Welcome to the full Online Permaculture Design Course!
45+ hours of live online sessions - 8 hours of pre-recorded sessions - 25 hours of additional coursework - Additional learning resources available
With guest teachers & presentations
The Permaculture Design Course is a 72-hour often life-changing experience, accredited by the UK Permaculture Association.
The 7 modules of our online Permaculture Design Course bring us together as a learning community to explore practical and creative solutions for creating resilient ecosystems and designing abundant lifestyles and livelihoods. We will discover how we can work with, rather than against nature to fulfil our human needs whilst caring for the earth and the people.
The course has a strong emphasis on ecological and social design thinking and how this can be applied in different parts of our life and society. It offers us the opportunity to face the predicaments of climate breakdown and the biodiversity crisis and form our own healthy response to these challenges.
Each module consists of 5 to 10 live face-to-face teaching hours and some compulsory as well as voluntary assignments. You will work on your own as well as in small groups exploring different subjects and designing a project of your choice that you will present to the group in the final module. On each of the 7 modules we will have a guest speaker, some of whom live in different parts of the world and are able to share their practice and perspective.
“I feel like I know a secret and want to share it with the world”
Your Online Learning Journey
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The sessions run on an approximate rhythm of every 3rd Saturdays with some Tuesday evening webinars. The in between time is perfect to get your coursework done. The Saturday sessions are from 10 am to 12.30 pm and from 2 pm to 4.30 pm; and the Tuesday webinars run from 6.30 pm to 8 pm. Times are all UK/London times; participants from anywhere in the world are welcome and will only add to the richness of the course.
To receive the certificate, there is a requirement to join 80% of the sessions and complete the extra coursework. Sessions will be recorded, so you can catch up if you do miss a session. For the final module you will create a design for a project of your choice, to put your learning into practice. You will also need to complete two small related practical projects of your choice and report on them.
Each module will include presentations, demonstrations, design exercises and enquiries in small groups, practical exercises to do at home, optional reading lists, optional video material.
Dates:
Course dates: October 29th, November 2nd, November 12th, November 23rd, November 26th, December 14th, December 17th, January 4th, January 7th, January 25th, January 28th, February 15th, February 18th, March 8th, March 11th.
Welcome session - Introductions and orientation: October 29th 6.30 pm - 8 pm.
Module 1 - The Ecology of Wellbeing: November 2nd 10 am to 12.30 pm, 2.00 pm to 4.30 pm, and November 23rd 10 am to 12.30 pm (This module can be taken on its own - you can then decide whether you join the full course or not —> find more on the course here).
Webinar 1: November 12th 6.30 pm to 8 pm.
Module 2 - Meeting the Landscape: November 23rd 2 pm to 4.30 pm and December 14th 10 am to 12.30 pm.
Webinar 2: November 26th 6.30 pm to 8 pm.
Module 3 - Water, Trees and the Land: December 14th 2 pm to 4.30 pm and January 4th 10 am to 12.30 pm.
Webinar 3: December 17th 6.30 pm to 8 pm.
Module 4 - Soil Ecology & Food: January 4th 2 pm to 4.30 pm and January 25th 10 am to 12.30 pm.
Webinar 3: January 7th 6.30 pm to 8 pm.
Module 5 - People in Permaculture: January 25th 2 pm to 4.30 pm and February 15th 10 am to 12.30 pm.
Webinar 5: January 28th 6.30 pm to 8 pm.
Module 6 - Cities, Energy & Shelter: February 15th 2 pm to 4.30 pm, March 8th 10 am to 12.30 pm.
Webinar 6: February 18th 6.30 pm to 8 pm.
Module 7 - Design & Celebrations: March 8th 2 pm to 4.30 pm.
Closing session - March 11th 6.30 pm to 8 pm.
Certification
The course follows the curriculum as outlined by the UK Permaculture Association and is accredited by the UK Permaculture Association with an internationally recognised Permaculture Design Course Certificate. Your main tutor on the course in a UK Permaculture Association Certified Educator.
Tutors
Lead tutor of the course is Michel Thill.
Michel has studied Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning with a special interest in the relationship between ecological and cultural renewal. He's come across Permaculture during his studies and was drawn to its ability to bring together ecological design, community/village building, social justice and personal change.
Michel has travelled extensively, staying in eco-communities across India and South-East Asia as well as Europe, learning about and applying Permaculture Design and Deep Ecology ideas and knowledge wherever possible.
Michel lives in South Devon applying Permaculture Design to land-based projects. Before that he was based in London teaching Permaculture and running various community and food growing projects through Social Landscapes. Inspired by Permaculture, Forest Gardening and Ecovillage Design principles, Social Landscapes seeks to create flourishing and resilient micro-cultures within London through transformative Permaculture training and engaging people in the outdoors to reinvent the public spaces they live in.
Michel has been teaching Permaculture and Deep Ecology across Europe over the last couple of years. He sees permaculture as a dance with nature, where nature takes the lead to create more harmonious places and futures for all.
What do past participants say?
"I thought the course was well paced, interactive and was the best learning experience I have ever had. Mish was a fantastic teacher with so much knowledge and he managed to bring the group together even via distanced learning. I learnt so much and want to learn more having finished the course."
"I signed up to this course thinking it would help further my learning but I came away with much more. I came away with a new way to look at the world and tools that have enabled me to integrate permaculture into every aspect of my life."
"A very thorough thoughtful and wide ranging presentation and learning space for those interested in permaculture and living on the planet well. Highly recommend it."
"Social Landscapes’ online PDC delivers above and beyond expectations despite learning over a longer period, online and remotely. The course is well designed and learners are supported to develop their understanding of key concepts and tools of permaculture. The longer course, spread out across months felt like a benefit as it allowed time to reflect on, absorb and implement thinking, systems and ideas explored in the course. The tutors and guest speakers are knowledgeable, supportive and encouraging, making the sessions a joy to be part of."
Pricing & Registration
To register for the course, please make your payment here. Please note that there are limited places available and our courses tend to fully book.
If there are any questions, please contact Michel michel@sociallandscapes.co.uk or 07901036220.
The course is offered on a sliding scale to make it affordable for more people. Please make your choice of price with awareness to what it’s worth. Paying more supports the other non-profit work of our organisation and opens up concessions for people not being able to afford the full price.
£480 is the standard rate and if you can afford that, whether that is through your own income or household income or savings, then that is the price to choose.
If on low income, no savings, or other living situation make it difficult to afford the standard rate, then the £420 concession is available. Equally if people feel more abundant, the £540 rate supports other people to join the course on a concession.
I do let everyone make their own judgement here. £480 is certainly a fair price for what is on offer.
You can sign up with the £100 deposit and then once you receive logins to the course page - which will be available from September - you can pay your instalments through the course page. If you would like to pay instalments before that, let me know and I will share the payment link with you. You will be asked to have paid a minimum of half the total price by the start of the course and the full price by the end of January.
If money is still a barrier, please consider raising money for the course or get in touch so we can see how we can explore how to make your participation possible.
Please click here to see our Cancellation & Refund Policy and understand that once you have started the course, we expect you to pay in full, as you might have taken a space from someone who would have. If you are not sure the course is for you, you can sign up for the introduction to Permaculture Course before deciding.
FAQ
(do get in touch with any other questions)
Are there any materials that we need to take part in the course?
You will need a computer, access to the internet and ability to use zoom. Most of the material you will get during the course will be digital. Between module 2 and 6 you will be required to do 2 practical projects. They can be projects of your choice and don't need to be large. Depending on what you chose to do, you will need to buy materials, for example a compost bin, soil, seeds, pots for planting. You can also source a lot of this material second hand to keep extra expenses low.
On the final module you will need to create a design, which you can start working on earlier if you wish. For this you can either use computer software, of recommended, paper, pens, rulers and tracing paper. You can also use baking paper instead of tracing paper. You then need to either scan these designs or take photos of them to present them online.
Are there any download materials and resources that we will take away from the course?
Yes, for each module you will receive a PDF file with additional information on the materials covered. You Will have access to an online learning platform which will include extra coursework, as well as links to articles, videos, films and book recommendations. You will have access to all the videos and slideshows to go through the sessions again in your own time.
What are the real gaps between an online and in-person course?
The online and in-person courses are different and each have their pros and cons. The online course allows you to go over the sessions again in your own time. If you miss a session, you can easily catch up. There will be guest teachers working on different projects, people we can't call in for the in-person courses. The in-person course has the advantage that people build probably more of a sense of community and togetherness. Although there will also be opportunities to exchange with the group online away from the main teaching sessions. On the in-person course you will design in a group for a given project. On the online course you will chose your own project in your own place. On the in-person course, we are able to do practical exercises together as a group, on the online course you will be encouraged to do some of these, such as soil testing, making a compost, on your own.
Is the UK permaculture certificate globally recognised or only within the UK?
The certificate awarded by the UK Permaculture Association is internationally recognised. There are many organisation awarding Permaculture Design Course certificates, although many courses are not quality controlled. The UK Permaculture Association is one of the most active and respected Permaculture bodies in the world.
