Finger Lakes Permaculture Institute

a project of the Cayuga Nature Center

What is the permaculture design certificate course?


The Permaculture Certification Course is 75 to 100 hours of class time covering the permaculture curriculum as layed out in Permaculture: A Designers Manual by Bill Mollison. The course is meant as a first step toward a lifelong commitment to changing the way we think and live.

Here's what some of our past students had to say:

�The course has been by far one of the most useful and inspiring educational experiences I have ever had the benefit of."

"The material we covered encompasses an enormous amount of information, but due to the well-prepared presentation offered by the FLPCI staff, it has always felt easy to grasp... I feel they have prepared me to take what I�ve learned and begin applying it in ways that will make my own life and the land I steward far more rewarding and fruitful."


"The Permaculture Design course with FLPCI has been both a quantitatively and qualitatively rich experience in sustainable living design. The teachers (Steve Gabriel and Karryn Olson-Ramanujan) are dedicated and organized with the material, as well as responsive to their students."


FLPCI offers two courses each year; a two-week intensive in August and a winter weekends course from November through March. If you wish to take only a few modules or any combination of modules, you can enroll as a part time student and your course credits will carry over to the following semesters.. If you have taken permaculture classes elsewhere, we may be able to apply that experience toward a certificate.

With the completion of necessary coursework, students earn the legal use of the word "permaculture" for business purposes and for further personal study toward becoming a certified practitioner. As is with most education, the importance is not in the paper, but in the process. PDC graduates walk away with a better understanding of systems and how they can work toward positive change.

Permaculture Fundamentals workshops will be offered throughout the year. After completing the workshop, participants can continue with the coursework offered during the winter semester or summer intensive.
                                                              

November 2006 - March 2007                                                          

WINTER WEEKEND CERTIFICATION COURSE

A comprehensive course (over 100 hours) covering all elements of the curriculum. We will use the backdrop of the Finger Lakes bioregion to consider specific local issues of energy use, water catchment, season extension, and food forests. Covers the same elements as the Summer Intensive but in more depth. Winter is a great time to learn, come join us!

Saturday sessions: 9am - 5pm
Sunday sessions: 9am - 4pm

at Cayuga Nature Center

Tuition:
Entire Course: $800
Fundamentals: Sliding Scale $100 - 250
Individual Classes: $45 members/$50 non-members
Special: any four classes $150 non-members/$160 members

Topics:
Ethics - Principles - Ecology - Whole Systems
Water - Soils - Trees - Pattern - Climate
Earthworks - Economics - Gardening
Waste Treatment - Buildings - Tools
Appropiate Technology - Design

This year we are offering the course
with a number of options; you can
choose to attend as many classes as you like!

You will receive credit toward a
design certificate for each class you join.

More:
DOWNLOAD .pdf  file with more information
or go to certification page.

Registration:
Required with $200 deposit.



SCHEDULE FOR THE COURSE

Date

Topic

Topics Covered

November 10 - 12

Fri 5:00 - 9:00

Sat 9 - 5

Sun 9 - 4

Permaculture Fundamentals

Sustainable vs. regenerative, philosophy of permaculture, history, ethics, attitudes, principles

basic ecology, pattern, observation, design

November 18

Sat 9 - 5

Reading the Landscape

Sensory awareness, Yeomans scale of Permanance, map reading

data collection, documentation

making maps

November 19

Sun 9 - 4

Earthworks

Keyline system, ponds, swales, ditches, planning, Implementing, slope, leveling

December 2

Sat 9 - 5


Built Environment

Building fundamentals, natural buildings, energy,

tools, appropriate technology

catastrophe

December 3

Sun 9 - 4

Global Perspectives

Earth Systems, climate, temperate climate systems, weather, microclimate

December 16

Sat 9 - 5


Economics

Economic structures, money,

alternative systems, right livelihood & cottage industry

making a living with permaculture

December 17

Sun 9 - 4

Governance

Governments and law,community,

land access, bioregionalism

January 13

Sat 9 - 5


Waste Treatment

Five R's, energy cycling, zero waste, greywater, blackwater, composting toilets

January 14

Sun 9 - 4


Water

Basic concepts, water issues, conservation, storage, purification. use

January 27

Sat 9 - 5


Soil

Structure, composition, biology, assessment, management

January 28

Sun 9 - 4

Forests and Trees

Form & function, planting, care, winter tree ID, forest functions

assessment, management

February 10

Sat 9 - 5


Designing a Home

What is a cultivated Ecology?, zone and sector analysis , zone 1, animals

February 11

Sun 9 - 4


Gardening

Basics, layout, plants

mulching, seed savingl

February 24

Sat 9 - 5


Elective: Urban and Village Design

Cities, patterns of settlement, city as ecosystem, neighborhood renewal, urban agriculture

February 25

Sun 9 - 4

Elective TBA


March 10

Sat 9 - 5


Elective: Teaching Creatively

Learning, teaching, lesson planning, experiential & hands on, evaluation

March 11

Sun 9 - 4

Elective TBA


March 17

Sat 9 - 5

Design

Background, process, site survey, client interview, goals articulation, base map

March 18

Sun 9 - 4

Design

Organizing data, budgeting, assembling the puzzle, design concept, schematic, detailed design, patch design, tools & techniques

March 24-26

Sat 9 - 5

Sun 9 - 4

Mon 9 - 4

Design PRACTICUM

You will go through the design process from start to finish!

April 1

10 am

Presentations and Party!!

We'll have presentations and a final brunch together.



For more information about this course contact:
Steve Gabriel 607-273-6260 or Michael Burns: 607-227-0316
or email: [email protected]