For the first in our education series, we are proud to launch a fully accredited permaculture course in association with Mr. Tichafa Makovere, from Fambidzanai Permaculture Center Zimbabwe. Join this renowned permaculture expert from 21-30 November, 2019, to gain an in-depth practical and theoretical understanding of Permaculture Design – and receive an internationally recognized permaculture certificate.
What is Permaculture?
Permaculture is a series of design principles focused towards the development of self sufficient and sustainable human living spaces. These principles can be applied to all aspects of life, from the household level, to school level, to business level. The goal is to be able to recreate patterns evident in nature, making our civilization a reflection of the natural world. Permaculture designs economically sustainable and ecologically healthy spaces in which to produce food, which rely purely on what is yielded. The techniques are aimed towards improving agricultural methods, which can often be destructive towards the environment, in order to live a more sustainable lifestyle.
The practice is to utilize patterns and features evident in the natural world and combine those with the ways we produce food in order to create a system which is self-reliant and non-harmful to the environment. Permaculture methods draw from a variety of disciplines, some of which include organic farming, agroforestry, sustainable development, and ecological design.
What is the PDC?
The Permaculture Design Course, or PDC, is an intensive 72-hour course. It uses an internationally recognized standard for gaining the skills and knowledge requisite to implement permaculture design. The course is put on through a series of lectures, discussions, practical activities, and design exercises, and at the end of the course each student will be required to create and share a permaculture design map.
During the 10-day course, participants will learn to be able to define, describe, and explain the principles of permaculture. These learned principles can then translate into a tool for the implementation of self-sufficiency in small, medium, and large properties, schools and communities in Africa and elsewhere around the globe.Students will be able to identify, promote and harness healthy ecological processes while producing food, as well as facilitate the holistic design of properties, communities, and school environments.Finally, those pursuing the course will gain the skills necessary to monitor and evaluate the implementation of, and provide technical support to, personal projects and related projects.
The course material includes multiple workshops, with topics involving:
• Ethics and principles of permaculture
• Integrating permaculture design on private properties, schools and communities
• Ecological processes
• Zones
• Patterns in nature
• Soil improvement techniques
• Propagation techniques
• Companion planting
• Plants and their uses
• Dry land farming
• Integrated Pest Management (IPM)
• Water harvesting
• Situational analysis
• Holistic goal formation and plans of action
• Final presentation of personal and group future dream designs by participants
Alongside workshops, those on the course will also learn practical work skills such as:
• Design and planting on given piece of land
• Site analysis
• Soil improvement techniques
• Plant propagation
• Homework to satisfy the 72 hours required for a PDC.
This is a great opportunity to stay for 10 days at BCSS on the beautiful Benguerra Island while learning fascinating new ways to sustainably create and design permaculture projects. The course cost is $700, and that includes lodging and food at the BCSS facilities. The course has limited space, so sign up to secure yours by emailing us at info@bcssmz.org. For more information, click here.
