May 5th - May 19th • a two week residential experience

with Sarah Orlowski

This 14 day course will cover the principles of Permaculture Design, including site analysis and design, microclimate design, patterns and reading the landscape, regenerative land management and stewardship, water catchment, storage, filtration, and distribution, greywater use, organic and biointensive gardening, seed saving, plant propagation, medicinal herbs, soil rehabilitation, orchard and forest garden design, wildlife corridors, agroecology, renewable energies, biofuels, local economics and strategies, alternative building, climate change, ecovillage design, and permaculture networking.

Permaculture derives from the term “permanent agriculture”, denoting its long term sustainability, which takes into account the sustainability of all earth’s life forms. As an alternative to large scale, fossil fuel and chemical dependent farming practices, which deplete the soil, permaculture consciously designs and maintains productive agriculture systems that incorporate the natural ecosystem’s resilience, diversity and stability. Based on observation of Nature’s patterns, permaculture techniques are backed by scientific research and the philosophy of working with Nature (rather than against) and acknowledging all the multiple functions of any farm, garden or food forest rather than just one crop or yield. Applicable to communities or plots of land of any size, permaculture incorporates concepts and strategies that will become the necessary norm in the not-too-distant future.

Tuition for the two week program:
Before April 5th $1,100
After April 5th $1,150

Includes - all vegetarian meals, supplies, instruction and camping! accommodation up-grades available

Sarah Orlowski, PDC, MH, AOCAD

With over 2 decades of organic gardening experience, Sarah Orlowski holds her Permaculture Design Certificate and is a founding member of Filbelly Forest Worker’s Co-operative, which runs a certified organic permaculture farm and orchard in the Southern Interior of BC. Previous to that, her and her husband ran an organic farm in the rainforest of the Upper Squamish Valley for 10 years. On both farms, Sarah has enjoyed hosting apprentices and workshops, teaching survival skills such as learning about wild edibles, plant identification and medicinal herbs as well as organic gardening techniques. Apprentices and students experience hands-on training involving growing, harvesting and processing plants into stored foods and medicines including tinctures, oils and salves.  As a Master Herbalist  and Qi Gong practitioner, she gives personal consultations, using remedies prepared from the bounty of the farm. An experienced teacher, Sarah has instructed at Hollyhock, Douglas College, Capilano College, Van Dusen Gardens, Vancouver School Board, the Canadian College of Traditional Chinese Medicine and the Boucher Institute of Naturopathic Healing.