72 - hour Permaculture design course
Sunday 23rd May - Wednesday 2nd June 2021
Learn sustainable living skills and earn an internationally recognised certificate for sustainability consulting!
Discover how to construct natural buildings, plan organic gardens and food forests, grow your own food, revitalize ecosystems, to design renewable energy systems and much more. This Permaculture Design Course teaches how to design and implement sustainable living systems that are in balance with natural ecosystems and make the world a greener place. Upon completion of the course graduates receive a Permaculture Design Certificate, an internationally-recognized credential for sustainability consulting. This course is classroom-based with some outdoor hands-on projects.
What is permaculture ?
Permaculture (permanent agriculture) is a set of design tools, methodologies and principles that allow us to enrich and diversify landscapes, our communities, towns and villages to be in harmony with nature and to provide an abundance of everything we humans truly require. Guided by ethics, permaculture aims at creating a permanent culture - lifestyles our planet Earth and its rescources can sustain for generations to come. The design principles of permaculture are very versatile and can be applied to any design task ranging from ethical business development, house design, gardens, creating lively communities and creative solutions to generate energy, catch water and to minimize waste, to name a few.
Course Syllabus
Starting with the challenges we face as a society, permaculture ethics and the basics of permaculture, we cover a wide range of themes and teach the patterns and concepts of permaculture. You will be able to apply and deepen your knowledge in design project and practicals on site.
You will gain and understanding of the following topics:
Permaculture ethics and approach to challenges
Principles of Natural Systems - Sustainable Design Methodologies
Patterns in Nature, Culture and Society
Reading the Land & Understanding Natural Processes
Large Scale Land Restoration Techniques
Water Harvesting Techniques
Design Principles of Sustainable Human Settlements
Grey Water Recycling
Natural Building Strategies
Cultivated & Productive Ecologies
Food Forests, Plant Guilds, Gardens for Self-Sufficiency
Energy Conservation Technologies
Appropriate Technologies and Renewable Energies
Urban Environment Permaculture
Wildlife Management and Biological Pest Control
Invisible Structures: People, Community, Economics, EcoVillages
Community Supported Agriculture
The venue
Gea Viva is a well established Permaculture site with compost toilets, solar showers, a number of small eco buildings, a wealth of trees, a Permaculture vegetable garden, medicinal herbs and animals The course will take place in our outdoor pavilion and around the Gea Viva site.
Being close to the sea, staying at our eco island retreat gives you the chance to go for a swim during the long lunch breaks.
Course Structure
This 72-hour workshop starts on Sunday, 23rd May at 18.00 hrs, and ends on Tuesday, 1st June with an evening celebration. We have one afternoon off. Wednesday, 2nd June is the leaving day, either before or after breakfast, according to your choice.
The course will run every day from 9.00 - 13.00 and from 16.00 - 19.30 hrs, with short interim breaks as required. Optional morning Yoga sessions/morning meditations are from 7.45-8.15 hrs.
Language
The course language is English. Do not hesitate to ask, if you do not unterstand something, If needed, we can translate some words into German and Croatian.
Food and practicalities
We have a fully equipped kitchen on site, and will prepare vegetarian meals jointly. If you have special dietary requirements, please let us know in the registration form.
Please note that alcohol, drugs and meat are not consumed on site.
We are within easy walking distance fo the sea and the village Milna has grocery shops, restaurants, bars, cash points, a currency exchange, a doctor, a pharmacy and a post office.
The teachers
Karmela Kiš
The lead instructor Karmela Kiš, a renowned permaculture designer, has long-standing experience in permaculture, organic gardening and ecological garden design. Being completely immersed in permaculture for almost twenty years, Karmela has created and sustained a number of Permaculture gardens, grown a wide range of rare plants, published a book on conserving fruit and vegetables and has, together with her deseased husband Miroslav, written the first book on Permaculture in Croatian. An inspiring teacher with in-depth knowledge of applied Permaculture, Karmela truly walks her talk.
Barbara Scheltus
Barbara Scheltus is a gardener, webdesigner and permaculturist. Originally from Amsterdam, she has been living on a 12 hectare property in Croatia called "Bogata Suma" ("Rich Forest") with her family for 10 years.
Barbara designed and developed a beautiful kitchen garden ("vegetable park") that produces fresh food all year round, a food forest, a food savannah, a polyculture nut orchard, a natural swimpond and a permaculture campsite.
Besides land based permaculture, Barbara also makes and teaches people based designs.
Sabine Engelhardt
Sabine Engelhardt is an eco architect, joiner, geomancer, and initiator of the Gea Viva project. She has designed the site according to permaculture principles and has built most structures, together with friends and volunteers. Having lived close to nature for the last eight years, Sabine has also constructed a tiny house with straw bales on site. She has been cultivating the connection with the unseen layers of the Earth for many years, known as sacred permaculture.
Price options
Glamping hut
990 € single occupancy | 915 € two sharing
The glamping huts have 1-2 camping beds, battery lights, reed roofs for shade and private terraces with sea views. Bedding and bedlinen is provided. Please bring your own towel.
Tent
850 € own tent | 895 € hire tent
If you would really like to get in touch with the Earth, bring your own tent. Alternatively you can hire a trekking tent, matt, sleeping bag and pillow from us.
Own camper van
895 € camper up to 7m
Our dedicated camper spaces are within the campsite. As we have an off-grid solar system we cannot supply electric power. You are welcome to use the shared fridge.
We have screened off outdoor solar showers and a shared kitchen. If not booked by groups, you can use the dome tent to practice sports. Sockets for charging appliances are in the kitchen.
Price includes
Teaching, course materials, a tour or the site, three vegetarian meals a day (prepared jointly), morning meditation/yoga and eleven night‘s accommodation.
Booking and deposit
To secure your place on the course, please pay the deposit of 150 Euros at the time of your registration. Payments are by bank transfer in Croatian Kunas (HRK) or in Euros, by Paypal or in cash. The deadline for registrations is the 21st April. We offer an early bird discount of 10% for bookings before 31st March.
For cancellations up to one month in advance of the event, we will deduct a handling fee of 50 Euros, and return the remainder of the deposit to you. For cancellations later than one month before the event, the deposit is non-returnable and for cancellations later than one month before the event, the entire fee is due.
Together we can make a difference and create the world we wish to live in.
Sign up for this course now.