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Permaculture Design 
Course 

Delivering the longest running PDC in Florida, available online for you here!

Online Permaculture Design Course (PDC)

This course is delivered through our Online Course Program*1, Zoom meetings and our forum.
Table of Content:
• Description of course
• Course includes
• Subjects covered
• Who takes it
Location (online)
• Course dates
• Course fee
• Course timeline
• Certificate
Enroll here

Description of course

Now more than ever, people have attention on creating more choices and resilience in their lives. We want healthy food, a clean environment, and security for us, our children and future generations. 

Our internationally recognized Permaculture Design Course offers practical steps to achieving these things in your own life, regardless of your circumstances.

In this course you will learn:
  • How to apply permaculture techniques to design your life for more abundance and resilience.
  • How to grow your own food abundantly and sustainably.
  • How to increase your own quality of life while helping to heal the planet.
  • How to create and deepen beneficial connections with nature and with other people.
  • How to create or enhance your career using permaculture.
We have gotten many requests to offer an online version from people whose schedules don’t match up with our in-person courses or who prefer to study online. This 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 will have live Q and A sessions and personal mentoring with instructors and you will be able to share your experience with instructors and other students via photos, essays or videos.

We have added some exciting learning modules to the online version and other extras, including units with experts covering various topics. The course will address strategies for drylands, temperate, tropical and other climates based on the significant knowledge and experience of our instructors working in those climates and will also have bonus sections focused specifically on Florida/subtropical climate because of how unique the ecosystem is in Florida. Many of these techniques are very useful in multiple climates and we explain how and why.

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 (online video conference software) with instructors, and to get feedback from a personal mentor. In addition there are in-person modules for those who want that, and special sessions we normally can’t offer in person because of time and site constraints. We feel this exceeds the learning experience from an in-person course alone.

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 on that topic and explore areas of interest more deeply.
Each student will complete a permaculture design of the site of their choice, working through it step-by-step to ensure you have an understanding of each step of the process. Upon successful completion of the course requirements, you will be awarded an internationally recognized certificate for the course.

Online course includes (exceeds the required 72 hours):

  • 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

Who takes this Permaculture Design Course:

  • Artists
  • City planners
  • Do it yourselfers
  • Educators – homeschool, teachers, professors
  • Environmentalists
  • Gardeners
  • Green architects/builders
  • Green businesses
  • Green consultants
  • Holistic and natural health practitoners
  • Homesteaders
  • Landscapers
  • Non-profit/community organizers
  • People seeking a career change
  • People who care about the earth and each other
  • People who love healthy or simple living
  • Permaculturists
  • Policy makers
  • Professionals (of many types)
  • Ranchers
  • Recent college graduates
  • Religious leaders
  • Scientists
  • Students
  • Urban and rural farmers
  • Vegan, raw food, slow food, and/or local food
  • Writers and journalists
  • Yoga practitioners

Locations:

Follow the Enroll Button below or go to https://growpermaculture.com/store/online-pdc/. Once enrollment is complete you can access the course via edX on the main menu.

Course schedules:

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 second Tuesday ever a 12 month period. (Full details are in the syllabus sent to you after enrolling.)

The 2023 July course starts on July 16th and live sessions continue through Jul 15, 2024.

Course fee:

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.
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.
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.

For assistance or questions use the contact form, alternatively send an email to courseinfo "at" growpermaculture "dot" com, or leave a message at 727-495-6145.

* * *

Lead Instructor Koreen Brennan holds a Diploma on both Design and Education from the Permaculture Institute for North America and is also a board member of PINA. PINA supports professional development for PDC graduates through continuing education, mentorship, diploma recognition, and employment. They identify, fund, and staff critically important projects in land, community, and climate regeneration. https://pina.in.

*1. Our Online Course Program is delivered through Open edX. edX is the online learning destination co-founded by Harvard and MIT. The Open edX platform provides the learner-centric, massively scalable learning technology behind it. Originally envisioned for MOOCs, Open edX platform has evolved into one of the leading learning solutions catering to Higher Ed, enterprise, and government organizations. Return to top

What our graduates say

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
Introduction to permaculture
Design methods

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
Ecology and trees
Built environment

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
Finance economics and community
Where do we go from here

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)
Koreen Brennan
"At this point we will review your submitted design, then issue your internationally recognized certificate and you will be ready to move forward on your journey

Koreen Brennen

Lead Instructor
Go here to sign up!
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