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permaculture - Re: [permaculture] "certified permaculture designers"

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  • From: "Robert Waldrop" <bwaldrop@cox.net>
  • To: "permaculture" <permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [permaculture] "certified permaculture designers"
  • Date: Wed, 25 Jul 2007 22:29:17 -0500

The protocol for the Barking Frogs online Permaculture Design Course, which is included in the preregistration packet linked on this page http://www.barkingfrogspermaculture.org/onlinepdc.htm , and is taught by Dan Hemenway (very distant relation of Toby I think), says that if you take the course for "certification", at the end you are certified as an "entry-level permaculturist". After 2 years of study and work, I am about to submit the permaculture design report for my urban property here in Oklahoma City (which is my design practicum), and if as a result I am certified, I am really clear in my own mind that I am an "apprentice" with much more to learn.

Bob Waldrop, tadpole in training
Oklahoma City

----- Original Message ----- From: "Toby Hemenway" <toby@patternliteracy.com>
A note about the use of terms. Taking a 72-hour design course does not
make you a "certified permaculture designer." The original certificates
from Mollison say, in some cases, that the holder "has successfully
completed a permaculture design course" and other certificates from him
say "is a permaculture design trainee." Somehow in later iterations by
other teachers, usually a few generations removed from Bill, people got
the idea that a PDC made you a professional, certified designer.
Seventy-two hours is the equivalent of two college classes but with no
homework, which is not enough to make anyone a designer. Bill has been
very firm about this, and most of the old-school teachers feel the same
way. I believe it's generally thought that getting a diploma from the
Permaculture Institute after two years of study under a mentor is what
is required to call yourself a certified designer (right, Scott or Robyn
or any of you long-time Pc teachers?). It's unfortunate that this
"resume bloat" has led to so many people thinking the PDC makes them a
certified designer, instead of a design trainee.

I'd be happy to hear anyone's thoughts, pro or con, about this.

Toby
http://patternliteracy.com





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