The Middle East

Course Description

A holistic approach to sustainable development begins with land use and community design. This is a two week intensive Permaculture Design Certification Course that will be hosted on the beautiful site of the newly forming Laytonville Ecovillage in Mendocino county of Northern California. This course will immerse participants in the design system of Permaculture to create and maximize the beneficial relationships between our natural resources, our daily needs, and the regeneration the Earth. The course will integrate the theory of sustainable living with social permaculture through hands-on, real experience. Course participants will experience living in community and contributing to the design and development of a real Eco-Village project lead by an amazing cast of teachers and special guests in a fun and supportive community learning environment. 

Topics Include

Permaculture Design: Permaculture Principles,Natural Patterns,Pattern Application,Reading the Landscape,Nature Awareness, Forests, Soil Food Web, Water Cycles, Tropical, Arid & Cool Climates, Design Process

Community Building: Group Decision Making, Compassionate Communication, Education, Cooperatives, Non-Profits, Sustainable Finance, Land Access, Bio-Regionalism, Eco-Villages, Indigenous Wisdom

Sustainable Systems: Natural Building,Renewable Energy, Appropriate Technology, Rain Catchment, Graywater, Humanure,Home Gardens,Food Forests, Agroforestry, Fungi & Myco-Remediation, Bio-Remediation, Animal Systems, Aquaculture

Design Tools: Design Methods, Zones & Sectors, Site Analysis, Maps and Mapping, Social Permaculture, Invisible Structures,Urban Permaculture, Hands-On Activities, Zone Zero, Design Projects, Embodiment Practices, Wildcrafting, Nutritious Meal

Facilitators & Instructors

John Valenzuela, Sage Mata, Jay Ma, Erik Ohlsen, Max Meyers, Julie “Bird” Moore, Nan Kohler,Dave Shaw

Laytonville Eco-Village

The course is being held on an emerging Eco-Village development project on a ten acre, beautifully forested property about a mile outside of Laytonville, California. Laytonville is a small, rural town in Northern Mendocino County located right off Highway 101, about a three-hour drive from San Francisco. The property is zoned for subdividing and is in the process of being subdivided into five two-acre parcels that together will consist of the EcoVillage. Existing infrastructure on-site includes a two-story, two-unit farmhouse that’s about 65 years old, a barn with loft, a carport, and storage buildings.

Certification Applicability

Participants who successfully complete the course will receive a Permaculture Design Certificate. Design Certification is applicable towards Gaia University Degree Programs.

Contact

For questions and more information regarding the course

Visit the Course Website

e-mail: laytonville@livingmandala.com or

call: (707) 634-1461