Registration is now open for the online course Permaculture Design: Fundamentals of Ecological Design, offered Jan. 6 to Feb. 20, 2014 through the Department of Horticulture’s distance learning program.
The study of permaculture helps gardeners, landowners, and farmers combine a knowledge of ecology combined with its application to supporting healthy soil, water conservation, and biodiversity.
Permaculture systems meet humans needs while restoring ecosystem health. Common practices include no-till gardening, rainwater catchment, forest gardening, and agroforestry.
The course provides an opportunity for you to build your knowledge about permaculture and ecological design. Participants will explore the content through videos, readings, and activities and complete portions of a design for a site of their choosing.
While the course is online, the format is designed for consistent interaction between instructors and students through forums and live video conferences. Readings and presentations will be directly applied through hands-on activities students will engage with at home.
View the full syllabus for the course and find registration information at the course website.
The instructor, Steve Gabriel, is an ecologist, extension educator, and forest farmer living and working in the Finger Lakes Region of central New York. He currently spends his time working for the Department of Horticulture’s Garden-Based Learning program and coordinating the Northeast Mushroom Growers Network. He also teaches for the Finger Lakes Permaculture Institute and serves on the Board of Directors for the Permaculture Institute of the Northeast. He is currently co-authoring a book on forest farming with Cornell professor Ken Mudge, which is expected to be published in 2014.
Department of Horticulture’s distance learning program offers two other online permaculture design courses:
- Permaculture Design: Ecosystem Mimicry (Tentatively scheduled for March 3 to April 17, 2014)
- Permaculture Design: Design Practicum (Tentatively scheduled for April 21 to May 19, 2014)
Completion of a single class gives students a certificate of completion from the Department of Horticulture and continuing education credits. Completion of all three courses gives students the portfolio necessary to apply for an internationally recognized certification in Permaculture Design though the Finger Lakes Permaculture Institute. The fee for each class is $600, and registration opens about six weeks before courses begin.