New York Permaculture Exchange

Permaculture Design Certificate course
Claudia Joseph, lead teacher
Guest teachers, Jono Neiger, Phil Forsyth, and many more

12 sessions:  July 17 & 18,  July 31 & Aug 1, September 25 & 26, October 2 & 3, October 16, October 23, October 30 and Nov 7
Saturdays 9am – 4pm & Sundays 10am – 4pm

Location: The Old Stone House, Brooklyn
and Sixth St Community Center, Manhattan

Contact:  The Old Stone House
oldstonehouse@verizon.net
(718) 768-3195

Fee: $1,150  5% discount before July 1
Scholarships & work-trade available on a limited basis by application process

What is a Permaculture Design Course and What is Permaculture?

This PDC is open to all and is a general introduction to a vast body of knowledge. The design techniques taught can be applied directly to domestic and professional projects.  The PDC is granted on the basis of no less than 72 hours of curriculum study, comprised of lecture and hands on learning.  Additional hours will be required for individual and group design work.

Some walking, shoveling and other physical activity will be required. The class will break into design groups and will explore, map and redesign the landscape at The Old Stone House, a colonial era community center in the Park Slope neighborhood of Brooklyn.  The course usually ends with group presentations, a dinner and a final activity.

Permaculture design places humans within the natural landscape, connecting us to our sources of water, food, medicine and other essentials of our daily existence. Science, economics, and  traditional wisdom combine to create abundance and reduce labor everywhere in our lives. The methods taught within permaculture are essential to the changes many people wish to make in their professional and personal lives. Permaculture is imagination intensive and provides a useful toolbox for challenges large and small.

Permanent agriculture and permanent culture are the root words of permaculture – the dynamic systems we are creating. Permaculture is “the big umbrella” of design and it is usefully applied in any field that involves human activity. Educators, environmentalists, developers, architects. health-care professionals, engineers, homemakers, artists and most everyone can benefit from this common sense and solutions based study.  Broad topics include our elementary support systems:  food, water, energy, shelter and waste and the underlying cultural values that guide them: legal, educational, medical, spiritual and community structures.  We will address these on a personal scale to understand how we each interact with and are affected by these larger systems.

Permaculture can be applied on all scales and in any location: this course varies from the traditional PDC by offering more strategies for the urban environment.  Natural building, forest management and off-the grid homesteading are ideas we will visit lightly.  Water catchment systems, food systems, health, waste reduction, using public space, alternative economies and home energy savings will be reviewed in depth.  There are many more topics that pertain to our general ecological health that will be addressed.  The many questions, projects and skills that people bring to this course often affect its form.

Everyday sustenance and the livelihood we choose are two places to apply this material right away.  Whether or not you own your home, you can practice Earth care, human care and fair share – or social justice – the three legs supporting this vast body of knowledge.  Permaculture can be applied on all scales and in any location: this course varies from the traditional PDC by offering more strategies for the urban environment.  Natural building, forest management and off-the grid homesteading are ideas we will visit lightly.  Water catchment systems, food systems, health, waste reduction, using public space, alternative economies and home energy savings will be reviewed in depth.  There are many more topics that pertain to our general ecological health that will be addressed.  The many questions, projects and skills that people bring to this course often affect its form.  Guest teachers will bring in-depth knowledge from their diverse fields. We will visit real life models of the systems we are learning about and field practicums will provide hands-on opportunities to learn fundamental skills.

Permaculture is more than just good gardening.  It is a life long approach to analysis, action and social structures that results in better relationships, more functional systems and a clearer understanding of everything necessary for human communities to thrive.

Syllabus

PERMACULTURE DESIGN CERTIFICATE

Course Syllabus

Summer-fall 2010

Instructor: Claudia Joseph

With many guest teachers: Jono Neiger, Phil Forsyth and more

To Register contact: info@theoldstonehouse.org

Locations: The Old Stone House and The 6^th St Community Center

Saturdays 9am – 4pm & Sundays 10am – 4pm:

Course dates: 12 sessions:  July 17 & 18, July 31 & Aug 1, September 25 & 26, October 2 & 3, October 16, October 23, October 30 and Nov 7

Description: This course provides a toolbox of strategies for designing human communities on the personal, professional and community level.  Students will learn about the fundamental systems that support NYC and gain hands-on experience at a model ecological center in Park Slope, Brooklyn.  The greater NYC community will be examined on the local and global level and our culture’s sustainability will be compared to others around the world.  This course embraces both modern technologies and ancient traditions, utilizing the techniques that bring satisfaction to our lives and are economical in the truest sense of the word.  Permaculture provides the keys to right livelihood and positive action for a lifetime.

Organization:  This PDC will utilize hands-on field study, lecture and co-design groups.  Student will be expected to attend all classes, work with others in a group presentation and participate in a final solo project.   Expect some lifting, shoveling and walking.  To receive the Design Certificate, students must attend no less than 72 hours of class and present both the group and solo final projects.

Course Objectives:

1.    To introduce students to fundamentals for sustainability.

2.    To teach cooperative dynamics and positivism.

3.    To learn about useful plants and ecosystems design.

4.    To better understand our basic needs and relate those to our local and global resources.

5.    To practice homesteading skills and learn off-grid technologies.

Course Topics:

I.        Introduction and History of Permaculture

II.       Pattern in the landscape: social and ecological

III.     Orchards & Other Fruitful Landscapes

IV.     Forest Gardening

V.       Water

VI.      Climate

VII.     Energy

VIII.    Reading the land

IX.       Soil & compost

X.         Waste Systems

XI.        Cooperative communities and local connection

XII.      Economy & fair share

XIII.    Group Dynamics

XIV.    Effective presentation

XV.      Positivism & Respect: the path to change

Text and Required Supplies:  Please wear sensible clothes for comfortable all day sitting. For field study please wear shoes that cover your feet., bring water and hat or sun block.

Reading: Permaculture, A Designer’s Manual by Bill Mollison is the main test for this course: it is not required.  An Introduction to Permaculture, Also by Mollison, Permaculture Ethics and Design Principles by David Holmgren and Gaia’s Garden by Toby Hemenway and Permaculture in a Nutshell by Patrick Whitefield are also recommended as good preparatory reading but are not required.

Classroom rules of conduct:

No cell phone use during class or field sessions.

Students will be expected to be on time.

Registration:

Students will register through the Old Stone House.
Some work-trade scholarships are available.

P.O. Box 150613
Brooklyn, NY 11215