17-day Permaculture Design Course at Gaia Ashram
November 25 – December 10, 2020
A Permaculture Design Course, short PDC, is an internationally known and accepted 72-hour theory course. Usually packed in 12 - 14 days, the curriculum is full on. It provides a detailed introduction to permaculture design that is based on Bill Mollison’s book (or the bible of permaculture) “Permaculture: a Designers Manual”. Our approach is to provide more time for practical experience to fully ensure that all the knowledge not only gets through your head, but also through your heart and hands. That is why we decided to space out the course over 17 days. This gives us the time for loads of practical hands-on sessions and discussion to build your foundation for further permaculture projects and studies.
What topics are covered by the PDC curriculum?
The course will include a broad range of topics that are applicable to life anywhere on this planet; it will be tailored to the needs of the participants as well as the location at hand. We will cover every major topic of Bill Mollison's curriculum in the classroom and also on the land. Nevertheless, we’re also focussing on the holistic design and systems thinking approach of permaculture.
The course curriculum is as follows:
Philosophies and ethics underlying permaculture
Permaculture principles and how to apply them in your day to day life
Patterns in nature, reading the landscape, and how to use that in holistic design
Methods of design; how to apply permaculture design tools and methodology
Climatic factors and strategies for all major climates and how to work with them
Trees, forests and forest gardening; how to mimic natural forest systems to create an abundance of food, fiber, and fodder
Agroforestry and propagation
Home gardening; how to create high yielding, low input annual gardens for food sovereignty
Water management; importance, catchment, conservation, and reuse
Properties of soil; soil structure, minerals, microorganisms, and how to work with the soil food web to build new soils, prevent erosion, create a healthy ecosystem and regenerate degraded land
Earthworks: shaping the land to reap the rewards of Mother Earth and create positive effects on ecological systems
Appropriate technologies: the importance of using small and slow solutions fitting to your local resources and needs
Natural building; how to design climate appropriate structures and build beautiful, spiritually uplifting homes using locally sourced and natural materials
Urban permaculture strategies and approaches
Alternative systems; bioregional organization, community development, and alternative economic systems
Community living and alternative lifestyles that harmonize people and the planet
Who can participate? And why should you join this PDC?
Anyone interested in sustainable living practices, in personal, societal and planetary health
Everyone working towards an abundant, ecologically responsible future
Backyard gardeners
Farmers and agriculturists
Landscape designers seeking a more sustainable dimension for their work
Environmental Studies students
Homeowners who want to invest in the long-term productivity of their property
School garden organizers
Educators
Activists
This life-changing journey at Gaia Ashram will increase your insights about ecology and permaculture and empower yourself to create an abundant garden at your home, in your street, at a school, or in your community! Become part of the growing tribe of people that are creating regenerative positive change for the benefit of Mother Earth and all her beings.
The Venue - Gaia Ashram in Thailand
Gaia Ashram in the Northeast of Thailand is practicing holistic sustainable living for around 7 years. Gaia Ashram is an alternative and community-based education centre and permaculture farm with a strong focus on regenerative farming practices. The centre was founded in 2013 by Om and Tom with the vision to create a living and learning space that deepens our spiritual connection with Mother Earth.
You can find all information about Gaia Ashram here, including of how to get there!
Gaia Ashram’s facilities are basic but very comfy, homey, and most of all out of natural and recycled materials! Accommodation is possible in dormitory, shared rooms and single rooms (extra fees apply). Mosquito nets, cushions, bedding, and blankets are provided. There is also space for your own tent!
The facilitators
Ben Murray is a Permaculture designer, consultant and teacher with a background in organic and biodynamic gardening/agriculture, natural building, horticulture and landscape architecture. Ben has been actively practicing, consulting and teaching Permaculture, sustainable agriculture and organic gardening for the last 9 years in England, Thailand, China, and India. He loves community living, natural building and is most often to be found with his hands in the earth working in the plant realm. Ben is passionate about applying permaculture design to every element of life and believes in being the change we wish to see in the world.
Karla Franielczyk is a permaculturist, gardener, and natural builder. Always attracted by nature, she deepened her connection with Mother Earth through becoming vegan and finally did her Permaculture Design Course at the Panya Project, Thailand, in early 2017. Living in community for almost 3 years, Karla has been practicing permaculture in her day to day life. She is passionate about soil regeneration, trees, natural building, alternative and holistic living, and social permaculture.
Lars Blume discovered his love for gardening in his early childhood and was introduced to the magic of plants by his grandparents. While supporting them to grow fruits and vegetables in the family garden, he gained a basic understanding and natural way of interacting with soil and nature.He has been in touch with permaculture for 5 years before he felt called to do a PDC at the Panya Project in Chiang Mai. 2 years later, he returned to Panya to co-facilitate his first PDC after designing and implementing a few projects in Europe and Thailand. He is passionate of increasing social, environmental and animal justice with a focus on food democracy. Lars’ key learning and one of the reason to co-found flowful 2 years ago, is to keep on learning and stretching the personal comfort zone every single day.
Course Schedule
In the morning there will be time for yoga, meditation, and personal practices followed by breakfast. We usually will be two morning sessions with a break for refreshments. After a healthy Thai lunch, there will be a slot for rest, followed by two afternoon sessions. Every now and then we will have evening sessions where we have documentary screenings, or a dance and pizza party!
There will be sessions during the course where participants will engage in co-creating designs for real-world projects; an opportunity to start the design process of gathering, and organizing information for your land.
If you have land or are working with a project this is your chance! Please bring all information about the land with you and we can work on it!
What are the fees?
The fee for this course is 20,000 THB, including 3 vegetarian/vegan meals, accommodation in our dormitory or your own tent, course materials, and teacher fees.
We ask all participants to make a deposit of 5,000 THB to secure your spot and pay the remaining amount in THB or EUR in cash on arrival. Please be aware that in case you have to cancel the course due to personal reasons the deposit cannot be refunded. We reserve the right to cancel the course, even at short notice, if there is a danger to the well-being of the visitors and organizers, such as viral infections (COVID-19 pandemic), storms or natural disasters (fire, hurricanes, floods). In this case, the organizer cannot be held liable for personal losses. Deposits will be refunded at 100%.
We highly recommend to take out a travel cancellation insurance.
How to register?
To secure your spot now, fill in the the registration form that you can find here and deposit your downpayment of 5,000 THB via Eventbrite. We’ll contact you shortly after your successful registration. If you have any further questions, please drop us a message at info@flowful.org! We’re happy to hear from you.
MAY THIS COURSE BE OF BENEFIT FOR MOTHER EARTH AND ALL HER BEINGS!
Sneak a peek at some of the facilitators, the content, and the hosting venue in our free Permaculture & Resilience Course!