Permaculture Design Certificate Course (PDC)

950 JOD

What you'll Learn

A Permaculture Design Certificate Course  (PDC) is an internationally known and accepted 72-hour theory course resulting in a Permaculture Design Certificate. The PDC provides an introduction to permaculture design according to the movement’s founder Bill Mollison and it is designed on his international course curriculum.

ARD organizes a 14 day PDC that is equally theoretical and practical with a lot of hands-on sessions, walk and talk for an immersive experience in the middle of Taybeh Organic Farms which is transitioning to regenerative farming and currently implementing a permaculture design on its site. The farm is certified organic since 2020.

This PDC will give you the knowledge and the practical confidence to design sustainable living systems for a wide variety of landscapes and climates, with a focus on dry and arid climates, start your own regenerative projects and implement permaculture principles in your everyday life.

What is Permaculture?

“Permaculture (permanent agriculture) is the conscious design and maintenance of agriculturally productive ecosystems which have the diversity, stability, and resilience of natural ecosystems.” (B. Mollison, Permaculture, a designers’ manual).

Design systems can be applied to all aspect of life and more broadly permaculture can be seen as a philosophy for a sustainable and holistic lifestyle. In simple words, it is a way to cooperate with the living world, instead of working against it or trying to dominate it.

During the course you will learn the strategies and techniques that can provide a permanence of human life on earth in harmony with nature. It will give you design tools for planning and implementing garden, home, work and community projects that look after the earth and people. This PDC results in a Permaculture Design Certificate: you will be delivered a certificate of good completion of the course led by Thomas Fernley-Pearson, Machiel van Nieuwenhove and organized by ARD.    

Topics: 

• Permaculture ethics & principles 
• Observing and understanding patterns 
• Design process and methodology : SADIM (Survey, Analysis, Design, Implementation, Maintain) 
• Soil science, management and conservation 
• Water harvesting and irrigation systems 
• Trees, orchard and woodland management 
• Food forest design, implementation and management 
• Cultivated ecology: intensive garden 
• Plant care and seed saving 
• Urban challenges and urban permaculture 
• Appropriate technology and sustainable energy systems 
• Animals in permaculture systems 
• Hands on: earthwork, compost, intensive gardening, natural building, plant care…  

How the days Unfold

ARD is offering an intensive and immersive permaculture design course which means that every day is filled with information and that during the time of the course you will experience, live and work with nature in the middle of the stunning environment of Taybeh Organic Farms for a unique community living experience. The course will alternate between theoretical and practical sessions, (and breaks!) with several sessions led by guest instructors coming to share their expertise. Most of the course will be outdoor and in the fields. It is knowledge-intensive but this course does not require any prior experience. It is open to anyone, to the ones willing to pursue a permaculture career to the ones simply willing to reconnect with nature and learn strategies to reduce their ecological footprint.

Stay and Meals

Food

Participants will be provided 3 meals a day and 2 tea breaks. Ingredients will be organic and locally sourced, when possible. Participants will take part in the preparation of the meals and the cleaning as it is part of the program.

Regular: 950 JD | Early bird (register before 15 March): 10% discount | Deposit on registration: 250 JD | Balance due at course start | Scholarships available (contact ARD) | Payment by bank transfer