Permaculture Design Certification
in New York City
with Andrew Faust and Guests

11 Sessions - July to October 2009

Presented by The Center for Bioregional Living and Andrew Faust

This course will cover the core 72 hour Permaculture Design curriculum, including additional hours of in class and out of class activities to adapt this course to our region and to contemporary ecological issues in the United States. You will learn how to apply Permaculture principles to a diversity of settings and issues with an emphasis on urban and temperate environments.

This Permaculture design course provides a positive and empowering vision for social and ecological transformation. Come be inspired by the possibilities of today and not by the fear of tomorrow!

Permaculture

• is an ecological design science that provides insights and practical techniques for living a fruitful and abundant life.
• is addressing the major issues of our day from a whole systems perspective.
• is a worldwide movement that is helping to regenerate local ecologies and economies.
• is a solution oriented ecological approach to retrofitting our societies.

This course is perfect for a diversity of individuals who wish to use Permaculture in Urban environments as well as a diversity of other environments.

Lectures, extensive and diverse handouts, field trips and hands-on activities will explore: Methods for regenerating local economies and regional self reliance, the economics of globalization, providing individuals with practical tools for creating positive social change, inner-city gardening techniques, indoor and apartment gardening, making fermented foods, whole foods, Living Machines and natural wastewater treatment, biogas generators, ecological niche market and value added business ideas, passive integrated water systems, rain gardens that alleviate flooding while addressing sewage treatment plant overflows and clean water, living roofs, rooftop gardens and regional energy systems.

Other topics include:

The evolution of agriculture, Biodynamics, natural history of Eastern woodlands, passive solar and natural building techniques, Biodynamic orchards, fruit and berry production, watershed health, the integration of animals into cultivated ecosystems, indoor mushroom cultivation and solar oven and portable rocket stove construction.

2 girls 1 cup

To receive a certificate students must attend all 11 classes and present a final Permaculture site design. Students will be given the option to present their final design individually which is a different approach than most PDCs. In our experience, and from what our growing number of students say, this contributes to a more practical, professional and intellectually stimulating learning experience. As a result a number of our students final presentations have gone from paper (or Powerpoint Presentations) to actualized, real-world designs.

View Syllabus

All classes are on either Saturday or Sunday, from 9am to 5pm, and will be held in two locations:

July 25th and August 8th sessions will be held at:

Curious Pictures
440 Lafayette St. 6th floor
Manhattan

The remaining days:

August 1st, 15th, 16th, 29th
October 3rd, 4th, 17th, 25th, 31st

Will be at:

Sixth Street Community Center
Lower East Side Manhattan
638 E. 6th Street between Ave B and C

Andrew Faust is one of the premier Permaculture teachers and designers in North America with 17 years of Permaculture experience, 10 years as a certified alternative school teacher (Upattinas-Glenmoore, PA) and 8 years living off-the–grid in rural West Virginia. Living in Brooklyn since August 2007 he has been applying his knowledge to urban needs and working on the development of The Center for Bioregional Living in Ellenville, NY, a pilot campus for his New York City students and clients. Andrew has taught the PDC course over 13 times at Yestermorrow Design/Build school in Warren,VT. This will be his fourth PDC course in New York City.

Guest speakers will include:

Keith Morris is an organic farmer, builder, and environmental educator. For the past five years, he has been designing and establishing an edible forest garden and ecological homestead in Johnson, Vermont along the Lamoille River. Prospect Rock Permaculture combines reforestation, wildlife refuge, and ecological restoration with food production and community building, while educating about and experimenting with sustainable techniques and ways of building.

Lisa DePiano is a certified Permaculture designer and co-founder of the Montview Neighborhood Farm, a human-powered farm and edible forest garden in the Connecticut River Valley. She has a Master’s degree in Regional Planning from the University of Massachusetts and likes to ride with the worker owned Pedal People in Northampton, MA.

Rafter Sass of Liberation Ecology has facilitated workshops on social project design, Permaculture design, the economics of globalization, mycology, and wild foods and medicines. In his own words, “I do this work because I want to be in conversation with people who are hungry for change, and the tools for making it.”

Bill Young of Young Environmental LLC is a recognized leader in the environmental field with more than 25 years of experience as a project manager, designer, and wetland specialist. His expertise includes habitat restoration on disturbed lands, wetlands monitoring and construction, botanical inventory, wildlife assessment, streambank restoration; and erosion and sediment control.

Lars Chellberg of CENYC and Water Resources Group builds and maintains low cost Rain Water Harvesting systems across the five boroughs and leads educational workshops on sustainable water practices. He will be leading a tour of one of the systems he designed for a community garden in the Lower East Side.

Paula Hewitt Amram is the founder of Open Road Park and will be talking to us about the transformation of a former bus depot/brownfield into the thriving community garden it is today.

Adriana Magaña a certified Permaculture Designer and Horticulturist will be leading the hands-on workshops. She is working with Andrew Faust to create The Center for Bioregional Living upstate on their 14 acres of property in Ellenville, NY.

Together this teaching team brings a wealth of wisdom and a diversity of experience ranging from city to country, from forests to deserts and beyond. Come and learn from the premier practitioners of ecological design in the Northeast and be a part of the growing community of cutting edge designers and community leaders!

Before July 10th $1000
After July 10th $1200
$100 paid in advance to reserve your spot
Register early for discount!

For more information go here or to register email andrew@homebiome.com
Andrew Faust
The Center For Bioregional Living
www.homebiome.com
Ellenville / Brookyn, NY

Greening the Ridge is today! Head on down to 69th Street Veterans Memorial Pier!

From our friends at the SRWA:

GREENING THE RIDGE 2009!
SUNDAY, JUNE 14th, 2009 at Veteran’s Memorial Pier at 69th Street in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn
10am- 6pm

Festival Schedule:
9am-10am: Exhibitor setup
10am: Festival Opening Ceremony
10am-Noon: Xavier High School Jazz Band “Bailout”
11am, 1pm, and 3pm: Dance Performance Installation, “What We Can See From Here,” by Cassie Mey and Jesse Phillips-Fein
Noon: Dance Performance Installation- Kids Workshop!

2:00pm: OLPH Twirlers!
2:30pm: SRWA Green Youth Award Ceremony
Noon to 6pm: Pill Hill Radio and Musical Guests
6pm: Festival end

The Sunset-Ridge Waterfront Alliance is pleased to announce our Second Annual Greening the Ridge Festival in 2009! This annual summer festival will bring vendors, agencies, programs, and individuals to the pier for an educational festival on how to green our community.

Building upon the success of our First Annual GTR Festival in 2008, this year’s event will bring even more people, and more inter-active booths to the Veteran’s Memorial Pier at 69th Street in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. In addition, we are unveiling our Green Youth Award Program at this year’s festival, click here for more information!

Special music entertainment provided by: Xavier High School Jazz Band, and Pill Hill Radio with Musical Guests!

Special dance performance:
What We Can See From Here
Performance Installation by Cassie Mey & Jesse Phillips-Fein

Meet our current sponsors & exhibitors:

Petri Plumbing
Kettle Black
Alley Cat Exterminating
Green Spa
Ben Bay Realty Co.
Ben Bay Realty Co. of Bay Ridge

Smart Car Manhattan

Gallery 364
Bay Ridge CSA
Bay Ridge Food Co-op
Greenmarket
Center for Urban Greenscaping (CuGreen)
EPA
Narrows Botanical Gardens
Ella Vickers Recycled Sailcloth Collection
Petit Oven

Circles International Natural Foods
Bettencourt Green Building Supplies
WowGreen
Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance
Farm Sanctuary
Natural Resources Defense Council
FDNY Smoke House
GreenBrooklyn
CleanAir NY

Garden Direct
Xaverian High School Environmental Club
Scandinavian East Coast Museum
Transportation Alternatives
Life Scout Troop 20, Edward Maddalena
Bay Ridge Historical Society

Plus many more to be added!

This all-day festival is FREE to the public.

More info at SRWAlliance.org.

If you are interested in obtaining more information, please contact Heather McCown: heather@srwalliance.org / (917) 971-0007.

The Sunset-Ridge Waterfront Alliance gratefully acknowledges support from Councilman Vincent Gentile, Assemblywoman Janele Hyer-Spencer, Congressman Michael McMahon, Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz, and State Senator Marty Golden.

Owner Sean Meenan’s green labor of love — Habana Outpost — will be kicking off its 2009 season with an Earth Day Expo taking place this weekend, April 18 and 19.  The eco-eatery boasts a Human Powered Bike Blender, picnic tables made from recycled soda bottles, rainwater harvesting that flushes the toilets and irrigates the plants, and a company car that runs on vegetable oil. 

Keeping with the tradition of all things green, Earth Day weekend seemed like the perfect time for the Outpost to reopen its doors to the public.  Some highlights of the 2-day event include: Council Woman Letitia James speaking in the kick-off ceremony, an eco-fashion show, local area vendors giving out free info and samples, and an exclusive screening of enviro-documentary FLOW: For Love of Water. 

Habana Outpost
757 Fulton Street (Corner of South Portland)
C train to Lafayette / G to Fulton / N,R,4,5 to Atlantic–Pacific
E-mail: info@ecoeatery.com
Phone: 718 858 9500

Full schedule of events as follows:

Saturday, April 18, 2009

12 noon
Owner Sean Meenan and Council Woman Letitia James Opening Ceremony

12-3 pm
Kids Corner crafts and games with Habana Works and The Leadership Learning Lab

1-1:30 pm
Kids Eco Fashion Show with the Scrapkins

3-4 pm
Recycled Craft Jam with the Scrapkins

Going on all day 12-6 pm
Live DJ
Face Painting
Free information and samples from local green vendors and companies

Sunday, April 19, 2009

12-3 pm
Kids Corner Crafts and games with Habana Works and The Leadership Learning Lab

2 pm
Exclusive screening of enviro-documentary FLOW, presented by Engineers Without Borders

2-3 pm
Recycled Craft Jam with the Scrapkins

3-4 pm
Kids Bingo with the Scrapkins

Going on all day 12-6 pm
Live DJ
Face Painting
Free information and samples from local green vendors and companies

Local participants include: Alive Structures, Brooklyn Green Drinks, Brooklyn Public Library, Christie Caiola face painting, Engineers Without Borders, FLOW the movie, Funky Lobes, Green Edge NYC, Green Spaces NY, Greene Grape Provisions, Greene Harvest CSA, Imperial Bag and Paper, Leadership Learning Lab, Letitia James, Masani Designs, Rolling Press, Root for Trees, Scrapkins, Solar Energy Systems, Still Hip Brooklyn, Tri State Bio Diesel, Tribal Alphabet, Via Nativa

More here: ecoeatery.com

Our good friends at Solar One are as busy as ever… Spring = Sun = Solar… Makes sense! Check out these upcoming events and learn more at Solar1.org and on their I Heart PV initiative page.

I Heart PV: For A Solar-Powered New York at Park Slope Food Coop

Photovoltaic technology (”PV”) converts sunlight into electricity. Believe it or not, the Big Apple is one of the most viable and promising locations for solar power in the entire country.

Join I Heart PV campaign advocate and coop member Margo Bettencourt, and campaign coordinator Chris Neidl to hear the arguments in support of this claim and discuss current attempts to establish New York as a leader in solar adoption.

Tuesday, March 31st
7pm - 8:30pm
Park Slope Food Coop
782 Union Street between 6th and 7th Ave

FREE and open to non-members!

Party for a Solar Powered New York — Ditmas Park

Tuesday, April 14th
7:00pm - 11:00pm
Sycamore Flower Shop & Bar
1118 Cortelyou Road, Brooklyn

CLICK HERE to see more details and RSVP.
(While you’re there share it with your facebook friends!)

Launched by Solar One in 2008, I Heart PV is a people-powered campaign that mobilizes citizen support for pro-solar policies and educates New Yorkers about the potential and benefits of solar power here in the Five Boroughs.

More info at Solar1.org.

Design Green Now is taking on trash in the streets, smog in the air, coal power plants, oil industry, and deforestation! This is all possible through education. Live and online the best minds behind sustainability will empower communities, business leaders, and designers to build a sustainable future now!

Vote on Ideablob.com
Design Green Now is in the finals to win a $20,000 grant on ideablob.com.  Check out our video!
http://tinyurl.com/dxgp2a

Vote between March 22 - 31

The DGN panels will take place in 3 NYC universities. The design jam, is lead by SmartDesignWorldwide.com The panelists will uncover the challenges they face and the methods they have embraced to succeed in designing for sustainability.

Sustainable Materials Panel

April 1st, 2009
6:30-8:30
Higgins Hall Auditorium, 61 St James Pl., Brooklyn, NY 11238

Go here for more info.

Agenda:

Welcome and Introduction (10 min)
Andrew Personette - Executive Director, EcoSystems

Presentations by: (60 min)
Paul S. Mankiewicz, PhD - Executive Director - Gaia Institute
Jason Salfi - co-founder - Comet Skateboards
Andrew H. Dent, PhD. - Vice President, Library and Materials Research - Material ConneXion
Mitchell Joachim, PhD - Terreform 1

Moderated Discussion lead by: (30 min)
Dan Rubinstein - Design Editor - Surface Magazine

Q&A with Audience (30 min)

There is limited capacity so it is recommended that you register in advance. Click here to register for this event.