Courses and Workshops

Permaculture Design Course 2022 ON HOLD

14 weeks of immersive and transformational learning – a collaborative program with Mt Martha Community House Garden.

Are you interested in growing food, land regeneration, sustainability, energy conservation, climate change, healthy homes, animal care, school gardens, building resilient communities and people?

Explore the world of Permaculture, developing insight and skills to live an abundant life, and look after the planet. Learn to apply permaculture ethics and design principles to individuals, community groups or business settings. Suitable for people wishing to develop their own productive garden, planning a larger scale rural enterprise, involved in community groups, or wanting to live a resilient and more sustainable life.

This 14-week PDC offers 98+ hours of permaculture learning through a mix of discussions, interactive classroom activities, guest tutors and site visits in a supportive small group environment. All learning styles are catered for, with a mix of discussion, videos, readings and hands-on activities.

You will learn to:

  • develop problem solving and design skills for resilience in home, community and workplace settings
  • assess and design for urban or rural scale properties, based on permaculture ethics and principles
  • use sector analysis and zone planning for successful placement and energy efficiency
  • incorporate site analysis, soil assessment, climate influences and water assessment to develop sustainable design concepts
  • assess, select and integrate animal systems
  • read patterns in the landscape and understand forest ecology
  • analyse elements, design connections and networks to improve productivity and efficiency
  • develop skills to build resilient local communities

And build friendships, local networks and become part of a world-wide permaculture community!

By the end of this course you will have the skills to prepare permaculture designs, which can be applied to individuals, households, communities or business to build a sustainable future.

When: SUNDAYS 9.30am – 4.30pm

Where: Mt Martha House Community Garden – Caretaker’s Cottage. This is the only PDC offered on the Mornington Peninsula, Victoria.

Includes: Text book, weekly course notes, site visits and guest tutors. In a flexible small group environment, it may be possible to include additional topics into the program, depending on topic and tutor availability. Please let me know if you have a special area of interest.

Cost: $1250 full fee                     Early Bird: $975

Please email santosha.permaculture@gmail.com for more information, to set up a payment plan or to discuss concession pricing or alternative arrangements.

PAST EVENTS:

PDC 2021

PDC 2020: cancelled due to covid

Backyard Chooks: Saturday 18th January, 10am-12pm

Everything you need to know to successfully set up chooks in your own backyard. Eggs, pest control, weed management, entertainment! Fabulous, productive pets – what’s not to love? Breed selection, coops, runs, health and nutrition, and lots more!

Permaculture Basics: Saturday 29th February, 10am-3pm

Start your permaculture journey here! Spend a day immersed in the ethics and principles, zone and sector planning, a walk through the design process and how permaculture thinking creates a productive and resilient garden and life. Discover how permaculture can be applied to your inner and outer life! A good taster for the PDC commencing April 19th, 2020.

Gardens for Wildlife: Saturday 21st March, 10am-12pm

Learn how to design garden elements for the small inhabitants – native bees, honeybees, birds, frogs, lizards and more! As remaining habitat is under threat it is more important than ever to provide an environment where the creatures thrive, and we can co-habit happily.

Permaculture Design Course 2019 – May-September 2019

March 23rd 2019 – Permaculture Basics –  Start your permaculture journey here! Learn to create a productive and resilient garden and life with permaculture design. We will explore the ethics and principles that underpin permaculture and how to use sector analysis and zones as tools for assessment and planning. Finish the day with a walk through the design process of your own site and take home some ideas to get you started. (Please bring along a base map sketch.)

Permaculture Design Course 2018 – June-October 2018

April 7th 2018 – Food Forests – Learn how to design beneficial polycultures for your home garden, the layers of the food forest ecosystem and the benefits of guild planting. The ultimate in perennial food production!

March 3rd 2018 – Soil health, pH testing, worm farms and compost systems – Understand how microbes transform tired soil into gold! Come along to learn how to set up a successful system suitable to your circumstances, feed the ‘microherds’ beneath your feet, rejuvenate the soil and grow amazing produce!

February 3rd 2018 – Sheet mulching and wicking beds – The ultimate in no-dig or self-watering systems!  Find out the features of each, and how to build one yourself. Small or large the principles are the same, and can often be made from up-cycled materials or existing garden beds.

December 2nd 2017 – Permaculture exploration – Covering the basics of ethics and principles, zones, sectors, and the design process. Perfect if you are starting out in the garden, considering the Permaculture Design Course, or just to find out why people get excited about Permaculture!

November 4th 2017 – Backyard chooks – Everything you need to know to successfully set up chooks in your own backyard. Fabulous, productive pets – what’s not to love?  Breed selection, coops, runs, health and nutrition, and lots more! With Fleur from http://www.bookachook.com

2 May 2017: Permaculture Design Course

28 March 2017: Introduction to Permaculture