Permaculture is a valuable sustainable design philosophy as well as a practical living guide for many around the world. Since it’s 1970s beginning permaculture has helped many of us breakdown and understand seemingly complex natural systems and patterns. The same ecological understanding seems to be lost for the most part. Traditional owners were taken off their lands or their cultures crushed making the present tribal life impossible without major adjustments.
Basically by being interested in studying and learning permaculture you are investing in yourself and your own resilience. The ability for you to be able to read nature and make the appropriate action is just around the corner for any budding want to be permie. The knowledge you will get in a Permaculture Design Certification Course (PDC) well be able to be applied to all aspects and areas of your life.
So now we know how valuable learning permaculture is lets shift our focus now into the means of which we might be able to obtain training in permaculture and even receive a Permaculture Design Certification from doing the 72 hour PDC course.
Let us break down the options, as I see them anyway into how one might get the training and education required to start their permie career or calling. So here are the options, as seen by little ow me…
1. Self taught – We are in the information age so… get access to a few permaculture books from friends, library or via online communities and stores. Watch and listen to lectures, videoes, podcasts and interviews. Visit open days, community meet up groups, get involved in local make, bake, trade movement. Start meditation and gardening. Over time you will have the skills and abilities you sort.
Advantages
- You learn what you want to learn and apply it your own life.
- It is cheaper to shift through information available for free online and in libraries.
- Study on your own time. This method allows you to learn at your own pace whenever you wish.
Disadvantages
- It can take you a lot longer to learn when you do not have a guide helping you to focus and presenting information in a logical order (an order you might not be aware of without first understanding the concept).
- It doesn’t necessarily give you the skills or experience needs to obtain employment are a consulting permaculturalist, it also doesn’t necessarily not give you these skills so I will be up to you to document and get letters of recommendation allong the journey.
- Some people might not have the motivation or will power to continue studying a subject by themselves.
2. Enrol locally in workshops and conduct an in-person Permaculture Design Certificate Course (PDC) being taught by other locals.
Advantages
- You are generally getting the best local first hand knowledge with the ability to ask questions which are unique to your situation.
- These are great event and places to network and meet other permaculture minded folk which might lead to collaborations both once off and on going.
- Generally you will get a certificate showing others that you have attended and learnt xyz
Disadvantages
- Generally more expensive as you have to travel and pay for a local expert to instruct the lessons.
- You have to be available when the event is being held. You must schedule and make a time and place commitment to attend, be involved and get the most out of the experience. However some nights or days might be tuff, you might not have gotten enough sleep the night before impacting your ability to take onboard the information and take advantage of the networking opportunities available.
3. Enrol online and do your study in your own time by not completely by yourself as you will be connected with other students, potentially from all over the world. There are now more options for studying online than ever before.
Advantages
- This method is kinda the middle path of the previous two ways to learn permaculture. It is generally not as expensive as in person classes, however that isn’t always the case. For one you do not have to travel anywhere, nor camp out over a long weekend to learn these skills.
- You can connect and network with others also doing the same online course as yourself. This opens up the opportunity for you to make friends and have connection from all over the world if your chosen permaculture course is indeed international.
- You receive a certification of completion so that others will know what you have learnt through a formal qualification process where you where required to complete a test and a project.
Disadvantage
- This is a mix of self learning and learning with others. So if your not motivated to sit down and study, actually take in the course material without anyone telling you to do so, than having others around all learning the same thing next to you physically will make a massive difference in your ability to enjoy and complete your permaculture training.
- No all courses are the same and not all courses will have instructors that understand your local environment so you might not be able to get specific answers to your questions (however permaculture doesn’t provide specific answers to most questions as it is).
So giving your three main options which one do you think is best for your needs?
Everyone is different so making up your own mind as to which will best suit your own needs is a must for any serious want to be permie.
I learn permaculture by myself for the first 5 years. I obtained the ‘Permaculture Designners Manual’ by Bill Mollison as well as an other books I could get my hands on in relation to permaculture, plants, horticulture, ecology, psychology, sustainable living, tribal life, society, culture, etc. I actually learn permaculture by myself and thought I could now go and do a Permaculture Design Certificate Course (PDC) or I could study further into horticulture, that is what I ended up doing. Studying a trade level certificate in horticulture. From that training I realised how much I knew compared to the rest of my class and instructors which gave me the confidence to start out on my own. I started a edible and medicinal perennial plant nursery.
It was only after I started my permaculture plant nursery that I found it might be useful to obtain my Permaculture Design Certificate (PDC) so that I can teach and share what I know legally able to use the word Permaculture and offer permaculture education to those willing to learn. Since than I have continued my study and have now got qualiforcations in soil microbiology, cognitive behavioural training among other things. When I first started learning permaculture I was enrolled at the University of Sunshine Coast studying International Business, Management and Marketing.
We learn each and every day. So the most important thing to do to start learning permaulture is to start practicing permaculture. There is little rules when it comes to practicing permaculture so do not worry about what others are saying or doing. Observe them and take what you will. Make your own journey a personal one, one that has true deep meaning for yourself. Permaculture at it’s heart is a philospohy of self resilience which leads to, when enough people practice it, permanment cultures. The whole focus of permaculture is empower each and everyone of us to take personal responsibility and work together for the sake of joy and happiness now but for a better tomorrow today.
How did you study permaculture? What was your experience like? What would you recommend to someone who is interested to learn permaculture?
