Wheaton Labs 2016 Permaculture Design Course (PDC) & Appropriate Technology Course

Jen Gira wrote:I am very interested in attending this PDC combo. After reading the entire thread, I put " sEpperson program" in the search tab, per Paul's post-to find out about bunk space situation. Nothing came up! -I'm now face first into a hedge. -Can someone direct me?

Hi Jen! No worries at all, we're happy to have you here!

Here's the link to the SEPPers information thread - I think SEPPerson's might have been Paul's voice dictation software giving him troubles

Really hoping to see you there! We are as we speak working on overhauling this thread to get it all pretty and organized, and are hoping to have a nice preliminary itinerary on the courses available in the next 24 hours as well!

So, as soon as I've sent the money to that email I'll be signed up?

Danielle Peck wrote:So, as soon as I've sent the money to that email I'll be signed up?

Yup!

Is PayPal exepted?

If not, will it work if I pay the fee?

Danielle Peck wrote:Is PayPal exepted?

If not, will it work if I pay the fee?

PayPal is the only way to pay right now. There is a PayPal email address in the very first post of this thread. On page 1.

Hang tight everyone - I'm currently working on getting a system set up for checking availability of the structures on Wheaton Labs during these courses. In the mean time, just drop us a line here if you're interested in renting one, and we can check for you.

Just a heads up, I'm sure they are going to go FAST.

Here's a video from Ant Jesse from his PDC experience at Wheaton Labs with Howard Story!

Mo' pictures! These were from the PDC last year.

Willow Feeder rules


Mullein, aka "cowboy toilet paper", and a very pretty Willow Feeder


Rocket Mass Heater in Wofati 0.8


Kubota MADNESS!


Getting your PDC certification from these two greats + Tim Barker - How great is THAT going to be!?

Destiny Hagest wrote:Give this comment the thumbs up if you're interested in both the PDC and the AT courses!

I am pretty sure I can attend the PDC, but sadly not the AT. Is there a possibility that video recording and any documents needed covering the entire course be part of the purchase? Being able to go back and review when needed is extremely helpful. Also, for those not attending whichever course, could the video recording and info be purchased and at a less significant price?

Early bird monies for both courses paypaled to Howard. I guess I am camping, but will be flying in with little equipment. I had figured to come out and work for most of June and pick up what hands on info I could...this will be different and interesting.

Rob

I am travelling with my family and pets (spouse, infant, and 2 fur babies)

Would they be allowed to camp with me during the duration of the course?

thanks,
paul

Seth Gregory wrote:

Destiny Hagest wrote:Give this comment the thumbs up if you're interested in both the PDC and the AT courses!

I am pretty sure I can attend the PDC, but sadly not the AT. Is there a possibility that video recording and any documents needed covering the entire course be part of the purchase? Being able to go back and review when needed is extremely helpful. Also, for those not attending whichever course, could the video recording and info be purchased and at a less significant price?

We're currently brainstorming some ideas along those lines - we'd love to offer some digital form of the course for those that can't travel, but there are some logistics we would need to work out first.

I'll update this thread as soon as we know more - the conversations are happening as I type this post.

Paul Zepeda wrote:I am travelling with my family and pets (spouse, infant, and 2 fur babies)

Would they be allowed to camp with me during the duration of the course?

thanks,
paul

Hi Paul! From my understanding, and per our SEPPers guidelines, children and dogs are okay to have, just be aware that the site is not child-friendly, meaning that there are hazards little ones could get into. However, they are welcome.

Dogs are also allowed, provided they are well behaved and not disruptive to other guests.

You can read more about our accommodations and policies in the SEPPers thread.

Okay everyone, it looks like a live webcast of this event may be a little out of our reach, but we might be able to offer some video of the event for purchase at a later date, once we've had a chance to run the content through editing and such.

Like this post if you would be interested in purchasing a video format version of these classes.

That was an EXCELLENT photo of Tim, Destiny.
Thanks for posting it.

It really captures the combination of thoughtful/inspired, and hands-on technical skills. I don't know what the big circle behind him is, but it makes me thing "big picture."

Was it one of Priscilla's from last year? Or was it from a different place?

-Erica

Thanks Erica for being nice, while Priscilla's photographic skills are beyond reproach the fact that i had to kind of stare without blinking while i copped the sun in my eyes makes me look less thoughtful and more as though i'd copped some bee stings round the eyes. Ha ha.

Erica Wisner wrote:
Was it one of Priscilla's from last year? Or was it from a different place?

-Erica

I want to say it was one of Priscila's photos, I need to double check with Paul so I can add the photo credit under it - it really is a very nice picture Tim, you'd never know you were glaring into the sun

Hey guys, Tim had some nice feedback from AT course participants, and I thought I'd share that here.


"The appropriate Tech Internship gave me a wide technological solid understanding of theory, the confidence to undertake my own design process and experience working with wood and metal working tools along with natural building and material recycling. The in-depth discussions with supportive teachers has given me the knowledge and excitement to get home and start building with appropriate technology in my community"!

- Steff

"This course was a mind shift into the simplicity of how appropriate technology can support the sustainable life I wish to fulfill. I realised very quickly that although we were offered all the technical detail, the design process was by far the foundations of it all".

"An eye-opening simple approach to what only seams complicated. Creativity at it's best with very useful daily applications doable for everyone".

"This course is a simple approach to sensible solutions using what you have. I now have more confidence using hand tools to do metal work (which was new to me). Those skills along with techniques I learnt, really open up opportunities for future projects. I love that Tim says that if you ask enough questions it designs itself. Desiging for function and making the most of the materials you have available to you is so important! I'm confident now in working on some projects myself and working through the design problems to come up with an appropriate solution. A fantastic course, I recommend it to all!"

- Mel

"Simplicity, powertools, confidence boost, fun, metal work, wood work, complex dynamics brouguth down to understandable, accessible stuff we can do and build. Awesome work by all our teachers".

Lots of great feedback from happy participants, who else is so excited about these upcoming courses?!

 
Picking your sweet spot on the energy descent curve

Or “collapse now and avoid the rush” Or “why you should sign up for an appropriate Technology course ”


Collapse now and avoid the rush Is a direct quote of John Michael Greer of The Archdruid Report fame. The phrase struck a chord with me on many levels as it pretty much embodies my Philosophy particularly in the area of technology so im going to explore that in this post as I think it is vital to be aware of and have an understanding of the implications of the series of hard physical limits that are headed our way. As usual when I discuss things that people tend to have very strong feelings about I’m going to insist that we stick to facts and not dive off into the territory of wistfull thinking. So you don’t get to say things like “oh but there are some amazing new technologies” or “I simply can’t believe”. You have to stick with the facts and I promise I will too. So…..

That a collapse of some kind is coming is basically baked into the cake at this stage and is simply a matter of thermodynamics. There is not enough energy to continue to do the things we do the way we do them and so at some stage we won’t. When you say collapse people tend to think of apocalyptic scenario’s complete with roving bandits and such which is one end of the spectrum the other being business as usual and no limits to growth. The truth is that both ends of the spectrum are already playing out in the world as I write this but the chances are that if your reading this then you are living somewhere where the dominant scenario is Business as usual and if there is one thing we are bad at its understanding that our reality may not be the reality of others in different parts of our local communities let alone other parts of the world. Humans are very bad at paying attention to things that aren’t close to us and we tend to be either /or when it comes to entertaining ideas of the future but the truth is that the entire spectrum from total collapse of societies to business as usual are going to be themes of the coming decades playing out at different times in different areas depending on many factors not least of which will be access to energy.




Now let me just state for the record I love fossil fuels. They are an amazing concentrated source of energy and they have allowed us(me) to live lifestyles that little more than 100 years ago would have been considered fit for a king in terms of comfort and security. The fact of the matter is they are a onetime only deal and there are big and I mean BIG downsides to them, please tell me I dont have to elaborate here on what those downsides are. Suffice to say their use is directly threatening the ability of the biosphere to support life which of course is very, very bad. The other point is its just plain stupid to have your very existence depend on something that is so limited and finite. So regardless of the future playing out in a community near you the one concrete theme no matter where you are will be less energy to play with.

So here we are caught between a rock and a hard place what are we to do? What are the courses of action open to us? The truth of the matter is there are no cut and dried courses of action, once again we are faced with a spectrum of choices along a line stretching from doubling down on our current actions (grow faster! consume more!) to basically living very primitive lives and everything in between occurring at different times. Don’t get me wrong, when I say primitive it’s not a derogatory term but one (at least in this context) describing a very low level of technology and hence energy usage. Now there is nothing wrong with this except than generally low technology means lots of work.
Now we get to the point of this article and that is that we can make conscious choices about where we want to be in terms of technology or leave those choices to the winds of chance. The trouble with the winds of chance is they pay no heed to your needs and certainly not your level of comfort. So if we want to give ourselves the best possible chance of having our needs met and a certain amount of comfort thrown in it is far better to make those technology choices early and give ourselves a learning curve not to mention access to materials that may be scarce once everybody wants them.
This is what John Michael Greer talks about when he says “collapse now and avoid the rush” Consciously pick the sweet spot on the energy descent curve where you are comfortable and start living as though that was the reality. If you do this a number of things will happen. Firstly, it will almost certainly lower your costs of living after the initial investment in the technologies. It will make you more resilient to shocks moving through the system and it will buy you a learning curve in that by the time events force community energy and technology levels down to where you are on the curve you will already have been there for a while and worked through the various associated problems already. This is not a static process so it may well be that you or other early collapsars have refined the technologies and have moved further down the curve to access all the aforementioned benefits once again. Readers will probably point out that I’m boosting the perceived benefits while glossing over the downsides like more work and lack of comfort but the truth of the matter is that it will be more work and there will be less comfort as we move down the curve. A discussion for another time is what we will gain over and above our physical needs that all the energy in the world can’t replace.

What matters is you make the choice about your sweet spot and start getting ready NOW . You can’t be too early but you can always be late. So without being too crass about it what better way to fast track you into the world of Appropriate technology and gain some control over your future than do a course


Now I wonder where I can find that sort of course………………….?

Stay tuned everyone as we sort out the details - we have two new guest instructors that will be jumping in on the AT course!

We're very excited to be welcoming them, details to follow soon!

Max Kennedy wrote:Great, another PDC course that teachers can't get to. Does anyone ever do them in July/August?

I would check the Midwest or New England.

In our Western "mediterranean" summers, July/August usually has burn bans going on. Anything with outdoor fire is not safe or legal (campfires, outdoor cookstove, even rocket demos) and in some years the air can get pretty smoky too.
Not saying nobody would ever do it - but I rarely do anything but natural plasters (or other wet work) in August, and I try not to schedule long things since I might need to go fight fire.

June is an absolutely gorgeous time to visit Montana, beautiful late spring/early summer, perfect camping weather, and a much safer time to do outdoor work with power tools and machinery.

And I think the locals all go huckleberry-crazy in August anyway.

Big news everyone - we have guest instructors for the AT course!

Erica Wisner



Erica and her husband Ernie are most widely known for their work with rocket mass heaters, though they also have background and experience with subjects like natural building and botany, and even chocolateering! Erica brings to the table years of experience with creating this type of energy efficient heat source, and the duo even has a book currently in the works with a Kickstarter - The Builder's Guide.

We're very excited to be welcoming Erica to this course!

Byron Joel




Byron has worked internationally as both educator and consultant and has an ongoing working relationship with the La Fleur de Vie farm and associated projects in Morocco.

Growing up in Perth, Western Australia, working for his fathers landscaping and irrigation company, Byron’s love for plants became clear early in the piece, leading him to study Horticulture and Botany, refining his knowledge, skill and appreciation for the human/plant relationship, all the while working in a number of positions at numerous retail and propagation plant nurseries and re-vegetation, tree planting and land care services.

Discovering Permaculture in the early 2000′s Byron devoured all the information he could find and set to work connecting with like minds and putting ideas to practice, taking his first Permaculture Design Course in 2004 and second in 2009. In 2011 while living in Margaret River, South-Western Australia, he co-initiated both Sustain Margaret River(now Transition Margaret River, an official Transition Town group) and the Margaret River Community Growers Group to initiate dialogue and action towards local organic food production and community cohesion.

After visiting Permaculture Research Institute of Australia for their Internship in 2010 Byron felt eager to return and and did so in the positions of both Nursery and WWOOFer Coordinator at Zaytuna Farm. After relocating to New Zealand he held the position of Nursery Manager at Kotare Farm home of the Koanga Institute and the Permaculture Research Institute of New Zealand.

Armed with the invaluable tool of hands-on field time, international recognition and a Diploma in Horticulture, Byron’s embryonic affinity toward plants has developed and evolved into a wider passionate drive to the broad scale regeneration and restoration not only the planet’s much degraded ecology but also the human communities that inhabit her. Ever adding arrows to his quiver, Byron has studied and integrated design and implementation techniques from numerous related systems including Holistic Management, Natural Sequence Farming, Bio-dynamics, Natural Farming, Regrarianism, Restoration Agriculture and more…

Max Kennedy wrote:Great, another PDC course that teachers can't get to. Does anyone ever do them in July/August?

I suppose you could find a course that happens when it is convenient to you... And convenient to everybody else... Which is why it will probably cost two or three times more for a PRI certified course.

You gotta figure, PRI certified instructors teach courses all year. And I think that this is the cheapest I have seen anywhere for a PRI certified course. And part of that is going to be because it is in June instead of in July.

Last year this course was free to the residents of Wheaton labs and $400 to other folks.

You have to keep in mind that all of our cool permaculture stuff is still under construction. Yet we now have enough cool stuff happening here that it takes about 4 hours to do the full tour.

There was a non-certified permaculture design course that I attended in 2012... It was $1,500. And that property had no permaculture stuff. We had to poop in porta potties. There were no showers. And that did not include food.

So This is a freakishly excellent deal. I suspect that next year... If we have a PDC next year... It will not be this cheap.

The students last year told me that they really appreciated the extremely low price. That they did not mind covering their own meals... In fact they had a great time experimenting with all of the different kinds of rocket stove we have when cooking their meals... And it built a sort of camaraderie to cook together.

Is amazing instructors I've managed find a slice of their valuable time to do this... Mostly because they love the permies.com community and I think they have some small affinity for the cool projects were doing here at Wheaton labs.

I think it is super cool that they are putting it together at a time when I am less than mobile. Although I hope that I will be all done with my current affliction and can make significant contributions during the events themselves.

This event is ridiculously cheap due to the generosity of the instructors. I think they just like bringing permies here to have a good time together. What better excuse than a PDC!

Unfortunately I don't see many PDC's during the summer months that I can get to and the few I have seen don't include the great people I trust like you Paul or Erica, who is going to be a great addition, damn I can't get there(!!!). Things are either much too far away or not happening.

Have you been wanting to learn how to weld? Now's your chance!

Tim will be covering the basics of both welding and carpentry, so if you've been itching to learn these skills, now's your chance!

This PDC and AT course combination basically covers every facet of what you're going to need to know to start your own self reliant life, from food`to heat, basic natural building concepts, water and sanitation, you name it, it's in this lineup.

Once again, your instructors will be:

Howard Story - Permaculture Design Course

Tim Barker - Appropriate Technology Course



Erica Wisner - Guest Instructor, Appropriate Technology Course

Joel Byron - Guest Instructor, Appropriate Technology Course

Here's a snapshot of what you can learn in these courses this summer.

Paul wanted me to let everyone know - there is a big, beautiful, glorious rocket kiln at the Lab, and during these courses, you'll likely get the chance to use it.

There's an abundance of natural clay on the property at the Lab - perhaps there winds up being a day where participants learn how to harvest, sculpt, and then fire their pieces in the rocket kiln?



Art and permaculture - what a beautiful thing.

Hi! I am very excited about this PDC and really want to attend. My problem is that I have a prior commitment in Idaho starting on June 10, towards the end of the PDC. What would I miss/ would it be possible to still get the certification if I missed the last two days? Thought it wouldn't hurt to ask. Thanks!

Hi Jen,

Congratulations on the courage to step in and up. Great to have you on board. What is it you need from us to attend the course? Are you looking for help with accommodation?
Let us know and we will do our best to make the course happen for you.

Howard S.

Hey I have not been following this thread but I wanted to chime in when I got the dailish email today. Me and Nikki loved the PDC last summer, Howard is amazing, the lab was awesome and it was super cool to meet Paul and hand out with some people I heard about from the podcast. Our guest were super cool and most hung around, and we got to informally ask our burning questions around a camp fire with the help of a brew or bottle of wine. Absolutely a wonderful experience wish I wasn't so broke this summer because the combination of these two events sounds great. Heres a link to some pics from last summer's PDC
https://permies.com/t/48918/labs/Pictures-trip-PDC-LAB
.

Dustin Rinker wrote:Hi! I am very excited about this PDC and really want to attend. My problem is that I have a prior commitment in Idaho starting on June 10, towards the end of the PDC. What would I miss/ would it be possible to still get the certification if I missed the last two days? Thought it wouldn't hurt to ask. Thanks!

Hi Dustin - I chatted with Howard about this, and he said the last two days of the course are going to primarily be groups preparing their design presentation, and a bit on alternative communities as eco communites. He said you can actually just email him your designs for approval if you can't stay for the final couple days, so it sounds like it would be something you guys could work out!

I just got word from Howard. He is willing to offer these courses as free to the residents of Wheaton labs.

So this would include:

- ants

- deep roots people

- shallow roots people

It is possible that this can include gappers if they have been here quite a long time and worked an awful lot. To be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Destiny,

Thanks for getting back to me that's great! I do have an 8 month old and wife that I wouldn't like to abandon for two weeks - and they aren't excited to camp for that long. Is there still space in a wafati for us? Or other living situation? Thanks again!!

Dustin Rinker wrote:Destiny,

Thanks for getting back to me that's great! I do have an 8 month old and wife that I wouldn't like to abandon for two weeks - and they aren't excited to camp for that long. Is there still space in a wafati for us? Or other living situation? Thanks again!!

Oh, I completely understand that - I have a 14 month old myself

I just checked, and it looks like both Wofatis are still available for this event. I'm going to double check that with Jocelyn, but it appears that are still free for the duration of the PDC!

Ok great! I will talk things over with my wife and get back to you. The timing is tight but we may be able to swing it. Thanks again!

Of course, good luck to you and your family, we hope you can make it!

And I did confirm with Jocelyn, the Wofatis are indeed available.

How/where do I sign up? Thanks

Chris Krueger wrote:How/where do I sign up? Thanks

To get signed up, just send payment via Paypal to howard.story@gmail.com and specify the course(s) you are taking.

The prices are as follows:

Cost for PDC only - (includes camping)

$895

Cost for AT course only - (includes camping)

$1295

Cost for both courses - (includes camping)

$1,895