Image courtesy of michaelaw (sxc.hu)
While many these days praise the virtue of sustainability, few are familiar with permaculture, a school of design that holds many of the keys to making sustainability a reality.
However, all that’s about to change.
This summer, the New York Times published its first-ever article on permaculture, and two local nonprofits are teaming up this fall to offer an in-depth Permaculture Design Certification Course at the Crowley Museum and Nature Center in Sarasota. The principles of Permaculture, which originated in the 1970s in Australia as an attempt to create a “permanent agriculture” modeled after nature, have gradually become applied to fields as diverse as economics, energy, architecture, and governance.
That wide-ranging spirit is reflected in the upcoming design course, presented by The Permaculture Guild and Transition Sarasota. It’s organized into six weekends that can be taken either separately or as a whole:
- Permaculture Principles and Design,
- Secrets of the Natural World,
- Growing Food Sustainably and Abundantly,
- The Built Environment and Appropriate Technology,
- Alternative Education and Economics, and
- The Power of Community.
Image courtesy of cwsillero (sxc.hu)
“If you’re looking to get your life ‘off the grid’ in terms of water, food, energy, and more, there’s really no better place to start,” said Don Hall, Executive Director of Transition Sarasota and a certified Permaculture Designer himself. “Then, once you have your own house in order, you can teach others.”
The main instructor for the course – co-founder of The Permaculture Guild, Cory Brennan – has taught Permaculture previously at Pine Ridge Reservation, Earthship Florida in Manatee County, and Tuskegee University, as well as in Miami, Los Angeles, and the Tampa Bay area. This will be the first time a Permaculture Design Course has been taught in Sarasota County.
If you’re not quite ready yet to jump in with both feet, Brennan will be here in Sarasota to answer your questions after a screening of the documentary film Establishing a Food Forest the Permaculture Way this Wednesday, September 28th.
For more information about any of these upcoming events or to register for the course, please visit http://transitionsarasota.org/
The mission of Transition Sarasota, part of the worldwide Transition Movement, is to act as a catalyst for rebuilding local community resilience and self-reliance in the face of peak oil, climate change, and economic crisis. Through educational programs, community dialogue, and innovative projects, Transition Sarasota seeks to revitalize local agriculture, strengthen the local economy, reduce dependence on fossil fuels, and cultivate an inspiring new vision for the future of Sarasota, Florida.
