Permaculture Design Certificate
“When people are going biological, they are using permaculture.
Course Overview
What’s Included
This certificate covers 72 hours of instruction across a 12-weeks of self-paced content, weekly interactive live sessions, knowledge checks, and personal design projects. Skill up and have fun while earning an internationally recognized Permaculture Design Certificate through Permaculture Association (PA) – and become a PA member for 1 year.
About Permaculture
Learn new ways to understand and apply nature’s lessons. Permaculture is an ethical design science that builds resilient relationships of reciprocity and abundance, letting us thrive in harmony with our planet for generations to come.
How can it be Used?
Scientific observation and analysis combined with traditional wisdom about regenerative living, lead to exciting new possibilities for healthy and meaningful lives, landscapes, and livelihoods. Apply the course with a map and design project for your home, garden, farm, or project.
Course Themes
Designing Regenerative Systems from Principles to Practice
Build practical skills in permaculture design by learning to work with soil, water, plants, animals, and climate. Each chapter helps you think holistically and create resilient, sustainable systems in any environment.
About Your Instructors
Delvin Solkinson
Delvin Solkinson | Community gardener, student and teacher from British Columbia, Canada, Delvin has done a Permaculture Design Certificate, Diploma and Masters Degree with Bill Mollison, the co-originator of Permaculture. He has taken many in-person programs including 13 advanced courses and 14 teacher trainings with Permaculture elders like David Holmgren, Rosemary Morrow, Larry Santoyo, Robin Clayfield, Geoff Lawton, Scott Pittman, Starhawk, Toby Hemenway, Looby Macnamara, Michael Becker, Jude Hobbs, Doug and Sam Bullock. Ongoing training included three additional Permaculture Education Diplomas, numerous Permaculture Design Certificate Courses, and an experimental Doctoral Degree with the Permaculture Academy. He is currently a Diploma Tutor with the Permaculture Association and Senior Diploma Tutor with Permakultur Danmark.
Delvin has co-taught 27 permaculture design courses over the last 20 years. He is an accredited teacher with Permaculture Institute, Permaculture Association, Permaculture Institute North America and Permaculture Research Institute. He recently served as Dean and Lead Instructor with his wife Grace for the Permaculture School at Pacific Rim College on a 720 hour in-person Permaculture Design and Resilient Ecosystems Diploma. They built gardens and structures, grew food, raised animals and supported a large teaching team including Indigenous Wisdom Holders.
Kavi Reddy
Permaculture educator, nature lover, and community organizer who constantly actualizes solutions for the benefit of Earth today and in the future. Kavi stumbled upon Permaculture in 2013, earned her PDC in 2017, and has advanced permaculture certifications in landscape mapping, passive rainwater harvesting design, and soil fertility building. She has learned from and taught alongside many Permaculture elders in the U.S. and India including Jude Hobbs, Narsanna Koppula, Clea Chandmal, Robyn Francis, Rico Zook, and Kelda Lorax.
Academically, Kavi holds three degrees from UC Berkeley, focusing on the history of agriculture, colonialism, and food systems transformations. Her career spans social entrepreneurship, regenerative agriculture, climate technology innovation, and non-profit management. In her role as Director of Operations at the Soil Food Web School, Kavi builds programs and partnerships that further access to regenerative ecology & soil fertility education around the world. In her personal life, Kavi loves teaching Permaculture & Regenerative Thinking to middle & high school students at her alma mater The Athenian School in the Bay Area, CA.
FAQs
What is the course format?
12-weeks of instruction including 4 ½ hrs of self paced learning per week, and 1 ½ hrs of live interactive group sessions per week. Begins April 12th and ends July 30th, with a 1-month grade period for course completion. Weekly live sessions will be repeated twice: Sundays at 12pm Eastern Time, and Tuesdays at 9pm Eastern Time (attendance required only 1x per week).
Do I need any qualifications to start the course?
No, this course is designed for everyone! No prior experience is required. The only requirements for participation is reliable connection to internet and a basic understanding of English.
What is the Permaculture Association Membership?
One Year Permaculture Association Membership is included in the student course experience. Join a thriving learning community of practice with online masterclasses, project tours, campfire events, design library, community hub forum and newsletter of regular resources. Learn more at https://www.permaculture.org.uk/
Can I still enroll if I can’t attend the live sessions?
Yes, everyone is welcome to enroll in the PDC as an auditor even if you are not able to attend all the live sessions. Auditors have unlimited access to course content, community forums, and are welcome to attend as many live sessions as they are able. A minimum 80% of course content must be completed by July 31st to earn the Permaculture Design Certificate, but students are not penalized for not completing the course in that time.
Can I chat with someone before I decide?
Absolutely, we would love to hear from you and help you decide if this course is right for you! Please reach out to instructors Delvin Solkinson (Delvin@soilfoodweb.com) or Kavi Reddy (Kavi@soilfoodweb.com) to chat.
Who are some of the other Permaculture Instructors featured in the course?
Graham Bell, Looby Macnamara, Dr. Vandana Shiva, David Holmgren, Rosemary Morrow, Robin Clayfield, Geoff Lawton, Robyn Francis, Starhawk, Jude Hobbs, Larry Santoyo, Andrew Millison, Mark Lakeman, Christopher Nesbitt, Michael Becker, Mike Kaplin, and Dr. Elaine Ingham.