“Join us at Distant Relatives Ecolodge in Kilifi on the Kenyan Coast to immerse yourself in the theory and application of Permaculture knowledge and obtain an internationally recognised Permaculture Design Certificate.”

What is

Permaculture?

Permaculture offers practical skills and methods for designing and creating sustainable living systems, integrating human needs with the ecosystems in which we are rooted. It is a theory of ecological design which seeks to develop sustainable human settlements and agricultural systems, by modelling them on the diversity, stability and resilience of natural ecosystems.

Permaculture draws from several disciplines including organic farming, agro-forestry, sustainable development, and applied ecology. The design principles which are the conceptual foundation of permaculture are derived from the science of systems ecology and study of pre-industrial examples of sustainable land use.

The PDC

The Permaculture Design Course (PDC) is a 72-hour certified and holistic course encompassing a wide range of topics that demonstrate how to work with our ecological and social environment. The PDC will be composed of lectures, discussions, practical activities, and design exercises.

Participants will gain knowledge and skills to enable them to design and implement the principles of permaculture in the creation of truly sustainable systems that can enable us to live well and with respect for each other and the earth.

What

you will be

learning?

• Approaches to design including: mapping, designing from patterns to details, analysis of elements, using slope & orientation, zones and sectors and analysing the needs & yields of systems.

• How to increase productivity using intensive garden design strategies including: stacking, soil-building, soil biology, mulch, nutrient cycling, pest control, green manures, worms, compost & companion planting.

• How to survey landscapes for property design using simple and sophisticated tools; mapping and map making, site analysis, and assessment.

• Climate: how to read weather patterns, create and enhance micro-climates, and create design strategies for all major global climatic zones.

• How trees and forests regulate and moderate ecosystems. How to sustainably use, propagate, harvest and manage tree systems using techniques such as coppicing, pollarding, grafting, shelter belts, orchards, guild planting & succession planning.

• Sound nursery practice, propagation, and bio-security.

• Integrated pest management.

• Homesteading and small scale farming.

• How to save money on energy bills with efficient home design, retrofitting, and renewable energy systems.

• Multiple uses for grey-water, constructed wetland design, and other techniques for treating waste water.

• Passive water hydration and infiltration, rainwater collection, storage and composting toilets.

• Dry-land strategies: using reconstructive earthworks, water harvesting and soil conditioning to recharge ground water, re-hydrate and drought-proof the landscape.

• How to bring fertility back to the land and build topsoil through a diversity of ancient and modern techniques.

• How to cycle nutrients and incorporate animals into your system using innovative techniques such as chicken tractors, pannage systems, dairy systems and beekeeping.

• Creating living ecosystems that feed and nurture us and future generations. Design through the use of nature’s rules to create a lush and resilient natural environment.

• Aquaponic systems; the combination of aquaculture (growing fish) and hydroponics (growing food without soil). Aquaculture systems and their use in Africa as well as global aquaculture.

• How to design solar-heated and solar-cooled buildings. The use of natural building materials, energy efficient house placement and design and the assurance of a healthy indoor environment.

• Strategies for creating community-wide sustainability, village development, alternative economies, local currencies, and how to organise community groups.

What is the schedule?

17th) DAY ONE: Current global issues • Ethics & Principles • Design Methods

18th) DAY TWO: • Map Reading • Water & Soils ,zones and sectors

19th)DAY THREE: • Macro & Micro Climates • Earthworks

20th) DAY FOUR: • Plants & Forests • Windbreaks ,wildlife

21st) FIELD TRIP DAY:

a) Tropical Nurseries Watamu – Visit the largest nursery in East Africa - propagation, good nursery practice, landscaping, and site maintenance.

b) Local Ocean Trust Watamu - plastic recycling from the beach & bottle-made housing.

22nd) DAY FIVE: • Patterns in Nature• Our houses and gardens.

23rd) DAY SIX: • Day of Rest – Recommendations are Bamburi Nature Trail in Mombasa (www.lafarge.co.ke/wps/portal/ke/4_A_3-Haller_Park), Bofa Beach, or a dhow trip in the afternoon.

24th) DAY SEVEN: • Fruit Tree Forest• Field Crops and Animals

Barefoot Lectures on IPM (morning lecture and short practical)

25th) DAY EIGHT: • Natural Forests and Wildlife Management • Site Analysis• Weed Ecology

26th) DAY NINE: • Design for Disaster • Biotechnology

Barefoot Lecture on Beekeeping, Bee Products, Apitherapy (lecture and practical)

27th) FIELD TRIP DAY 2:

a) Kilifi Plantations – Commercial diary farm, Moringa, and Sisal Farm (biogass also)

b) Barefoot Soulutions Demo Site – Homesteading and Practical’s/afternoon lecture on what next!

28th) DAY TEN: • Bio-regions – Local Wealth • Ethical Investment

Barefoot Lecture on Aquaculture and Aquaponics

29th) DAY ELEVEN: • Land Ethics & Access• Village and Commune Permaculture • Suburban Permaculture• Urban Permaculture

Accommodation

& Food

Distant Relatives Ecolodge is providing special discounts for PDC participants. For more information on accommodation, kindly visit the Distant Relatives website for options and pricing or visit the Barefoot Soulutions website.

Course Fee and

Inclusions

The course fee of USD$ 650 includes tuition, guest lecturers, and a class handbook to take home, breakfast, tea & coffee breaks, lunch, transport for field trips, notebooks & presentation materials, tools, as well as access to permaculture books, videos, PDF’s, and a huge collection of digital permaculture related information. As a bonus, all participants will be invited to join on a sunset sailing cruise and free access to all facilities (pool, beach, communal areas, communal kitchen, etc) as well as 3 Day's FREE self-catering accommodation at Distant Relatives after the course to relax, go sightseeing or help around the site. This fee does not include accommodation, dinner, other drinks or transport to Distant Relatives. Lead Instructors and Assistants will also meet with you and give you feedback about your personal site/ project to help guide your design. Please feel free to bring a plat or topographic map of your own site. Classes finish around 5pm daily to allow students time to relax, explore and enjoy the surrounding area and natural wonders such as the rare and unique phenomenon of bioluminescence! This course promises to be a great networking opportunity and a chance to make friends with like-minded people and professionals from different countries and backgrounds.

For any course related inquiries or bookings please contact us on ivan.barefoot@gmail.com & sven.barefoot@gmail.com

For accommodation enquiries please contact distantrelativeskilifi@gmail.com

www.barefootsoulutions.com

www.kilifibackpackers.com