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Regenerative Land Management: Advanced Diploma Program
The Regenerative Land Management diploma is a minimum two-year program with a deep dive into Earth healing and land management It encompasses 7 courses, one in-person Restoration Intensive, multiple internships tailored to each student’s needs and interests Students are matched with mentors who guide them throughout the program Students travel through the program with a cohort that provides solidarity, community-building, and resource-sharing about their learning experiences
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Virtual and In PersonOnline PDC
Online Course This course exceeds the requirements laid out by permaculture founder Bill Mollison for the internationally recognized 72 hour Permaculture Design Course. The training provides a deep and wide overview of permaculture design, focusing on skill sets you can apply immediately. It is a thorough introduction to a subject that has many levels and areas of expertise and professional practice. Further study is available through our apprenticeship programs and advanced study. Description of course The online PDC course was created in response to students whose schedules don’t match up with our in-person courses or who prefer to study online. The course can be studied at your own pace, with a focus on your own site design. Creating the opportunity for a participatory and hands-on experience is important to us, so we include practical exercises that you perform on your own site. In addition, we have live Q and A sessions and personal mentoring with instructors, and the option to share your experience with instructors and other students via photos, essays or videos. The course addresses strategies for drylands, temperate, tropical and other climates based on the significant knowledge and experience of instructors working in those climates. It contains a bonus section focused specifically on Florida/subtropical climate because of the state’s unique ecosystem. Students will have an opportunity to self-test their knowledge, to join discussion groups with other students, to participate in question and answer sessions on Zoom with instructors, and to get feedback from a personal mentor. There are additional in-person modules available, and special sessions that are exclusive to online training. There are additional in-depth materials offered for each section of the course as well as a resource list where you can find more information and explore areas of interest more deeply. Each student will complete a permaculture design of the site of his or her choice, working through it step-by-step to ensure the student has an understanding of each step of the process. Upon successful completion of the course requirements, the student is awarded an internationally recognized certificate for the course. Online course includes Mentoring with veteran designers. Hands-On exercises. Videos of a variety of systems and how they work. Written step-by-step instructions and other material. Extensive subtropical plant lists and data, lists of recommended temperate, tropical and drylands plants. Top resources for further study. Test your knowledge with self-testing. Exercises to increase your ability to apply the knowledge you gained. Discussion groups and on-line community building opportunities. Q and A with mentors. Data and resources on permaculture careers. Links to and data about quality permaculture networks that will continue to support you. Internationally recognized Permaculture Design Course certificate upon completion. Subjects covered in the course • Permaculture design ethics, principles and tools • Creating abundance with natural patterns • Grow more food with less work by working with nature • Edible landscaping, food in small spaces • Building food forests • Nutrient dense “beyond organic” gardening and farming • Agroforestry and ecoagriculture, regenerative farming • Aquaculture • Building rich, live soils • Composting and vermicomposting • Alternative pest management • Designing sustainable water use • Greywater and rainwater catchment • Natural building and regenerative building technology • Reducing energy costs in your home • Best forms of sustainable energy • Appropriate technology • Boosting your career with permaculture • Sustainable economics • Increasing quality of life through “placemaking” design • Designing for climate change • Community revitalization and rebuilding • Successful intentional communities, ecovillages and cohousing, urban and rural Location Follow the Enroll Button below or go to https://growpermaculture.com/store/online-pdc/. Once enrollment is complete you can access the course via Student Login on the top menu. Course schedule The course is self paced. However, we offer live Zoom sessions with different presentations and Q and A, and instructor mentoring via email for eleven months. The Zoom sessions begin on Tuesday following the start date and run between 7pm and 8:30pm, and every first and third Tuesday over an 8 month period. (Full details are in the syllabus sent to you after enrolling.) The 2024 Oct course starts on Oct 14th and live sessions continue through June 18, 2024. Course fee Enroll here Full price is $595 for this comprehensive online course. An early bird may apply see Enroll here button. To buy the course, pay using our Store. Paying over time is often available, see the cart if available. The online course material will remain accessible to you after you graduate. The text book for the course is: Introduction to Permaculture by Bill Mollison and Reny Mia Slay. Order it here. Our courses are an investment in yourself and your future - you will make and save far more than the course cost, to the degree you apply the information in the course. Course timeline This is a listing of the main topics. We often add to the course to try to accommodate each student’s interests. Class 1 & 2 Introduction to Permaculture Why Permaculture What is Permaculture Design Principles Design Tools Pattern Language Class 3 & 4 Design Methods, Water and Soil Design for Climate Design for Water Earthworks Regenerative Soil Building Compost, Manures, Maintaining Fertility and more Class 5 & 6 Food Systems Ecology and Trees Food Forests Small Scale, Intensive Gardening Pests Aquaculture Agroforestry Animals Class 7 & 8 The Built Environment Built Environment Retrofitting Existing Structures for Resiliency Natural Building Infrastructure Appropriate Technology Energy Low Tech Solutions Class 9 & 10 Finance, Economics and Community Financial Permaculture and Regenerative Enterprises Land Access Strategies Intentional Communities Community Building Regenerative Villages and City Living Class 11 & 12 Where Do You Go From Here Design for Disaster Review Where Do We Go From Here? Careers, Networking, Further Study Special Topics Design Presentations Talent Show (Online) For the final class the lead instructor will review and mentor your submitted design and issue your certificate of completion.
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Maven Makers
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: Affordable small business coaching with experienced instructor, Patty Love Groups are limited to 6 people each to ensure a focus on your work, each and every meeting The opportunity to build lasting personal and professional relationships with like-minded colleagues and peers 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
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Advanced Permaculture (AP)
Advanced Permaculture One Year Certificate Program Advanced Permaculture (AP) is a one-year, (four-module) certificate program focused on understanding natural systems and cycles, learning tools of regenerative land stewardship, and developing a plan to implement restorative design practices. This program will bring you into a more comprehensive understanding of the land you live on, shepherding you through the process of designing a more resilient landscape. Certificate Program Module one: WATER MANAGEMENT Module two: SITE PLANNING Module three: SOIL & ANIMALS Module four: FOOD FORESTS & FOREST ECOLOGY Personal Growth Modules one, three, and four can be taken individually for personal growth and education. *To earn a certificate, students must complete all four modules, assigned homework, readings, and a comprehensive design. Register Now Advanced Permaculture Modules Module 1 Water Management Feb. 6 – March 13 Module 2 Site Planning March 20 – April 3 Module 3 Soil & Animals Apr. 10 – May 15 Module 4 Food Forest & Forest Ecology Sept. 11 – Oct. 16 Advanced Permaculture Certificate FINDING HOPE IN RESILIENCE Regenerative farmers are the new climate champions. To prevent global catastrophe, we need to stop emitting carbon and draw carbon dioxide down from the atmosphere. The best way to do that is by preserving wild spaces, and implementing regenerative farming, ranching, and forestry practices. We need to grow vibrant living systems to sequester atmospheric carbon and create resilient systems to mitigate disasters such as fire, flood, and drought. Permaculture design and regenerative agriculture are climate solutions which need people like you to grow the future. This program will take you deeper into the tools and techniques of regenerative design! THE OPPORTUNITY Half the farmland in North America is due to change hands in the next two decades as farmers age out. It is vital that the new stewards of that land know how to manage it in ways that contribute to global healing. Two-thirds of the world’s population will live in cities by 2050. It is equally vital that city dwellers know what regenerative land stewardship looks like and promote regenerative policies and practices in their regions. Our friends and families need a clean healthy world. The world needs allies and advocates for a regenerative future. Are you concerned about climate change, ecosystem degradation, and climate justice– and want to make a positive difference? Advance Permaculture is for you if: You earned a Permaculture Design Certificate or have practical permaculture experience You have a deep love for the Earth and the natural world You want to expand your knowledge of permaculture and go deeper into some of the topics that interest you most You have land–even a backyard or urban garden–and want to learn how to make it thrive You hope to get land in the future, and want the skills and tools to run a regenerative homestead, urban farm, ranch, or retreat space You want to learn solutions and hopeful approaches to some of our most dire problems You want to prepare for a career in the field of environmental sustainability MEET Your Teachers Starhawk (she/her) is the co-founder and executive director of Earth Activist Training. One of the foremost voices in Earth-based spirituality, Starhawk is an author, activist, and permaculture teacher and designer. Her 12 books include such beloved reads as The Spiral Dance, The Earth Path, and The Fifth Sacred Thing. Starhawk drew from 30 years of living collectively to write The Empowerment Manual, which is the basis for her social permaculture course, Empowering Collaborative Groups. Starhawk has been recognized by the Permaculture Institute of North America (PINA) as a leading figure in permaculture and has been awarded dual diplomas for excellence in education and permaculture site design. Best known as an articulate voice in the revival of Earth-based spirituality and Goddess religion, Starhawk is the co-founder of the Reclaiming movement, an activist branch of the modern Pagan religion. In partnership with Donna Read, Starhawk is the co-founder of Belili Productions film company, whose most well-known project was a trio of popular films on the Goddess religion. Starhawk’s work in progressive activism has spanned generations and geographies. As a global justice and peace activist, Starhawk co-founded RANT: Root Activists’ Network of Trainers, and has taught non-violent direct action across North and South America, Europe, and the Middle East. She has been on the front lines of anti-nuclear actions at Diablo Canyon, Livermore Weapons Lab, Vandenberg Air Force Base, and the Nevada Test Site. She has been a witness for peace in conflict zones across the world, including Nicaragua, El Salvador, and Palestine and Israel. As a teacher of magical activism and permaculture education, Starhawk’s life work takes her across the globe. She currently lives part-time in San Francisco in a collective house with her partner and friends, and part-time in a little hut in the woods in Cazadero, California, where she practices permaculture in her extensive gardens and writes. Her website is http://starhawk.org. Read More 3 Charles Williams (he/him) is Earth Activist Training’s program director. A long-time permaculture educator and certified permaculture designer, Charles comes to Earth Activist Training through a love of the wild, faith that healthy communities can solve complex problems, and a belief that working with one’s hands is sacred work. Over the past thirty years, he has stewarded many pieces of land, including Diana’s Grove in Missouri, Farm & Wilderness summer camp in Vermont, and Starhawk’s Golden Rabbit Ranch in California. His approach simultaneously promotes both the preservation of wild spaces and conservation of the domestic. His deep respect for and relationship with the divine in nature informs all he does, integrating spiritual practices with land management. Charles also understands the need for healthy community, and knows that skilled human implementation is an essential part of any design. In these challenging times, he finds hope for the future through the interlocking, symbiotic relationship of spirit, community, and action. As an accomplished tinkerer, Charles brings a wide range of practical and somewhat obscure hand skills. He has installed complex systems such as solar electric arrays, gray water filters, and veggie oil diesel conversions. He has implemented simple systems such as emergency water filtration, humanure composting toilets, and rotational grazing plans. He is talented in wilderness tracking, solo canoeing, gathering and tending wild edibles, starting fire by hand, and mapping. He loves to work with his hands, whether he is tanning hides or repairing a generator, and this love is reflected when he
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Sustainable Infrastructure
Sustainable Infrastructure May 22nd to June 26th 2025 Learn the fundamentals of homestead and farm scale energy, waste management and natural building systems. This class will provide the technical know-how so you can more effectively manage your space for better resilience and long term sustainability. register now About this Course? Managing land ecologically is a resource-intense activity which requires finding a balance between consumption, ecological impact, and financial solvency. This course will provide practical answers on balancing these often complex and sometimes competing needs. Sustainable Infrastructure centers student understanding on the fundamentals of farm and ranch scale energy systems, material choices, and waste management. We will explore how to design, maintain and manage energy systems, integrate cyclic waste management strategies, and evaluate and find low-impact materials for landed projects. Students will gain tools and strategies for designing and managing the inputs and waste streams for their specific locations and situations. WHAT TO EXPECT Through presentations, exercises, and activities, students will learn to: Evaluate the needs and yields of a property Loop waste streams back into feedstocks Incorporate recyclable products Minimize the use of non-reusable materials By the end of the course, students will know how to: Identify appropriate renewable energy systems for their specific situations Manage waste streams as a resource Design infrastructure with reduced waste and more significant reuse potential All are welcome. There are no prerequisites to this course. Class Schedule Questions? We are here for you. Please reach out at: support@earthactivisttraining.org YOUR LEARNING JOURNEY Sustainable Infrastructure is a required course for the Regenerative Land Management diploma. MEET YOUR TEACHER Charles Williams, Lead Instructor As Earth Activist Training’s program director and senior instructor, Charles has spent the past twenty five years teaching and implementing permaculture. Charles comes to Earth Activist Training through a love of the wild, faith that healthy communities can solve complex problems, and a belief that working with one’s hands is sacred work. Over the past two decades, he has stewarded many pieces of land throughout the United States, including Diana’s Grove in Missouri, Farm & Wilderness summer camp in Vermont, and Starhawk’s Golden Rabbit Ranch in California. His approach simultaneously promotes the preservation of wild spaces, and conservation of the domestic. His deep respect for and relationship with the divine in nature informs all he does, integrating spiritual practices with land management. Charles also understands the need for healthy community and knows that skilled human implementation is an essential part of any design. In these challenging times, he finds hope for the future through the interlocking, symbiotic relationship of spirit, community, and action. Read More 3 WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW COURSE INFORMATION Location: Virtual Dates: May 22th to June 26th, 2025 (6 weeks) Timing: Thursday 6:00-7:00 pm PST Helpful Tool: Time Zone Converter Taught by Charles Williams, program director and lead instructor for Earth Activist Training Each week has 1 hour of live and 1 hour of recorded instruction. All live sessions are recorded and closed captioned. Access to resources, documentation and recorded class content for one year after course finishes. PAYMENT We are dedicated to making our courses as accessible as possible by offering: Earlybird tuition: $280! Full certificate tuition: $300-$350 Four part payment plans: $75 at registration with 3 monthly payments of $75 Alumni tuition: $100 to retake this course Diversity scholarships available: See below. Group Discounts: See below. All amounts are in US dollars. See below for details. SCHOLARSHIPS & DISCOUNTS Group discounts and Diversity Scholarships available? Yes! Keep reading below. QUESTIONS? We are here for you. Reach us at: support@earthactivisttraining.org FUNDING YOUR EDUCATION Payment options Diversity Scholarships If you have any questions, we are always here to help: support@earthactivisttraining.org REGISTRATION Click here to Register
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Regenerative Earth Apprenticeship Program
Regenerative Earth Apprenticeship Program Living and Learning on the land! Seeking apprentices for Summer, 2025 Learn earth skills in a delightful community with good food, live music, and a sense of humor. Do you want to be a part of re-creating reciprocity in the way we get sustenance? Do you long to live in deep relationship with the earth? Are you ready to put your hands into the cycle of life, and participate in the sacred traditions of growing, foraging and preserving food? Are you interested in learning how to dance with plants and fungi for healing? Are you a knowledge carrier ready to receive and pass earth wisdom? Is it time for more strolling in a forest and less scrolling on a screen? This is a special opportunity to take Permaculture out of the classroom and into real life! Learn with Terri Wilde, an Earth Apprentice, Permaculturalist, Gardener, Herbalist and Forager with 35+ years of hands-on experience. Sign up for 1-3 monthly modules of study and practice: Being in the Web of Life Dancing with the Land Preparing for the Coming Changes In this program, you will: • Camp and live in community on Dandelion Hearth Farm, in the heart of the North Cascades’s Skagit River Valley (Western Washington) • Be engaged for 4 days a week with Instruction, Hands-On projects, Field Trips & Work Exchange • Spend the rest of your time exploring the beautiful North Cascades, relaxing in nature, working part time or deepening your studies • Learn to apply Permaculture principles to real life Earth Care! • Practice deep observation, getting to know the plants and animals of place through seasons and successions. • Learn to read the land, water, weather and plants for guidance toward good stewardship. Program Cost: This program is being offered for a sliding scale exchange to cover food costs of around $500/monthly (per module) Plus 10 hours/week in work exchange The cost includes Camping, Food, Instruction, Field Trips and Hands-On Regenerative Practice Classes Curricula Highlights: Permaculture Practices, Sense of Place, Mushrooms, Botany, Gardening, Food Preservation, Foraging, Herbal Medicine, Energy Flows, Humanure, Animal Husbandry, Homestead Skills and More!! Dandelion Hearth Farm is in the Skagit River watershed in western WA. We acknowledges that we are living on and stewarding the ancestral homelands of the Upper Skagit Coast Salish Peoples, Sabelxu band of the Upper Skagit, and honor with gratitude this land and the Upper Skagit Tribe. Apply to the Apprenticeship program Register for one to all three modules: Being in the Web of Life: Observation, Sense of Place, Deep listening, Meeting Animal, Plant and Fungal Kin, Ecology, Soil, Energy Flows, Compost/ Humanure, Permaculture Ethics and Principles Dancing with the Land: Growing food, Knowing relationship, Botany, Permaculture Practices, Foraging, Forestry politics, Invasive plants, Succession, Scythes Preparing for the Coming Changes: Harvest, Food Preservation, Mushrooms, Herbal Medicine Making, Conservation, Assisted migration, Alternative systems (agriculture, architecture, energy, technology, human and human/earth relations, economics, land stewardship…), What matters now? The program includes Camping (we have some structures and gear), Food, Field Trips, and Regenerative Class instruction with hands on projects. It is being offered for $500/month toward costs, plus 10 hours a week work exchange. Curricula for the Modules: Being in the Web of Life: Observation, Sense of Place, Deep listening, Meeting Animal, Plant and Fungal Kin, Ecology, Soil, Energy Flows, Compost/ Humanure, Permaculture Ethics and Principles Observation Turning on our senses Free time in nature Reading the landscape Reading weather Flowing with weather.. Micro Climates US zones (7 here) what is it where you are going? Phenology-the changing timing of biological phenomena Reciprocity Deep Listening Sense of Place Maps: directions, topographic, soil, lidar, Natural History Birds and birdsong as we go… wildlife habitat Learn of where you are from/ going to Sense of place quiz… for home and here Ecology: web of life Food chains, mycelial networks, Mother Tree Keystone species Who is not here now? Where is the line of “an organism”? Soil Living soil: creatures of earth Soil biology. geology types of soil nutrients soil tests Living soil: creatures and organ Energy Flows Compost: Kitchen and Garden, Humanure, composting in situ, liquid gold recycling, garbage Water: Water cycle water over land, how it flows water slowing earth work hugelberm swale/ contours creek breaks keyline design ponds: macro invertebrates microscopic observation plants and fish how to build how to care for aquaculture water conservation: use and watering techniques water harvesting: catchment, grey water Botany Knowing Relationship Meeting plants making plant friends Plant parts and habits/ reproductive strategies Plant Families Permaculture Ethics Principles Guilds/ food forests hedgerows form to function nature’s patterns edge strategies zones stacking functions micro climates Permaculture Design critique… the earth designs Dancing with the Land: Growing food, Knowing relationship, Botany, Permaculture Practices, Foraging, Forestry politics, Invasive plants, Succession, Scythes Gardening/ Farming Annuals Seed Saving: planting for saving seed, hybrid vs. open pollinated, selection, population and Isolation, readiness and collection, processing and storing sheet mulching. no till soil enhancing practices tool care planting transplanting watering selective weeding/ edible weeds harvesting cover crops season extending Perennials propagation: seed, cutting, splitting, layering, grafting mulching/ ramial nesting, guilds/ layers, plant roles, species compatibility long term planning Forest management —Zone 5 Forest policy, legacy forests, clear cutting, aerial herbicide spraying, short life span/turnover We want: protect diverse zones, old growth, legacy forests, protect water, manage with fire/ thinning/ sane harvesting, abate invasives Succession Map plants and weeds…observe over time how they move- weed walk and mapping Native vs. non- native. Edible weeds cooking show. Invasive plant management strategies: ignore, manually weed, cut before seeding, dig out, mow, weed wack, plastic or cardboard (roofing : ) mulch, burning, vinegar, competition Scythes Potential, Using, Sharpening Foraging: Plant walks, Native Plants, Edible and Medicinal uses of plants. Reciprocity: propagation/ gifting, Four caveats, cooking with wild foods Mushrooms, greens, roots, flowers, berries, nuts/ acorns (leaching) Homestead Skills Fire building, firewood wood processing, rocket stove cooking, stocking and rotating food, assessing food quality, cooking with what is in abundance… Preparing for the Coming Changes: Harvest, Food Preservation, Mushrooms, Herbal Medicine Making, Conservation, Assisted migration, Alternative systems (agriculture, architecture, energy, technology, human and human/earth relations, economics, land stewardship…), What matters now? Harvesting Food preservation drying, canning, freezing, salting fermentation: kefir, sauerkraut, pickling food storage: rotating Herbal Medicine Herbalism, schools: TCM, Ayureveda, European, Eclectics, Homeopathy, Aromatherapy, Botany in a Day Herbal medicine making: Teas (infusions and decoctions), tinctures, salves, poultices, syrups, baths Mycology mushroom ecology mushroom identification edible mushrooms: collecting/ cooking/ preserving growing mushrooms medicinal mushrooms Seed saving revisited Conservation: sweaters, teapots, straw boxes, heat smaller spaces, hot water bottle, insulation, wood stove cooking/heating, Earth Etiquette Alternative Energy solar, wind, water, Rocket stoves solar ovens Animal Husbandry dogs/cats chickens: house, feed, water, butcher Food systems How to find the healthy food in America and avoid GMOs, dirty dozen, wheat sprayed with round-up Food management strategies Eco- Building concepts design architecture with nature green energy natural building appropriate technology Connectedness Mycelial, Mother Tree interwoven soil -forests -bodies- each other extinctions What can
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Permaculture Water Management Online with Oregon State University
Permaculture Water Management Online with Oregon State University Part 1: Self-Paced Course: on demand Part 2: Practicum: June 23 - Dec. 14, 2025 Turn water scarcity into water abundance! This course teaches you how to conceptualize, design, and implement sustainable water-harvesting systems for your home, landscape, and community. Rainwater is an amazing free resource. It's more beneficial to plants than municipally supplied water and it can help: reduce storm-water runoff recharge aquifers stop groundwater depletion Harvesting rainwater can also help you become more self-reliant with water and lower your carbon footprint. Click here to learn more
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Introduction to Permaculture @ OUR Ecovillage
July 6 – July 8, 2025 Shawnigan Lake, BC This 2.5 day course will introduce you to the basics of design, ethics, and principles of Permaculture. Jump in to join the first few days of OUR Ecovillage/ Earth Activist Training full 72-hr Permaculture Design Certificate course and meet many others who are on the journey of changing their way of thinking in the world! REGISTER NOW This course is for you if you are ready for: Embark on new food, farm, and life practices Find ways of dramatically reducing energy consumption Begin land-based ventures & small businesses Realize goals toward self-sufficiency Take action on climate change adaptation strategies In this introductory workshop OUR Ecovillage will focus on organizing, activating, and educating through on the ground permaculture projects. Learn how we design human systems that mimic natural systems using a minimum of energy and resources and how to create real abundance and social/environmental justice. Explore the strategies and organizing tools we need to make our visions real, as well as the daily practice, magic, and processes that sustain our spirits. This course is unique from almost all others in North America as you are stepping into O.U.R. Ecovillage – a 25 acre Sustainable Living Demonstration, Research and Education Centre. Through partnering with all levels of government, corporate sponsors, academia, and the grassroots of the wider community projects & organizations, O.U.R. Ecovillage has managed to bring together a range of professionals, permaculture teachers, regulatory folks, and technical stakeholders ready to train others in the next stages of how permaculture projects can become fully legal. What is included in this workshop? Intro to place-based learning and immersed learning environments. Overview of permaculture design curriculum, theory introduction Ethics and Principles Day Principles in Practice Patterns, Systems Theory and how/why Permaculture and Ecological Design is changing the face of building and living Dinner and full site tour followed by campfire circle and building community connection. Investment Course Cost: $495 CAD Fees include the full program, basic accommodations*, meals, and snacks. *Basic Accommodations include either bunk-bed in our gender-inclusive dorm room or a camping site. Specifics of your choice & space assignment will be coordinated after registration and before arrival. About OUR Ecovillage OUR land offers plenty of space to camp, dorms, private rooms, and interesting suites. There are diverse natural buildings to see and we have spaces for gatherings of different flavors: a large Yurt (great for circles and dancing), a large Community Classroom (for presentations), the Healing Sanctuary (for quiet conversation and meditation), many various natural buildings, the 150 person Zero Mile Eatery, and the Chillage (casual covered outdoor space). There are multiple types of indoor and outdoor showers, composting toilets. For some quiet time you can walk the labyrinth, sit by the pond or take a walk in the woods. You will likely see chickens, ducks, sheep, cows, deer, and much more. If you have any questions about the booking process, or to confirm your booking, please call us at 250-812-8782 or email events@ourecovillage.org Check out our full Permaculture Design Certificate course HERE. REGISTER NOW Starhawk Starhawk is a permaculture designer, teacher, and founder of Earth Activist Training, which teaches regenerative design with a grounding in spirit and a focus on organizing and activism. She is the author of thirteen books on earth based spirituality and activism, including The Spiral Dance, The Earth Path, and The Empowerment Manual: A Guide for Collaborative Groups, The Fifth Sacred Thing and City of Refuge. Together with director Donna Read Cooper, she has worked on five major documentaries, including the Goddess Trilogy for the National Film Board of Canada and Permaculture: The Growing Edge. Starhawk directs and teaches Earth Activist Training and has been recognized by the Permaculture Institute of North America as a leading figure in the permaculture field and has been awarded PINA’s dual diplomas for excellence in education and permaculture site design. Hiinahcit, Petrina Dezall, Mowachaht, Nuu Chah Nulth Hiinahcit is an educator in Land-Based learning and Decolonizing Permaculture with a focus on Self Determination and Sovereignty through project managing medicinal gardens, food forests, seed collecting and revitalizing harvesting protocols building internation relationships. Being raised with Nuu-chah-nulth traditional plant knowledge she eventually found her niche growing plants and medicine while learning Western Herbal Medicine with Wild Rose College. She continued her Herbal Medicine education in Washington State learning Alchemic Herbalism through The School of Evolutionary Herbalism, then moved forward with deepening her land-based knowledge from Earth Activist Training where she became PIMA certified in Permaculture and now co- teaches in-person Certificate trainings with her mentors. Hiinahcit’s hobbies include harvesting, falconry and painting. Her current artwork can be viewed in the Exhibition “The Legacy of George Clutesi” in contract with RBCM and UVIC Legacy Collections currently showing at The Bill Reid Gallery. www.hiinahcit.com James Matthew Richardson, Ph.D.; M.A.S.L.A; B.Ed.; B.Sc. (Hon); P.D.C.; P.Dip. (Research); P.D.C. (Education) James Richardson is a teacher, designer, builder, farmer and cultivator of social change. His research in sustainable food system planning explored some fundamental questions such as what it would take to feed the city of Vancouver and his PhD in resilient regional planning utilized Ecological Footprinting to redesign Wellington, NZ. He brings an experiential flare to his teachings following a dynamic teaching career in Canada, New Zealand, Guyana, and the United States. James is a student of Permaculture, natural building, biodynamic farming and brings to the space a deep understanding of the art and science of sustainability. Brandy Gallagher Brandy Gallagher is a founder and developer of O.U.R. Ecovillage. Her life work has been focused around the development of the ‘Decolonizing of Sustainable Community.’ A designer and educator, she has worked with local and international community builders to create the 25 acres Sustainable Living Demonstration Site and Education Centre. From ‘Comprehensive Development’ land use re-zoning to incorporating holistic new ownership structures, from governance to building codes, from wastewater to closed-loop systems approval – her commitment has been to ‘Lawful Permaculture’ within the Ecovillage and “re-village” movement.
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2025 Permaculture Design Certificate & ReVILLAGing Family Camp!
2025 ~ Permaculture Design Certificate & ReVILLAGing Family Camp! …. Designing for Regenerative Living & Re-Villaging At OUR Ecovillage, we believe that we are all teachers and we are all learners.In 2025, we invite you to co-create a truly unique, transformational experience: a two-week journey of living, learning, healing, and designing — together. Shifting patterns, exploring worldviews, and practicing tools and capacity building creates new possibilities when stepping into deep-dive ‘probiotic’ ecological knowledge building. July 6 – 20, 2025 Vancouver Island, British Columbia Canada OUR team is led by Hiinahcit, Brandy Gallagher, and James Richardson and continues to be partnering with Starhawk/ Earth Activist Training (E.A.T.), and now the Raffi Foundation, and Charlene Vasvuez/Deep Medicine Circle crafting a permaculture program for people of all ages and lived experiences to come together in a living village.Through experiential learning, we embark on a journey where land-based learning and climate science meet cultural ways of knowing and wisdom traditions knowledge transfer. How might we learn to hold each other, as we heal into the beauty of a certainly uncertain future… and listen to what calls us forward? Rooted in relational pedagogy and an Indigenous / kinship worldview, this gathering blends the depth of a Permaculture Design Certificate (PDC) course with the magic of a ReVillaging Family Camp, Child Honouring & Peacemaking — a model of living and learning that is both ancient and urgently needed for our times. This is more than a course. It is a way of being. Together, we will: Shift patterns of thinking, living, and designing centered in Peacemaking / Restorative Justice Explore worldviews that center connection, responsibility, and reverence for life. Build tools and capacity for ecological stewardship and regenerative community building. Practice hands-on, land-based skills that feed the soil, the spirit, and our collective future. Whether you come as an individual seeking PDC certification, a parent with your children, a young adult seeking leadership skills, or an elder wishing to share and learn —this village is for you. Participants will learn through participation in: The ethics and principles of permaculture design. Indigenous Knowledge sharing Child Honouring principles The core values of Peacemaking / Restorative Justice Constructive, regenerative solutions to climate change and environmental degradation, How to analyze a site and plan for future management. How to harvest, conserve, store, filter and clean water. How to set up graywater systems and composting toilets. How to build soil, make compost, sheet mulch, compost teas and ferments, and foster healthy soil biology. How to start seeds, make cuttings and propagate plants. How to make biochar. How to tend a forest to reduce wildfire danger. How to plant, plant and tend a food forest and incorporate agroforesty. The role and ethics of incorporating animals into a system. The spectrum of alternative energy solutions available to reduce our carbon footprint. Legal and financial structures to help promote change (Lawful Permaculture!) Communication skills and conflict trainsformation tools to help groups run smoothly. Strategies for transforming oppression and discrimination and building bridges across our differences, Planning and strategy for social justice campaigns. Grounding, centering, and establishing a personal practice for spiritual and self-renewal. Creating ceremony, community rituals and celebrations. And we’ll do all this in an exciting, new context:
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Permaculture Teacher Training – Texas
Houston, Texas Dates: August 3 – 9 Non-residential Instructors: Jude Hobbs and Carol Burton Host: Urban Harvest Contact: Carol Burton carol@urbanharvest.org Includes: Instruction, the e-book, Cascadia Permaculture Educator’s Guide by J. Hobbs and other course materials General Pc Teacher Training Information Contact Jude with any questions: infocascadiapc@gmail.com Prerequisite: Permaculture Design Course Certificate or instructor’s approval. This Certificate Course is offered by an Instructor from the Permaculture Institute of North America. Empower yourself to advocate for change through whole systems teaching and design. In this dynamic and interactive course, you will learn impactful teaching techniques to communicate and apply Permaculture (Pc) principles and strategies to a wide variety of audiences and educational settings. Jude utilizes a combination of diverse teaching modalities; including effective use of lecture, storytelling, power points, structured discussion, small groups, interactive experiential activities, visual aids and hands-on experiences. These assist participants to gain the tools needed to teach multiple ways of sharing information. As a group we facilitate a safe setting of active learning, building confidence by experiencing essential practice via preparing and co-teaching a variety presentations. We appreciate the unique skills and experiences of those attending and cultivate building strong networks to support one another via group projects and connections post-course. We have had great success teaching and are advocates for the Mollisonian Standard Permaculture Design Course curriculum. We also believe each course, or workshop, taught needs to speak directly to local conditions and the specific skills of the presenters’ team. The focus of this course is not specifically about teaching Permaculture Design Courses but to guide participants to share information in many types of situations, such as workshops, libraries, schools and other venues. Course Topics Include: • Philosophy and Ethics of Being an Instructor • The Art of Teaching and Facilitation • Adult Learning Styles • Building Curriculum and Lesson Plans • Presentation Techniques • Experiential Learning Activities • Co-Instructing • Time Management • Cultural Diversity & Social Justice • Venue Logistics, Course Planning, Marketing and Budgets • Interns, Apprentices and Mentors • Evaluations and Feedback • Tips from the Trade • Keeping Up The Spirit • Self-care • Right Livelihood •Extensive Resources and More Interactive Activity during PTT © 2025 Cascadia Permaculture. Created for free using WordPress and Colibri
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Spokane Permaculture Symposium
The Spokane Permaculture Symposium brings together the Spokane permaculture community along with people interested in learning more about permaculture to incorporate into the gardening, farming, restoration and community work. The focus area is the City of Spokane, Spokane County and the Spokane River watershed. This free event begins on Saturday 8/16/25 at the Shadle Park Library in Spokane, WA where there will be many speakers presenting on topics such as: SustainabilityPermacultureDisaster PreparednessReducing Wildfire HazardIncreasing local food productionWatershed healthAccess to landAquifer recharge and water qualityAnd much more! Following the symposium at the library, there will be a campout at Heartsong in Tumtum, WA until 11am on Sunday morning 8/17. Register to reserve your spot. No pets or children please. Dinner and breakfast will be potluck style. Donations are welcome. This event is co-sponsored by All Things Regenerative, Inland Northwest Permaculture Guild, Global Earth Repair Foundation, Growing Neighbors and the Children of Earth Coalition. More details and registration will be available in June at www.allthingsregenerative.com. For more information, contact Mary Bishop at allthingsregenerative@gmail.com.
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Abundant Food Forests: An Advanced Permaculture Course – OAEC
Abundant Food Forests: An Advanced Permaculture Course This comprehensive course explores the world of regenerative agroforestry, offering a rich blend of historical context, design principles, and practical implementation strategies. Through a combination of inspiring lectures, storytelling, and immersive hands-on activities, students will gain the expertise needed to design, establish, and maintain thriving food forests across diverse climates and contexts. Throughout the course, you’ll dive into the art and science of designing, implementing, and maintaining perennial edible polycultures. Learn comprehensive techniques for propagation, harvesting, and processing that will enable you to create thriving food forests and share their abundant harvests with your community. From initial design to long-term maintenance, you’ll gain the practical skills needed to transform landscapes and cultivate regenerative ecosystems. Curriculum Preview This course is well-suited for both beginners or experienced gardeners/orchardists. It is not required to have previously taken a Permaculture Design Certification course, although it does build on the basic curriculum. Here’s what you’ll learn… Design Principles and Techniques Students will learn key principles and methods for food forest design, including: Biomimicry and observational awareness Whole diet design approaches Understanding forest systems, structures, and succession Utilizing design tools and software for effective planning Adaptive design strategies Environmental Impact and Biodiversity A significant portion of the course focuses on the environmental benefits of food forests, including: Contribution to biodiversity conservation Role in mitigating climate change Positive impacts on the water cycle Soil health Promotion of food sovereignty Students will gain a deeper understanding of how perennial plant communities contribute to holistic land stewardship, and explore opportunities for incorporating native plant-based restoration in their designs, helping enhance overall biodiversity and supporting resilient ecological networks. In addition, we’ll explore the critical intersection of governance and food forests, examining how design choices directly impact food sovereignty. Through in-depth analysis, you’ll learn to create ecological systems that are not just environmentally sustainable, but also socially just and empowering for local communities. Harvesting and Processing Students will have the opportunity to learn methods for abundant harvests, and how to utilize productive yields in various ways: Drying Fermentation methods Canning/Preserving Seed Saving techniques Traditional Land-Tending Practices In partnership with local indigenous tribal educators, we’ll examine traditional ecological practices, exploring time-honored approaches, profound environmental ethics, and time-tested techniques. By centering indigenous perspectives, we’ll illuminate how ancestral wisdom directly informs and enriches contemporary agroforestry design and implementation. Hands-On Learning Throughout the course, students will engage in practical, hands-on activities that reinforce theoretical concepts and provide real-world experience in food forest design and management. By the end of this course, participants will have the knowledge and skills to create, implement, and maintain regenerative agroforestry systems that not only produce abundant, diverse yields but also contribute to ecosystem health, community resilience, and global sustainability. Course Dates Aug. 20-24, 2025 – 5 days of hands-on skill building at the Occidental Arts & Ecology Center in Sonoma County, CA. Cost $1,450 is the base cost for individuals, due at the time of registration. Includes onsite lodging and organic, vegetarian meals during the on-site training. Early-bird discount – $100 off if you register at least 30 days before the start of the course. Group discounts – $50 off for each person in your team of two or more. Sign up at the group rate and add your teammates’ names to your registration form. And yes, you may combine the early bird with the group discount for a total of $150 off each for up to 4 people. Sign Up Now!
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Advanced Permaculture – Food Forest & Forest Ecology
Date: September 11 th – October 16 th 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 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. 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. Forest Management Plans: Using concepts from class write a forest management plan. FOOD FORESTS & PERENNIAL SYSTEMS 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 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. 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 Cost: $400-$450 (sliding scale)
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Water Harvesting Design Certification: October 2025
Water Harvesting Design Certification: October 2025 In our Water Harvesting Design Certification course, you will receive the highest quality and greatest depth of training in integrative water harvesting offered in the nation. Through a unique combination of hands-on and classroom instruction, the course provides a thorough, on-the-ground understanding of the core principles and adaptive practices which can be applied in a range of climates and human contexts. Learn more about the course here. The course includes 45 hours of instructor-based learning that includes two, 2-hour virtual primer sessions prior to a week-long intensive series of in-person sessions. See the general course schedule below. General Course Schedule: Mon., Oct. 6th, 3p.m. - 5p.m.: [Virtual] Primer Session -- Water Harvesting Warm-Up Wed., Oct. 8th, 3p.m. - 5p.m.: [Virtual] Primer Session -- Water Harvesting System Design and Calculations Mon., Oct. 13th, 9a.m. - 6p.m.: Introductions and facilitated discussion; Principles and Integrated Design, Site Assessment Tools and Techniques Tue., Oct. 14th, 9a.m.-5p.m.: Water Harvesting Bike Tour; Design Development and Water Budgeting Wed., Oct. 15th, 8:30a.m. - 5p.m.: Site Assessment Hands-on Facilitated Activity; Rain tank and Greywater Design, Installation Best Practices and Applications Thu., Oct. 16th, 8a.m. - 5p.m.: Water Harvesting Field Installation; Concept Design Planning, Development, Review and Discussion Fri., Oct. 17th, 8a.m. - 5p.m.: Field Site Install Follow-up and Critique; Course review and design adaptations for different site contexts Sat., Oct. 18th, 10a.m. - 5p.m.: Design Practicum and Course Closing Session Instructions for Registering 1) Are you requesting a scholarship (available on a limited basis based on need)? If yes, please click here to submit a scholarship application form. We will review your application. Following our review, we will provide you with payment processing options. 2) A deposit of at least $400 is required to secure your place in the course. The course fee may be paid in full online, sent by check within 2 weeks of your application, or paid in 3 installments (must be paid in full at least 2 weeks prior to course start). Course registrants will be reimbursed (less $100) on cancellation up to 30 days before the course start date. No reimbursement will be paid within 30 days of the start date of the course. 3) Following receipt of payment for the course, we will provide you with course preparation materials. Recommended course texts (sold separately) include: Brad Lancaster's Rainwater Harvesting for Drylands and Beyond Volumes I, 3rd edition (available here) Brad Lancaster's Rainwater Harvesting for Drylands and Beyond Volumes II, 2nd edition (available here) Art Ludwig's Create an Oasis with Greywater (available here) Optional: Continuing education credits for some professions (pending course review by those institutions) may be provided upon request. Contact us for details. When: Monday, October 6, 2025 - 3:00pm to Saturday, October 18, 2025 - 5:00pm Where: 1137 N Dodge Blvd Tucson, AZ 85716 Register online