Forest gardening is an increasingly popular approach to growing food sustainably and efficiently through making use of the beneficial relationships abounding in a healthy ecosystem, maximising the use of the garden’s vertical dimension, and increasing the range of perennial food plants to fill all available ecological niches.

The aim of this course is to equip participants with the knowledge and skills to grow their own gourmet mushrooms outdoors. An indoor session will cover the biology and ecology of mushrooms and fungi and the important role that mushroom mycelium play in the cultivation process, including a look at different types of mushroom spawn. A practical outdoor session will demonstrate making up a Shiitake log and a Nameko woodchip mushroom bed. Each participant will make their own log and take it home with them.

Be The Change!

Come and join our certified permaculture design course in Southern Portugal and learn all you need to start living and creating a healthier and more sustainable future!

You are also welcome to join us on our music jams, beach day, open air movie nights, Yoga/Akro, Capoeira and pizza nights that we organize.

We are looking forward to have you :)

***early bird until 31st December***

A 20 hour distance learning course. Start at any time to suit you and learn more about medicinal herbs.
The Following Lessons are covered in this course:

Scope and Nature of Medicinal Herbs
Chemicals that are found in Herbs and Effects on the Human Body
Ways Herbs are Used in Medicines
Methods of Preparing Herbs for Medicinal Use
A Review of over 50 plant species; covering appearance, culture, chemistry, medicinal properties and uses.
Working with Medicinal Herbs

Study the What To Plant Where course over 13 lessons. The course is studied by distance learning so you can start at any time to suit you and work at your own pace.
This short course covers the following 13 lessons:

Permaculture Design Certification Course accredited by the Permaculture Research Institute of Australia

A program designed by Bill Mollison, the co-founder of permaculture, the Permaculture Design Certification Course (PDC) gives you both the vision and the practical tools you will need to realize your own piece of paradise, completely independent in terms of food and energy production.

This workshop will be focusing on Organic gardening, teaching you the fundamental techniques and knowledge to get you started with growing quality, fresh, organic vegetables all year round. From the urban balcony to the rural farm this workshop will teach you how to grow more veg in less space than you ever imagined to be possible! Maximising your available space and producing an abundance of nutritious and delicious vegetables, herbs and fruit.

You are also welcome to join us on our music jams, open air movie nights, Yoga/Akro, Capoeira and pizza nights that we organize.

Join us for 2 days of permaculture design theory and action.
This weekend introduces you to the basics of permaculture which is a complete design methodology that we can apply to every area of our lives in order to work towards fulfilling human needs with minimal enviromental impact.
In permaculture we look to the patterns and features in nature to design for a sustainable future.

In the face of drought and desertification, well-designed water harvesting earthworks such as swales, ponds, and dams are the most effective way to channel water into productive use. The result can be increased food production, higher groundwater levels, reduced irrigation needs, reforestation and enhanced ecosystem resilience. Yet due to a lack of knowledge, designers, and landowners often build earthworks that are costly, inappropriately sized and sited, or even dangerous. This course will give you the knowledge and confidence to get your earthworks right, first time around.

Join us at the international standard curriculum of 72-hour permaculture certificate course
We are situated in rural Brittany with the beautiful, inspiring countryside on our doorstep. We have secured a former dairy farm as the main teaching site, and the learning will take place between there and Afrinoon Permaculture farm with its integrated food/animal systems.

This course will be based in Coldstream in the Scottish Borders with the opportunity to learn from the UK's longest standing instructor in Britain's oldest established intentional food forest garden and other interesting sites in the Scottish Borders and North Northumberland. Mark Shipperlee will assist in the teaching. The course is split over two weeks with the Saturdays being focussed on site visits, and the week days a mixture of theory and practice.

Come and get some inspiration for teaching rivers. The workshop will look at ideas and activities for the classroom, school grounds or fieldwork visits. Refreshments provided but bring a packed lunch to supplement some food cooked on a fire (weather permitting).

Make the ‘most boat’ you can from a single sheet of plywood using basic DIY skills. The one-sheet skiff can carry a small adult or young person and can be paddled, rowed, even sailed or driven by a small electric motor with a bit of imagination. Over two days you will mark up and cut the component parts, fix together the sides and transom and attach the bottom to create a perfect small boat for still waters. Test-launch on Sunday and then take home (on a roof rack) to paint with ordinary domestic paint. Suitable for adults and families with children over 8.

This PDC will be run by 2 experienced permaculture practitioners and teachers who have been involved in permaculture since 1980's. (Rod Everett from Backsbottom Farm and Phil Allen from Northern Ireland.) It will take place on Backsbottom Farm a beautiful valley in the Forest of Bowland. The ancient semi natural woodland, wildflower hay meadows, organic orchards, restored blanket bog and river restoration project make an ideal site for exploring natures role in our understanding of Permaculture.

This session will cover how to harvest, dry and sow your own seed for vegetables, fruit and flowers. Seed is always best sown fresh, and the most reliable way of doing this is to harvest your own. Learn the best times to do this, when and how to collect seed and why gathering your own produces more reliable, sturdier crops. Caroline Beck is a garden writer and cut flower grower with over 25 years experience of harvesting and sowing her own seed. Refreshments provided.

This is a hands-on practical building course introducing the principles of the Walter Segal method of timber framing through the construction of a small structure on-site at Harehope Quarry. Practical instruction will be supplemented by an evening talk on Saturday. The course includes a light lunch & refreshments each day plus an evening meal as well as the option to camp on site. Further details can be provided on request.

This is a hands-on practical building course introducing the principles of the Walter Segal method of timber framing through the construction of a small structure on-site at Harehope Quarry. Practical instruction will be supplemented by an evening talk on Saturday. The course includes a light lunch & refreshments each day plus an evening meal as well as the option to camp on site. Further details can be provided on request.

The New School Permaculture PDC is centred on the needs of the student.So you get what you need.
This course is presented by creative non formal education methods, that are based on creating a bridge between the right and left side of the brain, so that the analytical and creative abilities of the students get fully stimulated and get the most out of the experience...for many people is the most empowering and inspiring transformative process of their lives...and they carry this with them everywere they go....and thats our goal.