While there is a wealth of information about permaculture on the internet and in books, permaculture certification is required for those who want to use the copyrighted term “permaculture” in their professional endeavors. After successfully completing a permaculture design course, a permaculture certification is awarded. Design courses are taught in a variety of locations around the world and are based on the teachings of permaculture’s co-founders, Bill Mollison and David Holmgren. Depending on the schedule, the course usually takes two weeks to complete.
A permaculture design course should be based on the concepts and principles first outlined by Mollison and Holmgren, despite some differences in organization and content. The foundation of permaculture design is a set of shared principles. “Earth care,” “people care,” and “fair share” are the three most widely recognized ethical principles in shorthand. Permaculture also has 12 design principles in addition to these ethical ones. The “permaculture flower,” as depicted in the popular image, shows how all of these principles, represented by the flower’s heart, are applied to a set of seven domains, represented by the petals.
The first subject covered in a permaculture design course is usually permaculture principles and domains. The application of permaculture design within the seven domains is emphasized in the later parts of the course. Understanding natural and cultural patterns; understanding landscapes and climate zones; managing and conserving resources; agricultural planning and design; built environment planning and design; and economics and marketing are some of the topics covered in most courses. Each of these sections delves into a variety of more specific topics. Renewable energy, energy conservation, water harvesting, and waste management are just a few examples of resource management and conservation.
Design courses for permaculture certification often include hands-on training in addition to traditional classroom learning. Students can put what they’ve learned into practice by working with plants or animals on a farm or by assisting in the construction of a sustainable house in a permaculture community. A common requirement for permaculture certification is the completion of one or more design projects.
Despite the fact that permaculture design began in Australia in the 1970s, certified instructors and design courses can now be found all over the world. Some instructors have expressed concern that the rapidly growing number of certified instructors and design courses has diluted Mollison and Holmgren’s standards for content and depth of learning. The Permaculture Institute of Australia and its sister organization, the Permaculture Institute in Santa Fe, New Mexico, work to ensure that permaculture certification courses follow a set of guidelines.