Advanced Permaculture

This course takes you well beyond PDC foundation courses. It's intended for

• Graduates of other Permaculture courses
• Garden Designers, Landscape Architects, Horticulturists, Ecologists or other professionals who understand aspects of permaculture; but want to take their knowledge to the next level.

“Complete this course after Permaculture Systems and you are ready to create a design for a range of situations - as a consultant to others or for your own property.” - Adriana Fraser Cert.Hort., Cert.Child Care, Adv.Cert.App.Mgt., Cert 1V Assessment and Training, Adv.Dip.Hort., ACS Tutor.

Learn to plan and manage the detailed development of a permaculture system.

Lesson Structure

There are 10 lessons in this course:

1. Evaluating Design Strategies
2. Understanding Patterns
3. Water
4. Earthworks
5. Humid Tropics
6. Dry Climates
7. Temperate to Cold Climates
8. Planning Work
9. Costing
10. Sustainable Systems

Each lesson culminates in an assignment which is submitted to the school, marked by the school's tutors and returned to you with any relevant suggestions, comments, and if necessary, extra reading.

Aims

• Evaluate appropriate design strategies for a specific development site.
• Explain the relationship between a Permaculture system and natural patterns occurring in your local area.
• Develop strategies for the management of water in a Permaculture design.
• Determine earthworks for the development of a Permaculture system.
• Design a Permaculture system for the humid tropics.
• Design a Permaculture system for a dry climate.
• Design a Permaculture system for a temperate to cold climate.
• Determine planning strategies for the development of a Permaculture system.
• Prepare cost estimates for a Permaculture development plan.
• Explain alternative sustainable systems practiced in various places around the world.

What You Will Do

• Here are just some of the things you will be doing:
• Explain the evolution of a Permaculture system which is at least five years old.
• Compare the suitability of three different planning procedures, for development of a Permaculture system on a specified site.
• Develop a permaculture plan on a specified site, by using flow diagrams.
• Illustrate the progressive development of one view of a Permaculture system, over three years, with a series of four overlay drawings.
• Explain the relevance of patterns which occur in nature, to Permaculture design.
• Explain the importance of observation skills in Permaculture planning.
• Analyse the weather patterns of a site in your locality as a basis for planning a Permaculture system.
• Compare different methods of water provision, including collection and storage for a specified Permaculture system.
• Analyse the adequacy of two different specific Permaculture system designs, in terms of: water requirements, water provision, water storage, and water usage.
• Explain, using labelled illustrations, the use of different survey equipment.
• Survey a site, between one and four thousand square metre in size, that has been selected for a proposed Permaculture system, recording details, including: topography, dimensions, and location of features.
• Prepare a site plan, to scale, of the site surveyed, including contour lines and the location of all existing features.
• Distinguish between, using labelled drawings, different types of earthworks, including: banks, benching, terracing, and mounds.
• Compare different methods for the provision of drainage on a site proposed as, or being developed as a Permaculture system.
• Determine the factors unique to the design of Permaculture systems in humid tropical climates, dry climates, and cold climates.
• Determine fifty plant species suited for inclusion in a Permaculture system in each of the climates above.
• Determine ten animal species suitable for inclusion in a Permaculture system in each of the climates above.
• Prepare a Permaculture design for each of the climates above.
• Calculate the quantities of materials, showing necessary calculations, required in a specified permaculture plan.
• Estimate the work-hours required, showing any necessary calculations, to complete each section of work.
• Estimate the equipment required, showing any necessary calculations, to complete each section of work.
• Determine suppliers for all materials, for a specified Permaculture development, in accordance with specific plans supplied to you.
• Determine the costs of five types of different materials, for a specified Permaculture development, from different suppliers.
• Determine the essential costs for services to establish a specified Permaculture system, such as: labour costs, sub contracting fees, equipment hire, permits and planning applications, technical reports, legal fees.
• Compare the costs of establishing two different Permaculture systems, which you visit and investigate.
• Explain three sustainable agricultural or horticultural systems, other than permaculture.
• Differentiate Permaculture from other sustainable systems, including: Biodynamics, Organic farming.
• Compare specified sustainable agricultural or horticultural practices from different countries.