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Denver Permaculture Design Course

 

All Permaculture Design Courses are based on a standard 72-hour curriculum (PDF) developed by Bill Mollison in the 1980s. The Denver PDC incorporates and expands on this curriculum, with a total of over 100 hours of hands-on activities, lectures, design exercises and dynamic guest speakers. In particular, the Denver PDC emphasizes urban permaculture, Colorado-specific strategies, and social justice as compared to the standard curriculum. See below for a month-by-month breakdown of the topics covered! (Note that the list below may be altered slightly before the start of the course).

Weekend 1 (10/6 and 10/7)
Woodbine Ecology Center
  • Course overview and logistics
  • Historical context
  • Permaculture ethics, principles, and design process
  • Bioregional culture and the South Platte Watershed
  • Thinking in systems
  • Observation skills
  • Methods of design
Weekend 2 (11/3 and 11/4)
The GrowHaus
  • Principles of ecology
  • Natural patterns as a design tool
  • Catching and storing water
  • Ponds, swales, and keyline design
  • Greywater and blackwater system design
  • Aquaponics
  • Surveying and basemapping techniques
  • Begin team design projects

Weekend 3 (12/1 and 12/2)

The GrowHaus
  • Soil ecology and nutrient flow
  • Soil-building strategies
  • Compost, nutrient teas, and mulches
  • Cover crops and green manures
  • Forest gardening
  • Polyculture design
  • Hedgerows, windbreaks, and shelterbelts
  • Bioregional food production strategies
  • Social dynamics

Weekend 4 (1/5 and 1/6)

The GrowHaus
  • Permatecture and natural building
  • Greenhouse design and season extension
  • Appropriate technology
  • Strategies for access to land
  • Design workshop

Weekend 5 (2/2 and 2/3)

The GrowHaus
  • Social justice and community building
  • City repair
  • Graphic design and rendering techniques
  • Regenerative economics
  • Local currencies
  • Permaculture business design
  • Presentation skills

Weekend 6 (3/2 and 3/3):
The GrowHaus
  • Permaculture and education
  • Post-PDC pathways
  • Group design project presentations
  • talent show and final party
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