top of page

WORKSHOPS

These workshops sit inside the Permaculture Design Certificate and are being open up for

Individual Workshops - $55 and Weekend Workshop - $210

WORKSHOPS

These workshops sit inside the Permaculture Design Certificate. There are multiple options to attend - the whole weekend, 1 day or half-day tickets.

Workshops: 2-day - $220     1-day - $115      1/2-day - $60

Each weekend holds a theme which is broken into workshop components.

Below is a rundown of what is on offer. Click the register button to get more details for each weekend and sign yourself up for one or more sessions available over the next year.

Module One - September

Permaculture Philosophy, Design and Patterns

This full weekend package covers land & weather patterns, site observation, assessment criteria,  analysis & evaluation. plus how to create a base map for your site & an understanding of site 
limitations & resources.

Card game.jpg

This workshop is to gain an understanding of the ethics  & principles of permaculture.

We have created a card game of 36 examples of permaculture concepts to absorb the diversity of available systems to us. This workshop also covers permaculture design tools & techniques.

Module One - September

Permaculture Philosophy, Design and Patterns

This workshop is to gain an understanding of the ethics  & principles of permaculture.

We have created a card game of 36 examples of permaculture concepts to absorb the diversity of available systems to us. This workshop also covers permaculture design tools & techniques.

Water

We explore water management using Permaculture design thinking  & observation of watershed/catchment systems, identifying strategies for rainwater harvesting through reducing run-off, improving infiltration & percolation, and water storage & distribution options for our properties.

Soil Science

Soil is a natural resource of the Earth, learn about the health, formation, classification and mapping; physical, chemical, biological, and fertility properties of soils; and these properties in relation to the use and management of soils ... plus, learn your soil type.

GROWING SOIL

Recognise the balance of soil components needed for rich compost & soil health. Learn different methods for soil building. Compost - Hot & Cold; Soil Amendments - EM, Bokashi, Liquid manures, Green manures; Worm farms; Slow Compost - Sawdust path compost, Leaf Mould, Hugelbeet mounds.

Edible gardens

We cover organic and permaculture garden techniques, water requirements, soil  maintenance, fertility, raised beds, crop rotation, suitable crops to grow for each season, companion planting and pest control. 

Propagation

Learn how to successfully make potting mixes, sow & pick out seedlings, and know the varieties of vegetables & companions to ensure strong and healthy plants in your garden. Plus learn growing conditions of direct sow vs transplanting seedlings.

Hügelkultur

Learn how Hugelkultur, a no-dig raised beds system, can make a difference to moisture, building fertility, maximise surface volume and create great spaces for growing fruit, herbs & vegetables.

Plus a question answered ... What are food Sovereignty and The Commons about? 

Small Food Systems Weekend November 8-9

tools, techniques & systems for Productive edible gardens. this weekend brings a broad view of the Benefits of different growing systems and design approaches.

film: seed

INFO

Planting Guilds

Sunday morning we will be out in Sumner Food Forest to learn about plant guilds, stacking, succession, micro-climate and management practices along with design concepts that can be scaled to location & requirements.

Orchard & Food Forest Design

The basics of backyard food production. Orchard and Food Forest design & layout, integration of small animals,  best crops for the site characteristics, spatial and management needs, including pollination, manuring &  nutrient recycling.

native regeneration

Hinewai is an ecological restoration project on the Banks Peninsula occupying 1250 ha a reserve of mostly mosaic native forest in various stages of growth. Hugh Wilson has used controversial techniques learnt from nature's example to regenerate the native bush in this area.

Integrated Systems 

This workshop looks at large food systems we can have on a site & how they work together. This site has been designed & managed using permaculture practices. They have built different systems to integrate with each other, from hazel production, coppicing, greywater reed-bed systems, solar energy, animals & people.

Income from acres

"Is it possible to make enough money farming with Permaculture Methodologies to support a family?" This question has been asked in many parts of the world, & the common answer is “Yes, when your soil is established, and got the know-how.” See how Spring Collective Organics started & run theirs.

agro-forestry

Is the growing of both trees

& agricultural / horticultural crops on the same piece of land. They are designed to provide tree & other crop products, while they also protect, conserve, diversify & sustain vital economic, environmental, human & natural resources. 

BIODYNAMIC

Biodynamic agriculture is similar to organic farming or gardening with ecologically interrelated tasks. It is an integrated, whole, living organism made up of many interdependent elements: fields, forests, plants, animals, soils, compost, people, and the spirit of the place, that can be applied anywhere.

Large Food Systems Weekend February 8-9 2020

tools, techniques & systems for larger food systems that integrate animals and the ecosystem. this weekend brings a broad view of the Benefits of these different approaches & how-tos to help us gain the production high levels.

regenerative agriculture

& large-scale ecosystem restoration can qualitatively preserve & improve soils, pastures, forests
& wetlands while simultaneously drawing down tons of excess carbon from the atmosphere, turning it into biomass and sequestering it in our soils.

sustainable forestry

Forests offer many ecosystem services including timber, freshwater, carbon storage, areas of recreation and natural habitat & biodiversity. Understanding these dynamics we can conserve our forests in their disturbance & succession patterns.

city resilience

Resilience is about the wellbeing & prosperity of people & place in a diversity of ways. To create a vibrant urban environment with opportunities for city & district dwellers to step into space to grow, connect & thrive. By working together we build resilience for future care.

ecological resilience

Christchurch red-zone is estimated at 150 metres wide on each side of the Ōtākaro Avon River 11km in length,  the green spine is the city's central corridor through to the sea.  This restoration work is a collaborative effort to bring about this co-habitation of human-nature-balance.

FILM:

Inhabit

Inhabit is a feature-length documentary introducing permaculture: a design method that offers an ecological lens for solving issues related to agriculture, economics, governance, & on. A reminder that humans are capable of being planetary healing forces.

Regeneration Weekend

March 14-15

There are a diverse amount of ways we can regenerate our living environment. This weekend we look At the different approaches of regenerative practices to create resilient and adaptable communities & ecosystems.

urban permaculture

Learn to transform urban properties into beautiful functional, self-sufficient, comfortable, ecological landscapes that serve the needs of our community in efficient ways. Turn the rich diversity that cities have into circular systems creating highly sustainable practices. 

Appropriate technology

Encompassing technological choice and application that are small-scale, decentralized, labour-intensive, energy-efficient, environmentally sound, and locally autonomous. The list of what this looks like is vast... Which ones will work for our needs?

Alter_edited.jpg

bio-ENERGY

Biomass and organic waste are co-products of food production, wood and food processing, and community living. These are valuable renewable natural resources which can be utilised for the production of valuable biobased products. 

Built Environment

June 13-14

This is a broad weekend covering sustainable, safe, healthy and comfortable living environments. Introducing design, systems, & technology along with ingenuity, that can be used to benefit our day-to-day lives.

renewable energy

Get informed about the choices of energy production techniques available and how they are being used in NZ. What is the future of our national and local energy use? What are the best home options we can use and how do we go about installation? 

renewable energy_edited.jpg

 building

We cover how homes can be designed or retrofitted to offer human comfort while being efficient in resource use. Eco and natural materials are introduced, including how they can be used or integrated into conventional construction. Application of appropriate technology within

Social Permaculture Weekend

May 9-10

Social Permaculture is a strong foundation of the ethics of life. We can not escape the dynamic involvement it has within the wellbeing of community & the within ourselves. looking at emotional, physical, mental and spiritual support systems, plus economic tools available to keep us in fullness in all areas of lives.

Tiny Homes

The tiny house movement is about living simply, in an economical, environment-friendly, and non-consumerist way. Here in Christchurch, there is a group who are engaging with the community and with policymakers to inform, support and regulate the knowledge available.

permaculture economics

Financial Permaculture may be applied as a model for systems thinking that takes a whole ecosystem approach to economics. Financial 

Permaculture strives towards holistically optimised economic returns. It takes into account the actual social and ecological costs within a local economy.

us, People, & community

‘Thinking like an Ecosystem’

People care is about how we live & conduct our lives within our community. By increasing our skills, we can take care of ourselves and others, we are able to address & change our patterns of thinking to lead us to more sustainable solutions & strong social connections. 

effective collaboration

A group’s outer success depends on the quality of its internal relationships. Learn techniques for effective collaboration within groups using the right decision-making tools for good governance. Navigate personal, political, cultural, and organisational dynamics.

Non-Violent- Communication

Intro to Marshall Rosenberg’s model of communication that supports an awareness of the universal human needs,  to help create a world where everyone’s needs are valued equally. NVC offers a practical set of skills to enable us to connect & communicate effectively & compassionately, without judgement, criticism or blame.

co-housing & eco-communities

We explore the foundations of what it takes to make a great eco-village design. Shared values and systems collated by the EarthSong Community in Auckland. Plus, 30 principles that catalyse communities for a regenerative world identified by the Global Eco-Villages Network.

bottom of page