Transition Culture

25 Jan 2007

Study Permaculture in West Cork This Summer.

West Cork in Ireland is a hotbed of permaculture projects, natural buildings and people who have spent years developing pieces of land in experimental ways. This summer a 10 day intensive permaculture course will offer an immersion in both permaculture design principles and approaches and also in the numerous projects in the area that have employed them. The course even has its own website where you can find out more about it. Permaculture principes are the most powerful tools you can have for the design of a post-peak future for yourself and your community. The course comes highly recommended…

Here are the core details about the course, from the website…

**Permaculture Design Course**

August 10-19th 2007

With **Graham Strouts, John Dolan, Lisa Davies**

**Permaculture** is a design method that uses natural systems as models for creating sustainable human settlements. Using a variety of creative learning methods we will look at a range of sustainable solutions for energy, buildings, food and the community.

This Certificate Design Course will take a special format: it will be spread over three different locations around West Cork. In this way, course participants will get the opportunity to see the beautiful area and observe how three different permaculture projects have been developed over the last few years.

Pond West Cork is replete with smallholders, organic farms, natural buildings and innovative sustainability projects. There is a wealth of experience and knowledge in this area about how to work towards self-reliance in preparation for a low-energy world.

Topics to be covered in this course will include:

* Introduction – what is permaculture? The challenge of energy peak.
* Ethics and principles
* Food – the home garden
* Waste, composting, recycling Tree Tour
* The forest garden – orchards and other tree crops
* Trees – for shelter, fuel and crafts
* Water – water in the landscape; reedbeds and sewage solutions
* Natural building – strawbale, cob and cordwood; passive solar design
* Money – sustainable economics; local currencies
* Energy – living off the grid; community power supplies
* Design process – putting it all together; where to from here?

Course Tutors

* Graham Strouts
* John Dolan
* Lisa Davies