Midwest Permaculture

Permaculture Certification Course
8-Days in Stelle, Illinois, with 8 Pre-course Webinars
Focus: Suburban & Urban Permaculture Design
October 17-24, 2009

Training Includes: - 8 Webinars - Guided Self-Study - Class Instruction - Tour to Chicago - Design Work & - Hands-on Project   PIctured: Students learning to us a transit to mark elevations for swale, pond and rain garden design.

The emphasis of this course:
   1. Exploring permaculture opportunities in the cities and suburbs
      2. Increasing the environmental health of our communities
         3. Transforming our back yards, city lots, roof tops and                                     community commons areas into ecological
                                                          and economical juggernauts.
             4. Minimizing work and reducing fossil fuel requirements
                5. Creating long term security for ourselves, our                                       neighborhoods and for those who follow.

Please Note: As always, the full-design course curriculum will be covered to provide students with their permaculture PDC certification.

To get a good idea of what this course will be like,
click below for a picture summary of:
One of our previous Suburban/Urban Design Course
Please Note: This page has many pictures and may take a few minutes
to download, but if you want a good feel for what is course is like,
it is well worth the wait.

Features of this Course:

Several Stops in Chicago
Permaculture designs within a city are not only possible, they are essential for the long term health and well being of the inhabitants. When we cut ourselves off from nature, we cut ourselves off from an important aspect of who we are. There is also an abundance of sun, water and wind in most cities that is often times seen as a liability rather than a beneficial abundance.

We will make several stops where individuals, or the community, have implemented a 'permanent-culture' approach to city living. We will explore food production, energy reduction, efficient water catchments systems and more.

Some of these stops are likely to be... the Chicago Honey Co-op.
Click here for a pictorial summary of this multifaceted operation.

...The Gary Comer Youth Center's Rooftop Gardens on the South side...

...The Waters School Community and Children's Gardens on the North side...

 

                                      ------------------------------------------

...And in the Suburbs, We'll Visit Vicki and Ron Nowicki.

Even before the word 'permaculture' appeared on the book shelves in the late 70's, Ron and Vicki were already thinking and designing like permaculturists. They built their home in Downers Grove with many natural and renewable materials, designed it to keep it cool in the summer and warm in the winter with relatively little energy inputs, and never even put in a lawn. They knew from the beginning that their yard would consist of a symphony of plants that would blend naturally into the environment and yield an abundance of fruit, vegetables and herbs. It has...!

...and their suburban permaculture oriented home and lot.

Today, the front and side yards are like an arboretum, cool and shady in the summer, blocking the winds in the winter.

Their back yard has been left open for annual vegetable production tossed in amongst the perennial fruit and vegetables.

Vicki and Ron have proven that it is possible to create a permaculture design for your yard and gardens while maintaining a real sense of beauty and serenity. They also claim that once the design is completed and plants established, the amount of work they put into their permaculture gardens is little more then their neighbors put in to mowing and maintaining their own lawns - and the Nowicki's harvest an abundance of food and other useful items from their yard.
                             We will spend a few hours at their home.

                                      ------------------------------------------

And of course... your course work in Stelle.
Even though you will have already completed 14-hours of your certification studies through the webinars, we still have 58+ hours of work ahead us. In order to fit the balance of the curriculum into only 8 days, the on-site portion of the course typically starts at 8:30am and runs all the way through 9-10pm. We do take long breaks for lunch and dinner but do come prepared for a very full week of learning, designing and fun.

The 2008 Suburban/Urban Permaculture Design Certification Course Graduates

Certifying Instructor - Wayne Weiseman Permaculturist Wayne Weiseman brings his years of design and teaching experience to this certification course. Wayne is registered by Bill Mollison's Permaculture Institute of Australia to teach the full permaculture design course (PDC) and to grant PDC certification.     Read more...   Wayne resides in Carbondale, Illinois Contact Wayne via Email

Further Details of the Course

This full design course actually begins for each student when they register. With registration comes a welcome email that contains attached handouts to read from the course instructors and with-in a week or so, the arrival of the design course text book via US Mail.

Course Textbook    Included with Registration 'Earth User's Guide to Permaculture' by Rosemary Morrow This gem of a text, shipped to students upon registration, is written by Rosemary Morrow, an Australian, that has taught permaculture around the world for decades. The book is straightforward and loaded with illustrations, depth and substance. It covers theory and also focuses on the practical aspects of how to implement permaculture design. This book is a must read for the serious permaculturist and is a requirement for students of our design certification courses. 150 Question Study Guide Along with the text comes a study guide with 150 questions that will assist the student in anchoring the information contained in the book. If a student can answer these questions, they can be assured that they have grasped the foundations of the permaculture design certification course.

Webinars:
This year's live webinars were hosted as part of the first design course held in May. All students receive links to 6 of these webinars hosted by lead instructor Wayne Weiseman which covers a large part of the course text and gives students a great foundational understanding of permaculture in preparation for their on-site training.

Also included with this course are two additional webinars that are live.

Purchase Webinars & Self-Study Features Separately If one is seriously interested in learning about permaculture but cannot commit to a certification course, the webinars and self-study features of our design courses can be enjoyed as stand alone experiences. Students learn an amazing amount about permaculture and design just by joining in on these aspects of a course. Webinar / Self-Study Package: $195      - Bill Wilson's ' Introduction to Permaculture' webinar                (Includes permission to use teaching slides)      - The 6 Wayne Weiseman 'Foundations of Permaculture' webinars from 2009      - A copy of the course text Earth User's Guide to Permaculture                     (Along with reading assignments as they relate to webinars)      - A copy of the 150-Permaculture Self-Study Questions                (These solidify your permaculture comprehension and understanding)      - 24 Handouts from Bill and Wayne to highlight certain subjects Additional Benefit... Receive Full Credit Toward Future Course Should a student decide to take a Midwest Permaculture Design Certification Course in the future, the $195 is fully credited toward their registration fee. This credit will be carried forward for up to 3 years. When a students takes a future course they get to participate in the new round of webinars as well.   Click Here to Purchase Webinars and Self-Study & Receive Full Credit Towards Design Certification Course   "I won't be able to listen live tonight but will be very interested to listen to the recording later. I've LOVED these webinars. Thank you so much for offering the webinar-only option. I plan to take a certification class within the next couple of years, but these webinars allowed me to really bring together the self-study and in-the-dirt projects I've been working on. THANKS!" Leigh W. (5-13-09) Arkansas http://ozarksalive.org/larrapin/

On-Site Portion of Course:

Daily Schedule
The on-site portion of the course begins on Saturday the 17th at 1:00pm and runs until noon the following Saturday, October 24th. We will have class most days from 8:30 a.m. through 9 p.m. with good breaks for lunch and dinner (you'll want them) and we will schedule an evening off in the middle of the week. As we have shared, this is an intensive training so we ask students to come ready to study, work and learn. There will be plenty of fun too.

Meals:
All meals, snacks, coffee, tea and water will be provided as part of the course tuition and will be served beginning on Saturday evening, Oct.17 through lunch the following Saturday, Oct.24. Meals will be prepared from mostly organic and locally raised foods and will include vegetarian and meat options.

Camping and Accommodations in Stelle
As part of the price of tuition, free camping space will be made available with toilets and showers nearby in heated spaces. Remember, even though it is mid-October (could get below freezing at night) you will likely only be spending time in your tent to sleep.

There will also be indoor lodging options available in Stelle that typically run between $125 and $175 for the whole week. Some of our residents are delighted to rent out their guest rooms for this modest fee. Please email Becky (or call 815-256-2215) if you are interested in this option. Indoor lodging is made available on a first-come, first-served basis.

What to Bring:
5-6 weeks before the on-site portion of the course begins, every student receives a welcome packet (by email) which includes a list of things to bring as well as more details about your course, your webinar classes, and your fellow students.

Certification
Students who complete this design course will receive a 'Certification of Completion' which allows one to use the copyrighted word 'permaculture' in the promotion of their work or business. Graduates may also do teaching, offering workshops, lectures and seminars. However, offering full design certification courses and awarding certification to others requires further training and documentation. Click here for more on certification.

Course Fee & Registration:
The price for this course is $1,295.  

Early Registration Discount - Save $100 before Aug. 17th
We appreciate knowing ahead of time what sort of attendance we might expect at a design course. For those who can register in full 60-days before the on-site portion of the course begins will receive a $100 discount on their course tuition.

Group Registrations - Save another $100
2 or more may register as a group and receive a $100 discount each. We've had friends, family members or couples register together and in the weeks before the course, ended up bringing in several more friends, each saving $100.

Call Becky for either more information or to set up a group (815-256-2215).

	Registration Process      Option 1 Click here to register on-line.  We take MasterCard, Visa and Discover.      Option 2 Call Becky to register over the phone at 815-256-2215 with credit card or personal check.      Option 3 Click below for a registration form which you may print out, fill out, and snail-mail in with your check.         Word Document (.doc)        - or -     .PDF File Form

Down-Payment / Course Reservation
Our simple e-commerce page is not set-up to handle partial or down-payments. If making a partial payment is an important factor to your ability to participate, please call Becky at 815-256-2215 to work out these arrangements.

Low Risk Cancellation and Refund Policy
Should a student have to cancel their enrollment in the course up to 30-days before the on-site portion of the course begins, there is a full refund less $250. Student retains access to webinars, keeps the course handouts and text book, and receives a full $195 credit towards any future Midwest Permaculture design certification course.

If a student cancels within the 30-day period before the course there will be a full refund less $350 and the student still receives a $195 credit towards our design courses. The credit is good for up to three years.

There are no refunds for cancellations or for withdrawals once the course begins. However, in certain circumstances, we may extend partial credit towards a future design course.

Already A Permaculture Design Course Graduate?
We offer a 33% discount to students who have already graduated from another recognized course (from anywhere in the world) who wish to take a Midwest Permaculture course as a refresher. Please email for details.

Still Have Questions?
You are welcome to email us at Becky@MidwestPermaculture.com or call Becky at 815-256-2215.