Permaculture Design Course

Our course follows the curriculum by the Permaculture Institute of North America. Permaculture design certification requires 72 hours minimum of student participation time. This course is heavy on the ethics, principles and design aspects of permaculture. We cover many techniques that are useful in design. Students learn about whole systems and how to design a real existing site, working together in teams through the course and presenting their design on the second to last weekend. The certificate does NOT mean that you are certified to teach a PDC or that you have all the tools and skills to be a professional Permaculture designer. The permaculture design course is the foundation; students still need to build the walls, roof, openings, finish, and landscape. We have tools to help with this. 

Meals (lunch during course weekends) are community style and prepared by the course students on a rotational basis, this helps us to keep the overall course costs down, we work with everyone to make sure that this is ok and that no one is put into a position of hardship by participating. Pikes Peak Permaculture provides ample snacks. Well behaved and monitored children are welcome at all course weekends with advanced discussion and agreement. 

We will be running our course over 10 weekends beginning in February and ending in August. We will be at various locations within Southern Colorado for the duration of the PDC with one or two field trips planned that are within 4 hours of Colorado Springs. Our course fee is: $1550

 We have 6 spaces for work trade at a reduced course cost. We also offer an early registration discount of $200. This means that if you register by January 5th your course cost will be $1350. We never turn anyone away who wants this training but can’t afford the full course tuition, if you have a desire to participate and have a need we have financial aid available.

We limit the course size to 24 students. There is more interest than ever in this training. If you have a desire to participate please get signed up early so you don’t miss out.

“When I first learned permaculture as an independent learner I felt like I had learned a whole new language that no one else spoke. My friends were supportive, but none of them knew what I was talking about anymore. It wasn’t until I found Pikes Peak Permaculture and took an in person PDC that I found people that spoke my new language. Now I help people learn the new language so I have more people to talk to!”

Throughout the course we will have classroom days and hands on or tour days. These hands on days and tour days will occur more in the late spring through the summer months as opposed to early in the course.

As mentioned above we follow the curriculum by the Permaculture Institute of North America. Topics in this curriculum include but are not limited to:

Introduction to Permaculture, Ethics and Principles, The Local Ecosystem, Patterns and Pattern Application, Climates, Biogeography and Microclimates, Design Methods and Process, The Home System, Water, Earthworks, Trees, Forests, Plants, and Cultivated Ecologies, Animals, Aquaculture, The Built Environment, Waste and Bioremediation, Appropriate Technology, Design for Catastrophe, Urban Permaculture, Broadscale Landscape Design, Design for Invisible Structures, Economic Systems, Access to Land, Ecovillage and Neighborhood Design

Join us!

Student testimonials-

I took Pikes Peak Permacultures in person Through the Season’s permaculture design course after having completed two online courses. To say that permaculture changed my life, though not immediately, is a drastic understatement. From working in the corporate world to owning my own permaculture consulting design and education business, and becoming the program director for the organization that was instrumental in shaping me…the changes have been huge. My whole life has been reshaped! I wouldn’t have gotten to the place where I am today without Pikes Peak Permaculture, the education and community that came from my experience are irreplaceable. 

From Ally Richardson student in our 2021-22 and 2024 PDC’s-
“I completed my in-person Permaculture Design Course with Pikes Peak Permaculture in 2022, and again in 2024 after obtaining a Permaculture Teacher Certification from the Kansas Permaculture Institute. I’ve since focused on educating youth and raising public awareness through the Studio 809 podcast, Peak Environment. Permaculture is an educational experience applying whole-systems thinking to growing food, stewarding land, using and storing energy, and community integration. You’ll learn to thrive in Colorado’s semi-arid climate with minimal rainfall while enjoying an abundance of food, comfort, and joy. There’s an urgent need for sustainable practices, and permaculture offers globally recognized solutions. Plus, you meet the best people through permaculture.”

From Emily Sutton student in our 2024 PDC, Emily joined us again in 2025 to solidify more permaculture into her life-
“I am a graduate from the 2024 course. If you want to get some hands on permaculture experience you can actually use to make a difference in our area, irreplaceable local wisdom, certification from excellent and duly recognized teachers, and lasting community with people who live in our area and know your unique challenges, you will be so glad you joined!! We were blessed to get so much incredible value for such a low price. If this is something you want to do, you will find a way. Reach out to Pikes Peak Permaculture! People care is a permaculture ethic.” – Emily