Permaculture Systems 100 Hours Certificate Course

There are 8 lessons:

1. Permaculture Principles
   • Nature and scope
   • Principles of permaculture
   • Location
   • Functions
   • Elements
   • Elevation planning
   • Biological resources
   • Recycling energy
   • Diversity
   • Natural succession
   • Maximising edges
   • Other Concepts and Systems that have been incorperated into permaculture
   • Sustainability
   • Organics
   • No Dig Gardening (from Esther Deans)
   • No Till planting
   • Crop rotation
   • Green manure cropping
   • Composting
   • Companion planting
   • Pest and dosease prevention and management
2. Design principles
   • Ecosystems
   • Abiotic components of an ecosystem
   • Biotic components of an ecosystem
   • Ecological concepts and terms
   • Biomass
   • Understanding climate
   • Microclimates
   • Degree days
   • Water in permaculture systems
   • Minimising water needs
   • Arid landscapes
   • Irrigation
   • Using swales
   • Reed beds for waste water treatment
   • Reed bed plant species
   • Hydrological cycle
   • Water -Direct fall onto land surface, intercepted fall, fall onto water bodies
   • Rainfall, Evapouration, Infiltration
   • Effective rainfall
   • Soil Environments ... micro organisms, organic matter
   • Types of soil degradation,
   • Types of erosion & control
   • Salinity and its control
   • Soil acidification, and management of pH
   • Wildlife in a Permaculture System
   • Structure of a permaculture system
   • Plants and their function in permaculture
   • Guilds and stacking
   • Succession
3. Zone & Sector Planning
   • Scope and nature
   • Five standard zones
   • Sectors
   • Landscape profile
   • Site selection
   • Pre planning information; what is needed and how to find it
   • Procedure for concept design ; steb by step
   • Recording site and locality details
4. Permaculture Techniques
   • Forsests and trees
   • Trees as energy transducers
   • Types of forests; fuel, food, forage, shelter, barrier, structural, conservation
   • Forest establishment
   • Designing fire or wind break
   • Fire resistant plants
   • Mandala gardens & their construction
   • Keyhole beds
   • Water bodies in a permaculture system
   • Water body design
   • Water containment options
   • Water plants (Three types)
   • Managing water bodies
5. Animals in Permaculture
   • Location for animals
   • Functions for animals in a permaculture system
   • Bees, poultry, pigs, cattle
   • Grazing animals
   • Types of fencing (post and rail, hedge, wire, barbed wire, electric, banks and rises, gates
   • Animal water supply
   • Shelter for animals ... trees, a valley, purpose built shelter
   • Birds
   • Earthworms
   • Aquaculture ... scope and nature
   • Aquaculture production systems (EP and IP)
   • Aquaculture species
   • Aquaculture management
   • Harvesting fish
6. Plants in Permaculture
   • Scope and nature of plants for use in permaculture
   • Growing vegetables organically
   • Physical characteristics of a soil
   • How to testr and name a soil
   • Chemical characteristics of a soil
   • Soil nutrition
   • Fertilisers
   • Animal Manures
   • Liquid plant feeds
   • Rock dusts
   • Nitrogen fixation
   • Mycorrhyzae
   • Identifying plant nutrient deficiencies
   • Using mulches
   • Types of mulch
   • Weed management
   • Preventative weed control
   • Other methods of Weed control
   • Culture of selected permaculture plants: Asparagus, black locust, cassava, chicory, danelion, endive, fennel, garlic, ginger, horseradish, leek, mint, okra, pigface, rhubarb, sweet potato, tarowarrigul greens, water cress, water spinic, yams
   • Culture of selected fruits ... apple, apricot, cherry, citrus, fig, loquat, nasi pear, olive, peach, pear, plum, quince
   • Culture of selected tropical fruits ...Avocado, banana, carambola, coconut, custard apple, guava, mango, paw paw, pepino, pieapple
   • Culture of selected vines ... Grape, passionfruit, kiwifruit
   • Culture of selected berries
   • Culture of selected nuts
   • Culture of rarer nuts
   • Crop plants which grow in shade
   • Fodder plants
   • Plant pest and disease management for permaculture
   • Plants with insecticidal properties
7. Appropriate Technologies
   • Scope and nature of appropriate technology
   • Solar energy
   • Wind energy
   • Methane
   • Biofuel power
   • Composting toilets
   • Energy efficient housing
   • Living fences (hedges, hedgerows etc)
   • Water recycling
   • Domestic needs - climate control, space heating, washing and drying clothes, cooking and cook stoves, refrigeration and cooling, hot water supplies, water conservation, electricity and lighting
   • Alternative energy and management
   • Waste disposal: kitchen waste, non composting waste, recycling
   • Biological filtration system
   • Conservation and recycling
   • Types of waste water (liquid waste, grey water, black water)
   • Energy conservation
   • Solar energy
   • Solar greenhouses
8. Preparing a Plan
   • Scope, nature and methods
   • Designing for natural disasters
   • Drawing a plan
   • Developing the final design
9. Appropriate Technologies
   • Scope and nature of appropriate technology
   • Solar energy
   • Wind Energy
   • Methane
   • Biofuel power
   • Composting Toilets
   • Energy efficient housing
   • Living fences (hedges, hedgerows etc)
   • Water recycling
   • Domestic needs ...Climate control, space heating, Washing and drying clothes, Cooking and cook stoves, Refrigeration and cooling, Hot water supplies, Water conservation, Electricity and lighting
   • Alternative energy and management
   • Waste disposal: kitchen waste, non composting waste, recycling
   • Biological filtration system
   • Conservation and recycling
   • Types of waste water (liquid waste, grey water, black water)
   • Energy conservation
   • Solar energy
   • Solar greenhouses
10. Preparing a Plan
    • Scope, nature and methods
    • Designing for natural disasters
    • Drawing a plan
    • Developing the final design

Each lesson culminates in an assignment which is submitted to the academy and marked by your tutor and returned to you with any relevant suggestions, comments, and if necessary, extra reading.