Hear what diplomates think about PINA.
Kelda Lorax, Oklahoma
I joined PINA to benefit from the colleague atmosphere. Years ago there were occasional gatherings of permaculture teachers in my area where we could talk shop about common joys and challenges. PINA is an extension of that.
I got a Diploma in Education because I had been teaching and certifying in a gray area of qualifications. I wanted everyone who learns permaculture through me to have a robust credentialed network backing them. I got the Diploma in Permaculture Site Design frankly because I think any good teacher should be proficient in what they are teaching others to do! I had lots of past designs to choose from, so it was fairly easy.
It benefits me professionally by having an organization that I believe in backing me. I can talk about the benefits of the peer-reviewed network, how others can be involved, and all the work being done to ensure that people who teach permaculture or do designs professionally have done lots of legwork first.
Penny Livingston, Washington
I joined the board of PINA to work on developing standards for the Permaculture Design Certification Course. I believe it is important to have an organization that can support permaculture designers and educators to develop professional skills to enhance their work integrity world. Common standards for the PDC and graduates learning professional protocols are important to elevate permaculture into a reputable design modality. I also want to support mentorship opportunities for new graduates who are serious about pursuing permaculture design on a professional level.
I applied for a Diploma because I was qualified multiple times over and the board made it simple for experienced permaculture designers and educators with an established positive reputation to obtain a diploma easily, and I decided to take advantage of that opportunity. One benefit is that I can add the PINA logo to my courses to indicate they are nationally recognized by my peers as quality courses.
For people are interested in going the professional route, I think PINA is a tremendous support system.
My motivation for co-founding PINA was to create a national standard for the PDC and to elevate Permaculture Design to a credible level among design professionals and educators.
Mark Krawczyk, Vermont
I joined PINA because I see value in the credentials the Diploma program provides, because I respect and appreciate the work and vision of the organizing members, and because I was eager to be a part of a continental-scale network of permaculture practitioners. Having participated in permaculture organizing at the local and regional scale here in the northeastern United States, becoming a member of PINA offered a chance to contribute to and benefit from a web of interaction at an even larger order of magnitude.
For me, 2019 marks my 20th year practicing permaculture. It’s been an exciting, inspiring, challenging, and humbling journey and I’ve greatly benefitted from the knowledge and experience of quite a few mentors, teachers, and colleagues along the way. In 2004, I received a Diploma in Applied Permaculture from Britain’s Permaculture Academy. I found the process of chronicling and reflecting on my learning pathway immensely valuable. When I learned about PINA’s Diploma program a decade and a half later, it felt like a great opportunity to once again take stock of my practice to date and curate a portfolio of my work. This feedback loop helped me realize how far I’ve come along my path and also identify weak points in my abilities and knowledge base. While I’ve yet to leverage these credentials in my professional work, I know that as PINA’s network continues to grow and expand, the Diploma will serve as a valuable benchmark of my grasp and application of permaculture in practice.
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Join PINA to help grow our network, learn about organizing efforts and projects throughout North America, support the dissemination of the vision and solutions permaculture provides, and pursue a structured, mentored post-PDC pathway alongside some of the most accomplished permaculture practitioners in North America.