Nov 17, 2013

Permaculture Courses

Anyone desiring to educate themselves in skills in how to "go green" would want to add one more course to their roster: permaculture.   Here you will learn the world altering techniques of how we can change the course of mankind just by a few simple changes in how we work in the landscape. 

By taking classes on permaculture you would benefit from lessons learned from nature, ecosystem and how we humans act to work with it all.  You can avail yourself of books, community college courses and on site laboratory type classes.  Anyway you look at it, you can learn just how you can become part of the solution.

Many books have been written on the subject of permaculture and its variations.  "The One Straw Revolution" by Masanobu Fukuoka, is a "bible" to many students of permaculture.  This man, like his peers, quietly went about doing or mimicking what he saw in nature.

Ruth Stout wrote the "No-work Garden Book" an amazing look at how one woman proved how simple and sensible permaculture gardening is.  While her neighbor's plants died of frosts, hers survived due to the insulated type of mulching she practiced in her garden.

From time to time, local colleges offer non-credit courses on topics of interest to the members of the community.  Permaculture is fast becoming a popular evening and weekend course offering.  Just check your local community college to see if yours has anything along those lines.

Yet another choice for the more "physically inclined" is to participate in a hands-on internship type program sponsored by one of many eco-village type co-ops.  Here you are instructed by those knowledgeable in their field and you get to get practical, hands on experience. 

You can choose to stay a week or a month or more as you volunteer on the land.  Often you will work side by side with veterans and activists from all over the world. Here, you will be part of whatever process is going on at the time you participate - from plot planning, soil prep and planting, to ongoing garden maintenance and harvest. 

It's very likely you'll eat of the produce of your labors and even participate in its preparation.  You will be part of a group who has the satisfaction of knowing they're keeping the seeds of change alive. Take a look on the Internet for permaculture communities and co-ops to see what choices are available to you.

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