"Design is not the roof, the rain barrel or the solar panel… it is how they are connected”

We are very excited to bring you this course through a partnership with the non-profit organization Green Calgary.

Course Description:

Permaculture is a system for designing sustainable human habitat.

In a world of fluctuating food and energy costs, permaculture design offers a positive sustainable way forward.

If you are interested in permaculture, but not sure where to start, this 20-hour course will offer information and hands-on experience and cover the basics of permaculture design.

The course is applicable to everyone from beginner home gardeners to professional horticulturists and engineers to landscape architects wishing to learn more about designing for sustainability. Whether your interest is gardening, farming, planning, building homes, community work, economic regeneration, business or green lifestyles, the application of permaculture principles empowers you to make a positive contribution towards a sustainable future.

A healthy mixture of theory and practice, the course content is sure to stimulate; supplemented with plenty of slides from around the world and a variety of related creative design exercises.

Learn about the fundamentals of the Permaculture ethics, principles and design methodology and how they can be applied to build food security outside your door; never be concerned for water shortages with design for rainwater harvest; lower your energy bills with efficient design and retrofit; and most importantly - learn how to design systems that make the most out of the connections between these elements.

Other course topics include: 

• Ecological house placement and design

• Renewable energy systems

• Organic food production

• Recycling and waste management

• Grey water utilization

• Drought-proofing

• Soil rehabilitation

The course will run from 9 am to 5 pm on Saturday May 8th and Sunday May 9th, 2010. On Saturday May 15th students are invited to join in an optional hands-on food forest and swale building workshop.

In addition to the bonus workshop day, all students will receive their own copy of Bill Mollison’s Introduction to Permaculture book, on which the course content is based.

There’s no question that this introductory course will get you thinking about confronting cultural, environmental and energy-supply change and provide new perspective in becoming a more sustainable and energy efficient member of the community.

What our past students are saying:

“Rob is a good presenter, knowledgeable, articulate and organized”

“I am thinking about my yard and garden in new and exciting ways and am already trying new things. Thank you, this course was a great experience”

Dates & Location:

The course will run from 9 am to 5 pm on Saturday May 8th and Sunday May 9th at the Bridegland Riverside Community Association: 917 Center Ave NE.

On Saturday May 15th students are invited to join in an optional hands-on food forest and swale building workshop – a Permablitz.

Instructor & bio: Rob Avis

See photos from past courses on our blog.

Register directly through Green Calgary.