Gaia Ashram will host a 17 days Permaculture Design Certificate Course (PDC) from the 16th of February until the 5th of March, 2022.
We strongly believe that there never was a bigger need for spreading knowledge of Permaculture and related sustainable living practices. Especially now after the COVID-19 pandemic and increased climatic changes. In these times people’s empowerment and community experience is the right response to change.
We will use the PDC as a celebration and starting point for entering a new normal.
Lets Regenerate Earth together!
What is Permaculture?
Permaculture is a holistic design system that reconciles human communities with the ecological imperatives of a living planet.
Permaculture is a way of organizing knowledge, a connecting system that integrates science, art, politics, anthropology, sociology, psychology, and the diverse experiences and resources available in any community.
Central to Permaculture are the three ethics of Earthcare, People Care and Fairshare.
WHAT Is a permaculture Design Course (PDC)?
A Permaculture Design Certificate Course, short PDC, is an internationally known and accepted 72-hour theory course resulting in a Permaculture Design Certificate. The PDC provides an introduction to permaculture design according to the movement’s founder Bill Mollison and it is designed on his international course curriculum.
The Permaculture Design Course equips you with the knowledge and an understanding on how to design sustainable living systems for a wide variety of landscapes and climates.
To date, thousands of permaculture designers worldwide have been certified through this course, and now comprise a global network of educators, ecological activists, consultants and practitioners who are influencing the decisions of major corporations, small businesses, and people from all walks of life to change the way we view and design our landscapes, our surroundings, our relationships, and our daily lives so we can grow the revolution that our planet needs.
The PDC serves as a foundation for further permaculture work and studies.
What will be covered during the 17-days PDC?
The PDC course at Gaia Ashram will provide you with the knowledge, practical skills, and experience. The PDC has a team of experienced facilitators that will cover the PDC 72 hours curriculum. Usually a PDC takes 12-14 days to complete but at Gaia Ashram we belief in the importance of experiencing the knowledge. This is why we made the course 17 days to allow for time to incorporate hands-on activities to make sure you experience the knowledge through the hands.
Here are just a few things you’ll learn:
• Philosophies, ethics, and principles of permaculture
• Patterns in nature
• Methods of design; how to apply permaculture design tools and methodology
• Climatic factors and strategies for all major climates and how to work with them
• Trees, forests, and forest gardening
• Agroforestry and propagation
• Gardening techniques for self-sufficiency, plant guilds
• Water management
• Properties of soil
• Natural building techniques
• Urban permaculture strategies and approaches
• Community living and alternative lifestyles that harmonize people and the planet
Facilitators:
Ben Murray is an Ecological designer, consultant, and teacher with a background in organic and biodynamic gardening/agriculture, natural building, horticulture & andscape architecture.
Ben is the founder of Holistic Regeneration, has 25 years of experience in the realm of Horticulture and has been consulting, practicing and teaching permaculture, organic gardening and natural building for almost 10 years in England, Malaysia, Thailand, China, Kenya and India and is currently working as an itinerant trainer of transformational and empowering workshops and courses.
Sunisa Jamwiset Deiters (Om) lived and worked as a facilitator at Wongsanit Ashram, a socially engaged spiritual community for about 9 years, and later at Panya Permaculture project in Thailand. She helped create the Next Generation of Global Ecovillage Network of Asia & Oceania (NextGENOA) and is currently mentoring the young leaders of the network. She has facilitated courses in many countries for NGO workers, young Buddhist activists, international students, and children. She founded Gaia Ashram with her partner in 2012. Now she divides her time Teaching, managing Gaia Ashram project, and taking care of her kids.
Michael B. Commons works to build the capacity of farmer organizations, NGOs, and social entrepeneurs from South and Southeast Asia in regenerative value chain development while practicing “Wanakaset” organic agro-forestry+ self reliance with his family in Chachoensao, Thailand. He is an active member of the Thai Permaculture Networks and the Agricultural Biodiversity Community
What are the fees?
The fee for this course is 25,000 THB. The fee includes 3 vegetarian/vegan meals, accommodation in our recently renovated dormitory or your own tent, course materials, and teacher fees.
We also have separate single rooms or a double rooms for an extra cost. See below for more information.
We ask all participants to fill in the registration form, make a deposit of 5,000 THB to secure your spot through Eventbrite and pay the remaining amount in THB in cash on arrival at Gaia Ashram. There are ATMs available locally.
CANCELLATION POLICY
Please be aware that in case you have to cancel the course due to personal reasons the deposit cannot be refunded.
The organizers reserve the right to cancel the course, even at short notice, if there is a danger to the well-being of the visitors and organizers, such as viral infections (COVID-19 pandemic), storms, or natural disasters (fire, hurricanes, floods). In this case, the organizer cannot be held liable for personal losses. In these cases deposits will be refunded at 100%. To prevent further personal loss, we recommend taking travel cancellation insurance.
Please check the following websites for updated information about travelling to Thailand and Covid-19:
https://www.tourismthailand.org/home
Thailand Travel Restrictions
Facilities
• Accommodation: Our recently renovated and upgraded Dormitory, shared rooms, and single rooms available. Mosquito nets, cushions, bedding, and blankets are provided.
• Common space for sessions: Classroom sessions will be held in our natural built sala, in our pool sala and outdoor. Practical sessions will be happening on different locations on the land.
• Toilets and showers: We provide compost toilets and showers for men and women.
Private rooms are available in the Fairy House for an extra fee. Please choose your preferred accommodation during the registration process.
Fairy House Room Rates:
Single Rooms: 150 Baht extra per night
Double Rooms: 300 Baht extra per night
General
• Internet: We have one Wi-Fi spot in Gaia Ashram office that participants can use.
We would recommend getting a simcard upon arrival in Thailand. You could get one from the airport. We would recommend AIS as a provider. Good reception and have English call center representatives. There is also an internet shop in a near village that is usually open every day.
https://www.ais.th/travellersim/
• Food: Healthy local vegetarian food will be served by local cooks. Participants will team up to cook breakfast in turns.
Who are we?
Gaia Ashram is a community-based education center on Permaculture, Deep Ecology, Ecovillage Design Education and other sustainable living practices. We are a learning center that provides workshops and courses for both international and Thai participants. Feeling the urge to regenerate Mother Earth, Gaia Ashram was founded in 2013 by Tom and Om.
Learn more about us!
Where to find us?
We are located in the Northeast of Thailand, in between Nong Khai and Udon Thani. Where exactly we are and how you can get to us can be found here:
How to apply?
Step 1: Fill in the registration form
Step 2: Make the downpayment of 5000 baht through the eventbrite link below. (There is a 299 Thai baht fee that goes to Eventbrite).
After we received registration form and the eventbrite downpayment we will sent you logistic information.
***Please be aware of our policy on drugs & alcohol***
We don’t allow alcohol or drugs on our property. We ask people to smoke at the smoking corner only to provide a healthy environment for learning and living together. We encourage people to take this course as an opportunity to have a break from smoking or drinking.
We strongly believe that there never was a bigger need for spreading knowledge on how to interact in harmony with nature than now after the COVID-19 pandemic and the current Climate Change crisis. In these times people’s empowerment and community experience is the right response to change.
Let us use the magical tools of permaculture to creatively respond to change in unity!