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Permaculture Design Certification Course (PDC)September 22nd to October 6th, 2024

Join our diverse team of permaculture instructors led by Valle Escondido in this two-week experience.

Recognizing the need to create more accessible permaculture educational opportunities in Costa Rica, this course is aimed at Costa Ricans and people from Latin America. That's why it will be taught in Spanish.

We seek to increase the diversity of enrolled students, by making the course more economically accessible. Accommodation is included. Instructor fees are subsidized in part by their own work and AVER, Valle Escondido's nonprofit sister organization.

This course is only offered by submitting an application 

Information

If you wish to receive more information about this course or the courses that we will give in the future, do not hesitate to send us your information.

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THE COURSE

The course covers the curriculum of studies in Permaculture Design and emphasizes the creation of diverse multifunctional human landscapes based on ecological patterns. Using Valle Escondido: Hidden Valley Farm as a living classroom, the class will combine theory talks and practical work, exploring design solutions to the challenges facing our communities today.

The final project of the course is to create your own permaculture site design by creating work teams among students. This course is suitable for anyone who speaks Spanish that is interested in designing a resilient and regenerative future, as well as professionals in the fields of architecture, planning, ecology, education, agriculture, and community development. The whole systems design thinking described in the course will provide participants with the tools to redesign and improve their environment; from gardens, farms, and homes, to livelihoods, relationships, and communities.

The cost of the course is $400, with food and lodging included, scholarships are available.
Please request and application to apply for this course.

  • TOPICS / AREAS OF CONTENT
    ● Permaculture: History, Ethics, Design Principles ● Design methodologies: Observation, pattern language in culture and landscape, element and sector analysis, zoning, site evaluation, map reading and more. Climate and microclimates. ● Water: Cycles, catchment, ecology, conservation and treatment. Gray and black water systems. Erosion, earth movements. ● Soils: Biology, ecology and fertility strategies (biochar, bioferments, cultivation of MM's, biomass, compost). ● Plants and animals: Propagation of plants, seed banks, orchards, urban agriculture, minor species, etc. ● Built environments and appropriate technologies: renewable energy, ecological construction. ● Invisible structures: Social, legal and economic aspects.
  • WHO SHOULD TAKE THIS PDC?
    There are many permaculture design courses offered around the world, but you are a good candidate for our PDC if: • You want to learn from instructors who have many years of experience teaching and practicing permaculture on a daily basis through your own garden, kitchen, community, and habits. • You want to experience an established permaculture site, largely designed to connect permaculture and food systems with hospitality and tourism. • You want to be inspired by seeing many practical examples of highly functional systems that were guided by the principles and ethics of permaculture. • You want to immerse yourself in the famous Monteverde cloud forest, with access to miles of hiking trails and a spectacular view of the Pacific Ocean. • You are ready for an intensive learning experience. As a theory & practice course, there will be a significant amount of lectures and discussions on a daily basis. • You want to be part of a diverse group of students, in a course that focuses on connecting with Costa Rica and its culture.
  • LANGUAGE
    The course will be taught in Spanish.
  • THE SITE: VALLE ESCONDIDO
    Valle Escondido is a living playground for sustainable design and natural experimentation. Offering different examples of regenerative systems and techniques that reduce human impact and support natural environments, visitors leave Valle Escondido inspired to support a greener world. On-site projects include land management (15-hectare Valle Escondido nature reserve), agroforestry, aquaculture, animal husbandry, gray water management, soil construction, biofertilizers, microorganism cultivation, and more. Valle Escondido presents these projects in a simple and accessible way to reach the wide international audience of guests who visit it. Recognized as a family hotel providing these examples of sustainable living seeks to create awareness for both children and adults. In Monteverde, where the climate can be very extreme, Valle Escondido creates and experiments with culturally appropriate technology design systems to identify pathways to food security and sustainable design that are now necessary to address global climate change. To date, Valle Escondido has presented in person to more than 42,000 travelers the method of permaculture and regenerative systems, in its continuous effort to use tourism as a means of transmission to advocate for a better world.

 Course with AVER & Valle Escondido

INSTRUCTORS

SCOTT GALANT

Scott Gallant es un experto en agroforestería, diseñador de sistemas alimentarios y educador de permacultura con una visión y pasión por el desarrollo de paisajes productivos. Trabaja en Rancho Mastatal Sustainability Education Center (Mastatal, Costa Rica) desde el 2009, donde lidera un equipo muy trabajador que cultiva 15 acres de sistemas de agroforestería emergentes. A Scott le apasiona la agricultura regenerativa, el pensamiento holista, la etnobotánica, el desarrollo comunitario y la generación de capacidades. Enseña cursos de Permaculture Design Certification en Costa Rica y Nicaragua. Él y su pareja Laura, han viajado extensamente por América Latina desarrollando amor a su cultura, su comida y sus ecosistemas. Cuando no anda por ahí diseñando paisajes, Scott saca tiempo para hacer caminatas, andar en bicicleta, leer y refinar su tiro de basket y su lanzamiento de frisbee.

Scott escribe para el Permaculture Research Institute y ha figurado en el podcast Permaculture Voices. Se graduó del Wabash College en 2008 con un título en Economía.

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HUGO SOTO

Hugo inicia su camino en la permacultura en el 2012, sus estudios en agricultura orgánica lo conducen a seguir profundizando en la forma de relacionarse con las personas y el lugar que habita. Oriundo de San José primero promueve la permacultura urbana con propuestas como huertos comunitarios y jardines comestibles con plantas nativas. Paralelamente mientras van naciendo estos proyectos también trabaja en facilitar talleres y cursos en comunidades para cambiar el manejo del suelo y enfoques de producción.

Su pasión por el diseño la complementa con tejer en colectivo comunidades de buen vivir, por esto se ha capacitado en formas de trabajar las estructuras invisibles sociales de la permacultura. Forma parte de la Red Permanezca encargada de promover la permacultura entre la comunidad tica de formas creativas que inspiran cambios profundos. Sueña con seguir promoviendo la permacultura desde la educación y las asesorías, tener tiempo para nadar y caminar en la montaña mientras vive en una ecoaldea colaborativa.

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COST, APPLICATION AND PAYMENT PROCESS

The course is limited to 25 students.

Accepted applicants must deposit 50% of the course fee to reserve space. No later than September 1st, two weeks before the start of the course, the remaining 50% must be paid. Cancellations will be fully refunded if made before September 15th. After September 15th, refunds will depend on course occupancy.

The cost of the course is $400, with food, lodging and onsite daycare included, scholarships are available. Please request and application to apply for this course.

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