2-Week Intensive PDC at The Yoga Forest, San Marcos la Laguna, Lake Atitlan, Guatemala.

November 18 -30, 2013

You will be a certified Permaculture designer, a certification that is internationally recognized by the permaculture community. You will also have the knowledge and practical skills required to immediately begin designing and creating permaculture projects and sustainable landscapes. You will be provided with links and sources to help you proceed further on your chosen path.

You will be able to form land assessments and designs, and will be equipped with skills to start you off in natural building. You will also be able to implement basic grey water and composting systems necessary for a sustainable dwelling. In addition to this you will have sufficient knowledge in aquaculture, vegetable production, integrated livestock management and food preservation to begin producing your own food and designing systems for your self and others.

What does the course cover?

The course covers the Permaculture Research Institute of Australia’s PDC curriculum, following Bill Mollison’s Designers Manual.

Introduction to Permaculture- Definition, history and ethics.

The Permaculture Principles

Design Process Theory and Techniques for Sustainable Settlements, Communities, and Gardens

Earthworks and Keyline Landscape- Design and Techniques

Natural Building - Traditional Guatemalan Techniques and Theory

Animal Systems- Bee Keeping, Chickens, Rabbits, and Vermiculture

Design Strategies for the Tropics – Housing and Landscape Design

Temperate Climate Strategies – Housing and Landscape Design

Drylands Design Strategies-Housing and Landscape Design

Social Permaculture

Economics & Financial Permaculture

Climate Factors

Pattern Understanding- Patterns in Nature Applied to Design

Food Fermentation and Preservation

Water Design Solutions- Catchment, Conservation, Grey Water Solutions, Swales, and Ponds 

Soils– Composition, Biology, Food Web, Fertility, and Human Health

Aquaculture –Food Webs, Techniques and Fish Production

Design Processes, Theory and Techniques – Methods for Sustainable Settlements, Communities, and Gardens.

Practicals

Design Projects: You will perform a land assessment, client interview and design and present a project in a small team to a landowner from around the lake

Designing and Implementing a Forest Garden: this module will include propagation and planting techniques.

Designing Intensive Annual Systems and Guilds. This module will include seed saving, germination and plant grouping for annual vegetable systems

Compost Making

Plant Identification

Night Walks and Forest Explorations

Natural Building using Mayan Earthen Building Techniques.

Who are the facilitators?

Catherine Griggs, (BSc Zoology with Conservation) Permaculture Director and Manager at The Yoga Forest, founder of the Cynefin Permaculture project and owner of Symbiont Gardens Permaculture Design and consultancy) Cats passion lies in creative artistic design, Wildlife integration, conservation and animal systems and community.

Jeremy Fellows, (B.S. Sustainable Food and Farming) Permaculture Coordinator at The Yoga Forest. Permaculture Designer, Consultant, and Farm Manager. Focused on perennial food systems, mycology, botany, aquaculture, terraforming, landscape construction, resource management and passive energy.

Charlie Rendall, (Ma Social Anthropology) Project Manager of The Yoga Forest, Charlie has been building sustainable houses and landscaping in San Marcos La Laguna, Guatemala for since 2004. He has tried just about every natural building method he could before settling on bamboo and earth as his favorites. He gave his first Bamboo Building Course in 2008 and loves helping others build.

Hayley Tennyson, Founder and Director of The Yoga Forest. Hayley studied Permaculture with Bill Mollison and Geoff Lawton of The Permaculture Research Institute of Australia and yoga in Rishikesh, India with her mentor Yogrishi Vishveketu. Hayley’s passion lies in deep green yoga, finding inner balance through yoga and permaculture practice. The Yoga Forest was founded through a desire to live in simple harmony with nature, developing sustainable environments, and working towards creating a seed to plate food philosophy; encouraging people to step back into the cycle of food production of which they naturally belong.

What is location like?

San Marcos la Laguna is a small indigenous village in the western highlands of Guatemala, located on Lake Atitlán. Surrounded by volcanoes San Pedro, Toliman and Atitlán, the lake is a wonder to behold and many consider it to be the most beautiful lake in the world.

The surrounding mountains and cloud forests provide amazing hiking experiences, and great weather throughout the dry season.

What type of yoga is taught?

We provide holistic yoga classes incorporating asana, pranayama, mantra, meditation and relaxation every morning by our resident yoga teachers. We practice yoga for an hour every day, and encourage you to join us in this journey of growth and self discovery.

What is the food like?

The Yoga Forest serves fresh vegetarian meals prepared with love and intention. We grow as much of the produce as we can and purchase from local markets whenever possible. A professional chef prepares menus and our lovely local ladies prepare them in our simple kitchen.

Accommodation

We provide shared accommodation in beautiful traditionally built cabanas constructed from bamboo, adobe and clay with palm roofs and windows that overlook one of the most stunning views in Guatemala; Lake Atitlán and its volcanoes.

We have also been told our compost toilets and shower has the best views of any in the world!

How do I get there?

Flights can be found online via sites such as www.expedia.com, www.travelocity.com and www.ebookers.com - Airlines flying to Guatemala include Aeroméxico, American Airlines, Continental, Copa, Delta, Iberia, Spirit, Taca and United.

Immigration is usually hassle-free and most visitors are issued with a 90-day tourist visa, which you can extend for a further 90 days if needed. We recommend you find a flight that arrives in the morning so you won't have to spend a night in a hotel near the airport.

Driving to San Marcos La Laguna from Guatemala's international airport takes about four hours - we recommend a pre-booked minibus service, either private ($110 per trip - up to eight people), or shared ($28 per person). We will be happy to arrange this.

What other attractions are in the area and in Guatemala?

At first sight San Marcos La Laguna is a sleepy village with a few simple hotels and restaurants, but it has much to offer hidden between its winding paths, including: massages, alternative therapies, short courses in massage and therapies, a meditation center, Mayan spiritual centers and ceremonies, traditional Mayan saunas, yoga classes, chocolate ceremonies, a gym, walking tours, Spanish schools, salsa classes, a variety of excellent restaurants and bars, a small beach with a lake-jump off high rocks, kayaking, Internet cafés, shops selling imported food, volunteer projects, and a diverse community of residents and tourists.

We will gladly help you arrange tours to other towns either on the lake or further afield. Popular destinations on the lake include the Panajachel, Santiago and San Pedro, all of which have fun local markets and a wide selection of restaurants. Panajachel and San Pedro also offer a more active nightlife for anyone seeking live music or a dance party. We can also arrange Spanish lessons.

Beyond the lake's sanctuary there are many more attractions: the colorful artisans' market in Chichicastenango, the former colonial capital of Antigua (from where you can climb the live volcano Pacaya and get up close to real lava), the Mayan ruins of Iximche, bird watching and canopy tours in San Felipe, Monterrico on the Pacific coast for big waves and black sand beaches, and Quetzaltenango (Xela) for trekking, hot springs and city culture.

Further afield, you can explore the lost Mayan jungle cities of Tikal, Yax'ha and El Mirador, swim in the paradisiacal pools and caves of Semuc Champay and Lanquin, trek in the remote Cuchumatan mountains and boat down the Rio Dulce from Lake Izabal to the Caribbean coast.

If you would like us to arrange tours or transport before or after the courses, then we are happy to help - just let us know what you're looking for.