, nurseries, and agroforestry projects; Apply your design skills in a guided process to create a design for a project site in the village; Join us for an informative and uplifting program.
Instructors: Kay Cafasso, Keith Zaltzberg, Walker Korby, Llani Davidson, and many special guests
Cost: $1250-$1450; Sliding scale, work trade, and fundraising support available.
Contact: www.PermacultureSeries.org PermacultureSeries@gmail.com
Summer 2025 Permaculture Design Certification Course
USA, WESTERN MA
Venue: Sowing Solutions Permaculture Design & Education at The Permaculture Place in the artisan Village of Shelburne Falls
Dates: A Total of Two Long Weekends July 10-14 & August 14-18
Led by: Kay Cafasso, Dave Dion, Jono Neiger, Walker Korby, Llani Davidson & many special guests
Email: PermacultureSeries@gmail.com
Web: www.PermacultureSeries.org
Notes: Celebrating 18 years of certification programs! Learn to design for abundant homes & resilient communities in this weekend series. Visit numerous inspiring sites such as an agroforestry park, perennial foods & native pollinator plant nurseries, nut farms, orchards & homesteads. Practice ecological design alongside professional designers & educators!
August
Permaculture Academy: Designing and Managing High-Altitude/Low Energy Use Greenhouses, Creating Forest Gardens
Date: August 10 – 18
Location: Central Rocky Mountain Permaculture Institute, Basalt Colorado
Website: https://crmpi.org/permaculture-academy
Now in our tenth year, we offer two immersion intensives in our unique Permaculture Academy: a 9-day, 2-course, in-depth training in key elements of permaculture practice:
•August 10-13 : Designing and Managing High-Altitude/Low Energy Use Greenhouses (4 days)
•August 14: Day of rest; no class
•August 15-18: Creating Forest Gardens (4 days)
This is one of the most in-depth Permaculture Programs currently offered anywhere. It’s designed to shorten the introductory learning curve and send you out with the working, practical knowledge you need to start putting permaculture into practice. Whatever your level of interest – whether you want to reclaim an urban lot, turn your back 40 into a food forest, or take the first steps toward a career in design and consulting – this Academy can suit your need. You may choose to attend all of the modules, or pick and choose the modules you would like to attend. Although taught through on permaculture concepts, you’ll be immersed in permaculture practice and application at one of the finest demonstration sites in North America, experiencing the results of 30 years of organic cultivation and state of the art, low energy use greenhouses. You’ll eat delicious organic food from mature forest gardens, witness rainwater catchment, use and maintain composting toilets, enjoy light and warmth from passive and active solar technology, and participate in small animal husbandry in a vigorous and healthy poly-culture system at 7200′ elevation.
Instructor: Jerome Osentowski
Cost: $1400 or $700 per module, includes camping and organic meals
SEPTEMBER
Advanced Permaculture - Food Forest & Forest Ecology
Date: September 11th – October 16th
Location: Live online
Registration: https://earthactivisttraining.org/ap-forests/
Forest systems are critical for carbon sequestration, climate disaster mitigation, and a host of ecosystem services. Forests are also valuable elements in a design for food, fuel, building materials, and medicinal crop production. Join Starhawk and Charles Williams to learn about the ecology of forests and principles for designing and maintaining productive forest systems. This class can be taken as a stand-alone class for personal growth or as the fourth module in a four-part Advanced Permaculture certificate program
Course will cover:
DEVELOPMENT & CARE OF FORESTS
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Forest Ecology: Explore the intricacies of forest ecology, disturbance and succession, forest architecture, and fungal/bacterial relationship. Gain skills in reading and understanding your local forests.
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Applied Forestry: Learn forest measurement, analysis and best management practices (BMP). Apply what you learn in class to your context ranging from classic rural woodlands or complex urban forests.
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Forest Management Plans: Using concepts from class write a forest management plan.
FOOD FORESTS & PERENNIAL SYSTEMS
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Designing and Building Food Forests: Learn how to approach food forest design, ranging from how to select cultivars to how to arrange your plans for beneficial relationships
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Management of Trees and Food Forests: Gain tools and techniques for food forest maintenance and care. Learn how to adapt food forest theory to a range of places and spaces.
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Building a Design: Building off what was discussed in class design a food forest for your region and write a plan for management and maintenance.
Website: https://earthactivisttraining.org/
Registration: https://earthactivisttraining.org/ap-forests/
Instructors: Starhawk, Charles Williams and Guest Speakers
Permaculture Design Course - Massachusetts
Autumn 2024 Weekend Series
Full Days Onsite: Sept 20-23, Oct 12-14, Nov 8-11
Location: Shelburne Falls, Western MA, USA.
Immerse in the Permaculture Design Course during the growing season with Sowing Solutions at our Permaculture Center in the artisan Village of Shelburne Falls in Western Massachusetts. Practice ecological
design alongside leading permaculture designers and educators in the northeast; Gain your permaculture design certificate with Sowing Solutions, now celebrating over 18 years of interactive permaculture education;
Visit numerous inspiring demonstration farms, homes, nurseries, and agroforestry projects; Apply your design skills in a guided process to create a design for a project site in the village; Join us for an informative and uplifting program!
Instructors: Kay Cafasso, Walker Korby, Keith Zaltzberg, Ghadi Tayeh, Llani Davidson, and many special guests
Cost: $1250-$1450; Sliding Scale, Work Trade, Fundraising Support, and BIPOC Scholarships available.
Contact: www.PermacultureSeries.org PermacultureSeries@gmail.com
OCTOBER
Permaculture Design Course - Costa Rica
Dates: October 21-November 5
Location: San Ramón, Alajuela
Learn a set of design patterns and principles found in Nature that can be applied to all areas of your life. By implementing Permaculture we’re creating new systems for the way we grow our food and steward the land that
are in harmony with Nature. This course is applicable to anyone with an interest in designing resilient and regenerative futures as well as professionals in the fields of architecture, planning, ecology, education, farming and community development.
Join our diverse team of permaculture instructors led by Hugo Soto, Elena Valverde and Scott Gallant of Porvenir Design for this life-changing two-week immersion. The course covers the core permaculture design
curriculum and emphasizes creating diverse, multi-functional human landscapes based on ecological patterns. This is the third annual course offered in conjunction with the Brave Earth and Finca Luna Nueva.
Utilizing these sites as a living classroom, the class will mix lectures and hands-on work, exploring design solutions for both temperate and tropical regions. Putting permaculture into practice, the course concludes with students working in teams to create their own permaculture site design.
The whole-systems design thinking outlined in the course will give participants the tools to re-design and improve their surroundings, from gardens, farms and homes, to livelihoods, relationships and communities.
Cost: There are a variety of housing options, so contact us for exact prices. $2025- $3,205 Pp.
Contact: Maxine@BraveEarth.com
NOVEMBER
Permaculture Design Course
Dates: Nov. 24 - Dec. 7, 2024
Location: Rancho Mastanal, Costa Rica
Website: https://ranchomastatal.com/permaculture-design-course-fall
Description: Join our experienced team of permaculture practitioners led by the Rancho Mastatal team for this annual life-changing 2-week experience. The course covers the core Permaculture Design curriculum (developed by Bill Mollison and David Holmgren) and emphasizes creating diverse multifunctional human landscapes based on ecological patterns.
Utilizing Rancho Mastatal as a living classroom, the class will mix lectures (60%) and hands-on work (40%), exploring design solutions for both temperate and tropical regions.
Putting permaculture design into practice, the course concludes with a permaculture site design for a clients
property.
Instructors: The Rancho Mastanal team
Cost: See website for cost, directions, and registration info.
DECEMBER
ONGOING
Regenerative Land Management (RLM)
Advanced Permaculture Diploma Program
Date: On going
Location: Mixed in person and online
Registration: https://earthactivisttraining.org/regenerative-land-management/
Regenerative Land Management (RLM) is two to three year advanced permaculture diploma program designed to advance your permaculture practice and provide deep comprehensive training needed to apply these regenerative skills in your life! Whether caring for the land, building urban gardens, or decolonizing farmland, the Regenerative Land Management Diploma program will prepare you for your earth healing endeavors, and to provide a livelihood for yourself and your family.
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The Regenerative Land Management is a minimum two-year diploma program focused earth healing and land management
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It encompasses five core online courses, one in-person restoration intensive, and individually tailored applied learning projects
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During the program students will develop three comprehensive land management plans.
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Students are matched with mentors to guide and support them throughout the program
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Learning cohort provides solidarity, community-building, and resource-sharing about their learning experiences
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Graduates are awarded a Regenerative Land Management diploma from Earth Activist Training accredited through Permaculture Institute of North America (PINA)
For more information visit our webpage.
Website: https://earthactivisttraining.org/
Registration: https://earthactivisttraining.org/regenerative-land-management/
Instructors: Starhawk, Charles Williams, Patty Love, Chris Gilmour, Leila Darwish and Guest Speakers
Maven Makers
Date: On going
Location: Live online
Registration: https://earthactivisttraining.org/maven-makers/
Have you been working on building a new business? Or have you launched a business that now needs support? Earth Activist Training offers affordable, collaborative coaching for regenerative, ecological minded business development.
Dedicated Coaching to Support Your Small Business:
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Affordable small business coaching with experienced instructor, Patty Love
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Groups are limited to 6 people each to ensure a focus on your work, each and every meeting
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The opportunity to build lasting personal and professional relationships with like-minded colleagues and peers
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One-on-one coaching valued at $150– plus monthly meetings. (Similar groups cost $250-$1,000 monthly– without the benefits of Maven Makers’ personalized coaching and attention)
Website: https://earthactivisttraining.org/
Registration: https://earthactivisttraining.org/maven-makers/
Instructors: Patty Love
Cost: $157
Permaculture in Practice
Date: On going
Location: Live online
Registration: https://earthactivisttraining.org/permaculture-in-practice/
PERMACULTURE IN PRACTICE (PIP),Ongoing personalized permaculture support. Are looking to become more: self-sufficient, create a permaculture homestead, incorporate more regenerative design into your life?
PIP is a small intimate group which meets regularly to discuss the ideas, designs, and the challenges that the members are grappling with. This program centers the discussion and learning around the needs of the members. When not discussing topics brought forward by members, we will be looking at seasonally relevant topics around regenerative land care.
Website: https://earthactivisttraining.org/
Registration: https://earthactivisttraining.org/permaculture-in-practice/
Instructors: Charles Williams
Cost: $100-$180/ month
Permaculture Design Course Online
Dates: Ongoing
Location: Online
Description: Oregon State University’s online Permaculture Design course is a great way to build essential sustainable landscape design skills in a convenient online format. After ten weeks, you will complete a finished design with:
- One-on-one guidance from experts who will walk you through each assignment.
- Timely feedback on your individual project from your designated instructor.
- Low student / teacher ratio to ensure individualized attention for you.
Also, since the program is entirely online, you can access our expert-led courses from the comfort of your own home.
Instructors: Andrew Millison and others
Contact: pace.oregonstate.edu/permaculture
Permaculture Design Course Online
Dates: Ongoing
Location: Online
Description: Our course is the classic, official 72-hour Permaculture Design Certificate Course (PDC) as taught by the founders of permaculture – Bill Mollison and David Holmgren. The full Permaculture Design Course (PDC) is a 72- hour intensive program. This course involves study modules supported by practical exercises, photos, fieldwork and videos. Upon successful completion of the Permaculture Design Certificate (PDC) course, graduates receive the official, internationally recognized Permaculture Design Certificate.
Instructors: Dr. Alan Enzo, Jessica Enzo, Steve Hart, Art Freeman, Ben Bishop
Cost: $550
Contact: info@PermacultureEducation.com PermacultureEducation.com
Permaculture & Prosperity - Online Course
Has your concern for people and planet led you to think negatively about money or even struggle financially? It doesn't have to be that way. In fact, the foundations for building true wealth are modeled for you in nature and in complete alignment with permaculture and regenerative practices. Were you, like so many others, drawn to permaculture through the garden gate? And then you stopped there, paying little attention to the treasure trove of ideas and resources outlined in some of the major permaculture texts about the economics and finance petal of the seven-petal permaculture flower.? Why is it so easy for you (and so many others) to presume abundance in your landscape, but not when it comes to your money, livelihood, and true wealth? In this course you’ll uncover the wealth building tools that are part of our permaculture tool kit and learn how they can help you cultivate true personal and community wealth in ways that also enrich the ecosystems which you inhabit. Instructor - Laura Oldanie,
Rich & Resilient Living Dates: Ongoing
Location: Online a pay what you can course -https://richresilientliving.vipmembervault.com/products/courses/view/1114611
ONLINE Permaculture Design Certification
An online guided course in respond to our Ecological World Climate crisis & COVID 19
All Climates / 72 hr Internationally Recognized Course.
You can complete it in 2 months in your own time so you can work in your own designs/projects with guided hands-on for you to do in your specific situation
Course description: Starts January 1st - We will add daily videos, PDF's, slide shows, links, conference room chats, interviews to teachers & practitioners in regeneration design all over the world & guided hands-on activities for you to complete in your own specific situation at your own time.
You have 2 months to complete it.
At the end you will be required to send us your design drawings & description of the solutions you applied
This course will give you a wide vision of solutions, empowering you to take action in your immediate world.
Many regenerative jobs can be created with these skills.
Our world needs us all doing regeneration! Lets create our jobs & communities as in NOW!
FOCUSED ON FIRE SOLUTIONS, REGENERATION & FOOD SECURITY
This Certification Course is offered by PermafunK Institute in collaboration with Butte College faculty, Chico State College of Agriculture faculty, Holistic Management International Educators & many organizations around the world, like Permamed Barcelona, Gaia Education Germany, Brogo Permaculture Sydney, Regrarians NSW, Tasmania Permaculture, Trihita Karana Indonesia, Permaculture Maui, et al.
Children’s Permaculture Course
Dates: on-going
Location: online
Description: This is a course for kids! The content itself is divided into twelve blocks with each block containing four parts. Each part covers a different theme (e.g., community, patterns). This roughly correlates as one month (block) and four weeks (themes). However, because each child is unique, students are encouraged to move at their own pace.
Instructors: Roman Shapla
Cost: $32.95/month
Contact: Roman Shapla, childrenspermaculture.com
Permaculture Bootcamp Programme
Internships & Apprenticeships
The Permaculture bootcamp programme is a way for enthusiasts to learn permaculture skills and techniques via a work/stay arrangement. Participants can choose to work for several weeks in exchange for attending one of our courses (for example, a PDC or a Garden Master Course). For those who love it and choose to stay a few years, they can even earn an acre of land. More info can be found here: https://wheaton-labs.com/bootcamp/