Alert! Price Reduced to $500 if you register with deposit no later than November 20! Charles & Julia want to make it as easy as possible for this inaugural event in Sicily to happen!

Community. Creativity. Culture.
Co-Sponsored by Portland Maine Permaculture and The Pattern Factory at Newforest Institute

If permaculture is to help us weather the storms ahead, we must advance our design skills beyond "single-property" permaculture and include the re-creation of successful "villages" out of the existing landscape of cities, towns, suburbs and rural settlements. What really worked about pre "cheap oil" villages and neighborhoods? How can we combine that with the best of what today has to offer? Can we create resilience "in place" by studying the time-tested patterns of centuries-old human settlements and applying that experience to the redesign of our current homes and neighborhoods?

Please join us for an Advanced Permaculture Design Course in January 2010 at the Caccamo, Sicily (Italy) home of Charles and Julia Yelton. In this historic setting we will work collaboratively to broaden and deepen our pattern literacy, immersed in a unique combination of ancient and modern patterns that have much to teach us about resilience. We will hone our technical design skills and each student will complete an independent design project in or near the village. The format will be a combination of lecture, group exercises, field trips and the design practicum. This course is limited to 10-12 students.

Who Should Take This Course?
This course is suited to anyone who has already completed the standard Permaculture Design Course or another Advanced Course and who would like to take their design skills to a new level. Appropriate for property-owners, planners, educators, architects, engineers, landscape professionals, farmers, activists and permaculturists of all stripes.

Structure & Course Description
The course begins with an opening reception and shared meal on the evening of January 8th and we will work as a group on our coursework each day from 9am to 5pm January 9th through January 15th and a closing presentation of design work on January 16th. There will be course material on selected evenings to further enrich the learning process and to immerse ourselves in our surroundings, one of the best teachers! There will be one "free day" and at least 2-3 "free evenings" during the course during which optional activities will be offered.

The Setting
We will be based at the property of Charles & Julia Yelton, an agricultural small-holding of about 3.5 acres located about 3.5 km from the center of the old village of Caccamo. You will enjoy views of the village and the sea, stroll among more than 100 olive trees and intimately experience life in and around a Sicilian village. To learn more about Caccamo: http://www.the-pagorias.com/caccamo.htm and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caccamo I have added some Caccamo photos here: http://www.meetup.com/portlandpermaculture/photos/59153/#9471882

Pre-requisites
Each student will need to provide a copy of her/his Permaculture Design Certificate from an instructor known to or verifiable by Charles & Julia Yelton. A copy or digital image of your design drawing from that course may also be requested. If you have not yet completed a permaculture design certificate course contact the meetup organizer who can refer you to several courses taking place between now and November.

Preparation
Several readings will be assigned in advanced of the course and the details will be outlined in the "course packet" you'll receive upon registration. Please note that the course texts are A Pattern Language by Christopher Alexander and Permaculture: A Designer's Manual by Bill Mollison. You will want to secure copies of those as soon as possible; they can be ordered easily by your local independent bookstore. Your course packet will provide additional details on what to pack/bring for this course.

Travel & Accommodation
Travel: You are responsible for your own travel arrangements to the site but upon registration we will provide you with more details and recommendations. (For example, it can be much less expensive to fly to London and then take a charter flight to Palermo than flying via some other routes). The Palermo airport is about 1h by car from Caccamo. There is also a 12h overnight train from Rome to Termini Imerese (about 4km from Caccamo). We are happy to arrange transfers from either the airport or the rail station upon receipt of your flight details.

Accommodation Options. Camping on Charles & Julia's property (in the olive grove!) is at no extra charge. Tents and sleeping bags will be provided. We will also provide a list of comfortable/affordable local accommodations and rental houses for those of you who don't wish to camp on site. I will contact each registering student to discuss their choice of lodging requirements so that we can help facilitate the best possible experience for each!

Meals: Your course fee includes light breakfast each day, all lunches and all but three dinners (three nights will be either on your own or a group meal out in the old village). Meals will be largely vegetarian (with some non-veg options) made from as many fresh, local ingredients as possible.

About the Instructors
Charles & Julia Yelton, of Humastacia Permaculture Gardens in Whitefield, Maine are international permaculture designers and teachers. They have traveled and lectured on permaculture topics throughout the world. Formerly of Crystal Waters permaculture village in Queensland Australia, they have gone on to practice and teach for over 15 years in Asia, Europe and North America, most recently designing and implementing comprehensive permaculture gardens in Cyprus. They are the Co-Directors of The Permaculture Center at Newforest Institute in Brooks, Maine and have been named 2008 Still Water Fellows by the University of Maine, Orono.

Cost and Registration Process
The cost of the course is USD$1000 . The deposit to hold your place on this course is $250. The deposit is due at registration and the balance is due by December 31st, 2009. The fee includes the course itself, handouts, design supplies and field trips.

Registration
Space is limited for this course. To register and hold your spot you need to do two things:
RSVP "yes" here and make your deposit.
Complete the online registration form here http://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?hl=en&formkey=cnZtMVQyUWQtWFZ3a0g0dVVPRkF1bFE6MA..

Contact the meetup organizer with questions!
Downloadable Course Flyer: http://files.meetup.com/215138/2010%20Advanced%20Permaculture%20Course%20Flyer.pdf

Refund Policy
$100 of your deposit is non-refundable. Of the balance 50% is refundable if you withdraw less than 60 days prior to the start date. If for some reason the organizers have to cancel the course your payment is fully refundable.