Come live with us in the jungles of Ecuador and learn the fundamentals of Permaculture! This 12 day course will cover a variety of fundamental topics from the permaculture design course certification. 

This is an amazing opportunity to get a very hands-on experience as many of these systems will be established in this course for the first time on this new emerging permaculture farm! You will experience the permaculture practices already in place: plant propagation, eco-toilets and composting, water catchment,  farm-to-table cuisine, and living in a secluded jungle oasis!

Upon completion, you will receive your Permaculture Design Certificate and be fully equipped to do your part in a global movement to live in a better way! PDC grads go on to design their own land projects, teach the permaculture principles and ethics, fund Eco-communities, redesign their businesses, and so much more!

Why Permacultural Design?

When starting an agricultural project with a regenerative and sustainable approach, it is important to have a long-term design to visualize the intelligent and efficient implementation of the project, saving energy and external inputs.

Permacultural design allows you to adapt your project to the ecosystem or bioregion where you want to implement it without negatively impacting the flora and fauna of the site.

Topics we will cover include: 

• Climate and Topography: Topographic map / aerial photography
• Water: Hydrological design, erosion control systems, water infiltration, rainwater harvesting systems, key line cropping patterns.
• Roads and accesses: design of roads that allow harvesting runoff.
• Trees: Design of successional agroforestry systems, windbreaks, among others.
• Structures: Houses, bioconstruction, bioclimatic, integral habitat, mobile structures for animals.
• Subdivisions: farm zoning, pasture subdivisions, animal load following holistic management criteria.
• Soil: strategies and techniques for the recovery of soil fertility/productivity: biofertilizers, microorganisms, remineralization of soils.

MEET YOUR INSTRUCTORS: 

Paulina Lasso Quintero

She has been working with Permaculture for 11 years. She began her apprenticeship in Brazil where she spent 3 years in various Permaculture Institutes, peasant communities and urban groups specializing in Water Treatment Systems with BioFilters. Certified by the Instituto de Permacultura y Ecoaldeas da Mata Atlantica IPEMA in the state of Sao Paulo, Brazil.

He has traveled through several countries in Europe, the United States and South America, learning and teaching different tools for a sustainable and regenerative life. She developed a comprehensive project on her farm in Tumbaco, was a co-founder of the Elvirita house and Lunas Ecológicas . She received a Bachelor's degree from Gaia University in Regenerative Eco-Social Design. He currently works in Yakunina from the permaculture farm in Mashpi.

Miguel Torske

He has been working with Permaculture for 12 years. He began his apprenticeship in the Seed Guardians Network in 2006. He has given more than 200 workshops around Ecuador on topics related to Agroecology, Permaculture, hydrological design and appropriate technologies.

He completed his certification as a permaculturist at Aprovecho Educational Center (Eugene-Oregon, United States), where he also learned about efficient rocket firewood combustion systems, which he has adapted to the reality and materials of Ecuador, expanding this knowledge in some communities of the Amazon and the Ecuadorian sierra. He has worked with Darren Doherty's Regrarians design platform and the key line design system. He is part of the team of the Ecoversity of the Equatorial Andes and of the group of tropicultores.

Expert in consulting, design and construction of decentralized wastewater systems with vermifilters and built marshes, design and construction of seeding and water harvesting systems.

*Session topics and days may be due to change

 Session 1

• Introduction to Permaculture and history of Agriculture.

Session 2

• Preparation of bio-products for the course (repellent, shampoo, toothpaste. (Bring your recipe to share!)
• Gardens and growbeds
• Living landscapes

Session 3

• Agroforestry systems
• What is a forest? Forest structure and function
• Forests and energy transactions.
• Hike through the natural regeneration trail.
• Ecological succession
• Successional agroforestry design

Session 4

• Permaculutre design tools
• Design of permacultural systems in flooded areas
• Talk about the climate and the adaptations of permaculture to various ecosystems

Session 5

• Hydrological design 
• Dry toilets / Composters.

Session 6

• Bioremediation

Session 7

• What is Appropriate Technology?
• Efficient Rocket Stove Construction
• Ecosocial design, local experiences.

Session 8

• Rocket Stoves: Theory and Construction
• Soil origin dynamics
• Regenerative agriculture
• Types of soil
• Fertilizers and biofertilizers.

Session 9

• Orchard and crop planning
• Seedbeds
• Types of crop beds
• Tropical crops.
• Video: Seeds

Session 10

• Successional agroforestry design
• Permacultural design strategies for each climate
• Camellones

Session 11

Presentation of designs and graduation.

METHODOLOGY:

We work with experiential methodology, the classes will be theoretical and practical, we will use walks, visits, construction and elaboration of various projects.

Participants will be able to work on their design project with the support of the facilitators.