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PDC Information Session

Whatcom Permaculture PDC info Session Recap

Are you interested in learning more about permaculture and the ways you can get involved with the Whatcom Permaculture community? Dive into the world of permaculture design and see what the Whatcom Permaculture Design course offers.

This Information session offers

  • Hear about the basics of permaculture and its benefits.
  • Learn about our upcoming events, including workshops, volunteer opportunities, and community meet-ups.
  • Discover the details about our Permaculture Design Course (PDC) and how to apply for a scholarship before the April 1st deadline.
  • Hear from some past students reflections
  • Ask questions and get personalized advice on how to start your permaculture journey.

We look forward to exploring the potential of living regeneratively together with you!

Ways to Get Involved with Whatcom Permaculture

Engaging with Whatcom Permaculture is a rewarding experience that contributes to both personal growth and community development. Here’s how you can get involved:

  1. Attend Introductory Workshops:

    • Sign up for workshops to learn about permaculture principles and techniques.
    • Workshops are hands-on and often include site visits to local projects.
  2. Volunteer:

  3. Enroll in a Permaculture Design Course (PDC):
    • Completing a PDC is a critical step for anyone serious about practicing permaculture.
    • These courses cover theory, principles, design processes, and practical applications.
  4. Join Local Community Groups:
    • Find and join local permaculture or gardening groups to share knowledge and resources.
    • Community groups often hold regular meetings, garden tours, and seed swaps.
  5. Participate in Community Projects:
    • Engage with existing permaculture projects or start a new one in your neighborhood.
    • Projects may include community gardens, food forests, and sustainable living initiatives.
  6. Practice at Home:

    • Apply permaculture principles in your own backyard or balcony garden.
    • Design your living space for sustainability, efficiency, and harmony with nature.
  7. Stay Informed:

    • Read books, watch documentaries, and stay updated with the latest in permaculture innovation.
    • Consider subscribing to our newsletter and blogs focused on permaculture.

To get started, check out the Whatcom Permaculture and Inspiration Farm’s websites for resources, upcoming events, and contact information. Reach out with your interests, and we can guide you to the best way to contribute to the local permaculture movement.

Join Whatcom Permaculture!

Stay in the loop and Join 72 others, in Whatcom County interested in Permaculture.

We will not share your info. with anyone. Only used to inform you of permaculture related events in Whatcom county. You may unsubscribe at any time.

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Regenerative Earth Apprenticeship Program 2024

Apply Permaculture principles to real life Earth Care! 

Three month apprenticeship, June 15- Sept 15, 2023, living, working and learning on a permaculture farm in the beautiful Cascade Mountains.

Curricula includes: Sense of Place, Botany Basics, Gardening/ farming practices, Herbal Medicine Making, Foraging, Energy Flows, Mycology, Chickens, Homestead Skills and more!

For more info visit http://www.vivaculture.org  contact Terri Wilde

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Permaculture Course Update

As we move closer to the start of our Whatcom Hands On Permaculture Design Course, We wanted to share an update of how things are progressing. At this point the course is half full, with a half a dozen or so interested and thinking about it.

We would like to offer an incentive for people to sign up.

  • We are extending the early bird price of $1600 till May 1st, $200 off the regular price
  • Sign up a friend and get $100 off of your tuition.
  • Sign up as a couple and get a $200 discount

We are really looking forward to getting into the nuts and bolts of the class schedule. If we have not reached minimum enrollment by May 5th, we will strategically pivot to a slightly different format.  We would still continue to offer some of the course content, but as stand-alone workshops conducted throughout the Spring and Summer. 

Upcoming Events

Here are a few upcoming events if you are interested in meeting us or visiting a site prior to the course.  These are also great opportunities to meet other people in our area interested in Permaculture.  They are also a great chance to invite your friends who may be exploring some of these ideas ; )

Saturday, April 23rd-  9 – 2pm Whatcom Farm Expo Exhibition:  Free! Put on by the Whatcom Conservation District. Come visit us at this trade convention for our local Agricultural Community.  More information at their Website, Eventbrite, and Facebook event, pages.

Friday, April 29 –  4 – 6pm Permaculture Meet-up at Inspiration Farm: Free! Come meet and chat with our local Permaculture Community.  We can share ideas, plants, books or tools. 

Sunday, May 1st – 2 – 5pm  International Permaculture Day: Free! We are hosting a Plant sale/swap as well as a site tour.  Bring plants to share or a little bit of cash for purchasing and join us.

Saturday, May 14 – 10 – 4pm Food Forest & Permaculture Guild Plants $40 Workshop at Inspiration Farm.

Permaculture course weekends you can attend separately!

We will be offering certain modules of the course as a stand-alone workshops for people who are interested in specific topics but may not be able to commit to an entire course.  The cost will be $200 per weekend.  Please share these opportunities with anybody you know who may be interested.  Thanks. 

Weekend #1  May 21st and 22nd $200

The first weekend will cover the Foundations of Permaculture overview and logistics of the whole course. This will be an introduction to the foundations of permaculture. If you decide you are interested in taking the whole course you may roll this fee into the total cost of the course.

The first two information packed days we will cover permaculture defined; observation skills; ethics and the basis of ecological design; permaculture principles. We will include a comprehensive site tour with observation skill exercises while looking at indicators of sustainability, and how to use them. We will address whole systems thinking and how to look at fast track succession as it applies to design strategies.

Weekend #2  June 4th and 5th $200

The second weekend we will look at Designing within a Pattern Literacy Context. We will also be joined by the renowned permaculture designer and practitioner Doug Bullock. As we look at topography, geology, climate and microclimates Designing from patterns to details using natural patterns as a design tool. Looking at the overview of the permaculture design process and methods of design using the Zone and Sector System.

Day two we will go into the Roles of Trees and Plants. How do these elements relate to developing a stable system. Polyculture plants and their many functions. Methods for propagation, care and the yields they offer back to the system.  Strategic design of plant communities for the orchard food forest system including; hedgerows, windbreaks, shelter belts and the home garden.

Weekend #3  June 18th and 19th $200

This third weekend will focus on  Soil and Water. On Saturday, we will explore the complex, living, breathing edge between the earth and the sky.  By exploring the dynamic Soil Food Web, we will learn about both the geological and ecological relationships which best facilitate plant growth.  Sunday will explore Water Systems and provide a practical and accessible approach to this most critical infrastructure.  We will look at Residential Irrigation systems that connect the garden to the home.  We will also explore Domestic Plumbing systems such as the kitchen sink, toilet and grey water irrigation.  We’ll learn how to troubleshoot simple problems that homeowners and renters may encounter in everyday life.

Weekend #4  July 9th and 10th $200

This Fourth weekend will focus on  Social Relations and Practical Tools. We will also be joined by the renowned permaculture designer Penny Livingston.  On Saturday we will explore awesome Community Projects happening within the scope of Permaculture Design.  We will also investigate social relationships between ourselves, each other and our larger consumer culture as well as how to design in the Human Landscape.  On Sunday, we will learn How to Use and Care for Tools.  Both hand tools and power tools are an essential part of any land-based work.  We will cover the basic tool kit, trade-specific kits, power tools, safety and maintenance.

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