Change Makers PDC 2021

5 Nov, 2021

Our environmental, social and cultural climate is changing at an exponential rate… Are you armed with the right knowledge and practical skills to not only keep up, but influence change?

‘Though the problems of the world are increasingly complex, the solutions remain embarrassingly simple.’ (Bill Mollison co-originator of Permaculture)

With the increasing complexity of environmental problems and social polarisation, our culture is seeing the emergence of a generation of change-making humans, integrating a broad range of knowledge and skills in an effort to find holistic solutions grounded in common sense; care for the earth, care for our common unity, and care for our future generations.

Permaculture is a design science founded on common sense. It unlocks ancient wisdom in a modern context and provides the necessary perspective, framework and practical tools to not only survive but thrive in an era of exponential change.

Our two-week immersive Change Makers PDC is specifically designed, carefully curated and gracefully facilitated for you to achieve an embodied understanding of natural systems and how permaculture design principles can help you become the most effective Change Maker you are destined to be through regeneration of connection to self, country, community and culture.

Our team of activated, visionary permaculture practitioners have a rich arsenal of offerings covering the full 72hr PDC curriculum, and more.

Your learning journey includes:

FOUNDATIONS – Foundational concepts and application of Permaculture ethics and principles.
DESIGN – Permaculture design methodologies, strategies and techniques.
PATTERNS – Patterns in nature. Nature awareness. Reading the landscape. Map reading. Site analysis and field observations.
CLIMATE – Understanding broader climatic regions, global climatic influences, and differing approaches to designing them.
WATER – Water hydrological cycle. Catchment management. Dams and earthworks. Water storage for homes, landscape and aquaculture. Water filtration, grey water and compost toilets systems.
SOIL – Soil ecology. Organic soil management. Mulches and compost.
FORESTS – Forest ecosystems. Succession and forest regeneration. Forest design including perennial food systems, medicine, fibre, dyes, structural materials. Farm forestry. Wildlife habitat. Wildlife corridors and nature conservation.
PLANTS – Permaculture plants deep-dive. Perennial plant selection. Seed saving and raising. Plant propagation.
MICROCLIMATES – Utilise microclimates and windbreaks to influence and buffer local climate.
BUILDINGS – Sustainable home and passive solar house design. Alternative housing. Building material selection. Appropriate technology. Renewable energy usage.
PRODUCTION – Food-producing integrated systems for home gardens, urban dwellings and acreage. Examining water usage, access and pathways. Plant selection.
DISASTER-PROOFING – Design for resilience and self-reliance responding to natural and human induced disasters, such as flooding, fire, shifts in climate change and economic collapse.
SOCIAL – Group ecology and dynamics. Collaborative decision-making and governance.
ECONOMICS – Alternative economics. Community exchange currencies. Ethical money and right livelihood.
COMMUNITY – Bioregional planning to leverage local food economies. Community gardens. Transition initiatives. Urban renewal strategies. Eco-village design.

Field experiences include:

Crystal Waters market cultural tour.
Tour with Max Lindegger the Crystal Waters dam systems.
Site visit to local organic producers.
Maleny township – one of Australia’s iconic co-operative towns.
Mary Cairn Cross Nature Reserve.
Tour Green Harvest’s gardens and rammed-earth building and shop.
Tour of Annaliese’s one-acre Permaculture property, gardens & systems.

Knowledge and skills to be gained:

Learn the skills and knowledge to holistically design homes, gardens, properties, offices, neighbourhoods, and villages – utilising Permaculture principles, in a way that cares for our Earth, cares for our people and deeply considers our future.

Apply these new learnings through practical exercises, leading to a larger group Permaculture design project.

Learn creative problem-solving strategies and processes, recognising that in the problem, lies the solution.

Explore personal learning styles, skills and talents and those of other group members. Learn to value and integrate people’s differences and use collective strength to enhance your team work, empower the roles of others, and enhance overall team performance.

You will personally engage in visioning processes – beginning with a review of your life path from the past, valuing your personal knowledge and gifts, visioning your intended future, and assessing the milestone markers needed to achieve your Vision, aka your Permaculture world citizen assignment!

Origins of our Course Content

Gratefully acknowledging our collective course content has been inspired by, and adapted directly from, the teachings of:

Bill Mollison, David Holmgren, Robin Francis, Rosemary Morrow, Robina McCurdy, Robin Clayfield, Max Lindegger, Frances Michaels, Geoff Lawton, Douglas Bullock, Dave Boehnlien, Paul Kernsley, Larry Santoyo, Looby Macnamara, Starhawk, Peter Cow, Mark Lakeman, Delvin Solkinson, Joanna Macey, Ruth Rosenhek & John Seed.

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FACILITATORS

Annaliese Hordern : Symbiotic Nature

Annaliese is the Director of the Change Makers PDC and is a passionate Permaculture, sustainability and community development with a strong focus on ethnobotanical research and plant based lifestyle. The last three years she has worked as a horticulturalist with Green Harvest Organic Gardening and is on the Leadership Board with Grounded Permaculture Action Party Inc.

Annnaliese holds a degree in Environmental Resource Management, a Diploma of Permaculture and draws upon two decades of Permaculture experience while learning with and documenting numerous Permaculture pioneers and next generation practitioners globally. Her lived experiences on many Eco-communities, demonstrating inspiring examples of sustainability has provided a solid grounding for Annaliese’s interactive facilitation practice and education programs through Symbiotic Nature and into her one acre Permaculture property on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland.

Rupert Faust : Grounded Permaculture

As the founder of Grounded Permaculture Action Party (Inc.) and label boss of Beanstalk Records, Rupert’s enthusiasm for growing music and food is highly contagious. His dedication to environmental, social and cultural change is second to none. Aside from all his music endeavours, Rupert holds a Bachelor of Environmental Engineering and spent a number of years conforming to the urban water and wastewater industry. Working for both the public and private sector on multi-million dollar projects he gained a breadth of experience in the management, planning, design, operation and construction of urban infrastructure. A high level holistic systems thinker, he quickly got bored developing patch work solutions for a dysfunctional system within the current paradigm, and his interest in plants, growing food, living off-grid and taking responsibility for his own existence inevitably led him down the path of permaculture.

A self-confessed jack of all trades and master of his curiosity, he is as good with his hands as he is with his head and is a specialist in conceptual planning, systems thinking and making things happen.

Jay Jackson : Organic Motion

Jay Jackson is always ready to face challenges and find solutions. A born leader at heart, Jay spent his younger years rebelling against the system he was born to change. Coming from a tradie background he knew there was more to life and always looked for the next level.

That’s when he found permaculture and later co-founded Organic Motion. Finding fulfillment in any landscape, Jay now happily and confidently handles life as one big (ever-changing) design. He lives to share joy in life!

As Project Manager of Organic Motion, Jay ensures that landscape designs meet clients visions, obtain on ground outcomes and handles the puzzle work of timelines, budgets, suppliers, managing workers and meeting deadlines. His gregarious nature and great communication is what his clients and students affectionately remember.

Erin Young: Social Permaculture

Erin Young works with nature wisdom to liberate creative leaders from overwhelm and distraction to get things done with balance, creativity and collaboration. Erin partners with individuals through life and leadership coaching as a Human Potential Coach. She supports organisations to be adaptive and effective by consulting in collaborative decision-making and governance based in Sociocracy. Erin also provides dynamic group facilitation and workshops centered on holistic design for people systems, based in social permaculture.

Erin holds a Bachelor of Environmental Engineering (Hons) with Brisbane’s Griffith University (2004). She first studied regenerative ecologically-based design by attaining her first Permaculture Design Certificate in Portugal in 2010. Originating in Brisbane, Erin is based on Kabi Kabi country / Sunshine Coast, South East Queensland.

Taj Scicluna : The Perma Pixie

The Perma Pixie (Taj Scicluna) is passionate and motivated to inspire and educate people to live more nourishing and regenerative lifestyles with a deep connection to Nature. Using her skills of Permaculture and Herbalism, she reminds those wishing for a deeper sense of purpose that individual and collective action can generate change and reformat the current state of humanity.

Being a fringe dweller, The Perma Pixie straddles the worlds of nature connection and professional business, hoping this will ripple through to others and create larger effects beyond the scope of her reach. She intends to create a fusion of ancient wisdom with modern times, weaving the awareness of the past with the knowledge at present to form a synergy that will benefit future generations. This is where functionality meets alchemy, a marriage of the mystical and practicality, an awareness of the internal and external landscapes which can exist in harmony.

Jaye Irving : Barefoot Sustainable Design

Jaye is a multi-award winning designer that has been flying the green banner of sustainability for nearly 20 years exploring the relationship between the natural and built environment. As an Architect, Artist, Builder and keen permaculturist his interest in natural materials has led him on a on a global search for grassroots green design, fortifying his skills in integrated food systems, ecological sewage design and a gambit of natural building practices including bamboo, earth and straw. At the core of these skills taught by simple craftsmen from around the world is the relationship with their environment.

Shay Douglas: Earth Heroes

Born in Cairns, Australia, Shay grew up in the lush tropical rainforest of North Queensland. With a European bloodline, he considers himself a citizen of the Earth. Inspired by the people and the world around him, his life has been an artistic creation of exploration.

As the Creative Director of the Earth Heroes Production team, he believes the creative art form of videos is one of the most powerful tools to implement positive change in the world, by inspiring you to connect to the earth, love your health and have compassion for others.

After spending 5 years studying a Bachelor of Fine Arts and living in the USA, he has reconnected to his roots of his homeland to bring forth a vision for a regenerative future. Through the form of visual storytelling, he has created a new feature-length film called ‘The Regeneration’, focusing on local solutions to global problems we are faced with today!

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GUEST PERMACULTURE PIONEERS:

Robin Clayfield : Dynamic Groups

Robin Clayfield is a Permaculture Pioneer and international educator, group facilitator and author specialising in creative, interactive facilitation, teacher training and group leadership while living Permaculture, Deep Ecology and social change. Her legendary book ‘You Can Have Your Permaculture and Eat It Too’ has sold over 5000 copies and her educational card games, teacher training Manual and resources support educators globally. Robin lives at Crystal Waters.

Max Lindegger

Max was invited by Bill Mollison to participate at the first Permaculture Course in 1979 and he also took part in the second course the year after. Since then he has been teaching Permaculture courses from the UK to the US, from Denmark to Macau and from Argentina to New Zealand and has been consulting on the subject in over 60 countries. Together with his wife Trudi he has been experimenting with Permaculture at Crystal Waters for over 30 years. They keep cattle, grow vegetables, fruits & nuts and keep bees. Beekeeping is one of Max’s real passions. Max continues to volunteer in Cambodia & downtown Manila where he searches for solutions which can help the poorest.

Frances Michaels: Green Harvest

Frances is a horticulturist with over 40 years’ study and practice focusing on edible plants, organic garden management and permaculture. Holding an Advanced Certificate of Horticulture and Diploma of Permaculture she is a writer, educator and business CEO of Green Harvest Organic Gardening Supplies. Her articles on edible plants, organic pest control and soil improvement are available on the website or social media.

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The Venue

Our Change Makers PDC is held at Crystal Waters Permaculture Village on the Sunshine Coast Hinterland in Queensland, Australia. Crystal Waters is an environmentally and socially responsible rural community, designed using permaculture principles. With a community of over 230 people living in the village, it is continually evolving, physically and socially and provides an excellent living example of permaculture design and community.

Classes will primarily be held in the Eco-Centre – a purpose-built rammed-earth education facility with a spacious covered outdoor classroom with several tours to other sites in the local area.

Catering: Good Food Vibe

Meals are vegetarian and non-vegetarian cuisine from local, fresh and organic (where possible) ingredients. They will be prepared in the Crystal Waters commercial kitchen, and served on the iconic Crystal Waters Deck overlooking the Village Green, located only a short stroll from the Eco Centre. Our chefs are Bec & Yoav from Good Food Vibe, and are selected for their love and passion for their cuisine creations, and for their connection to the local community.

Accommodation

(not included in PDC course fee – please book direct with Crystal Waters Eco-Park Campground)

Camping and bunk/cabins are offered at Crystal Waters Visitors Camping Area, only 7 minutes walk to The Village Green & Eco Centre. There is a good amenities block with hot showers and laundry facilities, there is a covered camp kitchen setup with hot-plates as well as a large open fire pit. Set in a lovely bush setting with wildlife (mainly Kangaroos & Wallabies) and abundant bird-life.

Book with Eco Park Managers Ayca or Greg: ecopark@westnet.com.au. Ph:(07)5494 4550

Discounted rates for 16 nights accommodation (when booking refer to Change Makers PDC Nov 5-20):

Camping: BYO tent, bedding and personal needs.
$216 single / $370 couple (powered site)
$172 single / $310 couple (unpowered site)
Bunk bed: in a shared room at EcoPark Bunkhouse
$360 + $15 Bedding; (8 beds available in 2 rooms)
Exclusive Private Family Room:
$720 single or $850 couple (2 available)

Airport pickups are available, ask for details when booking.

Attendance

This course is based on the traditional 72-hour PDC format. You must attend 80% of the course to receive a certificate. If for some unforeseen event you can’t complete the requirements, and you still wish to receive a certificate, an alternative educational opportunity must be completed by arrangement.

Dates and timings

Registrations will happen on the morning of Day One – Nov 5th.
Orientation and introductions begin in the Eco-Centre at 11am. You may wish to stay the night before to feel more relaxed on your first day.
The course officially ends at 5.30pm, Saturday 20th November.
On the closing evening, we will have a dinner and dance party celebration for the completion of our PDC. When the sun sets, and the mood is right, both Annaliese (Chillacayote) and Rupert (Brother Beans) love to DJ feel-good vibes… and invite any and all participants to share their musical talents, you will likely want to stay for this final evening.

Investment

$2150 (early bird – Limited to max 10 available until July 31)
$2550 (full fee)
Includes tuition, meals (except on day-off, site visits, manual, resources (hard-copy and digital) and a Permaculture Design Certificate.

Booking

Registrations essential – please follow the registration links below
Min. Deposit of $300 (non-refundable): required to reserve your place until 6th October.
Remainder of outstanding fees to be paid by the 6th October.

Cancellation Policy

Cancellations 28 to 15 days before the course start can receive 50% refund of the course fee.
Cancellations within the last 14 days before the course start are non-refundable, unless we are able to fill your place.

We thank you for considering this Change Making opportunity. If you are feeling the call, we invite you to join us.