Attend our current course’s Final Design Presentations Free! See the right sidebar for details.
FALL 2016/SPRING 2017
6 weekends - September 24, 2016–May 21, 2017
Accokeek Foundation
3400 Bryan Point Road, Accokeek, MD 20607
Cost: $1,060. Early Bird discount if you register by August 1 - $960
REGISTER NOW
This course is focused on the design process. We apply Permaculture ethics, principles and strategies to design practicum. In teams, the class performs multiple design exercises, exploring zone planning, water harvesting, guilds, agroforestry and other methods.
A significant portion of class time is spent on hands-on activities, applying numerous Permaculture techniques on site at the Ecosystem Farm, Accokeek Foundation, which demonstrates the past, present, and future of agriculture and environmental stewardship at Piscataway Park.
Each student creates a comprehensive Permaculture Design Plan, exploring the capacity for food, water, energy, and nutrient cycle self-sufficiency. This can be an urban, suburban or rural situation. The site can be an apartment/condo complex, a row home neighborhood, a school... Many students choose to design their own home and yard. You can also create a design for a friend/neighbor. Students work independently or participate in a team design, with one or two classmates. This project consists of scaled, color drawings, a written report, and an oral presentation. All students learn to draw to scale in class. Minimal tools are needed. A template is provided for the written report.
We routinely host guest speakers on specific topics, such as solar energy, nutrient cycling, and community economics. Several local field trips offer the opportunity to see a variety of successful Permaculture projects of varying scales.
Texts: Introduction to Permaculture by Bill Mollison and Gaia's Garden by Toby Hemenway
Course Dates and Topics:
September 24–25: Bioregionalism, Ecosystems, Ethics & Principles, Design Process
October 15–16: Patterns in Nature, Site Analysis, Water Harvesting, Soil & Gardening
November 5–6: Nutrient Recycling, Design for Disaster, Social & Economic Permaculture
March 25–26: Renewable Energy, Natural Building & Small-scale Technology
April 22–23: Grains, Aquaculture, Forest Gardens, Guilds, Agroforestry, Animals, Cash Crops
May 20–21: Forest Garden Installation, Final Design Presentations & Certificate Awards
Class Schedule:
Saturdays and Sundays, 10am–6pm
Class meets at the Education Center, which is an accessible facility.
Tuition:
$1,060. After August 1, 2016.
$960. Early Bird discount if you register by August 1, 2016.
Payment Plan - $200 deposit, plus 5 equal payments due at the beginning of each class weekend.
(Before August 1, 2016 -$960 total)
(After August 1, 2016 - $1,060 total)
Meals:
Students bring their own bag lunch on Saturday. Sunday lunch is a 50-mile potluck. Coffee and tea will be provided.
Lodging:
Students can make their own arrangements with local B & B's, Airbnb, Inc. or motels.
Transportation:
Accokeek Foundation is not accessible by public transportation, but is accessible by boat!. We will help match up students for carpooling.
Permaculture Design Certificate

Students who complete course requirements earn a Permaculture Design Apprentice Certificate. The 72-hour Permaculture Design Course curriculum developed by Bill Mollison and David Holmgren is covered during the 6 weekends and home study. Graduates are permitted to use the word "permaculture" when engaged in business and can go on to earn the 2-year Diploma of Applied Permaculture Design from PINA. Permaculture design certification is also applicable towards Gaia University degree programs.
Instructors
Patricia Ceglia, Lead Instructor, is an ecological site planner, architectural designer, and organic gardener. In private practice, she transfers her 30 years’ experience in large-scale architecture to the design of integrated habitats. She has designed passive-solar and timber-frame houses, forest gardens, multi-functional and native landscapes. As a consultant for the Gunpowder Valley Conservancy, she helps suburban homeowners design and install edible landscapes for stormwater management. Patricia has taught the Permaculture Design certificate course since 1999. www.patriciaceglia.com
“Through collective intentional efforts of many individuals, a healing momentum can transform our planet into the radiant life source that it is intended to be.”
Marc Roux is a French native with an MS in Natural Sciences (Biology and Geography), a graduate of this course, and a PINA member. He teaches Science to the 9–12 grades at Lycee' Rochambeau International School in Washington, D.C. Marc has experience in farming and enjoys spending time with horses. As a perennial nature lover he practices Permaculture at his suburban yard and also on a farm scale.
REGISTER NOW for the next Permaculture Design Certificate Course
To reserve your spot, please email design@patriciaceglia.com with your name, address, and phone number.
Pay full tuition amount ($1,060 or $960 for early bird).
OR $200 deposit for a Payment Plan.
Send check payable to:
Patricia Ceglia
1110 Apple Valley Rd.
Accokeek, MD 2060