There are no courses currently scheduled. To be notified of the next course, email Patricia at design@patriciaceglia.com.
FALL/SPRING
6 weekends
This course is focused on the design process. We apply Permaculture ethics, principles and strategies to design practicum. In teams, the class performs multiple design exercises, exploring zone planning, water harvesting, guilds, agroforestry and other methods.
A significant portion of class time is spent on hands-on activities, applying numerous Permaculture techniques on site.
Each student creates a comprehensive Permaculture Design Plan, exploring the capacity for food, water, energy, and nutrient cycle self-sufficiency. This can be an urban, suburban or rural situation. The site can be an apartment/condo complex, a row home neighborhood, a school... Many students choose to design their own home and yard. You can also create a design for a friend/neighbor. Students work independently or participate in a team design, with one or two classmates. This project consists of scaled, color drawings, a written report, and an oral presentation. All students learn to draw to scale in class. Minimal tools are needed. A template is provided for the written report.
We routinely host guest speakers on specific topics, such as solar energy, nutrient cycling, and community economics. Several local field trips offer the opportunity to see a variety of successful Permaculture projects of varying scales.
Texts: Introduction to Permaculture by Bill Mollison and Gaia's Garden by Toby Hemenway
Course Dates and Topics:
Weekend 1: Bioregionalism, Ecosystems, Ethics & Principles, Design Process
Weekend 2: Patterns in Nature, Site Analysis, Water Harvesting, Soil & Gardening
Weekend 3: Nutrient Recycling, Design for Disaster, Social & Economic Permaculture
Weekend 4: Renewable Energy, Natural Building & Small-scale Technology
Weekend 5: Grains, Aquaculture, Forest Gardens, Guilds, Agroforestry, Animals, Cash Crops
Weekend 6: Forest Garden Installation, Final Design Presentations & Certificate Awards
Class Schedule:
Saturdays and Sundays, 10am–6pm
Tuition:
Pay in full:
Payment Plan - $200 deposit, plus 5 equal payments due at the beginning of each class weekend.
Meals:
Students bring their own bag lunch on Saturday. Sunday lunch is a 50-mile potluck. Coffee and tea will be provided.
Lodging:
Students can make their own arrangements.
Transportation:
We will help match up students for carpooling.
Permaculture Design Certificate
Students who complete course requirements earn a Permaculture Design Apprentice Certificate. The 72-hour Permaculture Design Course curriculum developed by Bill Mollison and David Holmgren is covered during the 6 weekends and home study. Graduates are permitted to use the word "permaculture" when engaged in business and can go on to earn the 2-year Diploma of Applied Permaculture Design from PINA. Permaculture design certification is also applicable towards Gaia University degree programs.
Instructors
Patricia Ceglia, Lead Instructor, is an ecological site planner, architectural designer, and organic gardener. In private practice, she transfers her 30 years’ experience in large-scale architecture to the design of integrated habitats. She has designed passive-solar and timber-frame houses, forest gardens, multi-functional and native landscapes. As a consultant for the Gunpowder Valley Conservancy, she helps suburban homeowners design and install edible landscapes for stormwater management. Patricia has taught the Permaculture Design certificate course since 1999. www.patriciaceglia.com
“Through collective intentional efforts of many individuals, a healing momentum can transform our planet into the radiant life source that it is intended to be.”