Wild Plant Permaculture & Rewilding Practicum (PDC)
Rewilding Design System – Understanding the Language of Nature
June 18 – November 15, 2020
16 Week Evening Series
plus
Two Weekends
Learn to transform degraded woodlands and thickets into healthy, biodiverse, productive native plant habitats through hands-on, ecologically sound techniques. This part-time program is equally suited for the professional and the layperson, for landowners and land stewards, activists, naturalists, outdoor enthusiasts and native plant lovers.
We begin with the permaculture foundations and then dive in deeper to understand how wild plants embody permaculture and cooperate to enhance the environment for the benefit of all. You will experience hands-on projects and expand your understanding of forest garden design through explorations of ecological practices. The wild wisdom of nature will be your inspiration while we re-design our own rhythmic patterns and participate more powerfully in a regenerative transformation of the world.
What’s Rewilding?
Rewilding is a process that nurtures resources, ecosystems, and communities back to health by reversing the devastating effects of industrial civilization. The modern person’s ability to intuit and discern the deep patterns and communications of the Earth have atrophied slowly over several thousand years of belief in human separation from and superiority over nature. To overcome the catastrophic challenges that face humanity, each person and each community must re-establish an intimate relationship with their land-base. The spark of rewilding begins in the inner landscape and grows slowly to transform the wider world.
Rewilding runs directly counter to human attempts to control nature. We need to step back from the existing imperative of society to utilize every part of the world for our material gain, and let nature prevail in some areas once again June
Program Objective
To provide foundational knowledge and practical skills for those interested in learning how to manage wooded and semi-wild areas in ways that can meet human needs, improve biodiversity, restore woodland health, and regenerate degraded landscapes.
We can expedite environmental restoration by increasing variability in forest structure and habitats. By understanding our role as stewards of the land, and by using techniques based on the behaviour of animals that used to inhabit this area, we can expedite increases in biodiversity and the carrying capacity of our semi-wild lands. By restoring our relationship with the land, we can remember the true meaning of what it is to be human–that we are a part of nature, not outside of it. Our future, and the future of this planet, depends on the choices we make today.
This opportunity features
- Part-time learning to allow time for employment or other commitments
- Simple, small scale, intensive, hand-tool based techniques
- Small class size (the program is limited to 6 per session)
- Classroom time and homework to reinforce the ecological principles of the hands-on work
- Personal toolkit (see below)
Workshops & Hands-on Evening Series
Classroom sessions cover a variety of foundational topics. Highly recommend you attend our:
March 6 & 7, 2021 – Permaculture Foundations (Optional)
March 13 & 14, 2021 – Local Wild Living Design Workshop (Optional)
Hands-On Training – 80 hours (16 weeks, 5 hours per week, plus a one-weekend optional workshop in March and one final weekend in Nov)
Beginning in May, participants will work alongside Shantree in the forest, woodlands and thicket areas of the 50-acre wild ecosystems of The Living Centre. This is an opportunity to learn to integrate semi-wild spaces with native perennial agricultural production. Participants will explore ways to restore ecosystem health by applying the principles and techniques of regenerative forest management. You will practice hands-on techniques for working to restore sections of the landscape in the creation of a one-kilometre native plant trail.
- Forest ecology
- Historical land uses and misuses
- Land regeneration design and implementation
- Disturbance-based forest management
- Forest garden living system design, installation, and maintenance
- Coppicing and pollarding
- Forest edge buffer design, installation, and maintenance
- Cultivating woodland plants
- Invasive species management
- Designing habitat for keystone species
- Water movement
- Mapping
- Use of hand tools
- Tree and plant identification
- Edible and medicinal plant foraging
- Ethical foraging practices
- Data collection
- Philosophy of rewilding
- Managing depleted wild systems
- Rewilding Culture
- Permaculture design techniques
- Deep ecology observation practices
- Ancient ways of gathering knowledge
- The Art of Questioning
- Nature as mentor & guide
Program participants will engage in 5 hours of woodland experience (and classroom training) per week from April through early October (with cooler weather taken into consideration as needed). Program run consists of two 2 1/2-hour sessions each week, Thursday and Friday evenings from 6:30 pm to 9 pm.
Thursday Evenings – Hands-on Application of Regenerative Forest Ecology
Friday Evenings – Ethical Foraging Herb Walks – Plant & Tree Identification through various habitats
Classroom Training
Time will be spent in the classroom to introduce foundational concepts and reinforce training. Classroom time will be emphasized when cold weather prevents outdoor work experience.
Toolkit
Participants will need their own set of tools to maintain, keep track of and gain comfort and proficiency with use. This toolkit should include professional pruners, grade hatchet, bow saw, loppers and gloves. In addition during the foraging herb walks each individual needs to bring their own foraging basket, container and bags. Participants will be fully responsible for their own tools and will take their kit with them at the completion of this evening session.
Expected Outcome
Participants will leave the program with practical skills in woodland restoration and maintenance, an understanding of ecological succession, and the knowledge and skills to implement regenerative land management practices on other parcels of land.
Permaculture Certification
Upon completion of your project and attendance of workshops and all classroom time a Wild Plant Permaculture PDC Certificate of Completion will be issued in your final presentation weekend.
Local Wild Living Design Weekend Workshop
March 13 & 14, 2021
9-5 pm
Thursday Evening Series & Workshops (50-Hours)
Applied Regenerative Forest Ecology Series
June 18 – October 15, 2020
6:30 – 9pm
Friday Evening Series and Workshops (50-Hours)
Ethical Foraging – Plant and Tree Identification Series
June 19 – October 16, 202o
6:30 – 9pm
Presentation Weekend
Nov 14 – 15, 2020
Preparedness for the Class:
Students should come fully prepared to be outdoors for extended time periods in the woods in varying weather and to participate in hands-on activities including long walks.
Things to Bring:
- Water bottle
- Notebook
- Writing utensils
- Compass
- Camera
- Any preferred field guides
- Pocket knife or multi-tool
- Work gloves
- Rain gear
- Insect repellent
- Sunscreen
- Waterproof shoes/boots
Toolkit
Participants will need their own set of tools to maintain, keep track of and gain comfort and proficiency with use. This toolkit should include professional pruners, grade hatchet, bow saw, loppers. In addition during the foraging herb walks each individual needs to bring their own foraging basket, container and bags. Participants will be fully responsible for their own tools and will take their kit with them at the completion of this evening session.
Registration
Note: Only 6 Positions Available
Registration
Deposit – $250
Regenerative Forest Ecology (Thursday Evening Series) $450
Ethical Foraging – Plant & Tree ID (Friday Evening Series) $450
Full Practicum Program – $750
Full-Time Students – $500
Package Special– Register for the Wild Plant Permaculture – Rewilding Practicum & Forest Gardening Correspondence Course Together for $1750
To maintain a high quality of learning and care, this Wild Plant Permaculture practicum is limited to only 6 participants.
- Partial work-trade positions are available.
- Scholarships– Partial scholarships are available upon request (Assisting promising young adults in the tuition costs of mentorship program – please send a detailed letter of request. The aim of our scholarship is to build bridges between future leaders to experience the powerful connections between personal and planetary health.) Please see Scholarship Application Process
Community Supported Education Program (CSE Program) ALL Scholarship applicants and anyone interested in financial assistance with the mentorship program should consider creating their own Community Supported Education Program (CSE Program) Find more info and details here.
We are living a time of great change when creating a new story for our world is crucial. People all over the world are reclaiming their power and responding to the cry of Mother Earth. Are there young adults in your community who feel would thrive in our mentorship program? Help transform our culture, one heart at a time be nominating a young adult who is helping to redefine our culture!
** Upon completion of the full practicum and correspondence course you will receive a Wild Plant Permaculture & Rewild Practicum Certificate
Payment can be made through e-transfer (bank-to-bank transfer) ‘PayPal’ below, or by certified check. Please make cheques payable and mailed to: The Living Centre 5871 Bells Rd., London, ON., Canada, N6P 1P3
Please Note: that we require a minimum amount of registrants for the program to happen. In the case that we do not receive minimum registration, you will be notified two weeks prior to the start date and a full refund will be issued for the amount paid up till that point.
For questions or additional information, please call Shantree 519-519-652-0230, or email: info@thelivingcentre.com
For a list of all of our Correspondence Courses
