ADVANCED PERMACULTURE BHT301

Take Your Permacuture Design Skills to a Higher Level

This course provides advanced training for:

  • people with prior experience in permaculture
  • graduates of either a PDC or our Permaculture Systems course
  • anyone with sound knowledge of garden or farm design

Permaculture Design Course -Advanced Home Studies Course for anyone who has already completed a basic Permaculture Course.

 

Permaculture involves creating a landscape that is made up of useful and productive plants; and establishing them as a balanced ecosystem that will be self sustaining. Once established; a good permaculture sute will permanently produce a whole variety of useful products (eg. fuel such as firewood; building and craft materials, food crops, etc).

This is a complex concept; but one that is relatively achievable for anyone with the passion and commitment to learn, experiment, and apply their insights to the site they are working on.

 

COURSE STRUCTURE

There are ten lessons in this module as follows:

1.  Evaluating Design Strategies

2.  Understanding Patterns

3.  Water

4.  Earthworks

5.  Humid Tropics

6.  Dry Climates

7.  Temperate to Cold Climates

8.  Planning Work

9.  Costing

10. Sustainable Systems


COURSE AIMS

On successful completion of the course you should be able to do the following:

  • Evaluate appropriate design strategies for a specific development site.
  • Explain the relationship between a Permaculture system and natural patterns occurring in your local area.
  • Develop strategies for the management of water in a Permaculture design.
  • Determine earthworks for the development of a Permaculture system.
  • Design a Permaculture system for the humid tropics.
  • Design a Permaculture system for a dry climate.
  • Design a Permaculture system for a temperate to cold climate.
  • Determine planning strategies for the development of a Permaculture system.
  • Prepare cost estimates for a Permaculture development plan.
  • Explain alternative sustainable systems practiced in various places around the world.

WHAT IS A PERMACULTURE SYSTEM

A permaculture system is a unique landscape where all the plants and animals live in balance in a self sustaining ecosystem. It commonly involves developing a garden or farm where the plants and animals are put together in such a way that they support each other's growth and development. The garden or farm may very well change over the years, but it always remains productive, requires little input once established, and is environmentally sound.

WHAT THE COURSE COVERS

You will learn a wide variety of things, through a combination of reading, interacting with tutors, undertaking research and practical tasks, and watching videos. Here are just some of the things you will be doing:

  • Explain the evolution of a Permaculture system which is at least five years old; selected and studied by you.
  • Compare the suitability of three different planning procedures, for development of a Permaculture system on a specified site.
  • Develop a permaculture plan on a specified site, by using flow diagrams.
  • Illustrate the progressive development of one view of a Permaculture system, over three years, with a series of four overlay drawings.
  • Prepare a "zone and sector" analysis for a proposed Permaculture site.
  • Explain the relevance of patterns which occur in nature, to Permaculture design.
  • Explain the importance of observation skills in Permaculture planning.
  • Analyse the weather patterns of a site in your locality as a basis for planning a Permaculture system.
  • Explain the compatibility of different types of borders for a Permaculture system, using examples, such as: *pasture farm land  *national park  *residential property  *market garden *industrial sites  *ocean.
  • Explain the significance of timing in establishing a Permaculture system, including:  *the season  *establishment sequence.
  • Compare different methods of water provision, including collection and storage for a specified Permaculture system.
  • Determine design measures to help minimise water usage, in a specified Permaculture system.
  • Determine design measures to maximise water supply, in a specified Permaculture system.
  • Analyse the adequacy of two different specific Permaculture system designs, in terms of:    *water requirements     *water provision  *water storage   *water usage.
  • Describe multiple uses for water systems in an integrated Permaculture system, including:  *power generation  *fish culture  *water-plant culture  *sewerage treatment.
  • Explain, using labeled illustrations, the use of different survey equipment, including:  *a dumpy level for determining slopes; *a tape measure for triangulating a point;  *a spirit level, line and tape for determining a slope.
  •  Survey a site, between one and four thousand square metre in size, that has been selected for a proposed Permaculture system, recording details, including: *topography  *dimensions  *location of features.
  • Prepare a site plan, to scale, of the site surveyed, including contour lines and the location of all existing features.
  • Distinguish between, using labeled drawings, different types of earthworks, including:   *banks   *benching   *terracing   *mounds.
  • Explain the factors that affect the excavation of earth for a specified Permaculture system, such as:  *soil type  *sub-soil  *rock  *site access  *vegetation  *in-ground services.
  • Compare two different methods for moving earth for a specific Permaculture development.
  • Compare different methods for the provision of drainage on a site proposed as, or being developed as, a Permaculture system.
  • Explain the different reasons for moving earth in two specified Permaculture designs.
  • Determine the earthworks required for a proposed Permaculture system, including:  *quantity of earth to move   *where to relocate earth to   *method of moving the earth.
  • Determine the factors unique to the design of Permaculture systems in a humid, tropical climate.
  • Evaluate on two different specified Permaculture systems designed for the humid tropics.
  • Determine fifty plant species suited for inclusion in a Permaculture system in the humid tropics.
  • Determine ten animal species suitable for inclusion in a Permaculture system in the humid tropics.
  • Prepare a Permaculture design for a humid tropical climate, including:  *a plan  *a materials list  *plant and animal varieties lists.
  • Explain the factors unique to the design of a Permaculture system for a dry climate.
  • Evaluate two different specified Permaculture systems, designed for dry climates.
  • Determine fifty plant species suitable for inclusion in a Permaculture system in dry areas.
  • Determine ten animal species suitable for inclusion in a Permaculture system in dry areas.
  • Prepare a Permaculture design for a dry climate, including:  *a plan   *a materials list   *plant and animal varieties lists.
  • Explain factors unique to the design of Permaculture system design in a temperate to cold climate.
  • Analyse two different, specified Permaculture designs for temperate to cold climates.
  • Determine fifty plant species suitable for inclusion in a Permaculture system in temperate to cold areas.
  • Determine ten animal species suitable for inclusion in a Permaculture system in temperate to cold areas.
  • Prepare a Permaculture design for a temperate to cold climate, including:  *a plan  *materials list  *plant and animal varieties lists.
  • Determine the types of materials required for specific Permaculture plans supplied to you.
  • Calculate the quantities of materials, showing necessary calculations, required in a specified permaculture plan.
  • Estimate the work-hours required, showing any necessary calculations, to complete each section of work.
  • Estimate the equipment required, showing any necessary calculations, to complete each section of work.
  • Analyse two different, new Permaculture systems, to determine specific tasks which may need to be undertaken over a period of years, until the system reaches maturity.
  • Determine when it is valid to perform work in a specific, mature/established Permaculture system you visit.
  • Determine suppliers for all materials, for a specified Permaculture development, in accordance with specific plans supplied to you.
  • Determine the costs of five types of different materials, for a specified Permaculture development, from different suppliers.
  • Determine the essential costs for services to establish a specified Permaculture system, such as:   *labour costs   *sub contracting fees     *equipment hire  *permits and planning applications         *technical reports           *legal fees.
  • Compare the costs of establishing two different Permaculture systems, visited and investigated by you.
  • Explain three sustainable agricultural or horticultural systems, other than permaculture.
  • Differentiate Permaculture from other sustainable systems, including: *Biodynamics          *Organic farming.
  • Compare specified sustainable agricultural or horticultural practices from three different countries.
  • Prepare a plan for developing a sustainable agricultural system, other than Permaculture, on a specified site, including: *Concept site plan        *Work schedule *Cost estimates.