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
The GrowHaus
Weekend 3 (12/1 and 12/2)
The GrowHaus
Weekend 4 (1/5 and 1/6)
The GrowHaus
Weekend 5 (2/2 and 2/3)
The GrowHaus
Weekend 6 (3/2 and 3/3):
The GrowHaus
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
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