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Tierra
Permaculture
Design
Course
L
e a v e n w o r t h, W A A p r i l 2 8
t o M a y 1 2 2 0 0 2
A
two-week course on sustainable
design held in the
beautiful North
Cascades.
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Permaculture
is an integrated
systems approach to designing sustainable homes, farms and communities.
The term "permaculture" was coined in 1978 by Australians Bill Mollison
and David Holmgren as a contraction of "permanent agriculture".
It can also be defined as "permanent culture". Permaculture
is about self-reliance, community, growing food, and building
energy efficient structures from local materials. Permaculture
establishes multiple-story, agroforestry systems using tree crops,
shrubs, vines and herbaceous plants in symbiotic assemblages that
are highly productive.
Tierra
is a 310-acre retreat and conference
center. It is a mosaic of forests, meadows and pastures
tucked away in Sunitsch Canyon, five miles up the Chumstick valley
from Leavenworth WA. A stream flows through the canyon
and there is a pond and small wetland. Recently acquired
by new owners, the center’s intent is to provide a space for the
interaction of spirituality and social change. In creating a Permaculture
design for the property, these elements will be considered.
The main purpose
of the course is to impart permaculture principles and methodologies
which can be applied anywhere in the world. Through lecture,
slide shows, discussion, observation, field trips and hands-on
activities, permaculture design students will develop the practical
skills and knowledge to design and implement sustainable systems
that are in harmony with the natural world. We will cover hundreds
of crops which can provide family needs or cash income. Medicinal
herbs will be a major focus. Although this course's focus is on
the Northwest, participants from other bioregions are welcome.
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*
Permaculture principles
* Permaculture methodology
* Large property design
* Organic gardening
* Organic agriculture
* Agroforestry systems
* Natural building
* Ecosystem restoration
* Livestock raising
* Urban permaculture
* Appropriate energy
* Village development
* Intentional communities
* Observation skills
* Site analysis & design
* Ethnobotany/ethnoecology
*Water harvesting
* Irrigation
* Arid land strategies
* Edible landscaping
* Tree crops
* Windbreaks
* Medicinal herbs
* Wildcrafting
* Seed collecting
* Erosion control
* Aquaculture/ponds
* Sustainable forestry
* Integrated pest management
* Networking & research
* Barter economies
and much, much more. |
Michael
Pilarski has
lived
and worked around the Pacific Northwest since 1972. He has extensive
experience in organic farming, seed collecting, plant
propagation, horticulture, wildcrafting, teaching, and
international networking. He has taught nineteen permaculture
design courses thus far ranging from the cold northern climates
of British Columbia, Nova Scotia and Wisconsin; the temperate climates
of Puget Sound, Oregon and California; to the subtropical climates
of Hawai`i, Nepal and Belize. In 1986, Pilarski hosted and graduated
from a drylands
Permaculture Design Course taught by Bill Mollison near Cle Elum
in eastern Washington (About 50 miles south of Tierra). Mollison
is the founder of permaculture and one of the world's leading authorities
on sustainable settlement in arid and semi-arid lands.
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Bruce
Hill was
raised on the pampas of Argentina and has worked with plants since
a young age. He has been practicing permaculture on Maui for
the past 15 years and has been teaching permaculture courses in
Hawai`i for the past 5 years. His work at Kanahena Farm has
helped make it into one of the best permaculture models in the Hawaiian
islands. Bruce has worked with native Hawaiian people learning
about their traditional systems. He continues to work and travel
in South America learning from traditional systems there.
Bruce specializes in practical ways to do permaculture with low
finances.
We are all students.
We are all teachers. |
Penny
Livingston is
the founder and director of the Permaculture Institute of Northern
California. She has established a permaculture model on her
property. Penny has been one of the most prolific teachers on
the West Coast over the past decade. She has taught permaculture
in Portugal and a permaculture ecovillage course in France. Penny
has taught several permaculture courses with Starhawk, incorporating
spirituality and permaculture. Penny is also great around
the campfire with a guitar.
_
Other guest speakers
to be announced. Course participants will also bring a wide range
of knowledge and experience to share.
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| Guest
Speakers
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 Paul
Stamets of
Fungi Perfecti in Olympia Washington, is one of the world's leading
experts on the cultivation of edible and medicinal mushrooms.
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Grant Gibbs
is an
organic farmer and orchardist whose homestead is a few miles away
from Tierra. Grant is also a small-scale logger specializing
in selective cutting, fire-prevention thinning and ecological forestry.
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Course fee: $800. Food and cabin accommodation
included.
($700 for those who wish to camp or commute).
Scholarships are available. People of color are encouraged to apply.
A $250 dollar deposit is required with registration. $100 of the
deposit is non-refundable.
Single day attendance is possible at $75 per day.
Participants will be sent an information packet upon registration
For
further information or to register contact:
Tierra
Ben
Berkman & Amanda Carr
12000
Sunitsch Canyon Rd.
Leavenworth,
Wa 98826
(509)
548-3225 or (509) 548-6880
tierrapermaculture@hotmail.com
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to Friends of the Trees Society |