Last fall I spent ten days having an amazing, life-changing, super-fun experience. I observed worms eating food scraps, activated some biochar, made some “lasagna” (with cardboard, straw, and compost), and listening to more fascinating presentations than I can count. Christina here, writing about the Permaculture Design Course I attended at Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage in 2018.

What is permaculture? For me, it’s all about the difference between a “footprint” and a “handprint.” Your footprint is the negative impact you have on the planet; it factors in choices like how much fossil fuel you use, how much waste you create, and how many resources you consume to support your lifestyle. A handprint is a positive legacy you leave behind. To live sustainably we all need to make fewer footprints, and moving to an ecovillage has made this a lot easier for me, but I still want to do more — the PDC was my first step.

The ten-day course was an intense experience. My notes almost filled an entire notebook. I learned, for example, that by adding soil amendments, placing vegetables and other plants together in guilds, and sequestering carbon by planting trees, I can create small ecosystems where before there was barren ground. I also learned how to grow more food with less work, and how to use regular old cardboard to create a new garden. I learned just how dire the climate change situation is right now, and about regular people who are making the world a wonderful, sustainable place with their amazing handprints.

I also learned a range of soft skills that don’t get advertised: how to work in groups, how to be vulnerable with new friends, and how to appreciate someone else in ways I otherwise might not have considered.

The best part was the people. The other students were unique and interesting, as well as great new friends to hang out with, and the three primary teachers, (Erik, Olive, and Sharon), were inspiring, knowledgeable, caring, and playful. Everyone who made the course happen — from teaching classes to making snacks to ensuring that everyone had enough warm blankets on a cold night — helped me to feel like I was taken care of throughout the whole experience.

I’m still buzzing with excitement about everything I learned about permaculture, myself, and this amazing place where I live. I want fruit trees and sheep and swales in my landscape (and I want them now!) but I’m following the permaculture principle of enacting small, slow solutions. I will spend time observing the land and its ecosystems before I interact, and I will remember that change takes time.

Change takes time, but it has to start somewhere — stop making footprints and start making handprints with this year's Permaculture Design Course at Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage. It runs from May 2 - 12, and it’s sure to be an inspiring, educational experience. Spring will be here before you know it and spots are limited, so sign up today!