Course Outline

The PDC held at The Living Peace Project/Rongo Backpackers & Gallery in August will be slightly different to most other PDC’s. The full theoretical curriculum will be presented, but we will also be expanding the classroom out into the surrounding environment and conducting practical workshops so that students will go home with all the theoretical information, but also with confidence, ability and skills to put their course material into practice.

Practical aspects of the course will include:

**Two 18-day compost piles will be built one of which will be complete by the end of the PDC

**Students will partake in building a rocket stove as a practical demonstration of efficient combustion 

**Demonstration of the action of nitrifying bacteria and their essential role in soil biology, grey-water systems and aquaculture/aquaponics.

**Examining the process of extracting essential oils

**Establish gardens and plant trees as well as examining the decomposing process in a natural forest system.

The students will also receive the diversity of 4 teachers all of whom are very experienced and knowledgeable in specific areas. Specialty subject teachers ensure the students receive the most critical information throughout the 72-hour programme.

They are:

Craig Gallagher: Worked for Geoff Lawton as a Permaculture Design Consultant and Manager of the Permaculture Research Institute Zaytuna Farm for 2 years.?Background in mechanical and structural engineering cad design.?Born in Gisborne and raised in the Tauranga, lived in Australia for 20 years. Age: 46

Paul Murray: PDC with Bill Mollison and Geoff Lawton at Melbourne University in 2009Grew up on a grazing property on Kangaroo Island in South AustraliaDegree in Agricultural Science (horticulture) from University of South Australia (Rosweworthy).Grad Dip Arts (Journalism) University of Southern Queenland (Toowoomba).Age: 45

Tim Barker: Aussie born, trained as a diesel fitter, began my Permaculture journey after reading Permaculture One by David Holmgren and Bill Mollison in 1981, still reading and learning. Ran an adventure tourism business in far North Queensland for 8 years, also contracted to the EPA as a guide for environmental impact studies on the cape York Peninsular, and in conjunction with Tourism Queensland and Aboriginal communities set up and ran turtle conservation camps as a test case for indigenous eco-tourism based business. Former treasurer of the Albatross bay catchment management group and served as environmental contracts administrator for a large contractor based in Far North Queensland. Received my PDC through Permaculture visions, and completed an internship at The Permaculture Research Institute under Geoff Lawton. Was invited back to the PRI as a MR Fix It and teacher. Favourite pastime; thinking, appropriate low tech and aquaponics.

Justin Sharman-Selvidge: (No bio yet available)

For more information, please visit: www.livinginpeace.com/pdc

 or contact Paul Murray: rongo@actrix.co.nz