Certified Permaculture Design Course at Azula, Sao Luis, Portugal 3rd – 19th June 2018

Azula and Surplus Permaculture Design are excited to invite you to join us for a two week Permaculture Design Course (PDC) on a stunning 15 hectare Permaculture project in Portugal.







What is a PDC?

A PDC is an internationally-recognized, 72-hour theory course resulting in a Permaculture Design Certificate. It provides an introduction to permaculture design as set forth by movement founders Bill Mollison and David Holmgren. The PDC serves as a foundation for further permaculture work and study and is a prerequisite for the Diploma in Permaculture Design, offered through The Permaculture Institute and Gaia University. Credit for this PDC are now accepted by a growing number of universities around the world. To date, thousands of permaculture designers worldwide have been certified through this course, and now comprise a global network of educators, ecological activists, consultants and practitioners who are influencing the decisions of major corporations, small business and people from all walks of life to change the way we view and design our landscape, our surroundings, our relationships and our daily lives so we can grow the revolution that our planet needs.



What to expect:

This PDC promises to be a very unique experience. We teach, based on our real life experience with Permaculture from over 10 years’ experience in many varieties of climate. It is our goal to live, breath and practice Permaculture every day of our lives and we are very passionate to share as much of our knowledge as possible. The 72 hours of course work, required to receive a Permaculture Design Certificate, will be covered over the two week period. It promises to be a PDC full of energy and excitement, where sessions will be taught to accommodate different learning styles combining lectures, group discussions, visual demonstrations, hands-on participatory learning and other creative ways of teaching permaculture. Participants will take part in the existing permaculture activities on the farm and see firsthand how integrated permaculture systems and holistic design are applied and maintained.



Course Details:

This 2-week program will be taught in English and is designed to give participants the inspiration and knowledge they need to become a positive change in the world. The course will include a broad range of topics applicable to life anywhere on this planet, it will be tailored to the needs of the students present as well as the location at hand. We will cover every major topic in Bill Mollison’s Permaculture: a Designers Manual in the classroom and around the farm. The course curriculum is as follows:

• Philosophies and Ethics underlying permaculture
• Permaculture principles and how to apply them in your daily life
• Patterns in Nature and how to use that in permaculture design
• Methods of design. How to apply permaculture design tools and strategies to your design problems. How to increase your chance on a successful design by following a well defined design methodology.
• Climactic factors and strategies. We will cover all the major climates and how to work with them.
• Trees, forests and Forest gardening. How to mimic natural forest systems to create an abundance of food, fiber and fodder.
• Water: catchment, usage, importance, and conservation.
• Soil: Learn about the physical, chemical and biological properties of the soil and how to work with the soil food web to build new soils, prevent erosion, create a healthy ecosystem and regenerate degraded land.
• Earthworks. Shaping the land to reap the rewards of mother earth and create positive effects on ecological systems
• AquacultureExploring the symbiotic relationship between fish and plants
• Natural Building.How to build beautiful, spiritually uplifting homes using locally resourced natural materials.
• Alternative systems. Community living and alternative lifestyles that unite people and the planet. Bioregional organization, community development, alternative economic systems, permaculture as aid.

Design Project

As part of the course, participants will help to co-create designs for real life projects that could include elements such as food forests, permaculture-style gardens, natural building, and water catchment and irrigation systems. Participants will have the opportunity to design their own land or any projects they are involved in during this PDC. (We will provide more information in what information you need to bring, if you are interested in designing your own land or a project you are involved in, in the information pack you will receive when you sign up for the course)



Additional Activities

Apart from the above course curriculum you will also have the chance to participate in our yoga sessions, try out Capoeira and Acroyoga – for no extra cost of course. If you play any music instrument bring it along and join in for some live jamming that we often have in the evenings. We have a beautiful lake on site where you will be able to bathe as you wish during breaks and free time and we are only a 15 minute drive to a beautiful beach. The Azula community wants to create a safe and welcoming place for you to try new things, experiment, laugh and let go, to explore a deeper connection with yourself and with the natural world in stillness and tranquility. You will learn so much during this course, but having a great time is also the goal, so come with an open and relaxed mindset and make the most of your experience!



The Accommodation:

Accommodation during the course will be provided in a big bell-tent dormitory with comfortable mattresses, electricity and mosquito nets. However for those that would prefer more privacy there is the option to rent a private bell tent for a maximum of 2 people at an added charge of € 30 a day. They will be placed in private and beautiful surroundings in the proximity of toilettes and showers. We have limited tents so booking them in advance is a must. If you prefer, you can also bring your own tent and camp on the designated areas. Please be flexible about your sleeping space. If for some reason you would strongly prefer to be in one space or the other, please let us know, and we will try to make that happen for you.



Fresh and organic vegetarian food will be provided throughout the course and will be sourced from the farm itself and the local market. Special dietary needs can be accommodated for but please let us know in advance.



Cost:

Course price: € 675 (Euros)

Early Bird Discounts: Get in there early and secure your PDC for an incredible € 600 (Euros) if you sign up before April 2nd 2018!

This price includes all meals, a comfy bed in the bell tent-dormitory for the duration of the course, transportation to and from the farm to Sao Luis (picking up on June 3rd and dropping off on June 19th) and all course tuition and materials. If you would like to have more privacy, you can book one of our lovely private bell-tents during the course where you will have electricity, a closet and plenty of space. There will be an added cost of €30 per day.

We ask all registrants to make a deposit of €100 (plus €4.95 transaction fee) to secure your spot and the remaining fees (€575) be paid in cash on arrival or transferred to the Azula bank account.



Azula would like to be as transparent as possible with their finances, as an example to other projects and to be open and honest with visitors and students, who each contribute so much to the building and development of the farm and community. Azula is currently funded by its founders but they want to create a more resilient economic model by diversifying their streams of income. Creating a volunteer program and by running courses and workshops will help develop the systems on the land. The money paid for your course fee will be divided between Azula project and the facilitators, meaning Azula can go forward with developing the project and purchasing of materials, and the facilitators can continue with their passion to teach and inspire.

You can find courses on other dates here:
https://www.azula.bio/Courses.html

Please klick here to get an idea of the Azula project:
https://www.facebook.com/pg/azula.bio/photos