Permaculture Design course in Iceland

A Permaculture Design course will be held in Iceland at Alviðra by Sog (8 km from Selfoss, 60 km from Reykjavík) from 14 June to 23 June (17th is a day off).

Price 120.000 isk, 775 euros, 1060 usd. – incl. learning materials and food Price 110.000 isk, 710 euros, 970 usd if paid before 15. April. Sleeping bag accommodations at Alviðra 2.500 isk, 16 euros, 22 usd pr. night. Completing participants get a PDC, Permaculture Design Certificate.

The course is 72 hours. The are sleeping arrangements on location. Participants and teachers take part in cooking and cleaning. There will be daily meditation and yoga that people are free to partake in.

The course will be tought in English.
The course main tutor is Jan Martin Bang. He has a Diploma from the Nordic Permaculture Association. Jan will be assisted by professor Kristín Vala who has already finished a PDC.

Purpose of the course:

• Educate a group of permaculture designers that can teach others and use permaculture in their life.
• Helping participants to develop their own project.
• At the end of the course participants will get a PDC certificate. The certificate
• gives rights to teach topics within permaculture and design under the name of permaculuture. To get the certificate participants need to attend 75% of the course and present their project to other participants.

 What is permaculture?

“Permaculture is a philosophy of working with, rather than against nature; of protracted and thoughtful observation rather than protracted and thoughtless labor; and of looking at plants and animals in all their functions, rather than treating any area as a single product system” - Bill Mollison.

 

Program

Saturday 14th June 2014

Afternoon session:

• Introductions
• Programme and logistics Introduction to Permaculture Principles, Patterns in Nature
• Deep Ecology, Ethics and principles Resources
• What are ecosystems, and how can I use them? How do natural cycles function?

Sunday 15th June

Morning session:

• Design exercises, creativity and group dynamics Design hands-on, the design process step by step
• Site assessment,
• Personal design exercise
• Report writing, graphics and project presentation Maps – reading the landscape like a book. Geology, flora and fauna

Afternoon session:

• Social organisation
• Decision making and the Coordinating Leader. The Money Game.
• Environmental Footprint Analysis
• Conflict resolution, Non Violent communication

Monday 16th June

Morning session:

• Transition towns Ecovillages
• Global Ecovillage Network

Afternoon session:

• Economics, capital resources and money systems Indicators of sustainable economic welfare Alternative economics
• LETS and self generated systems

Tuesday 17th June
Day off from schedule, participants choice what they do. It’s the independence day of Iceland so there is a festive spirit around.

Wednesday 18th June
Morning session:

• House design and building techniques Design tools, siting & zoning, use of materials Water, energy and heating, social and
• spiritual aspects
• Healthy urban house and garden
• Practical building work?

Afternoon session:

• Earthworks Windbreaks
• Strawbale house building

Thursday 19th June

Morning session:

• Structure and behaviour of soil, mulch gardening, compost
• Biodynamic/Organic/Chemical farming Community food production
• Garden plan and schedule

Afternoon session:

• Community supported agriculture Practical gardening work?

Friday 20th June

Morning session:

• Water in the landscape Water and sewage
• Water catchment and supply

Afternoon session:

• Waste water treatment Biological sewage systems Living Machines and Flow Forms

Saturday 21st June

Morning session:

• Bioregions and transport
• Energy sources and alternative technology Falling water, wind generators, solar power

Afternoon session:

• Bio energy, unconventional sources

Sunday 22nd June

Morning session:

• Finishing personal design projects

Afternoon session:

• Personal design presentations Certificates
• Preparing evening celebration

Monday 23nd June

• Morning session:
• Visions and commitments Evaluation

Further information and registration

Audur I Ottesen audur@rit.is, Mordur G.Ott moli@greenmail.net,
Kristin Vala Ragnarsdottir vala@hi.is, Arna Mathiesen arna@aprilarkitekter.no Summerhouse and garden: tel +354 578 4800
Mordur G.Ott.: tel +354 770 0066

See the course on Facebook.

Photos: Spira Svendsen.