Join us for two weeks of deep permaculture design learning. You’ll leave this course knowing how to design resilient, robust landscapes & people-scapes.

January 22, 2024 @ 9:00 am – February 3, 2024 @ 5:00 pm

SOLD OUT: But you can pop your name on the wait list here and we’ll be in touch if a place becomes available. 

This Permaculture Design Certificate (PDC) has been structured so you get to design your own property of choice, plus a local landscape. This provides you the opportunity to test and practice permaculture designing in a range of contexts with the support of experienced designers and practitioners right at your side to step you through it all.

This is a residential course with full catering. Classes run from 8:30am – 5pm each day with some optional evening sessions. There’s one rest day on Sunday 28th Jan.

I loved this course. It hasn’t just changed my outlook on life – it’s changed my life (Anita).

THIS COURSE COVERS…

• Permaculture ethics & principles
• Design theory and practical application
• Systems thinking
• Patterns understanding
• Water management, in the home and in the land
• Soil health: How to improve and maintain it
• Cropping systems: food production, seed saving and integrated pest management
• Alternative economics
• Energy systems
• Social permaculture
• Food forests
• Sustainable building design
• Plus more!

Just wonderfully fun. So well coordinated (always on time, always organised), experience of a lifetime, truly life changing. Thank you so much (Nysha).

WHO IS THIS PDC FOR?

This PDC is for farmers, perennial renters, community development workers, sustainability officers, university students, students of life, market gardeners and big thinkers. Permaculture is relevant and useful to you whether you’re working in the paddock or in the office, you’ll become equipped with thinking tools to design properties *and* the life you’ve always wanted!

WHAT THE PDC IS NOT…

First and foremost, the PDC is a design course. It is not a hands on course where you actively get to grow food, build a house or ferment food… This means that while we will touch on the above topics, we will not focus on teaching you the practical skills for each one. Rather, we’re committed to teaching you foundation knowledge for each topic so you can create designs which are integrated, appropriate and darn clever.

STUDENTS RECEIVE…

• Delicious and nutritious vegetarian catering for the full course
• Course resources
• Free camping onsite – BYO camping gear
• Field trips to local properties featuring clever design in action
• A one year membership to Permaculture Australia
• A whole bunch of new permaculture friends and networks

YOUR TEACHERS

Brenna Quinlan is a permaculture educator and illustrator who has taught alongside the biggest names in permaculture, including Rosemary Morrow and David Holmgren. She is part of the Formidable Vegetable teaching team for the School Permaculture Tour program run in association with Resource Smart Schools Victoria, and she regularly teaches and collaborates with Milkwood Permaculture on their various projects. After living at Melliodora for four years, she’s now embarking on building her own house and garden in southern Western Australia. You can read more about Brenna here.

Greta Carroll is a permaculture educator and small-scale organic farmer currently based on Wadawurrung Country. She has previously taught for Permaculture College Australia and is currently a course facilitator for Permaculture for Refugees and Nettle and Snail. Passionate about accessible, inclusive education, Greta has built curricula and learning experiences for diverse groups. She has worked with people in displacement settings for over a decade, in Australia and internationally.

We also have a wonderful collection of guest teachers to bring their special expertise to the mix!

Thanks for being awesome! Thanks also for the shared life-experiences/knowledge of the teachers. One thing that really stood-out for me was the “people care” of the students, and everyone really, throughout the two weeks. I have never before experienced this in the many workshops, courses and places of learning/study that I have attended. My wish is that such a thing becomes the “normal” way of being – YEAH!

VENUE

We’re holding this course at Okines Community House and Garden at Dodges Ferry, southern lutruwita/Tasmania (540 Old Forcett Road). Students are welcome to camp onsite for free – BYO own camping gear.

ONE FULL SCHOLARSHIP ON OFFER!

In the spirit of fair share, we’re offering one full scholarship to a lucky someone. The person we give this scholarship to will be someone who doesn’t have spare cash to do the course and who plans on using the PDC to build community resilience in their region – not just their personal home. Applications have now closed. 

CATERING

We provide nutritious and delicious vegetarian food throughout the course and can cater for a large range of dietary needs with wholesome, locally sourced and organic food where possible.

HOW TO GET TO THE PDC

Dodges Ferry is approximately 40 minutes from nipaluna/Hobart city and 20 minutes from the nipaluna/Hobart airport. If you’re thinking about coming from interstate, we strongly recommend you check all Covid-19 guidelines (including for Tasmania) to ensure there are no border restrictions.

• By boat: If you’re coming from Melbourne, Victoria – you can catch the boat (a 12 hour journey) from Geelong to Devonport. To see the timetable and book your ticket visit the Spirit of Tasmania
• By car: If you’re driving to the course and have a spare seat you’re willing to offer to another student, please get in touch so we can help connect you. There is easy bike and car parking at the venue in an off street car park.
• By bus: There are regular buses traveling from Hobart to Dodges Ferry, you can check the timetable here.
• By plane: The closest airport is nipaluna/Hobart airport. Check out the webjet website to find the most affordable deal.

WHY STUDY WITH US?

We are Tasmania’s expert permaculture education provider, committed to facilitating meaningful and high quality learning processes for our students. We have REALLY applied our heads, hearts and hands to create this course to be one of the best permaculture adult education experiences available.

Our teachers are amongst the most experienced and passionate in Australia. You will always have at least one professional permaculture designer/practitioner on site at all times.

We are committed to ensuring our students are equipped with the best start possible to being competent and effective designers and practitioners.

We feed your mind with a huge array of top quality content. We also feed your body with delicious and nutritious food for the whole course. Where possible we source local and organic foods to support Tasmanian growers and producers.

Upon completion of the course, you’ll be on your way to gaining the skills to being a professional permaculture designer (if this interests you) and continue studying towards your permaculture diploma, anywhere in the world. Cool hey!

PAYMENT PLAN OPTION

If you’d like to establish a payment plan so you can pay the course fee over a period of months we’re very happy to work with you to create that. We ask that people purchase the “Deposit” option below and then contact us to set up this plan prior to the course so that the fee is paid in full by the time the PDC commences. Please contact us and we can organise details.

CANCELLATION POLICY & COVID-19

We ask that you give us two weeks notice if you choose to step out of the course; we’ll provide a refund, minus the deposit fee. Alternatively you can pass your place onto a friend or family member or choose to use this as credit towards one of our future courses.

Please note, this workshop will be run in accordance to Covid-19 guidelines recommended at the time. If you are unwell with flu like symptoms we ask you to please not attend the workshop – contact us beforehand to discuss options.

If we have to cancel the course before it starts due to Covid-19 or any other reason, we’ll provide a refund, minus the deposit fee which will be used towards covering unavoidable costs.

SOLD OUT: But you can pop your name on the wait list here and we’ll be in touch if a place becomes available.