[Sdpg] early registration deadline this Wed for PCD course with Geoff Lawton

[info at quailsprings.org]

Hi Friends, 
This Wednesday (January 31, 2007) is the early registration deadline for the
Permaculture Design Course with Geoff Lawton.  We are willing to extend the
discount to you if you contact me by Jan 31, and will also include the
discount in payment plans if I hear from you by Jan 31.  Work-trade
opportunities (not students of the course) are nearly filled but we will
open a waiting list in case of any cancellation.   
Best, Kolmi 
Caretaker, Quail Springs
info at quailsprings.org 

 

Spring 2007 Permaculture Design Certificate Course at

Quail Springs Permaculture Farm and Learning Oasis in the Cuyama Valley of
Southern California (dry land agricultural setting)

DATES:  May 14-27th, 2007

LOCATION: Upper Cuyama Valley in the Southern/Central California Mountains,
approximately 2 hour drive from LA, Santa Barbara, and San Luis Obispo.

COST:   $1350 for full payment received by January 31, 2007, and $1450 for
payment after February 1, 2007.  *a $400 deposit upon registering to hold
your space, with balance paid in full one week prior to course (May 7th)
(camping and meals included)  

To register or for more info, contact::  Kolmi Majumdar, Quail Springs, P.O.
Box 417, New Cuyama, California 95254, (805) 886-7239,
<mailto:info at quailsprings.org> info at quailsprings.org

"All the world's problems can be solved in the garden."

What is Permaculture?

Permaculture is a holistic approach to land use design, based on ecological
principles and patterns. It aims to create stable, productive systems that
provide for human needs, harmoniously integrating the land with people.
Permaculture principles can be applied to any environment, at any scale -
from dense urban settlements to individual homes, from farms to entire
regions.

This world-recognized, 72-hour course provides an introduction to
Permaculture as set forth by movement founder Bill Mollison. Students are
invited to bring details of their own sites or potential sites and explore
site-specific Permaculture solutions. The course serves as the foundation
for further study and is a prerequisite for a Diploma in Permaculture
Design, awarded by the Permaculture Research Institute. To date, hundreds of
Permaculture designers worldwide have been certified through the course,
creating a global network of ecological activists influencing major
corporations and creating new soft-energy business alternatives. The course
covers sustainable living systems for a wide variety of landscapes and
climates, with special emphasis on arid zones. 

Course Content

The course includes the application of Permaculture principles to food
production, home design, construction, energy conservation and generation,
and explores alternative economic structures and legal strategies supporting
Permaculture solutions. Specific topics include: 

*         Theory and principles of Permaculture 

*         Nature-friendly house placement and design 

*         Energy conservation techniques for cold climates 

*         Recycling and waste management 

*         Soil rehabilitation

*         Organic food production 

*         Water harvesting and management, including earthworks 

*         Ecological pest control 

*         Drought-proofing 

*         Soil rehabilitation and erosion control 

*         Animal husbandry

*         Aquaculture 

*         Catastrophe preparedness and prevention 

*         Windbreaks and fire control

*         Aspects of eco-village design 

*         Community

*         Invisible structures

 
About the Instructors

Geoff Lawton is the Director of the Permaculture Research Institute in
Australia, assuming the position from Permaculture founder Bill Mollison.
Lawton has worked for clients that include communities, governments, aid
organizations, non-government organizations and multi-national companies.
Lawton has served clients in 17 different countries, including Jordan, Iraq,
Egypt, USA, Mexico, Macedonia, Vietnam, Costa Rica, Brazil, Ecuador, Peru,
England, Denmark, Australia and the South Pacific. A recent project in
Jordan is documented on a video called Greening the Desert available for
viewing on his website (www.permaculture.org.au).

Nadia Abu Yahia (Lawton) was born in the Dead Sea Valley in Jordan. She
learned traditional ways of land use from her father, an expert farmer and
herbal healer of Palestinian, Bedouin descent. She later went on to complete
her Permaculture diploma in design, education and site development and has
recently become a registered Permaculture teacher.

Possible guest lectures by other relevant professionals

 
About the Farm

Quail Springs is a land-based project of True Nature, a non profit
organization, dedicated to the learning and sharing of essential living
skills which support personal, community, and ecological health and balance.
We accomplish our mission through the offerings of family camps and life
skills workshops, vocational and mentoring programs for teens, and
internships and service learning at our Permaculture designed farm setting
and learning oasis in the Cuyama Valley of California where life-long
learning is nurtured in an atmosphere of community support.

We caretake a 450-acre farm at 3600 feet (approx. 1100m) elevation and are
shaping the land and our lives towards a model of self-sufficiency. This
property is in its third year of development with community-built
structures, a spring-fed gravity flow water system, a dam, swales, food
gardens, tree plantings, food forest, animal systems, and a great community
spirit. 


What to expect

Learn and live Permaculture design and development while camping onsite. In
addition to primitive camping facilities and compost toilets, participants
should also be prepared for some cold evenings and mornings. 

This 72-hour certificate program is a 13-day, residential design course with
a one-day break in the middle and a celebration at the end.

There is an a special offer for those who would like to learn specific
Bedouin culture artisan food preservation, presented by Nadia Abu Yahia on
the 20th (day off).  Additionally there is an option of immersing yourself
in Permaculture work after the course by staying on at Quail Springs, for
$50 a day.

Quote about the course

"I thought I was coming to learn about gardens, and instead I learned about
life, and the importance of community and interdependence."