permaculture

["L. Santoyo Designs" <santoyo@earthflow.com>]

Greetings Permaculture Friends,

Years ago, in an effort to support, enhance and create additional and 
new designers and teachers, The Permaculture Institute (USA) was set 
up by Bill Mollison and Scott Pittman.  These standards on 
curriculum, designers and teachers were also established years ago 
-and it was agreed that those standards would be upheld and that 
-that knowledge would be transferred to each and every new student by 
each and every teacher at each and every design course.

To avoid further breakdown and confusion, for those wanting to adhere 
to recognized standards for awarding certificates, The Permaculture 
Institute will soon be publishing agreements, updates and protocols 
for awards. Additionally, information about protocols for 
apprenticeship programs that facilitate creating a larger pool of 
highly qualified "Permaculture Design Course Instructors" and 
"Permaculture Designers" will be addressed.  -We will be posting an 
announcement very soon.

Please feel free to contact me with any questions, comments or 
concerns. <santoyo@earthflow.com>

Larry

L. Santoyo, Vice President
Permaculture Institute
www.permaculture.org




> Just to be clear on the tears shed at the Inwood Nature Center in 
> Manhattan, ... they were tears of joy.  It took over a year and a 
> half of planning, false starts, and much failure.  Class locations 
> pulled out on us at the last moment.  Teachers in the region had 
> their own agendas and their own courses competing for students. 
> Luckily we were able to saturate both PDC classes here in Manhattan, 
> despite the false start of not enough students for competing classes 
> last October.
>
> We offered a course for $300 (sliding scale) in Manhattan.  The 
> class space was free; 200 acres of old growth and last salt marsh in 
> Manhattan.  The location was not entirely friendly, though, as key 
> individuals no longer worked at the Nature Center by the time the 
> class began.  The teachers, whom we were able to pay, stayed at an 
> organizer's apartment for these six weekends.
>
> The presentations shamed the presentations of the two week PDC I 
> attended.  As far as we understand, this was the first PDC in 
> Manhattan.
>
> Even further, we have individuals out in NYC looking for places to 
> learn yet more.  I have some meeting in Inwood that attended this 
> class.  Others from the class have been meeting in Brooklyn.
>
> We should be applauding such heroic efforts.  Thank you to Ethan and 
> to others for your involvement.  We are sure to have other classes 
> for those who would like to be involved.
>
> It is our hopes to find a way of including students who earn 
> exploitative wages in proximity to Wall Street costs of living 
> (Bronx per capita income in 1999 was at the bottom of all counties 
> in NY state; gentrification has been altering the situation of late).
>
>
> -Sean.
> Claudia Joseph <permie@earthlink.net> wrote: Apologies to the list 
> for  sending a personal note to all.  I think I
> know the answer to those issues of credibility in PDCs.
> There will always be differences in the courses and in how
> individuals absorb the material.
> It is a beginning point, not an end.
>
> Thanks, Ethan for letting me know I broadcast my personal fears to 
> the whole list.
> I do worry about the reputation of permaculture - but perhaps I 
> shouldn't waste my energy there.
>
> I do still have to deal with the issue of folks who are absent for 
> part of the course.
>
> - Claudia
> NYC

--
Larry Santoyo, Director
EarthFlow Design Works
805.459.0452
http://www.earthflow.com