Join a Permaculture Design Course in Bali this April for a multi-cultural experience learning ecological design, bamboo building and sustainable living. Learn practical principles and strategies in permaculture whilst meeting an incredible range of environmental entrepreneurs in one of the most abundant permaculture settings in the world. You will be introduced to local Balinese farmers that have for decades interwoven permaculture principles into their cultural and agricultural practices. Join a growing movement of hundreds of thousands of people in Bali and worldwide dedicated to fostering positive ecologically based solutions of how we provide for ourselves and the environment.
WHAT YOU WILL LEARN:
The 2 week Permaculture Design Course includes an Introduction to Permaculture and workshops on soil fertility, agroforestry, home vegetable gardening, bamboo building and more. You will learn from local farmers about the ecologically sustainable water management and intricate irrigation system for rice paddies in Bali called the Subak. Listed a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2012. You will learn how local rice farmers relate to the natural world and how they see nature, humanity and spirit intrinsically linked through a philosophy called Tri Hita Karana.
You will be given a personalized tour of Green School and Green Village and learn how Green School is pioneering education using permaculture principles and nature education. You will learn how to transform a wild grass into a beautiful building material from the bamboo architects and designers who were involved in building the school and some of the most cutting edge natural bamboo homes in the world. You will learn different ecological food production systems in Green School’s bamboo Aquaponics that was designed by Orin and his team at IBUKU gardens. You will learn how to follow the design process and create onsite designs at Green School and The Kul Kul Farm. Learning will be facilitated with a mixture of classroom time, tours, excursions, discussions and hands-on workshops.
WHO SHOULD TAKE THIS COURSE?
This permaculture design course is suitable for anyone interested in sustainability. People apply permaculture design to their daily lives, homes, gardens, businesses as well as helping facilitate positive change in their communities.
Permaculture provides an effective solution-based design system to address the problems of today. Based on a set of principles and natural patterning, permaculture design is applicable in all climate conditions; in both urban and rural situations. Many indigenous communities who have been relocated or disconnected from their home are studying permaculture design principles to help re-weave cultural connection and relationship.
SITE TOURS:
During the course you will get an inside tour into the inspiring Green School and Green Village. Lectures and workshops will be held on the Green School campus itself as well as at The Kul Kul Farm. On one of the days you will experience the Subak (Bali’s irrigation management system) up close and personal by trekking through Bali’s rice fields, irrigation canals and tunnels that were carved by hand thousands of years ago. We will also have a number of local Balinese farmers and guest speakers join us to share their vast knowledge, experience and skill.
The globally recognized permaculture design course curriculum will give you the chance to learn and live permaculture on The Kul Kul Farm. Here’s more of what you’ll learn:
Water harvesting and Earth Works
Site analysis (Sector Analysis)
Site planning and Layout (Zoning)
Climate and micro-climate strategies- Tropical, Temperate, Dryland and Humid Climates
Mapping
Land access
Community building
Plant guilds
Soil Carbon Sequestration and Biochar
Food forests and agroforestry
The design process, principles, strategies, and techniques
Soil building and sheet mulching
Pond management and ecology
Bamboo building
Grey water systems
Bioremediation
Renewable energy systems
Watershed management
Economy and Equity
Group work on a conceptual design project.
Whether you’re interested in growing food on your rooftop, designing a kitchen garden, starting a community garden, developing techniques to reduce waste and energy consumption or you may have a larger professional project in mind, this permaculture design course will improve your ability to understand and interact with your local environment and give you the inspiration, knowledge and confidence to create permaculture designs.
WHERE YOU’LL STAY
Your ticket includes a boutique camping in our newest 100% cotton, canvas tents on the farm. You will be set up with a tent (shared), mattress, pillows and sheets. Upgrades on accommodation for a shared room in our bamboo bunkhouse are also available. The bunkhouse option costs US$150 for the 2 weeks, and this upgrade can be selected upon booking. All participants are encouraged to stay on site during the course. Both accommodation options include composting toilets and hot outdoor showers.
WHAT YOU’LL EAT
During the course you will eat like a king, or at least a vegetable king. We do our best to provide quality local ‘off the land’ ingredients to make delicious and authentic Balinese meals as well as a few international options. We cater to vegetarians, vegans & people who don’t eat wheat or gluten.
YOUR TEACHERS
CHRIS SHANKS
Chris has been practicing Permaculture design for over 16 years. His ‘journeyman’ years were spent apprenticing and working on farms from Spain to Central America to the west coast of the United States. Chris designed, built and planted his primary project over 13 years ago, Project Bona Fide located on Isla Ometepe, Nicaragua. Chris has worked and consulted in Nicaragua, Costa Rica, the USA, Thailand, the Bahamas, Hawai’i and the USVI. Chris has taught nearly 30 full Permaculture Design Courses, runs his own consulting firm called Living Systems Solutions is a businessman and strong proponent of interweaving Permaculture design into development and entrepreneurship. His work in horticulture, seed saving, ‘living seed banks’ and education have brought awareness as well as concrete solutions to thousands.
WHAT CHRIS’ STUDENTS SAY ABOUT HIM
“When I decided to take a Permaculture Design Course with Chris Shanks I didn’t realize how much it was going to change the trajectory of my studies, and quite honestly, my life. To put it succinctly, that course opened my eyes to a whole new way of thinking about so many of the problems that I was learning about and see instead possible solutions in really interesting and creative ways. I was hooked.”- Jackie
“I had the wonderful opportunity of learning under Chris at Rancho Mastatal,Costa Rica. Originally the thought was planted in my head that learning from Chris would be like being at permaculture boot camp. Well it had that feeling because of the excitement that he brought forth. More importantly, he gave you the desire to get hands on the minute he was finished with instruction…. Friends and I are hoping within the next year to do some advanced instruction with Chris”. – Wes
ORIN HARDY
Orin was first introduced to Permaculture when he was 16 years old by Penny Livingston and James Stark. Since then he has done Permaculture design courses with Dave Jackie at Milkwood, Penny Livingston and James Stark at the Regenerative Design Institute and Paul Taylor at Jambaroo Farms. After graduating from the Evergreen State College in Olympia Washington, he returned to Bali in 2012 and started IBUKU Gardens, a landscape design group that is part of IBUKU. His goal was to replace landscaping plants with edibles in homes and resorts around Bali. Over the past 2 years he has bestowed vegetable gardens on a variety of private and resort gardens. Orin is the son of Green School co-founder John Hardy and is the younger brother of Elora Hardy, creative director of IBUKU (design firm behind the magic and beauty of everything bamboo in Bali). The Kul Kul Farm is a culmination of his years of studying permaculture and implementing regenerative food systems here in Bali and exploring its relationship to people and communities.
Other guest speakers (we have many) will be announced at a later date. They will include Green School community members/ heads, local social entrepreneurs, local farmers, Ibuku architects and others.
INCLUDED IN YOUR COURSE FEE
Your course ticket includes camping, meals, tours and excursions, materials and a range of take-home resources to help you in continuing your permaculture journey back home.
SCHOLARSHIPS AND INDONESIAN DISCOUNTS
We offer 5 full scholarships to local, English- speaking, Balinese or Indonesian nationals who are either food growers or working in the field of sustainability. If you are interested in applying please email [email protected]. Furthermore, we are offering an Indonesian national only 1/2 price for the full two weeks. Price is Rp 10,100,000. Limited spaces available. Payment can be organised via local bank transfer. Email us to proceed with payment.