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3 Weekend PDC Begins Oct 22, 2015

The Resiliency Institute is offering a Permaculture Design Course beginning October 22, 2015 that will follow a 3 weekend (4-4-3) commuter style format to accommodate working adults and caregivers enabling them to be home with their families each evening and spreading the learning over a 4 week period.  REGISTER NOW!

The philosophy within permaculture is one of working with rather than against nature, and of protracted and thoughtful observation. Permaculture design techniques encourage land use that integrates principles of ecology and applies lessons from nature. It teaches us to create settings and construct ecosystems that have the diversity, stability, and resilience of natural ecosystems. It also teaches us to allow natural and designed ecosystems to demonstrate their own evolutions.  Permaculture teaches us how to build natural homes, grow food, restore diminished landscapes and ecosystems, catch and store rainwater, build communities, and utilize waste all while reducing work and maintenance, and creating abundance.

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Congratulations TRI PDC graduates!

The Midwest is now home to 13 new Permaculture Designers!

The Resiliency Institute Spring 2014 PDC Graduates with Peter Bane, Keith Johnson and Rhonda Baird
The Resiliency Institute Spring 2014 PDC Graduates with Peter Bane, Keith Johnson and Rhonda Baird

For three long weekends in March and April, The Resiliency Institute hosted its first Permaculture Design Course taught by Peter Baine, Rhonda Baird and Keith Johnson. This was an amazing experience from beginning to end. The group dynamics were nourishing and friendly and working with Peter, Rhonda and Keith was fabulous.  The best testament to the quality of this PDC was the final design presentations given by the 4 groups.  Jodi and I were blown away. The design projects were all located on our site, The Conservation Foundation's McDonald Farm, and opened our eyes to the permaculture possibilities that exist here. They shared ideas and well considered designs that showed us a new way of looking at the farm.  We are so grateful for this experience and look forward to following everyone's progress and inviting them back to bring some of their designs to life.

TRI Spring 2014 PDC Graduates with Certificates
TRI Spring 2014 PDC Graduates with Certificates

On Sunday, April 27th students wrapped up their final weekend at The Resiliency Institute holding their well earned Permaculture Design Certificates!

 

 

 

Peter Bane Talk & Book Signing – Garden Farming based Economy

Garden Farming Cover_Peter BaneDate:    Wednesday, March 12, 2014
Time:    7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Place:   The Resiliency Institute, 10S404 Knoch Knolls Rd, Naperville, IL 60565
FREE,
but donations to The Resiliency Institute are appreciated

RSVP Here

Local food forms the basis of a new economy that will occupy most Americans for the remainder of the century.  Author Peter Bane will discuss the emergence of garden farms in and around cities and how they can help us stabilize both our economy and the climate. Using permaculture, or ecological design, to create synergistic household systems, we can buffer our homes and families against the difficulties of volatile energy prices and future economic crises.  The talk will focus on how our towns and suburbs can incubate the new eco-agriculture and launch a food security revolution.  Hosted by The Resiliency Institute, a non-profit organization transforming the suburbs into resilient communities through permaculuture design and education.

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PDC Scholarships Available

Money Burlap bag4 PDC Scholarships have been made available due to the generosity of an individual who supports our efforts and believes in the benefits of a permaculture education to create resilient communities.

 

Apply for $300 Scholarship 

 

Application deadline:  February 7, 2014
Results will be announced via email:  February 10, 2014

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Education

Edible Wild Plant classThe Resiliency Institute offers evening and weekend classes, workshops, and certification courses. Classes are taught by knowledgeable and experienced regional instructors with class sizes ranging from 6 -30 attendees. Whether you are a novice or an expert, you will find a class that is right for you.

Most education courses, unless otherwise noted, are taught at the Clow Education Center on The Conservation Foundation's McDonald Farm at 10S404 Knoch Knolls Road in Naperville, IL.

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PERMACULTURE

permaculture, principles, ethics, circular, sustainable, icons, text
Permaculture Principles

 

The word “permaculture” was coined and popularized in the mid 70′s by David Holmgren, a young Australian ecologist, and his associate / professor, Bill Mollison. It is a contraction of “permanent agriculture” or “permanent culture.”

Permaculture is a design system based on observing nature for developing ecological landscapes, lifestyles and communities. "Permaculture is not a discipline in itself but rather a design approach based on connecting different disciplines, strategies, and techniques." (Hemenway, Gaia's Garden)

 

 

CERTIFICATION PROGRAMS

Permaculture Design Certification

Peter Bane PDC water levelThe Permaculture Design Certificate (PDC) course is a training program that utilizes the teachings of Bill Mollison’s Permaculture Design System. The goal is to achieve a basic working understanding in ecologically-based planning, site design and management. A PDC provides a comprehensive introduction to Permaculture principles, applications and design practices as first set out by Permaculture founder, Bill Mollison. The PDC meets a common international standard as a foundational course for Permaculture practitioners and teachers. At The Resiliency Institute, the course is taught by Peter Bane, Rhonda Baird, & Keith Johnson over 3 extended weekends for a total of 11 days and 88 hrs.

 

Edible Wild Plants Certification

Pat Armstrong-Suburban Prairie_TRI 2013Open your eyes to the world of foraging with our Edible Wild Plants Certificate. Each season a five to six week course is offered to teach you how to identify plants, what edible wild plants to look for, what part of the plant to harvest; how to harvest it, prepare it, and eat it. You will learn to identify over 200 species of edible wild plants from handling actual specimens and from seeing them in their natural environments.

The Edible Wild Plants Certificate courses (Taste the Trees, Graze on Greens, Feast on Flowers, & Sup on Shrubs) are taught both in a classroom and through site visits to various public and private locations to provide a comprehensive experience of the plants.  To earn your certificate, you are required to take all four courses and pass four seasonal exams (using your notes and books) to demonstrate that you can identify edible (and poisonous) wild plants successfully.  These courses will be offered each year, so if you miss one, you can take it the following year.  Certificate courses are open to everyone, whether or not you’re pursuing the certificate.

Students prepare recipes during each course using edible wild plants to demonstrate their new knowledge and to share with classmates. A full year of recipes are compiled into a recipe book and given to each certificate recipient during the annual graduation ceremony.

 

RESKILLING

Water bath canned salsa
Water bath canned salsa

Reskilling is learning the skills we need to become self-sufficient and resilient as individuals and communities during a time of economic and climatic change. These skills span the spectrum of land management; food production, preservation and preparation; sustainable living; community building; water management; renewable energy; and ecological building. Classes can be viewed by category or date on our course calendar.