Permaculture is a world-wide movement founded by Bill Mollison & David Holmgren. Permaculture looks to Nature to recreate and mimic systems where each element contributes to the success of the whole. Commonalities in all ecosystems reflect guidelines for designers to use.

What is Permaculture Design?
The philosophy of Permaculture is to reduce the impact that human settlements have on non-renewable and renewable resources, while creating an abundant living environment, catering to the needs of all living creatures.

Permaculture is a science developed through the observation and analysis of natural systems. Through this analysis set structural patterns common to all natural systems emerge. Permaculture design then applies these "Patterns" to the development of sustainable human settlements, harmoniously integrating landscape and people while providing food, energy, shelter, and other material and non-material needs in a sustainable way.
-From Bill Mollison's website, www.tagari.com

The typical way to get Permaculture training is by attending a Permaculture Design Course or Hands-on workshop. A Permaculture Design Certificate Course is a 72 hour long training program that typically runs as a two-week residential intensive or as a series of weekends. The curriculum is a combination of intuition, creativity and hard science. Our Courses are conducted all over the world, in cooperation with citizen groups, government and non-government groups, universities and environmental organizations.

The Permaculture Design Course curriculum provides a new way for problem solving and decision making. Patterning and observation skills are perhaps the most compelling aspects of a Permaculture Designer's training. In Earthflow's courses, you will learn the indicators of sustainability, "where and when you are" and how to read the patterns of the landscape. Using ancient techniques and innovative methodologies, you will learn to make the most appropriate choices for techniques, practices and placement of all elements used in any design.

Permaculture principles are now being adapted to all systems and disciplines that human settlement requires. Architects, planners, farmers, economists, social scientists, as well as students, homeowners and gardeners can all utilize the Principles of Permaculture Design.

EarthFlow's Design Consultants evaluate, design and build biological as well as sociological systems, in the form of farms, businesses and communities all over the world.

See article: Introduction to Permaculture: Ecological and Economical Design