BECOME AN EXCEPTIONAL PERMACULTURE PRACTITIONER
- This course incorporates the PDC (Permaculture Design Certificate) but includes much more than any standard permaculture certificate.
- Learning more and knowing more will allow you to do more for clients, and achieve more in any business or employment situation
This course was developed for people working or wanting to work in Horticulture with a particular emphasis on the design, development and management of productive natural garden systems.
- Half the course involves Permaculture systems, Advanced Permaculture, and one relevant elective e.g. Organic Plant Culture.
- The other half provides a broad, general foundation in Horticultural practices. Upon completion of the course you will also be awarded a Permaculture Design Certificate (PDC).
An excellent starting point for an exciting career in
permaculture or sustainable gardening, and the skills you will learn
will be valuable for any area of Horticulture too - expanding your employment and career opportunities.
“The principles of permaculture and
the fundamentals of horticulture are covered in this extensive course.
It creates opportunities to work as a consultant or to set up
sustainable productive gardens for others.” - Adriana Fraser Cert.Hort., Cert.Child Care, Adv.Cert.App.Mgt., Cert 1V Assessment and Training, Adv.Dip.Hort., ACS Tutor.
COURSE CONTENT
The Certificate in Horticulture (Permaculture) involves two areas of work:
- Core Studies - half of the course, involving at least 350 hours.
- Stream Studies - stream studies in permaculture and organic growing, involving at least 300 hours of study.
Core Studies
The core units develop fundamental general skills in horticultural practices and plant knowledge. The core units cover the following topics:
- Introduction to Plants
- Parts of the Plant
- Plant Culture - Planting
- Plant Culture – Pruning
- Plant Culture – Irrigation and Machinery
- Soils and Media
- Soils and Nutrition
- Seeds and Cuttings
- Other Techniques
- ID and Use of Plants – Landscape Application
- ID and Use of Plants – Problems
- ID and Use of Plants – Indoor/tropical plants
- Pests
- Diseases
- Weeds
Stream Studies
These involve 300 hours of study, and are made up of the following modules:
Plus one (1) of the following electives-
Poultry
Fruit Production (Warm Climate) OR Fruit Production (Temperate Climate)
Nut Production
Organic plant culture
Animals in Permaculture
Plants in Permaculture
OR some other approved module related to Permaculture.
AIMS OF THE STREAM STUDIES
Permaculture Systems -
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Explain the concepts of natural systems of relevance to Permaculture.
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Determine appropriate cultural techniques to use in a Permaculture system.
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Explain the incorporation of different animals in a Permaculture system.
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Determine appropriate plants for inclusion in a Permaculture system.
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Select appropriate technologies for use in Permaculture systems.
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Draw concept Permaculture plans to scale.
Advanced Permaculture
SOME OF WHAT YOU WILL LEARN IN THE COURSE
- Explain the relationship between a Permaculture system and natural patterns occurring in a 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.
- Develop a good understanding of the scientific system of naming plants.
- Discuss some of the aspects which play a part in permaculture.
- Describe how permaculture is different to other forms of horticulture and agriculture
- Visit an outdoor environment area determine what relationships the living and non-living things might have with each other.
- Explain contour maps and how this information can be used to estimate potential effects on plant growth.
- Explain weather patterns in your local area. Determine why this knowledge may be important to the permaculture practitionist.
- Explain water within an ecosystem or permaculture garden and its application.
- Describe the differences between the three main types of climate zones (ie: Tropical, Temperate and Desert); and briefly give your views on what major differences would need to be taken in establishing a permaculture system in each climate zone, compared with the other two.
- Explain the importance of trees in a Permaculture system.
- Describe how you would build a no dig garden approximately 10 X 3 metres in size.
- Step by step work through a process of planning changes to a garden to make it into more of a permaculture system.
- Collect and list preplanning information relevant to developing home into a permaculture system
- Write a report explaining the five permaculture zones.
- Create a table listing 50 different pest, disease and weed problems in one column, and an appropriate natural control method for each one in an adjacent column.
- Make a list of companion plants. In one column, list the herb or companion plant.
- Draw a plan for a fruit or vegetable garden which incorporates companion planting.
- Explain briefly each of the companion planting interrelationships you have included in your plan.
- Design a small and simple water garden for use in a permaculture system.
- Design and build an herb spiral.
- Design a vegetable and herb garden based on permaculture principles which would produce enough food to feed you and your family for the entire year.
- List as many different central features as you can think of which could be used in a Mandala garden
- Outline how to plan and prepare garden zones in relation to animals. Provide step-by-step instructions and accompanying photographs or drawings.
- Contact your state department of Agriculture and obtain leaflets relating to poultry which you are particularly interested in keeping.
- Contact your state department of Agriculture and obtain leaflets (and any other publications) relating to bee keeping.
- In no less than 500 words explain the importance of bees to horticulture and the permaculture garden.
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Develop a 5 year plan for developing a one hectare permaculture farm utilising plants, animals and fish (aquaculture). Use drawings and diagrams where needed to assist in this report.
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Select three different aquatic animals which would be appropriate to grow in a permaculture system. For each one in turn, explain how you would incorporate it into a permaculture system.
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Go to nurseries and agricultural supply companies and inquire about environmentally safe pesticides. Write a report on these products.
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Observe the construction process of a building or structure that involves some type of earthworks (e.g., roads, dams, etc).
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Take a photograph of your home or residence. Discuss your residence in relation to designing with consideration to the environment (e.g. does it efficiently utilize sun and shade, is it energy efficient).
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Describe the importance of house design in relation to location, eg. tropical region of Queensland or west coast of Tasmania.
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Contact the local council or health department and inquire about allowable use of waste material in your area. Consider asking about grey water, septic tanks, use of effluent and animal wastes, etc. Write a report to 250 words on the task.
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Contact and obtain information on composting toilets from a manufacturer. Compile this information and use it as a personal reference.
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Contact a supplier of windmills and find out all that you can about the use of these devices for supplying water (i.e. pumping from a river, lake, dam, ground water etc). Discover the alternatives available, the costs involved, the applications, operation etc.
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Contact the National Parks and Wildlife department and obtain as much information as possible on wildlife corridors, conservation, etc. Contact your local council department and inquire about their wildlife corridors, etc. Are they similar or drastically different? Can you think of a reason why there may be a difference?
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For a month period, write down all tasks performed by yourself and anyone who enters your permaculture garden. Submit this work schedule plus a brief report on how it may be possible to improve the time efficiency in the garden.
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Write a report on where you think ‘alternative’ permaculture is heading in terms of main-stream acceptance.
DURATION: 650 - 700 hours
Graduates may find employment in either general horticulture fields, offering a Permaculture perspective to the industry. Or areas servicing Permaculture or natural gardening systems Eg Natural garden design, plant nurseries, teaching, and consulting to inspire the use of Permaculture and natural gardening systems.
Exams: You need to sit 2 exams for the core, and one for each of the stream modules (=5 in total). Exam fees are extra to the course fees.
AFTER THIS COURSE
If you want a change, to get your hands
dirty and try something new, this course will give you solid and
extensive training in both permaculture systems design and practices
plus a sound grounding in the principles and practices of general
horticulture!
- Graduates may find employment in general
horticulture, permaculture design, or natural gardening (e.g. in
garden/system design, nurseries, teaching, consulting, etc).
- After satisfactory completion of this course, you will also be awarded a Permaculture Design Certificate
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You will be more proficient in the aspects of general horticulture needed for effective plant growing and will be able to apply that knowledge in proficient permaculture design.
- Use the knowledge you have gained throughout this course to either set up your own permaculture garden, as a consultant to help others do the same, or to work within the horticulture industry using a more sustainable approach.
WHAT SETS ACS APART?
Service – We put the student first. Tutors and administration can be contacted 5 days a week, 50 weeks of the year, by phone or email.
We provide Better Learning – We’ve been delivering distance education for over 3 decades, and we understand how people learn by home study.
Our methods are unique, developed through experience with a focus squarely on helping you learn.
Up to Date – We are continually revising and updating courses. We listen to our students feed-back and we always improve the course if a change is identified that will help significantly improve your learning.
More Choice – Graduates need a set of skills that will set them apart and give them an advantage over competition in the world after study. We have a wide variety of study choices, and give you lots of options to choose different paths throughout a course. Doing this has meant our graduates very successful.
No Short Cuts –You can’t take short cuts in learning, and that is why our courses are often longer than you will find elsewhere. You could choose to study a short course, quickly sit an exam (while the information is fresh) and pass, but if you want to really understand something and retain it, that takes time.
More than just Learning Facts – We understand that success in the workplace or business requires you to not only learn things, but also build networks, understand the commercial world, be able to solve problems, communicate with people, and have an attitude that will function in your chosen industry.
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