July 4th, 6PM– July 18th, 1PM 2014. Anam Cara, Inverness, Highland, Scotland.

This holistic approach towards permaculture is a exciting new combination. It reflects the pioneering permaculture vision that Earth Ways has developed over the years.

Permaculture starts with nature connection and is only complete when people are as healthy as they can be.

Permaculture is designing sustainable systems, modelled on nature. Re-connecting with nature to better understand her is an essential first step.

I’m pleased to tell you that the course will be of very high standards. Even better than the last one with our new addition to our crew: Klaudia van Gool. Ludwig Appeltans, Klaudia van Gool, Greg Sommer and Georgina Richardson will offer a fantastic 14 day intensive course at Anam Cara in Inverness.

Learn about natural systems and deepen your understanding of Permaculture Design, Forest Gardening and ecosystems. Be(come) connected to nature and learn how to design a permaculture diet with Georgina Richardson. She is a natural health chef. She will show us how to design ‘a permaculture diet’ and feed us this way for the full 14 days enabling us to experience how our body and mind feels when fed so healthily. Food that is good for the planet AND good for us!
You will also have the opportunity to spend some time foraging, relaxing and exploring Scottish Highland’s nature, where you can discover the magnificent wildlife present in this stunning location.

The delightful flavour of this Permaculture Design Course will be upheld by the 4 awesome teachers working together, with the accents of Nature Connection and Natural Health making it a PDC with distinction.

Upon successful completion you will be awarded a certificate in Permaculture Design from the Permaculture Association Britain.

We’d love you to join us.

More pictures from the last PDC’s can be seen here: http://www.earth-ways.co.uk/gallery/

or here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/32369588@N07/sets/72157634771197666/

 

Things we feel you should know before deciding

The food will normally be deliciously vegan (maybe some white fish or wild food experience might be an exception, if so desired by you), carnivores and vegetarians are welcome to bring some food for themselves and are welcome to use a little fridge space. But we invite you to join us in a 14 day health experience and stick to the food provided by Georgina.

We ask that the course is entirely drug and alcohol free, (other than prescribed medication) If you feel that might be a challenge for you, please discuss this with us.

Please come for the full course and be prepared for a full on intense experience of permaculture in action.

We regret that we cannot accommodate pets, kids or partners. We do not have the logistics to accommodate them and the course requires your full attention. We can offer to help find solutions if this is a problem for you.

Dates

July 4 – 18, 2014

Price and Deposit

Places are limited to 15 people and bookings and inquiries are already coming in, so if you are interested don’t hesitate to book with us straight away.

Sliding scale £1,500 – 780. If you can’t afford £780 and would like to apply for a bursary, please write an email or letter to ask for it. There will be some available. We hope to find some extra sponsors. A list of organisations that might sponsor you is at the bottom.

£250 part returnable deposit is required from all participants to reserve your place.

Price includes all the delicious healthy food you need for the entire course, tea, handouts, educational materials, toilets, showers, camping and (when you successfully complete it), your certificate. The price does not include unhealthy snacks/drinks, beds, activities you decide to do outside the curriculum, phone calls, etc.

Accommodation

We recommend camping as that will give you an added connection to nature. But if you want, there are a few beds in a shared room available to rent at an extra cost of £100 for the full two weeks.

Alternatively there are two rooms with single beds for £150. There is also a bell tent for rent for the price of £150. Please tell us if you want to reserve any of these.

Please help spread the word by passing this invitation on to family and friends who you think might be interested.

Testimonials

These have been received from students of previous Permaculture Design Courses organised by Earth Ways:

Beyond my expectations. As well as the factual knowledge, my soul feels like it’s been touched deeply.

Jonny Harris

I really feel a deeper connection to myself and nature as well as a much better understanding of permaculture and the mindset of permaculture.

Jayson Byles

Inspiring, enriching, informative and fun. It gave me the tools and inspiration to practise permaculture in daily life.

D.P. Forres

The course is wholesome and well balanced. All topics are inspiring and lead not only to healing of mother nature but also to healing of all people involved. Thank you much for your love and dedication.

Love and Light Christine

It took permaculture into fullness, affecting me on emotional level deeply.

Amy

Ludwig: Great inspiration and wealth of teachings.

It’s way more than a Design course. It’s an opportunity to fly with Buzzards view to see yourself part of the whole to be nourished, challenged and connected on many levels.

Amy

I thoroughly enjoyed such a holistic course, the passion and knowledge is astounding and the close-knit community we created in such a short time makes this course stand out, and was an experience I will never forget.

Stephanie Ayres

The course, delivered in the awe inspiring beautiful location, really helped you get a hands on feel for the content being taught.
Ludwig; a man of few words. Each considered and thoughtful; our group was a mixed one, with people from all walks. But each of us felt comfortable due in no small part to the understanding & empathetic nature of this man; A well rounded course in all, that will provide inspiration for years after…
Going on from this course; & after some reflection and observation, I have now decided to become a permaculture teacher. Take the plunge you won’t regret it.

Ed.

A great course with inspiring tutors. You cannot complete this course and not go away and change the way you live, at least in some small way. Inspiring and thought provoking.

J.K.

Everything on the earth should do this course. Everything it teaches is so important in ensuring we build a respectful and resilient world. I can’t wait to learn more and spread the word!

A.D.

More testimonials can be found here:
http://www.earth-ways.co.uk/testimonials/

FAQ

– Why would I choose this course over other PDC’s?

If you’re curious why I am so confident that this course is so wonderful, please read on:

• Teaching quality is unusually high with 4 teachers and unusual yet effective teaching methods. We each teach from our strengths, lifting the level of the course higher, with more personal assistance. Please check out the biography of the teachers to see what excellence we have to share with you.
• Perfect location; our venue is the beautiful Anam Cara, surrounded by the beautiful Scottish wildlife, which gives us excellent nature observation opportunities.
• Our course gives you the opportunity to experience what life can be like when we are treating our body to the healthiest and most balanced diet one can design on a normal household budget. We will also give you the tools you need to develop a permaculture diet.
• The course will be taught on the premises of a beautiful new permaculture garden, which gives you an -on site- example of how to change an organic garden into a permaculture garden and practice the permaculture principles you’ll learn.
• A wide variety of choice to make your practice design with a wide variety of expertise available from the teachers.
• Most Permaculture Design courses offer only the 72 hours tuition required for the certificate. We also offer many more optional learning opportunities, making the course a holistic wonderful learning experience.

– How do I book?
Send an email to info@earth-ways.co.uk or call Ludwig 0044 (0) 7760142495 to request a booking form. He is always happy to answer questions or to discuss options. If money is an issue, we will do what we can to find solutions.

– How does the deposit and refund procedure work?

£250 part returnable deposit is required from all participants to reserve your place.
£100 is non-refundable.
£150 is refunded if cancelled before June 1st.
After June 1th, £100 will be refunded if we manage to fill your space. (always worked so far)
After June 15, no refund will be issued.
If for any reason we need to cancel the course, the deposit will be returned in full.

Full payment needs to be made before June 1st.

We will only consider you booked when the deposit is paid. If the full course fee is not paid by June 1^st we reserve the right to give your space to someone else. We can’t risk financial difficulties due to people dropping out at short notice.
If you have financial difficulties, we will do what we can to help.

– How does the sliding scale price work?
The cheapest price of £780 is for students, job seekers or those who do not earn enough to pay taxes. People who earn more pay more; for those at the highest end the price rises to £1500. This is also the cost for organisations or those who really can afford to help sponsor others.

– What do I need to do to ask for a bursary?
The people who pay higher prices will help pay for bursaries to enable people to take part who otherwise cannot afford it. Putting the permaculture ethic of fair shares in action straight away. The amount of bursaries depends on the number of people who pay more than the lowest price in the sliding scale.
If you have any questions or would like to apply for a bursary, please email: info@earth-ways.co.uk

At the last course we gave bursaries to a total of £1500. Bursaries are handled with complete confidentiality. We see no reason not to apply. We will go out of our way to make it possible for you to pay what you can afford.

 

The Teachers

Ludwig Appeltans

I have been passionate about protecting and caring for the environment since I was a child. When I was 8, I started thinking the permaculture way when I learned that trees produce the oxygen that we breathe and I persuaded my parents to plant an oak tree in the garden. My passion for permaculture was born, even though I didn’t know the word!

From as far back as I can remember, I have felt a desire to be deeply connected with nature. Over the years my connection with nature has included playing in the rain as a child, being a scout master in my late teens, organizing survival expeditions for young offenders in my twenties and living entirely off grid in a Scottish woodland for 4 years in a self-made shelter with a wood burning stove.

My on-going exploration of sustainable food production systems and ways of reconnecting people to their natural environment has led me to establish myself as a forest garden/permaculture designer and teacher, and nature connection mentor.

I created Earth Ways in 2007 as a response to the rapidly increasing demand for sustainable ways of living that work in collaboration with nature rather than continually fighting against it. I have many years experience of restoring natural habitats, re-introducing biodiversity, pioneering sustainable ways of growing food and harvesting bio fuels, as well as mentoring in bushcraft and survival skills.

My permaculture journey has led me to want to become part of a sustainable community or establish one. I have a cunning plan!

I obtained my Permaculture Designer Certificate in 2009 from Patrick Whitefield, the foremost permaculture expert in Britain.

In 2010 I successfully completed a course in Permaculture Training of Teachers organized by ‘Designed Visions‘. I also had my first encounter with the Art of Mentoring, where I met Greg Sommer and discovered ingenious indigenous ways of passing on knowledge and assisting nature connection.

In 2011, I organized Europe’s first Permaculture Design and Nature Awareness Course that reflected my own permaculture learning curve. It was a great success! The course in 2013 was even better. We’ll work hard to make this one even better!

In September 2011, on invitation and with the fantastic support of the owners Ray and Marie, I started the Penninghame Permaculture Project. There I also completed a Macrobiotic Health Coach training with the fantastic teachers Bill Tara and Marlene Watson-Tara. I met Georgina Richardson at a festival where I discovered her excellent cooking skills and her ability to include modern science into her diet design. Together we are designing the ‘Permaculture Diet’.

I am currently setting up a permaculture farm, teaching courses, and taking clients for permaculture design and consultation.

 

Klaudia van Gool

Klaudia has had an interest in growing things as long as she can remember and has incorporated Permaculture ideas for the last twenty, since accidentally picking up Bill Mollison’s book in the library. She did the Sustainable Land Use and Permaculture Design Certificate at Ragmans Lane Farm with Patrick Whitefield in 2006. She completed her Diploma in Permaculture Design in January 2009. She has a degree in Environmental Science from University of Plymouth and has worked advising and training businesses on environmental improvements. The last few years she has become increasingly interested in wild foods and primitive skills and the use of ceremony. Klaudia has a particular interest in the People Care aspect of permaculture.

 

 

Greg Sommer

Greg grew up in the rain soaked valleys and mountains of the Pacific Northwest coast of the united states. He began learning the art of tracking, nature awareness and survival skills at a young age from Jon Young. He spent a year living in the Pine Barrens in a primitive shelter at Tom Brown’s Tracker school.
He has a Bachelors of Science from the Evergreen State College in Wildlife. Greg completed the PDC with Earth Ways in 2011.

 

Georgina Richardson

I left London and an exciting career in the film industry during my mid twenties. I relocated to Brighton very exhausted and burnt out. I used to drink far too much coffee and didn’t sleep too well as my working hours were long. I had no plans in Brighton other than to recuperate. Eventually, as well as doing a researcher job, I found myself on a path of training, in Zen, Yin Yoga, Ki Aikido, Permaculture, Massage and Macrobiotics. I had many mentors along the way. And from there I began to regain my optimal health and I felt the need to help others.
I hold a Diploma in Nutrition and continue to do a lot of research. I’ve been cooking in a macrobiotic way for many years. I cook foods that are from the natural soil, organic and wild. I have a passion for cooking foods that activate our different taste senses and are based on an acid/alkaline balance which nourish the body and mind. I specialise in energising foods and juices and healing foods for people that suffer from a variety of emotional or physical discomfort.

In Brighton and London, I am a private health food cook. I have my own business: “Peace Foods” and offer other holistic therapies such as Massage, Yoga Massage and Meditation.

I began Macrobiotics in 2007. I have done short courses at the International Macrobiotic School in Devon with Oliver Cowmeadow.

And in London with Simon Brown.

I have been a personal student of Maria Gillott-Borges who is my on-going mentor and advisor. And I have assisted her with her cooking classes in Brighton and at the One World Macrobiotc festivals:

I have also assisted Jack Lambeth, the resident chef at Penninghame House, Scotland. Where I met Ludwig who was working there as a permaculture teacher.

 

Funding

If you’re unable to pay the full fees our first suggestion is that you look for funding. Below is a list of organisations which have given funding to people on PDC courses in the past.