Building Sustainable Communities
A Permaculture Design Course
OPEN COLLEGE NETWORK ACCREDITED
What can the course lead on to?
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Full details of this course to be announced.
Provisional dates for next course: January - May 2009
Use green imagination to enliven your home, your work, your community.
The course looks at how we can design human 'eco-systems'; working collaboratively with one another to care for the planet and ourselves.
It is a hands-on course – we get outside to learn. Includes visits to:
• a working woodland
• 'green' buildings
• organic allotments
• local organisations which practice sustainability
Led by Daniel Holloway and Alex Penn, with guest speakers.
Dates
To be run over 6 weekends, January-May 2008
Saturday and Sunday sessions run from 9.45am – 5.00pm
The second weekend will be residential.
Venues
The course will be run from Earthship Brighton at Stanmer Park just outside Brighton. Click here for directions to our meeting point at Stanmer Park. Other venues will include locations in and around Brighton, as well as visits to
• Stanmer Organics
• Natural woodlands
• Prickly Nut Wood, working woodland in West Sussex
• Pippa John’s garden
• A forest garden
• Other places of interest.
We facilitate lift sharing to travel to the more remote locations and for visits.
What is Permaculture?
Permaculture design is about practical ecological strategies for land, water, buildings, people and communities. It is based on the philosophy of cooperating with nature and caring for the earth and its peoples.
The word Permaculture is derived from permanent agriculture and permanent culture, but offers a perspective on all aspects of building a sustainable future, and affecting your life for the better. Permaculture encourages us to use our individual skills, knowledge and interests, whilst drawing on traditional wisdom, science and our innate ability to observe and learn from the world around us. Whether your interest is gardening, farming, planning, building homes, community work, economic regeneration, business or green lifestyles, the application of Permaculture principles empowers you to make a positive contribution towards a sustainable future.
The course
The course enables participants to integrate a self-reliant, pragmatic, ecological approach to work, life, gardens, homes and communities. It is valuable for anyone wishing to add a Permaculture perspective to their existing skills, and to community workers, teachers, architects, planners, landscapers, foresters, agriculturists and conservationists.
The sessions cover:
• Ethics and principles of Permaculture
• Design process and methodology
• Soil structure and conservation
• Water, sewage treatment and aquaculture
• Climate and microclimates
• Trees and woodland management
• Cultivated ecology: gardens and farms
• Community development and organisation
• Building effective learning groups
• Real wealth, money and sustainable exchange
• Attendance of the Green Architecture Day
• Energy conservation and renewable energy
We use group work, discussion, observation, guided walks, home study and practical activities, lectures, videos, and slides as learning methods. An emphasis is put on Action Learning throughout. Participants come to understand how they learn and the group members support each other during the course.
You will get to work on a major design activity – an opportunity for you to learn and apply your skills and knowledge as the course progresses.
A resource list is provided along with handouts (included in the course fee). Two useful books are: Permaculture in a nutshell by Patrick Whitefield and Introduction to Permaculture by Bill Mollison. Discounted Books can be ordered during the course
Accreditation
The course follows the 72-hour international Permaculture Design Course syllabus and so qualifies participants for the Permaculture Design Course completion certificate awarded by the Permaculture Association (Britain). This has to be gained before you can use the phrase "permaculture" in part of your work as a professional or with the public, such as being a gardener, a teacher, a designer, giving talks about permaculture, etc.
In addition, the Building Sustainable Communities course is accredited at QCA Level 3 by the Open College Network South East Region,
In addition, the Building Sustainable Communities course is accredited at QCF Level 3 by the Open College Network South East Region, and students will receive a certificate to show achievement of 12 OCN credits, which count as part of the UK further and adult education system. A separate fee will be charged for this, £40 to cover registration and certification charges, and £5 for administration (total £45). Further information will be provided, and fees collected during the course. To qualify for the OCN credits you will need to present a portfolio of evidence collected during the course, and compiled in your own time, about 3 to 4 weeks after the course finishes.
To qualify for either or both certificates, you must attend a minimum of 12 days of the course and complete the final design workshop.
What can the course lead on to?
Once you have gained the Permaculture Design Course completion certificate, you could go on to work for a Diploma in Permaculture Design. This is usually a two year, action learning study period where you apply what you've learned, and design Permaculture into your life and work, and then present your designs. You design it yourself - in fact designing your Action Learning Pathway is one of the designs that you could present as part of the Diploma - and Brighton Permaculture Trust runs a 'node' of the Diploma WorkNet to support you in this, with regular meetings you help you on your Pathway.
Course facilitators
Daniel Holloway, Designer & maker of sustainable systems, mechanical and ecological with permaculture as an underlying influence.
Alex Penn, Permaculturist with expertise in natural eco-systems.
Pippa Johns Dip Perm Des. Permaculture teacher and designer; runs Edible Gardens plant nursery and design consultancy.
Guest speakers include TO BE CONFIRMED:
Ben Law Dip Perm Des. Green wood builder, teacher and author.
Bryn Thomas Dip Perm Des. Permaculture trainer and designer.
Also other guests from
• environmental art projects
• local housing co-ops
• local and international permaculture projects.
Recommended reading
These books are recommended but it is not necessary for those attending to buy or read them.
• Permaculture In A Nutshell, Patrick Whitefield
• Permaculture - A Beginner’s Guide, Graham Burnett
• The Permaculture Way, Graham Bell
• Introduction to Permaculture, Bill Mollison
• The Earthcare Manual, Patrick Whitefield
Fees
Fees include tuition, handouts and information sheets, refreshments, basic accommodation for residential weekends, basic vegan food for residential weekends, field visits, attendance of the Green Architecture Day, affiliation to Brighton Permaculture Trust, a Permaculture Association (Britain) course completion certificate and membership of the Permaculture Association (Britain). Optional open College Network accreditation fees are not included (see accreditation section above). Travel to residential weekends and visits to other venues is arranged by lift share between the course participants.
£810 - Sponsored/organisation rate
£810 - Individual income more than 25k/yr
£625 - Individual income 18-25k/yr
£450 - Individual waged less than 18k/yr
£310 - Individual, concessionary rate
A maximum of 10 places are available at the concessionary rate which are open to people in receipt of means tested benefits, students & OAPs. Early booking is especially advised if you wish to apply for a place at this rate.
We endeavour to make our courses affordable to all. Unfortunately we do not receive any external funding and as such rely on large amounts of voluntary input to run courses. In some circumstances we may be able to negotiate fee reductions if you can offer significant other support or facilities.
See the cancellations, refunds and transfers policy.
Keep me informed
Contact us if you would like us to email you when we announce details of this and other courses or events.
