permaculture

[Michael Pilarski <friendsofthetrees@yahoo.com>]

Hi permaculture friends and co-workers,

Several more thoughts on permaculture design courses, PDC’s.

Granted that a person could get a deep and well-rounded understanding of 
permaculture without ever having taken a PDC, through reading, experiential 
learning, good thinking, and the possible addition of short pc workshops. 

But, there is more to a PDC than educational facts.  Part of it is the group 
experience which I believe deepens the learning by bouncing off of others.  
Partially it is seeing/hearing/experiencing the instructors put things 
together (interlace things) in a way that a book cannot. 

One of the most common comments I have heard from people who have taken a PDC 
course is that their first pdc changed their life.  Certainly that is the way 
it was for me.  I came into my first course (1982) with 11 years of organic 
farming experience, widely read (including all the permaculture books to 
date), etc etc.  In spite of all that I was blown out of the water and my 
life was changed forever.  

This is not to say that people could have permaculture transformative 
experiences without a PDC, but it definitely happens at a good course to a 
significant amount of pdc students.  I certainly would not claim that it 
happens to everyone (even at a good course, and less likely at a poor course).

I think it would be pretty difficult to become a grand master of permaculture 
without going through numerous PDCs.  After my first 23 PDC’s I am looking 
forward to learning at many more.  

PS. There are many ways of taking a PDC these days including on-line, 
distance and weekend courses.  For most people, I think that a two-week (or 
longer) residential course will always have a bigger impact on their 
comprehension and their group bonding. 

Permaculture is more than information or mental design and analyzing. 
Permaculture is also a warm-hearted, loving relationship with other 
permaculturists. There is esprit de corps, which is defined by the Collins 
English dictionary as “consciousness of and pride in belonging to a 
particular group; the sense of shared purpose and fellowship”. Hard to get 
that in that in the isolation of a distance learning course sitting in front 
of a computer or a book.  Not impossible, but warm bodies in front of your 
face are hard to beat.  

Permacordially

Michael Pilarski