Permaculture Design Class

A Permaculture Design Certification Series was held in Hohenwald recently. The 72-hour curriculum was held four weekends in June and July.  The Permaculture certification series was sponsored by the Center for Holistic Ecology and the Sonnenschein Green Initiative. This unique opportunity to receive training and certification in Permaculture Design has attracted people nationwide, instructors said. The summer series attracted five participants from out of state, seven participants from outside Southern Middle Tennessee and 22 participants from Lewis, Perry, Hickman and Maury County. The Permaculture curriculum covered design techniques and principles, which teaches people to work with, not against nature. Permaculture is a design tool that looks at designing systems that integrates and optimizes productivity for the individual, community, economics and the environment._During the series, the students assisted with the design and development of the Discovery Center demonstration site located behind the Strand Theatre and the Museum in downtown Hohenwald. Also throughout the series, participants took field trips to Merriweather Lewis State Park, Solar Springs Permaculture Farm, and to Earth’s Advocate Research Farm. At Meriweather Lewis State Park, the students were able to observe the forest in its natural setting. Solar Springs is a research farm and nursery. It is constructed with natural building techniques and operated off grid with solar and wind energy. Earth’s Advocate Research Farm is a bamboo nursery and also operated off grid with solar energy.  Many participants shared their course notes and pictures on www.hohenwaldpermaculture.blogspot.com.
The fourth and final weekend, the participants going for certification, presented Permaculture Designs of their homes or businesses to the class and instructors. The design presentation included research information on their geographic, social/history and bioregional location, and a site survey, client interviews and a Permaculture design. Each participant had 10 minutes to present followed by questions and feedback.  A graduation was held in the Strand Theatre on Sunday  August 2, 2009.
After completing this series, the newly certified students will be able to apply Permaculture principles and design techniques to their homes, gardens, farms, businesses, and local or regional economic and community development. Instructors for the course were local Permaculture Designers Matthew English, Cliff Davis, Greg Landua, Jennifer Dauksha-English, Albert Bates and Adam Turtle. 
The following individuals received their Permaculture Design certificate: Jackie Miller, Richard Miller, Bob Ogden, Kenny McDonald, Debbie Landers, Mike Sheth and Tonya Jones, all of Hohenwald; Sheila Sewell and Amanda Baxter, both of Linden; Jim Melton and Ellie Early, both of Summertown; Dotty Mulcahy and Deanna Naddy, both of Hampshire; Cheryl Smith of Lobelville; Bethann Easterly and Ryan Nichols, both of Nashville; Michael Robinson and Leela Robinson, both of Morrison; Kevin Guenther of Lavergne; Jeff Neubacher of Michigan; Joel Helge of Illinois; and Shea Moore of Kentucky.