permaculture

[christopher nesbitt <christopher.nesbitt@mmrfbz.org>]

Permaculture Design Course, 

February 20th through  March 2nd, 2012
Place: Maya Mountain Research Farm
San Pedro Columbia, BELIZE

Instructors:
Albert Bates, Andrew Leslie Phillips, Ciff Davis, Christopher Nesbitt & local 
guest instructors.
Cost:USD1250/Belize$2500 includes organic farm fresh meals, all course 
materials and expeditions, comfortable accommodation in the farm, and a 
certificate or Permaculture Design upon completion of the course.
For Details, or to register, please see http://www.mmrfbz.org or contact 
Christopher at info(a)mmrfbz.org. 

Through lecture, discussion, small groups, site visits and hands on 
experience, participants will gain the tools to create sustainable, 
ecologically based homes, farms, businesses and communities.

Tucked into the foothills of the Maya Mountains, two miles up river from the 
village of San Pedro Columbia in southern Belize, Maya Mountain Research Farm 
is a working demonstration farm and registered NGO that promotes sustainable 
agriculture, appropriate technology and food security using permaculture 
principles and applied biodiversity. With over 20 years of organic management 
and conversion from an abandoned cattle and citrus farm to a polyculture, 
MMRF is one of Central Americas oldest permaculture farms.

A scholarship for this Permaculture Design Course is being offered by Maya 
Mountain Research Farm in memory of Anne Bulford. Anne Bulford graduated from 
Antioch College, was active in organic agriculture in Ohio, working at Ohio 
Ecological Food and Farming Association, and died in November, 2008 of 
cancer. She has two boys, Peter and Skyler, who live with Annes mother, 
Sally. Applicants must be Belizean or Guatemalan, working in agriculture in 
the communities adjacent to the Maya Mountains in Belize, or in Izabel or 
Peten Department of Guatemala, and a farmer or community leader. To apply, 
please contact Christopher Nesbitt at christopher.nesbitt@mmrfbz.org with a 
description of the work you are doing, and a resume or CV and explain why you 
would like to participate in this course.


Teachers:

Albert Bates is a former lawyer, paramedic, graphic artist and author of 
eleven books on energy, environment and law, and produced two films on 
ecovillages. He is the founder of the Ecovillage Network of the Americas and 
was active in the creation of the Global Ecovillage Network. He has lectured 
and universities and government agencies and worked on natural buildings, 
village infrastructure, and permaculture landscapes on 6 continents. He has 
been teaching permaculture design courses since 1994.

Andrew Leslie Phillips A native of Australia, Andrew studied permaculture 
with Bill Mollison and Geoff Lawton, He convenes and teaches permaculture in 
the north-eastern U.S. He is founder of Hancock Permaculture Center and 
consults through his consulting organization: Permaculture Design Solutions

Cliff Davis is a permaculture designer based in the Cumberland region of 
Tennessee. He is currently co-director of Spiral Ridge Permaculture Gardens, 
an off grid permaculture homestead/design firm that includes extensive swale 
systems, terraces and ponds, edible forest gardens, year round food 
production, a useful plants nursery, bamboo agroforestry, diverse animal 
systems, aquaculture, worm compost, natural building, top bar hive 
beekeeping, family and fun.

Christopher Nesbitt 
Christopher has lived and studied agriculture in Belize since the mid 1980s. 
He worked for Green & Blacks, an organic chocolate company, from 1997 to 2004 
on issues related to organic certification, Fairtrade certification and 
extension. He was a founding member of Belize Organic Producers Association, 
and has worked as a consultant for the Government of Belize’s Ministry of 
Health, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries Department. He installs 
photovoltaic and photovoltaic/wind hybrid systems in protected areas, 
photovoltaic water pumps, and teaches agroforestry.


          Group discount available.


_____________________________
Christopher Nesbitt

Maya Mountain Research Farm
San Pedro Columbia, Toledo
PO 153 Punta Gorda Town, Toledo
BELIZE, 
Central America

www.mmrfbz.org