[permaculture-oceania] Permaculture Design Course at Quail Springs May 2007 near Santa Barbara CA , USA with Geoff and Nadia Lawton

[Wesley Roe and Marjorie Lakin Erickson]

Spring 2007 Permaculture Design Certificate Course



At



Quail Springs Permaculture Farm and Learning Oasis in the Cuyama Valley of 
Southern California (dry land agricultural setting) near Ojai and Santa 
Barbara CA



DATES:  May 14-27th, 2007



LOCATION: Upper Cuyama Valley in the Southern California Mountains



COST:  $1200 for registration paid in full by September 30, 2006; $1350 for 
full payment received by January 31, 2007, and $1450 for payment after 
February 1, 2007. (camping and meals included)



To register or for more info, contact::  Quail Springs, P.O. Box 417, New 
Cuyama, California 95254, (805) 886-7239, 
<mailto:info at quailsprings.org>info at quailsprings<mailto:info at quailsprings.org>.org



All the world s problems can be solved in the garden.




What is Permaculture?

Permaculture is a holistic approach to land use design, based on ecological 
principles and patterns. It aims to create stable, productive systems that 
provide for human needs, harmoniously integrating the land with people. 
Permaculture principles can be applied to any environment, at any scale - 
from dense urban settlements to individual homes, from farms to entire regions.



This world-recognized, 72-hour course provides an introduction to 
Permaculture as set forth by movement founder Bill Mollison. Students are 
invited to bring details of their own sites or potential sites and explore 
site-specific Permaculture solutions. The course serves as the foundation 
for further study and is a prerequisite for a Diploma in Permaculture 
Design, awarded by the Permaculture Research Institute. To date, hundreds 
of Permaculture designers worldwide have been certified through the course, 
creating a global network of ecological activists influencing major 
corporations and creating new soft-energy business alternatives. The course 
covers sustainable living systems for a wide variety of landscapes and 
climates, with special emphasis on arid zones.



Course Content

The course includes the application of Permaculture principles to food 
production, home design, construction, energy conservation and generation, 
and explores alternative economic structures and legal strategies 
supporting Permaculture solutions. Specific topics include:



·         Theory and principles of Permaculture

·         Nature-friendly house placement and design

·         Energy conservation techniques for cold climates

·         Recycling and waste management

·         Soil rehabilitation

·         Organic food production

·         Water harvesting and management, including earthworks

·         Ecological pest control

·         Drought-proofing

·         Soil rehabilitation and erosion control

·         Animal husbandry

·         Aquaculture

·         Catastrophe preparedness and prevention

·         Windbreaks and fire control

·         Aspects of eco-village design

·         Community

·         Invisible structures



About the Instructors

Geoff Lawton is the Director of the Permaculture Research Institute in 
Australia, assuming the position from Permaculture founder Bill Mollison. 
Lawton has worked for clients that include communities, governments, aid 
organizations, non-government organizations and multi-national companies. 
Lawton has served clients in 17 different countries, including Jordan, 
Iraq, Egypt, USA, Mexico, Macedonia, Vietnam, Costa Rica, Brazil, Ecuador, 
Peru, England, Denmark, Australia and the South Pacific. A recent project 
in Jordan is documented on a video called Greening the Desert available for 
viewing on his website (www.permaculture.org.au).



Nadia Abu Yahia (Lawton) was born in the Dead Sea Valley in Jordan. She 
learned traditional ways of land use from her father, an expert farmer and 
herbal healer of Palestinian, Bedouin descent. She later went on to 
complete her Permaculture diploma in design, education and site development 
and has recently become a registered Permaculture teacher.



Possible guest lectures by other relevant professionals





About the Farm

Quail Springs is a land-based project of True Nature, a non profit 
organization, dedicated to the learning and sharing of essential living 
skills which support personal, community, and ecological health and 
balance. We accomplish our mission through the offerings of family camps 
and life skills workshops, vocational and mentoring programs for teens, and 
internships and service learning at our Permaculture designed farm setting 
and learning oasis in the Cuyama Valley of California where life-long 
learning is nurtured in an atmosphere of community support.

We live on a 450-acre farm at 3600 feet (approx. 1100m) elevation and are 
shaping the land and our lives towards a model of self-sufficiency. This 
property is in its third year of development with community-built 
structures, a spring-fed gravity flow water system, a dam, swales, food 
gardens, tree plantings, food forest, animal systems, and a great community 
spirit.



What to expect

Learn and live Permaculture design and development while camping onsite. In 
addition to primitive camping facilities and compost toilets, participants 
should also be prepared for some cold evenings and mornings.



This 72-hour certificate program is a 13-day, residential design course 
with a one-day break in the middle and a celebration at the end.



There is an a special offer for those who would like to learn specific 
Bedouin culture artesan food preservation, presented by Nadia Abu Yahia on 
the 20th (day off).  Additionally there is an option of immersing yourself 
in Permaculture work after the course by staying on at Quail Springs, for 
$50 a day.





Quote about the course

I thought I was coming to learn about gardens, and instead I learned about 
life, and the importance of community and interdependence.





Kolmi Majumdar

Resident Caretaker
Quail Springs Learning Oasis and Permaculture Farm
<mailto:info at quailsprings.org>info at quailsprings<mailto:info at quailsprings.org>.org 






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