An Introduction to Permaculture

This course aims to give you a basic but wide-ranging introduction to permaculture as an approach to designing more sustainable ways of living and working on the Earth.

It will give you a good grounding in the core elements of a permaculture approach including the ethical framework or values that underpin it, the principles from nature that it draws on, and a design framework for applying them.

In the course you will be encouraged to explore and consider the issues that matter to you in your life and work, as well as offered plenty of practical examples of permaculture in action in a wide range of contexts. Weather permitting; the course includes a visit to an established permaculture site, where an experienced designer will show you what they have done and how it all works in practice. It also includes a design exercise during which you will work in groups to develop a permaculture design for a designated area (e.g. piece of land or a building).

It is relevant both for those working towards their Certificate or Diploma in Field or Conservation Ecology and for those with a general interest in sustainable living and design.