Permaculture Design Certificate Course

Juliette | December 29th, 2010

This is a reminder… exactly one month until the PDC, register NOW to join us at the Phipps Garden Center!

6 WEEKENDS (January to April 2011):
Jan 29-30; Feb 12-13, 26-27; Mar 12-13, 26-27; Apr 2, 9:00am to 4:30pm

– Earn your internationally recognized Permaculture Design Certification!
– Share 6 weekends immersed in a fun, supportive learning environment!
– Increase your understanding of local ecosystems and your confidence in ecological design
– Experience a thorough, on-site, permaculture design from start to finish for a historic landmark
located in an urban setting
– Learn practical skills to nourish your landscape, home, community
– Visit rural and urban examples of permaculture systems
– Empower yourself to create positive, regenerative changes in your life, your landscape, and your
community

Course Topics:
Permaculture Ethics & Principles
Observation & Ecological Design
Site Analysis & Assessment
Edible Forest Gardens
Water Harvesting
Natural Building
Compost & Soil Building
Greenhouse & Bioshelter Design
Mapping, Surveying, & Presentation
Group Design Projects & Design Charettes
Transition Town Movement

Fee:$770 members, $850 non-members

Lead Instructors:
Darrell Frey of Three Sisters Farm and Bioshelter
Elizabeth Lynch of Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens
Juliette Jones of Pittsburgh Permaculture

For more information or to register, call the Garden Center at (412) 441-4442 ext. 3925. Or visit the Phipps website to download a registration form.

Be your own landscape designer! This intensive weekend course will teach you the secrets of ecological design; learn how to garden like nature! Capture and store water on your site, reducing irrigation costs; build soil and use plants that mulch, reducing your need for artificial fertilizers; and design more sustainable garden systems, reducing your maintenance and maximizing the yield and aesthetics of your property. Visit local examples of permaculture design, use mapping and site analysis tools and complete a guided design project. This course will challenge both beginning designers and experienced gardeners alike.
Permaculture design is rooted in agriculture and horticulture, yet is far reaching and interdisciplinary in nature, making connections to city planning, ecology, architecture, and appropriate technology. This course covers the foundations of ecological design and addresses how these concepts can be applied to both urban and rural settings in order to create regenerative landscapes.

Get your PDC in Pittsburgh!

Juliette | October 25th, 2010

Get your PDC in Pittsburgh! It’s inexpensive!!! Hands-on!
Permaculture Design Certificate Course at Phipps
Join us at the Phipps Garden Center for 6 weekends of intensive permaculture design and practice!

Primary Teachers:

Darrell Frey, Three Sisters Farm and Bioshelter

Elizabeth Lynch, Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens

Juliette Jones, Pittsburgh Permaculture
Dates: January 29, 30, February 12, 13, 26, 27, March 12, 13, 26, 27, April 2
Time: 9am-4:30pm
Cost: $770 Phipps members, $850 Non-members
Location: Phipps Garden Center, 1059 Shady Ave., Pittsburgh, Pa 15232

Permaculture design is rooted in agriculture and horticulture, yet is far reaching and interdisciplinary in nature, making connections to city planning, ecology, architecture, and appropriate technology. This course covers the foundations of ecological design and addresses how these concepts can be applied to both urban and rural settings in order to create regenerative landscapes.

Course Topics
Permaculture Ethics & Principles
Observation & Ecological Design
Site Analysis & Assessment
Edible Forest Gardens
Water Harvesting
Natural Building
Greenhouse & Bioshelter Design
Compost & Soil Building
Mapping, Surveying, & Presentation
Group Design Projects & Design Charettes
Transition Town Movement

Contact:
For more information and to register, please contact- Sarah Bertovich, sbertovich@phipps.conservatory.org , 412/441-4442 x 3925

Permaculture Courses offered at Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens

Juliette | September 9th, 2010

September 22^nd will kick off the first permaculture course to be offered at Phipps!!! Over the years, Phipps has shown their commitment to sustainability by demonstrating green building practices, sustainable development and environmental awareness. This year they take their commitment even further by including permaculture courses with their Adult Education program. Four courses will be offered this fall, two of which are being taught by Pittsburghpermaculture.org founder, Troy Hottle! Various permaculture classes are offered from September thru November. Please read below for course descriptions and information.

Permaculture Techniques for Creating Healthy Soil

Dates: Wednesdays, September 22, 29

Time: 7 to 9 p.m.

Instructor: Troy Hottle

Objective: To be able to create healthy soil in your backyard.

Level: Beginner

Fee: $40 members; $60 non-members

Location: Phipps Garden Center in Mellon Park, 1059 Shady Ave., Pittsburgh, Pa, 15232

Contact: Phipps Garden Center at 412-441-4442

Learn about the importance of building healthy soil and soil life. Discover why soil organisms are so beneficial to the soil and how you can increase the amount of life in the soil. Learn how to increase organic matter in your soil, thus increasing humus and minerals, with the use of composting, sheet mulching, cover crops, nitrogen fixers and green manures.

Designing an Herb Spiral

Dates: Tuesdays, October 5, 12

Time: 7 to 9 p.m.

Instructor: Elizabeth Lynch

Objective: To be able to create an herb spiral in your own yard.

Level: Beginner

Prerequisite: None

Fee: $40 members; $60 non-members

Location: Phipps Garden Center in Mellon Park, 1059 Shady Ave., Pittsburgh, Pa, 15232

Contact: Phipps Garden Center at 412-441-4442

Do you want to grow and harvest your own fresh herbs right out your door, but don’t have a lot of space? Learn how patterns found in nature, such as spirals, can be replicated in your garden. Understand how to plant all of your favorite herbs in a small area using vertical space and microclimates provided by a permaculture herb spiral. Draw up designs to create your own spiral of herbs.

Introduction to Permaculture

Dates: Tuesdays, October 19, 26, November 2, 9, 16

Time: 7 to 9 p.m.

Instructor: Elizabeth Lynch

Objective: To understand the principles of permaculture and permaculture design techniques.

Level: Beginner

Prerequisite: None

Fee: $100 members, $150 non-members

Location: Phipps Garden Center in Mellon Park, 1059 Shady Ave., Pittsburgh, Pa, 15232

Contact: Phipps Garden Center at 412-441-4442

Learn about various definitions of permaculture, its history and dissemination, as well as basic permaculture ethics and principles. Gain an understanding of ecological design while learning how to build soil, conserve water and select the most useful plants in order to design a sustainable landscape. Participants will discover local and regional examples of sites that have applied permaculture principles with great success.

Analyzing Your Site: Permaculture Zones and Sectors

Dates: Mondays, November 15, 22

Time: 7 to 9 p.m.

Instructor: Troy Hottle

Objective: To be able to use the concepts of zones and sectors to efficiently plan your backyard.

Level: Beginner

Prerequisite: None

Fee: $40 members; $60 non-members

Location: Phipps Garden Center in Mellon Park, 1059 Shady Ave., Pittsburgh, Pa, 15232

Contact: Phipps Garden Center at 412-441-4442

The first step of any good landscape design is site analysis! Learn how to use permaculture design principles of zones and sectors to efficiently plan your backyard plantings including kitchen gardens, windbreaks, microclimates and privacy barriers. Urban and suburban settings will be addressed.

Pittsburgh Permaculture