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Event Listing

  • Granny's Shared Lodging – $3,520.00
  • Camping (bring your own gear) – $2,860.00
  • Commuters – $2,400.00
  • The lodging prices listed in registration include $2,400.00 for the Course Tuition and Lunch each day.

Date & Time Details: Program starts at 7:30pm on June 20 through 11:00am on July 4.

Dally Schedule - 8:30am to 5:30pm with a 1.5 to 2 hour lunch break. Thursday, June 27th will be a day off.

There will be about 4-5 evening sessions (7:30-9:00). Exact dates TBD. Evening sessions are optional.

Location: Whidbey Institute

Address: 6449 Old Pietila Rd, Clinton, WA 98236, USA

Contact: [email protected]

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Permaculture Design Certification Course

With Penny Livingston, Michael Pilarski, Pamela SeaMonster, Douglas Bullock, Dave Boehnlein, Brian Kerkvliet and Cassandra Posey

June 20 - July 4, 2024

Embark on a transformative journey into regenerative living with the Permaculture Design Certification Course offered at the Whidbey Institute in Clinton Washington.

This comprehensive program is designed to empower individuals with the knowledge and skills needed to design and create regenerative, resilient systems.

Permaculture is a design science rooted in the observation of natural systems which aids us in designing human settlements that have the stability and resiliency of a natural ecosystem.

Permaculture is a practical set of ecological design principles and methods for human settlements which can be applied to homestead, urban, suburban and watershed scale.

Permaculture principles provide a way of thinking that enables people to establish highly productive environments that provide for food, energy, shelter, habitat and other material and non-material needs.

Throughout this course, participants delve into the principles, strategies, techniques and methods of permaculture with some of the most experienced designers and instructors in the United States.

Key Highlights:

  • Hands on Learning: Engage in hands-on action learning activities, site visits and practical exercises that bring permaculture principles to life. Gain valuable experience in implementing sustainable practices directly applicable to real-world scenarios.
  • Ecological Design Principles: Explore the core principles of permaculture including observation, pattern recognition and integration diverse elements to create harmonious and productive landscapes.
  • Regenerative Agriculture: Learn about organic farming techniques, agroforestry and polyculture systems that promote biodiversity and soil health. Discover ways to enhance food security while minimizing environmental impact.
  • Water Management: Understand sustainable water harvesting, storage and distribution methods. Explore ways to conserve water resources and design resilient systems in response to changing climate patterns.
  • Renewable Energy: Delve into the integration of renewable energy sources within permaculture design. Explore practical applications of solar, wind and other sustainable energy technologies.
  • Community Building: Recognize the importance of community in regenerative living. Discuss strategies for fostering inclusive and resilient communities that support the principles of permaculture.
  • By the end of this certification course, participants will not only gain a profound understanding of permaculture design but will also receive a globally recognized certificate that attests to the compentance in implementing sustainable practices.

Join us at the beautiful Whidbey Institute and become a catalyst for positive change in your life, your community and the world. Proceeds will go to land projects and garden maintenance at the Whidbey Institute.

Embrace a regenerative approach to living.

The Permaculture Design Certification Course (PDC) is a 72 hour minimum course. The Permaculture Certificate is globally recognized throughout the world. The holder of a Permaculture Design certificate has achieved a working understanding of ecologically based sited design, planning and management as well as an understanding of principles, strategies and techniques available to inspire directions toward community resiliency, economic stability and personal growth. Full Course Description

The course is endorsed and recommended by the Permaculture Institute of North America. For more information check http://pina.in

The Whidbey Climate Action

Please consider supporting the Whidbey Climate Action through their Whidbey Climate Fund as they invest in local projects that reduce greenhouse gases and enhance sustainability. Like replacing fossil fuel use or preserving forest carbon sinks, projects reduce our carbon footprint and make Whidbey more livable and sustainable for future generations.

Visit Whidbey Climate Action for more information and how you can support this important work.

Faculty

Penny Livingston
Penny has been teaching internationally and working professionally in the land management, regenerative design permaculture development field for 30 years and has extensive experience in all phases of ecologically sound design and construction as well as the use of natural non-toxic building materials. She specializes in site planning design of resource rich landscapes integrating, rainwater collection, agroforestry systems, edible and medicinal planting, spring development, pond and water systems, habitat development and watershed restoration for homes, farms, co-housing communities and businesses. She is currently teaching online courses with Ecoversity and the Permaculture Skills Center. She co-created the Ecological Design Program and…
Learn more about Penny Livingston
Michael Pilarski
Michael has been farming organically since 1972 with medicinal herbs being his main crop for the last 25 years.  He has worked with over 1,000 species of plants. He has taught extensively in the fields of regenerative farming, permaculture, medicinal herbs, plant spirit medicine, native plants, plant propagation, ethnobotany, forestry, sustainable wildcrafting, agroforestry, medicinal food forests and related disciplines.  Michael took his first permaculture design course (PDC) in 1982 and started teaching PDCs in 1988.  His current main focus is researching planetary regeneration and climate stabilization.  
Learn more about Michael Pilarski
Pamela SeaMonster
Pamela is a traditional storyteller, plant medicine specialist, indigenous rights and environmental activist, weaver/artist, award-winning documentary filmmaker (McMinnville Film Festival), Co-Founder and Chairwoman of People Of The Confluence, Vice-chairwoman of the Snohomish Tribe and a cultural educator. She has spent her whole life working to preserve and grow the traditions of her indigenous people, and to bring as much healing, community and opportunity to Indian Country as possible. She’s been recognized by Indigenous communities and settler governments for her community work, and won awards for her film yehow’ (yehow.org). Co Founder and Chairwoman of People Of The Confluence Apart from…
Learn more about Pamela SeaMonster
Douglas Bullock
A true “jack of all trades,” Douglas Bullock has been a permaculture designer, implementer, and educator for over 30 years. He has consulted on numerous properties and helped hundreds of people learn the permaculture skills necessary to design their land themselves. Douglas’ home on Orcas Island, WA, the Bullock’s Permaculture Homestead, is widely regarded as one of the most mature, well-functioning permaculture systems in North America. It serves as an excellent example of Douglas and his family’s design and implementation skills. Since the mid-seventies Douglas has lived and worked in the tropics periodically and has intimate knowledge of the tropical and…
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Dave Boehnlein
Dave serves as the principal for Terra Phoenix Design. He received his B.S. in Natural Resources & Environmental Studies from the University of Minnesota. Dave is also the education director at the Bullock’s Permaculture Homestead on Orcas Island where he lived for seven years. With varied backgrounds such as organizational leadership, internship/apprenticeship program design, and trail work Dave brings a unique set of skills to the Terra Phoenix team. In the rainforests of Central America Dave learned about permaculture and tropical agroforestry systems. From there he went on to learn a wide variety of design and implementation skills with the Bullocks.…
Learn more about Dave Boehnlein
Brian Kerkvliet
Brian has a wide breadth of practical knowledge on how to partner with natural systems to bring forth stability and abundance. Brian and his wife Alexandra have been co-stewarding Inspiration Farm in Bellingham Wa, since 1994. They use both biodynamic and Permaculture practices the farm. Brian has taught permaculture courses at WWU and other PDC venues and events since 2009. Having completed several diverse Permaculture Design Certifications. He now runs a nursery, consults, installs projects and teaches workshops. Although Brian has a wide range of skill sets his passion is designing water resilient landscapes by building soil and appropriate scale earthworks to support plant and animal diversity. His…
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Cassandra Posey
Cassandra is a seer, knowledge seeker, creator, navigator, medicine maker, and go down each dopamine filling rabbit hole ADHD-er. Cassandra has been consumed by a quest for inner self knowledge and evolution. She is fascinated by the collaborative relationships and connections we have to each other and this planet. In 2018 Cassandra crafted natural remedies to end her battle with pharmaceuticals, a journey she had been on since the age of 9. She turned those remedies into a business called Cognitive Function, the U.S. cultivated, badass, AAPI, women founded Mushroom solutions brand! She aims to put farmers at the forefront…
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