Permaculture Design Course, Autumn 2019

20 September – 4 October (14 days certificate)

Led by Peter Cow and Elena Symeonidou

We are excited to announce the fourth FULL PERMACULTURE DESIGN COURSE (PDC) that will be hosted in Tinos Eco-lodge welcoming two very knowledgeable and experienced teachers, Peter Cow from England and Elena Symeonidou from Greece. Peter and Elena will combine their skills from both Northern and Southern ecosystems and climatic conditions and will put emphasis on Social permaculture as well as Regenerative agriculture, with lots of hands on and practicals during the course. (read course outline here)

This PDC is fully certified by the Permaculture Association (Britain). The course will be taught in English.

The Permaculture Design Certificate

The Permaculture Design Certificate is an 80 hour theoretical course based on Bill Mollison’s Designers Manual, teaching how we can use today’s tools and technology to create a more sustainable world. Permaculture is not only about growing vegetables and animals, it is a whole sustainable lifestyle. Permaculture ethics are Earth Care, People Care and Return of Surplus and this is taught by showing students to focus on local resources and their local community, and to have well thought out design practices to create abundance sustainably.

In this course we added 2 extra days two have more time for practicals and hands on experience. Peter and Elena will combine their wide knowledge and experience as well as their creative teaching techniques to guide us through the principles of permaculture, gaining a thorough understanding of how we can use our natural resources for our own sustenance while restoring and taking care of the earth. Theory, group exercises and hands on projects are well combined through this 14 days course. In the end personal projects of the participants are put into the final designs and are worked out thoroughly by the groups formed.

Nikos from Tinos Ecolodge will share his hands-on experience of building the ecolodge and designing the energy, water, plant and waste systems. We will have the rare opportunity to discuss and elaborate on Nikos’ and Marilia’s choices on different aspects of their project, reflect on the challenges, opportunities and limitations.

A well run PDC can be a life changing experience. For many people it can be the most intense learning experience of their lives, and great fun to boot. Surrounded by like-minded people, you will learn the framework to thrive in a rapidly changing world. You will also develop the skills to heal damaged landscapes while providing for your own needs.

Be prepared to have a full day course, starting at 8am and finishing at 7pm with lunch break and coffee breaks. There is no need of previous knowledge of the subject. For detail information about the course and which chapters of Permaculture will be covered please go to the following link: Read more about the COURSE OUTLINE

PDC Teachers

Peter Cow Dip. Perm. Des.

Peter gained his Permaculture Diploma in 2007, apprenticing with the wonderful Aranya Gardens and started running his own PDCs in 2012. He has led Permaculture courses in Greece, Sweden, UK, Portugal, Jamaica, Cyprus, Finland and Denmark. Alongside land based design, he has been very involved with People Permaculture: exploring ways to expand the use of Permaculture, using its principles and design to support our relationships, groups, families, organisations and personal growth. He has worked with Looby MacNamara, author of ‘People and Permaculture’ since 2013, leading Facilitator Trainings and Design courses. He co-creates immersive and empowering learning experiences that connect people more deeply to nature, themselves and their community. Peter also works with Jon Young and the ‘8 Shields’ movement internationally, running events and supporting organisations to share nature connection and cultural healing practices and principles to enrich our lives and communities.

Back in 2000, Peter co-founded Steward Community Woodland, a sustainable woodland community in Dartmoor, UK. He lived, designed, learned and played there in deep collaboration with the land and people for 7 years. Peter now lives on another farm in Dartmoor, where he enjoys wild running, working with trees and chainsaws, group singing, gardening and deepening connections. For more information visit his website livingincircles.com

Elena Symeonidou

With a background of computing engineering and cinematography, Elena got in touch with Permaculture in Bali, Indonesia, in 2008 and has not looked back since. For 10 years she has been broadening and deepening her knowledge in sustainability and regenerative agriculture both in theory and in practice in three continents. She has been certified by the Permaculture Research Institute of Australia taken PDC courses with the one and only Bill Mollison, Geoff Laughton, Rod Everett and Mill Millington, and last but not least Darren Doherty, whom she considers her mentor and whose courses in Greece she facilitated. She also had Permaculture Teacher Training with Jude Hobbs and Rico Zook, aiming to impart her passion and knowledge about permaculture more effectively. After having acquired practical experience in Australia, Asia and Europe in private and community projects, she managed a small farm on Paros for three years, an island not far from Tinos. She is the curator of an urban permaculture project in Eleusis, Cultural Capital of Europe 2021 and has been training and consulting people in regenerative practices with an emphasis in the Mediterranean climate. She also ran the PDC course in 2017 here at the Ecolodge. Check also her website http://permaculture-greece.org/

The Location

Tinos Ecolodge was designed from the start based on sustainable use of resources which are also permaculture principles as well. At the Tinos Ecolodge you will have the opportunity to see stone built houses with local materials, an off-grid system for energy production for the whole lodge which is powered by solar panels, a collection of rain water system, a reedbed filtration sewage system, indoor compost toilets with the Aquatron separation system, outdoor compost toilets, outdoor kitchen and shower filtration systems, an organic vegetable garden, hugelculture beds and a lot more to be built and learned during the seminar. Location info

Accommodation and food

Tinos Ecolodge is situated in a beautiful island setting with great sea views and sunrise from the sea, traditional terraced landscape, with a nearby stream and lots of old oak trees to camp under. There is also limited space in the 2 lodges which can host up to 8 people. There are outdoor showers and compost toilets for those who camp. There will be a communal outdoor kitchen were we will eat all together 3 meals per day, prepared by our local cook an expert on delicious Greek vegetarian recipes. Max number of participants is 20 people.

Booking info

Cost: early bird prices 480euro/tents and 600euro/houses if booked until the 30th of May, after that 580euro/tents and 700euro/houses.

There will be also a special price for Greek participants which are still suffering from the economic crisis at 380euro early bird – 480euro after 30 of May, only for camping.

The price includes 3 meals, breakfast, lunch and dinner, 2 field trips, plus the PDC certificate.

For booking a place a deposit of €100 must be paid on application, full balance to be paid upon arrival. Please note that in case of cancellation the deposit is not refundable because of very low cost seminar and limited places. Please download the application form below and send it to Marilia or mail her if you need any further information and details about the course.

Download the application-form-pdc-2019

Contact details

Marilia Kalouli, info@tinosecolodge.gr

Tel.0030 6974467611