Vashon PDC Topics/Dates

DAY 1- April 3, 2010 – Welcome ritual with an indigenous spirit.
What is Permaculture?
Welcome, basic course orientation & permaculture ethics & principles - Emet & Kelda.
Hands on practicum:Observation exercises & natural history at the Cohousing site. Interactive games to learn permaculture concepts.
Saturday evening at 7pm: Round table discussion with Kelda Miller- based on her observation/experience in Haiti.

DAY 2- April 4 – Assessment & Mapping
Landscape site assessment – Kelda & Emet
Gathering useful information to the designer. Observe the landscape: wind direction, geology, suntraps, microclimates, natural guilds, edges. How to make a base map.
Hands on practicum: A Frame, triangulation & pacing at the Cohousing site.

DAY 3- April 10 – Soil From the Ground Up
Conservation and cultivation of soil for agricultural, construction and forestry purposes. Including swales, hugelbeds, etc- Deston Denniston & Emet
Hands on practicum: Soil sampling methods around site, learn to use your best instrument- your mind-body union- to know your soil test + soil mapping.
Bring your soil/plants from your garden to test.
Demo: Biochar & mushroom inoculation-Emet

Evening talk & Discussion By Deston Denisston -7:30-9:30pm Venue: Vashon Land Trust (http://www.vashonlandtrust.org/).
Vashon soil & Island Agro-Ecology: 1.45 min slide show the Gardens of Kauai, 1.15 discussion of Vashon island ecology parallels and differences.
Starting at Lima Huli, or 'earth turned hands', which is the oldest continuously operated intergenerational aquaculture site known to the western world (700+years), we will circumnavigate Kauai'i, exploring Farmers Markets, Island Native, Polynessian and Modern agro-ecology. We will travel clockwise around the island from Lima Huli to Mana, where the Syngenta/Monsanto biotech research company tends experimental and controversial GE corn fields. The Island agro ecology of Kauai, the oldest of the Hawai'i'an Islands, is a story which encapsulates the worlds Agro-Ecology, and offers many lessons and great hope for future generations who practice lima huli, keeping their hands- and hearts- to the earth.

DAY 4- April 11 - Integrating animals,Farm Hands Without Hands & and aquaculture
Pigs, goats, rabbits, chickens, aquaculture & bees.
Did you know goats can be trained as draft animals, and that geese will mow your path borders, weed your aquaculture and guard your tree crops from raccoons?
A permaculture design without livestock is like a forest without wildlife. - Deston Denniston & Cathy Fulton
Design exercises: “Net of Interdependence”(integrated pest controls for Vashon co-housing site.)
“Tale of Two Eggs” (industrial vs. permaculture egg )
“Chicken Map” (to spur thoughts about our goat mapping)
Tour of Mariposa Gardens Cathy will be sharing her experience with the chickens, aquaculture and composting techniques.
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We will be making nettle tea/compost juice and setting up a guild on at the sheet mulching part of the garden. Be prepared to make your hand dirty.

DAY 5- April 24 – Water & Climate
How to built resiliency in global climate change - Emet
Water-finding, storing, harvesting, purifying, using & conserving.
Urban water-raingardens, permeable pavement, catchments, greywater & black water – Kelda
Hands on practicum: Slow sand filter & swales building
Practice: Installing a rainwater harvest tank with Dan Borba.

Day 6-April 25 – Permaculture Plants & Gardening
Permaculture plants: natives, nitrogen fixers, 'bennie attractants', analog ecosystems, perennials, and tree crops. Also, cultivated ecology gardens, guilds, and companion planting. Plant propagation techniques– Kelda and Emet
Hands on practicum: Building compost & plant propagation skills
Demo:Mulch , Polycultures and crop rotation
Venue: Bevely & Bob's garden at Paradise Ridge

Day 7-May 15 – Energy, Transport, and Appropriate Technologies
Energy auditing/saving, renewable energy; solar & wind, electric vehicle - Dan Bentler
Passive technologies & Energy Conservation – Kelda
Demo: Solar panel installation (how to wire, how to assess energy output, rocket stove building & Biofuel experience with Scott Durke.

Day 8-May 16 – Sustainable Agriculture
Learn how permaculture goes hand in hand with natural farming, which is the farming method of Masanobu Fukuoka, the Japanese farmer/philosopher from Shikoku Island. Larry is the editor of The One Straw Revolution, and he will be presenting slide shows to share his experiences with Fukuoka and more - Larry Korn
Tour of Shoulder to Shoulder Farm: a collectively managed organic farm.
Activity: Drip irrigation setting- will be confirmed.
Tour of Green Man Farm: a biodynamic CSA farm
+ Tour of Plum Forest Farm: CSA farm. Both farms have animals and farm stand at the Vashon's Saturday Farmers Market.


Day 9- May 22 - Urban permaculture
Urban observation and needs, community gardening/composting, container gardening, guerilla gardening, ecovillage design – Kelda & Emet
Community building & decision making – Mark Musick
Activity: Learn from the example of Vashon Cohousing

Day 10- May 23 – Invisible Structures
Retrofitting cities – Kelda
Eco-Communities, transition towns, Food Sovereignty presentation& local economics – Emet,
Activity: Role play village re-design
& community asset/green mapping exercise with Annie Brule & LIVING FOOD lunch.

Optional Days- May 29/30 – Village Building Convergence
Trip to Portland for the Village Building Convergence. There will be many activities around town to engage with holistic communities and experience the art of city repair. Interesting workshop to join there.

Day 11- June 5 – Natural building
Emergency preparedness – Kelda
Natural building, healthy home, and international permaculture projects – Jenny Pell
Hands on practicum: Jenny Pell will lead us in building a miniature permaculture village using various materials including cob, strawbale, trellises, water catchment barrels, greenhouses, and more.  Be prepared to get creative and get dirty while we put all the pieces together! 
Course CLOSING ritual & pot luck dinner at the Paradise Ridge with a bonfire & possibly with the 'Buffalo Heart' drumming by the 'Red Lodge' instructor.

Day 12- June 6 - Presentations
Design Team students will share their final projects. Class will end with discussions about the permaculture movement, networking opportunities.
Laughter class with Weslie Rodgers at lunch time



*Saturday Evenings: A space will be provided for optional activities/movies/engaging conversation/fun around the permaculture topics we have been covering.