Workshops

We offer a wide variety of hands-on, experiential workshops to help you create a beautiful landscape that saves you time, energy and money while improving the health of our local environment.

Workshops are conducted inside our outside depending upon the curriculum and time of year.

Contact us if you would like a workshop to be customized for your neighborhood or organization.

Permaculture Design Certificate

Sheet mulching demonstration Permaculture (permanent agriculture) is the conscious design and maintenance of agriculturally productive ecosystems which have the diversity, stability and resilience of natural ecosystems. All workshops are based upon permaculture design principles and practices. The curriculum has been tailored to focus on urban environments in the Midwest.

Upon completion of all "Permaculture Certification" workshops, you will be given a Permaculture Design Certificate. This internationally recognized certificate indicates that you have learned the skills needed to create vibrant, resilient landscapes that model healthy ecosystems.

  Permaculture Certification Scheduled

Community Workshops
 

Introduction to Permaculture

  • Envision a sustainable, thriving community.
  • Apply nature's ethics and principles.
  • Better understand your role in nature.
 x  

Motivating Change

  • Make your actions fall in line with your values.
  • Overcome cultural and personal hurdles to change.
  • Understand how to talk with others about change.
 x  

Community Well-Being

  • Create a sense of spirit in your neighborhood.
  • Use your unique skills and interests to enhance your community.
  • Design a landscape to encourage social interaction.
 x  03/12/2011
     

Design Workshops
 

    

Understand the Nature of Your Yard

  • See weeds and critters in a new light.
  • Use the characteristics of your yard to your advantage.
  • Understand easier ways to maintain your yard.
 x  

Design a Low-Maintenance Yard

  • Articulate goals and visions.
  • Create an accurate map of your yard.
  • Design inviting outdoor rooms and food forests.
 x  

Landscapes that Save Money and Energy

  • Evaluate sun, light, and wind patterns.
  • Understand renewable energy options and green building techniques.
  • Design your yard and landscape as an integrated system.
 x Summer 2011

Create a Beautiful Rain Garden

  • Understand the best placement for a rain garden.
  • Choose from an array of beautiful plants.
  • Learn how to properly size and dig a rain garden.
 x  

Design a Self-Watering Landscape

  • Learn how to fix damp areas in your yard.
  • Decrease watering chores.
  • Increase the health of our urban streams.
 x  
     

Implementation Workshops
 

    

Grow Seedlings and Save Money

  • Properly use grow lights and warming mats.
  • Use the proper growing mixture.
  • Successfully propagate seedlings into the garden.
   03/26/2011

Establish a High-Yielding Garden

  • Create new beds with less time and energy.
  • Learn creative techniques for maximizing yield in a small space.
  • Create compost and healthy soil.
 x  Spring 2011

Create Gardens for Birds and Butterflies

  • Create self-maintaining gardens that will attract a wide array of birds and insects.
    

Design a Self-Maintaining Garden Bed

  • Choose and place plants for maximum production and minimum maintenance.
  • Manage garden pests.
  • Learn about a wide array of food-bearing plants.
 x  
     

Expansion Workshops
 

    

Big Gardening Ideas, Little Time or Money

  • Create manageable implementation and expansion plans.
  • Collect and store seeds.
  • Find inexpensive materials and resources.
 x  Fall 2011

More Food With Greenhouses and Microclimates

  • Design for year-round harvest.
  • Create microclimates with structures and plant placement.
  • Maximize the use of sunlight and water.
 x  Fall 2011