PDC : VANCOUVER, BC 

 

Gather with likeminded people to learn about how nature designs itself and how we can become sustainable designers ourselves. Learn how to map and design land and life, plan for emergencies, grow organic food in all four seasons and work to build a more regenerative future.

 

The course empowers participants as permaculture designers, consultants and beginner teachers. Graduates will be able to use the word ‘Permaculture’ legally in their practice, business or project. This eco-training certificate is a practical path for greening your life, resume and portfolio. Working toward certification is not a requirement.  It’s a fun and practical way to journey with likeminded people in an experiential, outdoor adventure in education.

 

Taught by a dynamic female - male facilitation team, this class caters to anyone wanting to learn regenerative design in a creative way while engaging with working systems. It is a flexible course with an ideal evening and weekend class schedule. Catering to the busyness of modern life, if you miss a class, you can jump in on the same module in a different class at no extra tuition costs (through the instructors) and there is no time limit to complete the certification. One on One make up classes are also available at a nominal fee.

 

Course Topics include design methods, patterns in nature, soils and composting, water, trees, animals, design for cool/tropical/arid climates, social permaculture, native food and medicine plants of the Coastal First Peoples, and much more. There are information sheets, interactive tools, as well as exciting living sites as our classroom. Optional hands-on activities throughout the course include: design charrettes, earthworks demonstration, integrative games, compost building, soil testing, plant & tree identification, medicine making and homesteading. This course is the only of its kind with an exciting teaching tool kit that transforms lectures into games and travels to many different permaculture farms, gardens and forest locations. Apply your learnings to the focus project for the program which is to start a map and design for where you live or an area of your choice.

 

Successful completion of this course offers graduates their choice of legitimate and formal certificate through Permaculture Institute (www.permaculture.org), Permaculture Association (www.permaculture.org.uk), Permaculture Research Institute (www.permaculturenews.org).

 

For more information about this program, email the instructors at kym@gigglingchitree.com and delvin@permaculture.org 

 

Instructor Bios:

Kym Chi is of Scottish, English and German ancestry and gratefully settles on the West Coast of Turtle Island on the unceded and stolen lands of the Coast Salish Peoples. She is dedicated to the continued process of decolonizing herself and creating right relations with the land and people where she lives, works and visits.  Kym is a dynamic, creative woman who homesteads, crafts herbal medicines, practices and teaches Permaculture and is the dean of the School of Permaculture Design at Pacific Rim college.   She has received 3 certificates in Permaculture Design, completed multiple teacher trainings, taken a variety of advanced trainings and completed a Diploma in Permaculture Education. With a love of learning, she continues to take courses that grow her understanding of the natural world. Kym wishes to inspire creative self-expression and value centred living to enrich and create healthy, abundant habitats and communities. With a focus on Social Permaculture, she mentors others on their life path and focusses on ways to support organizations and communities to become more resilient.

 

Delvin Solkinson is a community gardener, student and teacher from British Columbia, Canada. He creates free learning and teaching tools, writes articles and makes videos. Completing a PDC, Diploma and Masters Degree with Bill Mollison, Delvin has also done 13 advanced courses and 13 teacher trainings with Permaculture Pioneers across the planet like David Holmgren, Robin Clayfield, Geoff Lawton and Robyn Francis. Life long learning includes a PDC with Rosemary Morrow in Greece, with Toby Hemenway in Portland as well as a second Diploma through the Permaculture Institute. Over five years he did an experimental Doctoral Degree with mentorship of Larry Santoyo. Serving as a Field Mentor through the Permaculture Institute, Diploma Tutor with Permaculture Association and an accredited teacher through the Permaculture Research Institute, Delvin continues to learn and to teach. Extensive learning with Looby Macnamara included numerous courses and a third Diploma through Permaculture Association. They have co-facilitated the CEED course and currently co-facilitate a Group Diploma Adventure for people perusing Permaculture Design Diplomas.  Currently Delvin serves as the Diploma Program Co-ordinator for the Permaculture Institute, supporting peoples learning journeys with permaculture. He pursues a Post-Doc in Permaculture Education through the Permaculture Academy along with Diploma Tutor training and Continuing Professional Development through the Permaculture Association. Delvin lives in the Elphinstone Rainforest and teaches at Pacific Rim College.

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Grace Solkinson was raised on a small family farm nestled on the edge of the woods in the wilds of Washington state. During her formative years she developed a keen love of nature and an appreciation for its many uses in everyday life. She has spent many years studying plant medicine and natural skincare while developing and selling a skincare line. For the past decade she has expanded her study of herbalism, and has studied with plant medicine maestras Susun Weed and Dina Falconi. Her study of permaculture has had a broad scope and includes courses in the USA, Canada and the UK. Grace’s passion and focus is on practical everyday uses of plant medicine to enrich daily diet and health routines. She loves all animals and has a lifetime of experience of animal husbandry with a focus on heritage breeds. Her chapters in the Permaculture Design Book on Animal Husbandry, Fermentation and Food Preservation reflect her role leading medicine making, food preservation and homesteading skills units in the Visionary Permaculture Design Certificate Program and many classes, courses and intro days that she co-facilitates with her husband Delvin Solkinson.