permaculture

[Linda Felch <lfelch@welchlink.welch.jhu.edu>]

Permaculture Design Course
Heathcote Intentional Community
July 12-27 

To make the transition toward a sustainable society, it is imperative that
we take responsibility for our own lives and meet our basic needs for
food, shelter, energy, gainful employment, and supportive community.  The
purpose of this course is to offer you practical training in permaculture
design techniques so that you can begin the application of these skills at
home and in your local community.

The course will cover the standard Permaculture Design Course curriculum,
with emphasis on working with natural systems. This course will be an
immersive experience in community living and permaculture design.

Permaculture education is a synthesis of classroom and participatory
learning, interactive education (observation exercises, role playing, guided
meditations, visioning, group sharing, and hands-on exercises), design
team work & presentation, and creative problem-solving.

Design course topics

Ecological living
Ecosystem dynamics
Identifying issues & establishing goals
Permaculture principles
Mapping & tools
Energy analysis and landscape design
Building soil and erosion control
Conserving water and nutrient flows
Forests, hydrology and microclimates
Growing & eating: Gardens, edible landscaping
Livestock and wildlife
Local useful and edible plants
Waste as a resource
Skills for creating community
Living well in cities: Urban permaculture
Implement what you learned: Take it home


Who should attend?

The course will be useful for people with varying levels of experience
from students and lovers of nature to design professionals. The main
requirement is a commitment to implementing sustainable living practices
in rural or urban areas.

Design course instructors

Dawn Shiner, a Permaculture Designer, herbalist, and homeschooling mother,
began teaching Permaculture in 1987 at Slippery Rock University and has
done numerous land consultations, workshops, and design courses.
Delighting in exploring minimal-impact lifestyles, Dawn and her family
recently founded Dancing Green in Cochranton, PA, to teach, demonstrate,
and model Permaculture principles of design to the general public.
Apprentice teacher Frank Hyldahl has extensive experience in gardening,
foraging, nursery, and site implementation.

Site

The Heathcote Community Conference Center is located 30 miles north of
Baltimore, MD, and 20 miles south of York, PA. It is nestled in a narrow
valley on a 37 acre community land trust.

Food, Lodging, and Other Amenities

Vegetarian meals, lodging in the conference center bunk room, and tent
sites are included in the design course. Care for children age five and up
is available with prior notification at an additional cost. Special
accomodations may be requested in advance.

Cost: $775, $25 discount if register before June 1,
limited work exchange and tuition assistance available)

Prerequisite: read Mollison and Slay's Introduction to Permaculture
        



Linda Felch
lfelch@welchlink.welch.jhu.edu
http://www.welch.jhu.edu/~lfelch/heathcote.html
Baltimore, MD