Courses and Workshops

Spring 2012 Courses and Workshops

The 17th Annual Permaculture Design Course – a Tucson tradition! This course happens over five weekends every Feburary and March. Registration for the 18th annual course 2013 is open now.

Five Weekends in 2012 - Feb. 4th and 5th, Feb. 11th and 12th, Feb. 25th and 26th, Mar. 10th and 11th, Mar. 17th and 18th

Cost $695. $650 for early registration before December 1st. There is also a class book fee of $42 for a copy of Introduction to Permaculture by Bill Mollison. Also highly recommended is Brad Lancaster’s Rainwater Harvesting for Drylands Vol 1 and Vol 2. Partial scholarships are available and registration is open now!

For the last sixteen years this course has been full with a waiting list, so early registration is encouraged. To give a high quality educational experience, we limit the size of the class to eighteen participants. Contact Dan, the course registrar, at dorsey@dakotacom.net or 520-624-8030 to register or receive more information.

This Permaculture certification course covers all aspects of sustainable design with a Southwest dry lands flavor, including a balance of hands on experience, classroom time, and design practicum. Dynamic exercises encourage pattern recognition, noticing the links between plants and animals, climate, and landforms that make up natural ecosystems. The course focuses on dry land communities with a strong urban and semi-rural emphasis, addressing individual site and neighborhood “problems”, such as storm water flooding. Students learn to read the landscape, to map and analyze energies flowing through a site, and to develop integrated designs for sustainable systems. The weekend format of the course makes it easier for people who hold a week day job to attend and promotes better integration of the course material into daily life. Our course closely follows the standard 72 hour format developed by Bill Mollison and others.

Course topics include agroforestry, appropriate technology, building design, design principles and patterning, site analysis, drylands gardening principles, ecosystem restoration, philosophy and ethics of Permaculture, regenerative community economics, soils and erosion control, village and community design, water harvesting, invisible structures, and many other topics. The classroom site is in the Central Tucson area and at other Permaculture sites in the Tucson area. Much of the class is held outdoors. This course is taught and facilitated by Dan Dorsey, Brad Lancaster, and Barbara Rose, each with two decades of Permaculture experience, as well as other SPG associate teachers. For teacher profiles see the Teaching-Team Members link on this website. Participants in this year’s course are shown in the picture. See additional pictures of the course on our home page under the ‘NEWS’ link.

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Sonoran Permaculture Guild partners with Bean Tree Farm for additional workshops and events. For a listing of BTF workshops visit beantreefarm.com – Next workshops: May 25- desert foods cooking class and harvest dinner; June 16- harvesting the bean trees; July 14- saguaro harvest

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Build A Straw Bale House or Wall, Tuesday evening - March 27th, 2012

Co-Sponsored by Pima Community College

In this non-hands on seminar you will learn about straw bale construction and the advantages of super insulation, thick walls, and ease of construction. Handouts and a complete discussion of the current straw bale code, detail drawings of windows and doors, and additional tips to make your building experience easier are included. This class also includes a complete slide show from start to finish on how to build a straw bale house or wall, as well as a demonstration of special tools and props that work well with straw bale construction.
Location:
Time: 6:30 PM to 9 PM
Cost: $59, Call PCC at 206-6468 to register
Class size is limited to 15 participants
Taught by Dan Dorsey, B.S., local straw bale designer of over 85 permitted single family residences and auxillary buildings throughout Arizona.

Picture of Dan courtesy of WMG

Natural Building and Passive Solar Design, Sunday, April 15, 2012

This workshop includes hands on work with straw bales, adobe blocks, and cob. We’ll do hands on building of small structures like benches and walls – projects that you can easily do at your own place to create beautiful outdoor spaces. After this hands on work in the morning we’ll cover the building codes related to these materials used in larger projects. After lunch we will talk about the main principles of good passive solar design. This class emphasizes integrated design and getting back in touch with the patterns of nature so we make design decisions that are in tune with the environment. Using these natural building materials can help make our living environments more healthy and comfortable too. Location: T.B.A. in central Tucson. Directions sent with registration.Time: 9AM to 4:30PM Cost: $69 – includes all course materials and handouts. Taught by Dan Dorsey. For more information or registration contact Dan at 520-624-8030 or dorsey@dakotacom.net

Complete Hands On Water Harvesting, Sunday, April 29th, 2012

Learning how to use rainfall and storm water run-off is one of the keys to developing a sustainable and lush landscape. Rainwater harvesting helps us to reduce erosion and have a lush multi use landscape without having to import water from outside our bioregion or overpump the groundwater table. In this hands on workshop we will install a water cistern, learn how to read the water situation on a site, and do basic calculations on the water flow available. We will install basic earthworks to hold water on site, and talk about contours, plant selection, and mulching. This workshop is more than learning about techniques for harvesting rainwater; it will show you how water harvesting can be integrated into your own lifestyle and into a simple landscape design for your home.
Location: Central Tucson Location, TBA. This class is limited to 15 participants.
Time: 9AM to 4:30PM
Cost: $69 includes all class materials and handouts
Taught by Dan Dorsey (520) 624-8030 and guest instructors dorsey@dakotacom.net call Dan for registration or information

Introduction to Natural Beekeeping – Saturday, April 21st, 2012

This is a one day introductory beekeeping workshop in Avra Valley just west of Tucson, Arizona. The role of bees in a regenerative permaculture design will be discussed and compared to conventional “industrial” methods of hive maintenance and honey production. We will look at the reproduction patterns of the honey bee, the expansion and contraction patterns of the hive throughout the seasons, the roles of queen, worker and drone, and the honey bee’s complex set of duties such as pollination, storing nectar and pollen, and making wax. To facilitate discussion, the morning portion of this class will involve the examination of these patterns within a working top bar hive and Langstroth hive if available. The second half of this class will illustrate the construction of a top bar hive, and the benefits of natural top bar beekeeping vs. standard beekeeping methods. The cost and planning involved in setting up a top bar bee hive and a conventional Langstroth hive is covered, as well as installing a new hive from packages or swarms. If time, weather, and honey flow permit, a hive will be harvested and comb honey may be available for tasting. Suggested reading: The Buzz about Bees, Biology of a Superorganism, by Jurgen Tautz, The Biology of the Honeybee, by Mark L. Winston, and Introduction to Permaculture, by Bill Mollison.

Location: ReZoNation Farms, Avra Valley, Arizona, 27 miles west of downtown Tucson. Directions and class details will be sent with registration. Carpooling is encouraged. Time: 8:30AM to 3:30PM Cost: $75 – includes course materials. The workshop is taught by Jaime de Zubeldia. E-mail jaime@rezonationfarm.com for registration or more information.

Medicinal Herbs of the Sonoran Desert, Saturday - April 28th, 2012

Enjoy a day on Mt Lemmon with local herbalist John Slattery for some hands-on herbal training. We will be identifying and viewing plants in their native habitat while discussing such topics as botany, habitat observation, ethnobotany (traditional uses of the plants), wildharvesting ethics, various wild food preparations, a variety of medicinal preparations, and more. Additionally, this class features in-the-field medicine making. We will prepare a fresh plant tincture, and learn how to use this particular mystery remedy for ourselves and our family. Please bring protection from the sun, comfortable walking shoes, 2-3 qt drinking water, lunch, and a notebook, pen/pencil.

Directions on where to meet for carpooling and other class details will be sent upon registration. Time 7AM - 3PM. Cost $75, includes all materials and handouts for the class. Contact John Slattery for information on class CONTENT only at desertortoisebotanicals@gmail.com. For registration information contact Dan Dorsey at dorsey@dakotacom.net.

Fall 2012 One Day Workshops

Registration information and other FAQs for the following workshops is at the very bottom of this page

Designing a Home Greywater System – September date TBA

This one-day class provides a basic understanding of residential greywater system design, function, application, and applicable building codes. Participants will work with an aerial photo of their own residence (provided by the instructor) to identify and evaluate the potential of their own greywater sources and design a workable plan for a greywater system for their own home. Some basic plumbing experience is helpful, but not required. Class will end with a short walking tour (less than 1 mile) of greywater systems at several permculture sites in the neighborhood. Taught by Leona Davis. Class size is limited to 15 participants.
Location: Mesquite Tree Permaculture Site, one and a half miles north of downtown Tucson.
Time: 9:00AM – 4:00PM
Cost: $49 – includes all course materials, handouts, and a formal plan you will produce on a greywater system for your own residence.
Call or e-mail Leona for registration or information. (520) 205-0067 or leonafdavis@gmail.com
Directions and more information will be sent with registration.

Introduction to Permaculture for Kids – September date TBA

This class is a playful one-day exploration of recognizing patterns in our world and strategies for living by Permaculture principles, for kids ages 8-14. We will visit several Permaculture sites in the neighborhood to see Permaculture in action, and get some hands-on experience with rainwater harvesting, vegetable gardening, chickens, composting, and native food harvesting. Storytelling, music, and dancing will be involved. Class size is limited to 15 participants. Taught by Leona Davis and Julie Newcombe.
Location: Class will be held just three blocks from the Mesquite Tree Permaculture site, one and a half miles north of downtown Tucson.
Time: 8:45AM – 4:45PM. This class includes a lunch break at the same time as the Intro to Permaculture class for adults, so kids and parents in class can get together for lunch.
Cost: $29 – includes all course materials, a craft to take home, and a native food snack
Call or e-mail Leona for registration or information. (520) 205-0067 or leonafdavis@gmail.com
Directions and more information will be sent with registration.

Introduction to Permaculture - October date TBA

Based on the Permaculture design system, we’ll learn how to map out the natural story of the place we live. Then we’ll put together an exciting, long term plan for a sustainable home and landscape – one that takes care of people and takes care of our environment at the same time. We’ll practice some of the skills and strategies needed to do Permaculture design, like mapping out the natural and person-made forces that effect our site and using simple elevation finding tools. Bring a basemap sketch of the site you want to work on. This class is held at the Sonoran Permaculture Guild’s Ramada classroom site north of downtown Tucson, where you will see Permaculture design and implementation demonstrated on site. Class size is limited to 15 participants.
Location: Mesquite Tree Permaculture Site, one and a half miles north of downtown Tucson. Directions and more information will be sent with registration. 9AM to 4:30PM
Cost: $59 – includes all course materials, handouts, and a delicious mesquite bread snack cooked in the solar oven.
Taught by Dan Dorsey (520) 624-8030 dorsey@dakotacom.net
Call or e-mail Dan for registration or information. Directions and more information will be sent with registration.

Natural Building and Passive Solar Design, Fall, 2012

Complete Hands On Water Harvesting, Fall, 2012

Build A Straw Bale House or Wall, Tuesday evening - October 16th, 2012

Co-Sponsored by Pima Community College

Picture of Dan courtesy of WMG

Introduction to Growing Food at Home – November TBA

The future of sustainable agriculture will be in small to medium scale organic food gardens grown right in our cities. In this workshop that includes hands-on work, you will learn how to set up a complete garden system. We will show you how to increase your garden’s health, production, and nutrient value, using an integrated system of compost mulch, and organic soil amendments to improve fertility, structure, and life in your soil. As a bonus you will see how chickens and earthworms can be integrated into your home food garden system also.

Time: 9AM – 1PM

Cost: $39 – includes all course materials. Taught by Rudy Poe and Leona Davis. Contact Leona Davis at (520) 205-0067 or leonafdavis@gmail.com
for registration or registration. Class limit is 15 participants.

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FAQs on registering for our one day or half day classes and workshops…

How do I register for a one day or half day class?

If you want to register for a class at Bean Tree Farm e-mail beantreefarm@gmail.com. For more information, visit beantreefarm.com.

For all other classes and workshops follow this information below.

You are registered for a class when we receive your payment in full. There are three ways to pay and register for a class…

1. Checks and money orders can be made out to our non-profit: “NEST/Sonoran Permaculture Guild”. Please mail only checks and money orders (no cash) to: Sonoran Permaculture Guild, c/o Dan Dorsey 221 E. Linden Tucson, AZ 85705. Include your return address, e-mail, and phone number, and you will be sent an e-receipt or phone call confirming your registration

2. Cash, money orders, or checks can also be handed directly to Dan Dorsey or to the contact person for the class in person, and a receipt will be issued to you at that time. Call the contact person listed for the class to schedule a time. Our central Tucson office is one and a half miles north of downtown Tucson.

3. Major credit cards go through our PayPal account. Call or e-mail dorsey@dakotacom.net for this option.

If after I register and pay what if I need to cancel out?

Our refund policy is as follows: Up to three weeks before the class, you will receive a full refund minus a $10 refund and processing fee. Up to ten days before the class you will receive one half of the class fee as a refund. After ten days before the class date there is no refund, but we will give you some partial credit to use toward a future class. If the class you are signed up for is full with a waiting list, and we can fill your cancelled spot, you will receive a full refund minus a $10 processing fee up to the day of the class.

Is there work-trade exchange available?

There might be some work trade for classes. Contact the class registrar for the class.

Can I get college credit for taking any of these classes?

Some of our participants have been college students, and they have worked with their departments at the University of Arizona, Prescott College, and Pima Community College to obtain independent study credit for taking our courses and classes. It is up to the individual student to work out arrangements with his or her college or department for credit.

What if I have additional questions about what to expect in the classes?

Call or e-mail the contact person for each class listed below the description of the class.