Is there anything in particular that I should be aware of before choosing a permaculture design course? Are they generally the same as far as content? I know there will be differences based on the area that it's held. It's a fair some of money for me so I want to make sure that I'm getting good value.
Re: Choosing a PDC Hi, While all permaculture design courses (PDCs) have the same curriculum content and are based on Bill Mollison's The Designers' Manual, they do differ depending on the place you do it. The teacher you choose will have their special areas of expertise, experience and focus. Some teacher go through the APT (accredited permaculture training model). So you end up with different PDCs, some focussing on aquaculture, others forestry, CSAs, community or school gardens. Other might focus on social infrastructure more - group work, community governance, alternative economies - Chapter 14 stuff. Others might focus more on small scale permaculture design - others on large scale, some on balcony gardens, cash crops, the built environment, eco-villages or water management. This is why people sometimes do more than one PDC - they do one to get started and then later find a teacher who is doing something they are really interested in and they do another PDC with them. I guess most people either pick their PDC because of a) convenience - it's close by and at the right time or b) they go in pursuit of a particular teacher who focusses on what they are particularly interested in. The property the course is held on will determine the practical examples students can experience and exercises they can take part in during the PDC. Others are live in, others students go home every night or may be staying off site in accommodation. Others are two weeks full time, some are on weekends. Hope that helps - getting recommendations from someone who has done that particular course is also a good idea. Personally I did mine with Janet Millington at Eumundi Bamboo Forest on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland. It worked out really well as we live nearby so I have been able to work very closely with Janet and develop things I was particularly interested in such as permaculture based energy descent action planning courses which has led to me becoming very involved in the Transition Town movement - which is also permaculture based - and co-teaching courses with Janet (I also did my Cert IV and dynamic group course too). Janet is running a PDC next month. Good luck finding the PDC right for you. Sonya
Re: Choosing a PDC Sonya has summed it up pretty well! PDCs have varying focuses. For example, the PDC that I ran down here in the Otways was a community focussed PDC, although it covered everything in the manual, it had more of a focus on creating sustainable communities, ecovillages, community and school gardens. In turn, most of the graduates from that PDC when on to set up and work in school (& community) gardens, work with communities and work on setting up sustainable settlements. Some of the participants were local, others had traveled from other areas to specifically do this PDC. A lot of people do more than one PDC, because each offer something different. A few of the participants on last year's Otway PDC had already done a PDC. Cheers! Fern
