Permaculture Design Course at Findhorn Ecovillage

Join us at Ecovillage Findhorn, one of the biggest and oldest ecovillages in Europe, for a hands-on two-week certificate course on permaculture principles and design practices, with a focus on permaculture in community and methods that will engage the heart, head and hands. There is no better location to learn about permaculture - seeing it embodied in action in decades of work by a whole community of people striving for sustainable living, community and spiritual connection. 

Permaculture is a holistic design system for sustainable living, creating systems for minimum effort and maximum effect. The permaculture philosophy is one of working with rather than against nature, and the permaculture principles are a lens through which to see the world and make our key decisions. That’s how we can sustain human activities for many generations to come. The Permaculture Design Course enables you to become a certified Permaculture Designer, capable of creating and implementing designs aligned with the ethics of Earth Care, People Care and Fair Share.

The Findhorn Permaculture Design Certificate (PDC) includes:

• Training in Permaculture Design, covering the full Permaculture Association curriculum (which is based upon Bill Mollison’s curriculum, with updates bringing it to the modern day), tailored to the unique people and place of our course;
• Guest speakers and core teachers who have years of experience living in Ecovillage Findhorn;
• Diverse learning methods: including facilitated group discussion, practicals (e.g. gardening, fermenting), meditation, song, site visits, students sharing their knowledge, group design projects and more – covering holistic learning through eyes, heart, hands and head;
• Observing permaculture ethics and principles in action, and experiencing how these processes influence systems and site development.

You will gain knowledge and practical skills on the key themes:

• Soil management: soil food web, macro/microorganisms, mulching, composting, no-dig gardening, soil tests, erosion, mycorrhizal and bacterial associations;
• Water use and conservation: Hydrology cycle, rainwater harvesting, wastewater systems (including a tour of the Living Machine, the ecovillage’s ecological wastewater treatment system), drainage, water as energy store and water use;
• Plants and Trees: Tree species and their gifts, energy transactions, forest gardening, food forests, windbreaks and shelter belts, riparian buffers, indicator plants and orchards;
• Growing and sourcing your food: Polycultures, organic farming/ horticulture, bed creation, food preservation, ethical choices, ecological footprints, input-output cycles of food;
• Built Environment: Ecological buildings, retrofitting, transport, renewable energy, and urban permaculture;
• Resource Use: Ecological and carbon footprints, asset assessments;
• Social Systems: Personal and community resilience, communication skills, economics, land tenure, governance, and decision-making.
• Permaculture Ethics: Earth Care, People Care and Fair Share (aka Future Care);
• Permaculture Principles: Attitudinal and ecological principles;
• Permaculture Design: Processes, skills, tools and methods;
• Design Practice: Group work on design projects;
• Design Presentation: Sharing the designs made in groups.
   

ADDITIONAL TOPICS UNIQUE TO FINDHORN

• Community Building: Attunements, team building, morning meditation and group singing options;
• Local site visits and invited guest teachers from the community.

The course package includes:

• 14 days of immersive tuition with hands-on practical learning, formal sessions with the main facilitator and guest trainers from the Findhorn ecovillage community;
• A day trip to a working permaculture smallholding;
• Experiencing one of the biggest and oldest ecovillages in Europe;
• Welcome dinner on arrival and a closing dinner celebration;
• Lunch every day of the course;
• Mid-morning and afternoon refreshments;
• A rest day in the middle to explore the area at your own pace;
• Permaculture Design Certificate (PDC) on completion of the full course.