[Pil-pc-oceania] Jim's Permaculture

[permaculture at apollobay.org.au]

Forgive me,

When I did my PDC with Bill, he said (more or less) you are now qualified
to 
do permaculture design, go forth and design.

I thought that this was a basic tenant of permaculture, and what Bill took 
to the third world.

Yours in naivety
Tamara


Hi Tamara

A good idea is to actually have a look at permaculture practitioners, their
backgrounds or other qualifications, and look at the work they've done.

You'll find it to be very diverse (as it should be).

Permaculture practitioners come from all different backgrounds... and some
are very effective designers, but they don't have any other design
background/ qualifications other than their PDC.

Ask Russ and Fiona about their background.

Ask Rick & Naomi about their design qualifications and what experience they
had before going over to the third world.

David Holmgren was completing his Environmental Design degree when he wrote
his thesis that became Permaculture One.

Ask Bill if he had any previous degrees/qualifications in Design?  Although
he has a vast background in numerous areas.

Ask Darren Dougherty and Geoff Lawton about their qualifications.

And then there's new permaculture designers, guys who only did their PDC in
2005 and 2006.  Cam Wilson and Dan Palmer... now, they're doing great
stuff!  Ask them about their design qualifications. Dan Palmer is actually
one of the co-tutors for the Jim's Permaculture PDC... he's got his
business "Permaculture Solutions" up on Jim's website along with the
Coleman's.  Dan's got a PhD in Psychology... and his PDC, but he doesn't
have a design background. 

Now, there's also practitioners who do have design backgrounds/
qualifications, who are architects, landscape architects as well as having
their PDC's.
But there's also some who don't, but have an environmental science
background or previously were biologists (they tend to like to say that
permaculture is a "science" or "design science")  And then there's some who
have a social ecology background.  And who some have horticulture and
education quals.    

We are so all diverse!  

If you look into the history of the Permaculture movement, you'll see that
this debate has been long standing.  But in my opinion, although having a
background in design may be useful in being a permaculture designer, so may
a background in other areas.
Although I studied design formally for 4 years before doing my PDC, I find
that my background & practise in Shiatsu & Oriental remedial therapies is
more relevant to my permaculture practise.

It will be great the day in which we can just say that we're permaculture
practitioners/ designers... rather than having to have another profession
to back us up (eg. "I'm a horticulturalist who does permaculture").  Rather
say that we're permaculture designers, and if we specialise in a certain
area of permaculture.

APT, I feel is helping permaculture to become a recognised profession, but
a PDC is enough for some people to get out there and design for clients...
and others it isn't enough... I think this also depends on who you do your
PDC with too (some tutors instill confidence in their students, and others
instill apprehension) and I think people logically realise what  skills
they lack in after doing their PDC, and then they gather the extra skills
if they wish to be effective designers, whether through extra formal
training, apprentice learning or just doing it themselves.  

Cheers
Fern

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