[Scpg] The School of Ecological Design Ecuador.2006 Shedule Permaculture courses including Permaculture in the Cloudforest and Rainforest

Thu Jun 8 03:10:48 PDT 2006

Introducing SED
http://www.redsemillas.org/workshops.htm

The School of Ecological Design (SED) was founded in 2000 by a group of 
organic producers in Tumbaco valley, as a result of several years of 
experience on teaching permaculture & related issues. It is now part of the 
Seed Guardian's Network and includes teachers from different regions of 
Ecuador.

The phillosophy behind SED's work is that each and every one of us has 
something to teach, and a lot to learn. So what we do is more like a 
Knowledge Exchange, focusing on learning rather than teaching. Workshops' 
days usually consist of a discusion phase, and an observation & practice 
phase. The main facilitators (SED partners) are people that have a real 
expertice in the field they teach, builders of a sustainable future for 
them, their families and regions. All of them live and work in 
demonstration centers.

Over the years SED has built a solid reputation and helped hundreds of 
people to approach sustainability issues from a practical but also very 
deep point of view. SED has worked with campesinos, indigenous communities, 
urban poor, neo-rural, university students, professionals and foreigners. 
What makes us go on is the shinning eyes and smiles most people share with 
us at the end of each journey.

If you want to know more about SED, please write us at info at redsemillas.org.

Permacultural & Organic Tour of Ecuador - 2006

35 days visiting Sustainable Projects in different regions of Ecuador. 
Workshops and practices in 4 Demonstration Centers.

Duration:
35 days, from August 01 to September 04.

Cost:
USD 1.200. Includes transport, food, lodging & photocopies.

Transport will be by regular buses. Don´t bring too much luggage. Climatic 
conditions will vary from cold (Allpa Pisambilla) to very hot (Caimito)

This tour & workshop is equivalent to a complete Permaculture Design 
Workshop. With an improvement : you will visit different places, with very 
different climatic, social & ecological conditions, to see sustainable 
practices in action, and work in them. Every one of the Demonstration 
Centers is an evolving permaculture project, managed by a family that is 
building a sustainable life, living with the land.

Main subjects are:
Introduction to Permaculture.
Introduction to Permaculture in the Andes: from the Ancestral to the 
Sustainable Movement.
Permaculture Design: Theory and practice.
Seeds: organic production and exchange.
Soil management: Improving fertility.
Family Food Gardens: design and management.
Stapple crops and fruit orchards: design and management.
Cooking natural foods & Human Nutrition.
Livestock management: big & small.
Water, Landscaping & Aquaculture.
Waste, Blackwater and Greywater management. Dry toilets.
Agroforestry & wildlife management.
Natural Building.
Free days.

Demonstration Centers

Huerta El Moro, Allpa Tarpuna & Tola Chica Community
The tour will start at the Coordination Center of the Red de Guardianes de 
Semillas, located at Huerta El Moro, Tumbaco. It is a highland valley, at 
2.400 meters above sea level, 40 minutes from Quito. Here we'll have a 
general introduction to permaculture and the subjects of the workshop. At 
El Moro we'll see adobe buildings, a combined greywater / blackwater 
treatment system, poultry & bee management, compost with red worms, seed 
production and storage. We'll also visit Tola Chica, an indigineous 
community nearby that works closely to the Red de Semillas and manages the 
last remanent of native forest in the Quito Metropolitan area, a tree 
nursery, and the gardens of Allpa Tarpuna, a group of organic producers 
part of Tola Chica.

Allpa Pisambilla
Located 3.800 meters above sea level, Allpa Pisambilla is in a typical 
paramo (highland) situation. Cold winds, starry nights, superbe landscapes 
near the snowy peak of Cayambe mountain. Here Gustavo and Nancy built a 
small adobe cabin using their ancestors' designs and techinques (both are 
quichua cayambi people). Around it permaculture systems have grown: water 
management, dry toilets, gardens, seed production, staple crops, llamas & 
sheeps on range. The new visitor's house is a 2 story adobe building with a 
glasshouse (tree nursery) attached to provide heat.

Sacha Urcu
At 1.300 meters above sea level, Sacha Urcu is located on the occidental 
slopes of the Andes, near the town of Mindo. A land of cloudforest, 
waterfalls and amazing biodiversity. Juan and Sol manage this beautiful 
permaculture place. You'll experience on Bamboo houses, dry toilets, 
graywater management, agroforestry, food gardens, staple crops, seed 
production, fruit orchards and visits to the forest. Plus, there is a lot 
of ecoturism to do around Mindo.

Caimito
Caimito is the place biologists Jorge and Cristina call home since 4 years 
ago. Located at sea level in the last place where the Chocó tropical 
rainforest still reaches the sea, this demonstration center shows examples 
of rainforest and coastal management both. Jorge and Cristina are 
experimenting permaculture techniques in a small property. At the same 
time, they are stablishing a new ecovillage on a 10 hectare communal 
property, working with the people of Caimito implementing sustainable 
alternatives, protecting the rainforest as part of a local conservation 
network, and fighting international corporations that try to replace the 
rainforest with eucalyptus plantations. You'll get to work with the 
community implementing graywater systems and other examples of 
sustainability. And of curse, there's the beach.

Permaculture in the Cloudforest

20 days of theory and practice of Permaculture & Organic Living in a 
Cloudforest situation.

Duration:
20 days, September 9 to 28. Students can arrive on friday 8 and leave on 
friday 29.

Cost: USD 600. Includes food & lodging.
Transport from Mindo to Sacha Urcu and around will be provided. Materials 
(photocopies) will be also provided.

Students allowed: 10

Place: Sacha Urcu Organic Farm & Seed Center, Mindo, Ecuador. 
www.sachaurcu.redsemillas.org

Subjects:
Introduction to Permaculture and the Clouforest. 1 day.
Permaculture Design: Theory and practice. 1 day.
Seeds: organic production and exchange. 1 day.
Soil management: Improving fertility. 1 day.
Family Food Gardens: design and management. 1 day.
Stapple crops and fruit orchards: design and management. 2 days.
Cooking natural foods & Human Nutrition. 1 day.
Poultry management. 1 day.
Aquaculture. 1 day.
Black and Greywater management (including construcion of dry toilets). 2 days.
Agroforestry & wildlife management. 1 day.
Natural Building. Practices on bamboo and cob. 3 days.
Free days: 4.

Teachers:

Juan Ortíz
Ecuadorian, bioligist, lives and works at Sacha Urcu. In 2004 he completed 
an advanced course on Permaculture in the Permaculture Institute of Cerrado 
(IPEC), Brazil.

Sol Acosta
Ecuadorian, lives and works at Sacha Urcu. She has experience teaching 
children in english. Sol is in charge of nutrition and well-being at Sacha 
Urcu.

Javier Carrera
Ecuadorian, Permaculture designer and teacher. Works at the Coordination 
Team of Red de Guardianes de Semillas. Has 8 years of experience teaching 
groups in spanish, french and english. Has teached more than a hundred 
workshops on Permaculture, Natural Building, Alternative Economics and 
related issues. Javier is the Academic Coordinator of the School of 
Ecological Design.

Subjects in Depth

1. Introduction to Permaculture and the Clouforest
Models of production, from the first inhabitants of Tropical Andes to the 
European Conquest, Green Revolution and the rebirth of Traditional Culture. 
Living in the era of Petroleum: Problems of conventional models of 
development. Sustainable alternatives and pathways to the future.
The Cloudforest: one of most diverse ecosystems in the world. A place where 
both lowland and highland plants can adapt, creating very interesting 
opportunities for permaculture design.

2. Permaculture Design: Theory and practice
Understanding patterns. Direct observation & mapping. Flows and elements. 
Functional analysis of elements. Zones and sectors. Practices on design.

3. Seeds: organic production and exchange
Seeds are the base of sustainability. Origin of plants and domestic 
animals. Understanding plant reproduction. Producing and processing seeds. 
Fighting seed monopolies & preserving our food heritage. Seeds and culture. 
Networking. Practices on seed saving: from the garden to storage and 
distribution.

4. Soil Management: Improving fertility
Soil is a living being. Nutrient cycles. Soil biota. Using manure and other 
resources. Green manures & rotations. Practices on mulches, compost, swales.

5. Family Food Gardens: design and management
Objective: to feed you and your family. Elements. Designing garden beds. 
Planting. Practices on design, building and planting garden beds.

6. Stapple crops and fruit orchards: design and management.
Production for self-sustainability and the market. Design and 
implementation. Practices on planting, caring and harvesting products.

7. Cooking natural foods & Human Nutrition
What happens with our food today? The importance of a natural, balanced 
diet. Opportunities everywhere: fermentation, solar drying, spiruline, etc. 
Practices on cooking.

8. Poultry management
Poultry as helpers in the system. Chicken tractors. Taking care of poultry. 
Practices.

9. Aquaculture
Importance of water design & management. Water presents unique 
oportunities: cultivating in and around aquaculture systems. Practices on 
small-scale aquaculture systems.

10. Black and Greywater management
Wastes or resources? Graywater systems. Dry toilets. Practices on dry 
toilet construction & observation of graywater systems..

11. Agroforestry & wildlife management
A tour to the forest with Juan to understand the inner workings of the 
cloudforest and opportunities for forest management.

12. Natural Building. Practices on bamboo and cob
What is natural building? Design principles. Materials. Practices on bamboo 
and cob: we'll help build a structure in Sacha Urcu.

13. Free days
These are yours, to take a rest and return with new energy to the workshop. 
You can go around Mindo and enjoy it's multiple options: waterfalls, 
rafting, butterfly gardens, orchid gardens, trekking, restaurants, bars, 
internet, etc. And of course, Quito is only 90 minutes away.

Please Visit Sacha Urcu Webpage. Click Here.
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Permaculture in the Rainforest

20 days of theory and practice of Permaculture & Organic Living in a 
Coastal Rainforest situation.

Duration:
20 days, July 1 to 20. Students can arrive on friday 31 June and leave on 
friday 21 July.

Cost: USD 600. Includes food & lodging.

Place: Caimito Seed Center, Quingue, Esmeraldas, Ecuador.

Program:

Saturday July 1 st.
Arrival and presentation.
- Arrival of the participants (Bring your breakfast for the bus).
- Explanation of the logistics and course mechanics.
- Introduction and visit to the worksites.
- Introduction to Ecological Design

Sunday July 2 nd.
Applying Ecological Design: discussion of current world situation & 
alternatives for a sustainable future.
Practice:
- Preparation of garden plots.

Monday July 3rd.
Ecological Design: Theory and practice.
Practice:
- Functional analysis.
- Design.

Tuesday July 4 th.
Organic Seed production & networking.
Practice:
- Seed observation & harvest.
-  Seed processing.

Wednesday July 5 th.
Biodiversity management.
Practice :
- Organic pesticides.
- Weeding and mulching (Moon cycle).

Thursday July 6 th.
Building soil fertility.
Practices:
- Observation of soil types & profiles.
-  Composting.

Friday July 7 th .
Garden & Orchard management.
Practice:
- Visit & analysis of tropical orchards.
- Design and implementation of garden beds.

Saturday July 8 th and Sunday July 9 th FREE DAYS

Monday July 10 th .
Food & Nutrition from a natural perspective.
Practices
- Fermented foods.
- Bread.
Tuesday July 11 th.
Influence of the moon cycle and biorhythms in productive activities.

Wednesday July 12 th .
Animals in the garden & orchard.
Practice :
-Design and construction of a chicken tractor.

Thursday July 13 th.
Waste Management : a waste is an unused resource.
Practice:
- Construction of a home scale gray water system.
- Observation of humanure systems.

Friday July 14th
Water and Landscape: Working the shape of the land..
Practice:
- Construction of infiltration ditches (swales) and slow terraces.

Saturday July 15 th and Sunday July 16 th FREE DAYS.

Monday July 17 th .
Trees : importance and management
Practice:
- Nursery management.
- Pruning.

Tuesday July 18th.
Sustainable Management in large scale plots.
Practice:
- Planting stapple foods.

Wednesday July 19 th .
Earth Friendly Technologies.
Practice :
- Cob building.
- Chocolate making.

Thursday July 20 th .
Building Communities: Principles and Tools.
Practice:
- The art of consensus.
- Local Exchange & Trade Systems.

Friday July 21 st .
Course conclusion
- Evaluation.
- Certificates.
- Closing Ceremony.

The Place

The “Centro de Semillas Caimito” ( Caimito Seed Center ), which was 
established recently and belongs to the RGS, is located in the rural 
community of Caimito on the northern coast of Ecuador (Esmeraldas 
province). The Tropical climate of the area is moderately humid and warm. 
Caimito has a privileged location, its rugged topography and the closeness 
of the seashore generate a lot of microclimates in a small area; these 
features allow a diversity of crops from the subtropics, humid tropics and 
seasonally dry tropics. The area has a lot of attractions: Beautiful 
landscapes (The largest patch of rainforest next to the seashore in 
Ecuador), friendly happy people, beautiful solitary beaches and it is one 
of the few places in the world were you can do whale watching from the 
seashore (with luck you can hear the splashing sound - that close!!) 
between June and September (humpback whales come to breed in these waters).

The Teachers:

George Fletcher
Peruvian / ecuadorian Agro ecologist / Biologist. He currently lives with 
his family in the community of Caimito (moved in 4 years ago), manages the 
“Centro de Semillas Caimito”; Currently working mainly on natural building 
and organic agriculture. Has been involved in organizing and conducting 
workshops for local communities on issues like: Tree nurseries, 
eco-construction, vegetable orchards, reforestation, Composting and 
territorial planning. He is also supporting the process of legalizing the 
Caimito Farmer Association and the Montecaimito Private Reserve Network. 
With the recently established “Ecoaldea Caimito” (Caimito Ecovillage, his 
brainchild), he seeks to help create an example sustainable community in 
the rainforest.

Javier Carrera
Ecuadorian, Permaculture designer and teacher. Works at the Coordination 
Team of Red de Guardianes de Semillas. Has 8 years of experience teaching 
groups in spanish, french and english. Has teached more than a hundred 
workshops on Permaculture, Natural Building, Alternative Economics and 
related issues. Javier is the Academic Coordinator of the School of 
Ecological Design.

Apprenticeship in Organic Agriculture at Rio Muchacho

1 month practical and theorethical course

Duration:
30 days. May, August and November

Cost: USD 1200. Includes food & lodging.

Place: Rio Muchacho Organic Farm & Seed Center, Canoa, Manabí, Ecuador.

For more Information, please visit Rio Muchacho website at www.riomuchacho.com

SED works

f you want to know more about SED, please write us at info at redsemillas.org.