Permaculture Design Certification Course (PDC) October 21st to November 05th, 2024
Join our diverse team of permaculture instructors led by Valle Escondido & Permaculture Institute 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 permaculture 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 & Permaculture Institute.
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.
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, lodging and onsite daycare included, scholarships are available. Please request and application to apply for this course.
Course with Permaculture Institute & Valle Escondido
INSTRUCTORS
NATALIA VEGA
Costa Rican, born in 1982, Natalia is an instructor at the Permaculture Institute, an institution founded by Bill Mollison and Scott Pittman. Mollison, along with David Holmgren, co-created permaculture. Natalia is an agronomist, graduated from EARTH University in 2003, and obtained a Master’s degree in Holistic Science from Schumacher College, Plymouth University, UK, in 2005. In 2016, she earned her Diploma in Permaculture Design and Teaching from the Permaculture Institute.
She has worked as a consultant in various areas, including solid and liquid waste management, ecological toilets, erosion control, landscaping with native plants, seed banks, recycling, and permaculture design. A lover of nature and deeply fascinated by the power of words, seeds, and the transformative power of nature, Natalia considers herself a lifelong student of Life.
JONAH CHAFFEE
Jonah is an ecological educator, nurse and landscaper. He has worked for years in community health education, as a Waldorf kindergarten teacher, and in alternative medicine. He currently manages Valle Escondido in Monteverde Costa Rica. Introduced to the permaculture design method 12 years ago, he studied with the Permaculture Institute and participated in different courses in Central and North America. Jonah guides Valle Escondido, as a tourist destination, to promote the conservation of natural environments and sustainable practices to support a local and global regenerative future.
Valle Escondido offers classes and provides examples to help visitors better understand regenerative land use, organic agriculture, and permaculture. When Jonah isn't playing in the garden with his two daughters or talking to visitors, he can be found surfing or exploring other places in Costa Rica.
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 15th, two weeks before the start of the course, the remaining 50% must be paid. Cancellations will be fully refunded if made before October 05th. After October 05th, 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.