
Permaculture Design Course Online – Permaculture Course Online
Permaculture Design Course Online – PDC Online – Permaculture Design Certificate. Learn with the Permaculture Course Online.
Flexible and affordable Permaculture Design Course Online. 72+ hours PDC online course with PDC certification and support.
Permaculture Garden Design Melbourne
Permaculture garden design is a holistic approach to designing sustainable gardening systems that mimic the patterns and relationships found in nature. The goal of permaculture garden design is to create a self-sustaining ecosystem that supports the needs of plants, animals, and humans in a symbiotic relationship.
Permaculture garden design incorporates several key principles, including:
-Observation and analysis of the site and its microclimates, soil types, water sources, and existing flora and fauna.
-Designing for multiple functions: Each element in the garden is designed to serve multiple purposes, such as using a hedge as a windbreak and a source of food for wildlife.
-Maximizing edge: The edge of an area, such as where a garden meets a forest, is where the most diversity of life is found. Permaculture garden design incorporates this principle by creating a variety of edges, such as a pond edge, a lawn edge, or a hedge edge.
-Mimic natural systems: Permaculture Garden design incorporates natural systems, such as succession, to create a self-sustaining ecosystem. This can include using companion planting, crop rotation, and intercropping to mimic natural systems.
-Building soil health: Permaculture Garden design focuses on building healthy soil, which is the foundation of a healthy ecosystem. This can include using cover crops, compost, and other organic matter to improve soil structure and fertility.
Learn from Australian permaculture pioneers who have been teaching and practising permaculture gardening for more than 25 years. They have had the honour of getting to know many permaculture pioneers, including Bill Mollison, with whom they have had the opportunity of teaching. Discover the most recent best practises and practical pointers and shortcuts for daily living. Discover permaculture garden design Melbourne – with us!
Here at Noosa Forest Retreat, we designed a fully online permaculture garden design Australia course that will guide you through the principles of sustainability and really get you thinking on how to garden effectively. We founded the permaculture garden design Melbourne course in 2017 with the goal to make the Permaculture Design Certificate course (PDC) accessible to more people, by being affordable, flexible, easy to learn from home, a source of valuable feedback, and an interconnecting network of teachers, students & supporters. We provide a dynamic online community & classroom that connects and supports you to complete the PDC course, learn with and from each other, plus start and develop your own real-life projects. Call us today to get the ball rolling!
Cutting Edge Permaculture Education
Learn from a team of PDC teachers and specialist presenters.

Ian Trew
PDC Teacher
BSc Psychology & Health Science, Dipl Ayurveda, PDC Principal Teacher & Noosa Forest Retreat Co-Founder.




Christina Laurikainen
PDC Teacher
BEnvSc Environmental Science, Dipl Laboratory Technology, Research Scientist & PDC Teacher at Noosa Forest Retreat, Focus on Agroecology & Phytochemistry.




Anthony Bugden
Specialist Presenter
LLB BEnvSc Law & Environmental Science – Anthony Bugden has a background in sustainability, technology and legal consulting. He has worked in the built environment with focus on strata & community title governance.




Phil Stringer
Specialist Presenter
Phil Stringer has helped on the very first PDC courses supporting David Holmgren. Phil brings 35+ years of experience in organic agriculture and regenerative forestry, with a focus on holistic management, animal systems and cell grazing.
Permaculture Design Course Online Trailer
Watch The Video Trailer
Permaculture Design Course Online
Official 72+ hours PDC curriculum
Videos, Keynotes & Commentary
Practical tasks, quizzes and final project
Personal online support for all your questions
…and a platform to connect with your classmates!
What You’ll Learn In The Permaculture Design Course Online
Design sustainable systems
This Permaculture design course online will give you the skills
to design sustainable systems that provide for all human needs:
Nutritious food, water, energy and shelter.
Our online Permaculture design course has a unique focus on natural health and community living. We are a small independent Permaculture community, living and teaching Permaculture since 10+ years, and with the help of your recent crowdfunding we could build this kick ass platform for you!


Why learn with us?
Our PDC online course covers the full curriculum of the official 72-hour Permaculture Design Certificate Course, as taught by the founders of Permaculture – David Holmgren and Bill Mollison. And there’s a few more reasons:
Latest Knowledge
Learn from Australian permaculture pioneers who have been practicing and teaching Permaculture for over 25 years,
having had the privilege knowing many Permaculture pioneers including teaching alongside Bill Mollison.
Learn the latest best practises and useful tips and tricks for your everyday life.
Internationally Recognised PDC
You will earn the internationally recognised PDC (Permaculture Design Certificate). Your Permaculture Design Certificate gives you further opportunities to expand your Permaculture studies and work in becoming a Permaculture designer, consultant, or teacher.
UN Ambassador and Land for Wildlife
The Noosa Forest Retreat
is a 160acre property officially registered as Land for Wildlife. The founder of Noosa Forest Retreat has been awarded Ambassador of the Noosa Biosphere Reserve Foundation, which has been entrusted by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and Noosa Council to protect Noosa’s global status as a Biosphere Reserve.
Personal Support
Get helpful support for all your questions in our online forums.
You will be guided through every step of your Permaculture design course online and the final project.
Join discussions in the forums and connect with your classmates.
Flexible Course Length
A 72+ hour online course including videos, written material and illustrations, and the time needed to work on your assignments.
You can take a whole year’s time to complete the course. We are still editing the last chapters, which should be finished by around July/August 2018 the latest – a big thanks to all early supporters!!! You help making this independent project reality!
Final Assignment
As your final project for your Permaculture online course you will plan and draw a sustainable design for a property
using Permaculture Design principles. And don’t worry, ou will be guided through every step.


Learn Hassle-Free
We’ve been working on a solid and easy to use application to make your learning efficient and hassle-free. You will love it.
SAVE 50% – Do the course with a team partner and split the cost!
TEAM DEAL SAVE 50%
You can do this course together with a friend or partner and share the cost!
This way you can learn together and pay only half the price.
How it works
You’ll share one account, submit one final design, and you’ll get 2 PDCs.
Just send us an email with the name of your team partner after you enrolled! That’s it.
Pricing Options
FREE Permaculture Introduction
What is Permaculture? A free introduction to the Permaculture Design Course Online.
Start watching in 30 seconds. Sign up for your free account.
FREE
No credit card required.
Secure Payment
Permaculture Design Certificate Online Course
Full PDC online course, with personal support by the teachers, private forums access and up to 2 Permaculture Design Certificates.
Secure Payment
All payments are processed through a secure, encrypted portal. All major credit cards.
14 Days Money Back Guarantee
Try Risk Free For 14 Days
Permaculture Design Certificate Course Online – Syllabus
The Permaculture Design Course Online consists of 12 chapters plus bonus videos and practical part. Each chapter consists of a varying amount of lessons, with videos, illustrations, and text. If you book in for the full PDC course with cerification and support you also have access to the PDC forums with personal support by the teachers and practical tasks with feedback of the teachers.
Chapter 1
Introduction to Permaculture
Introduction, History and Ethics of Permaculture.
We also take a deep look into the actual history of Permaculture, the main influencers and fore-runners at that time, like PA Yeomans, Masanobu Fukuoka, and others! Also we’ll have a look at how it all started in Hobart university back in the 70s with David Holmgren and Bill Mollison
Chapter 2
Concepts and Themes
Topics include the Permaculture vision, the Permaculture design principles, systems and elements, designing with the sun, energy and emergy, the beginning of the organic movement, the evolution of our society towards conscious design… And we also start to working on your design brief.
Chapter 3
Methods of Permaculture Design
This chapter provides a step-by-step guide to produce a written record of the permaculture design – the Permaculture Design Brief. It begins with a client consultation (identification of key themes, linking components to form stable systems, component placement within zones, sector analysis & more), followed by mapping & information management (of the existing & upgraded landscapes), implementation (of the design process to the real-world) and maintenance (of the fully formed permaculture property). This is designed to meet professional standards in multiple disciplines including environmental architecture, town planning, landscaping and more.
Chapter 4
Understanding Patterns in Nature
From micro-, through meso- to macro-scales… patterns form our world: they are the key to harmony and understanding on all levels – bringing us integration into natural ecological processes. This chapter introduces us to key patterns found in nature and explains how they exist as they do. We then learn how to adopt this knowledge into our designs – to benefit and even grow new resources.
Chapter 5
Climatic Factors
From broad climatic zones, through local weather patterns, down to microclimates…this chapter looks at the fundamental meteorological elements which gives power to our natural world – and teaches us how to use them in our permaculture designs. Topics include how weather and climate work (global & local patterns), classification systems (& their uses), harvesting water (rainfall, fog & dew), sunlight and wind resources.
Chapter 6
The Plant Kingdom
In this chapter, we discover how plants give life to land through rainfall (-yes, you read that right!), then tease apart natural processes which develop a plant community over space & time. Thus, we learn how to grow abundant & self-managed orchards, food forests & other polyculture crops (including community gardens & grain crops) – no matter what climate you live in! Also in focus, are practical growing tips (including plant anatomy & pollination techniques), plus how to manage records for a continuous harvest of healthy plants & produce over the life of your property.
Chapter 7
Water
Water = life on Earth. No matter who are you are, or where you live – you will gain greatly from understanding our precious water resources. With excellent descriptions & directions on how to manage water flows, storage & re-use – this chapter covers all terrains, from mountain top through to flood plains.Focus includes swale design, dam types & placement, household water management (grey- & black-water), free-energy water pumps & even living swimming pools. We will learn how to capture natural flows from the moment it enters the property, to the time it leaves (even cleaner & fresher, than it began).
Chapter 8
Soil
Soil is a precious & finite resource. Without it, we have no food, medicines or materials. In this chapter, we’ll learn how to classify & manage it. How to rehabilitate & even create it through organic methods! We explore soil life, plant nutrition & the distribution of elements in the soil profile. And after this chapter – pH will no longer be a mystery. We will learn how to turn soil from a finite resource = to an infinite one. Join us, as we learn about the foundation of all life – SOIL.
Chapter 9
Earthworks and Earth Resources
Here we’ll be looking into planning earthworks, planting after earthworks, slope measure, levels and levelling, the different types of earthworks, earth constructs, moving the earth, earth resources.
Chapter 10
Specific Environments
From humid tropics, drylands or cold climates, up to specific environments like urban / high density areas and the different permaculture design strategies for these environments.
Chapter 11
Aquaculture
In the WATER chapter, prime locations for all-sized water bodies are identified. This chapter expands on this, by bringing them to life. With descriptions of both ancient & modern-day techniques, pond polyculture & the environmental conditions needed for aquatic health is described in fascinating detail – complete with instructions on how to populate the ecosystems, no matter where in the world your property is located.Also included is sustainable feed management – up to ecosystems which can feed a small town.
Chapter 12
Animal Management
Phil Stringer will be talking about holistic animal management & cell grazing. Phil will share experience and useful tips around animal management.
Chapter 13
Social Structures & Management
Successful activism, alternatives to political systems, bioregional organisations, trusts and legal strategies, land developmental and property trusts, money and finances, land access, set up a community and land shares.
Community permaculture, titles & governance, the bigger picture, society & empowerment.
Chapter 14
Final Design Submission
Before you submit your final permaculture design, you will get an extra chapter with helpful checklists, to double-check your work before submitting it.
PERSONAL SUPPORT
PERSONAL SUPPORT & FEEDBACK
Any questions you might run into, you can always ask the teachers and get personal feedback.
PRACTICAL WORK
CREATE A REAL LIFE DESIGN
You will create your first real life Permaculture design!
You will work on your first real Permaculture design for a property. We will guide you through every step, with personal support and guidance. Also you will do 5 practical tasks at home, where you simply send in some pics to show you’ve done the practicals (easy stuff, don’t worry), for example: build an A-frame, start a compost.
Ready To Start Your PDC Course?
The Permaculture Design Course Online Enables You To:
- Plan and implement Permaculture systems for yourself and others.
- Design sustainable homes and properties.
- Develop ecological food production systems.
- Design water harvesting systems and earthworks.
- Build healthy soil and increase fertility naturally.
- Teach and help others with your knowledge on Permaculture.
- Work as consultant or aid-worker or start with any other business idea you have!
About The Permaculture Design Course Online Teachers
A little bit about the presenters of the Permaculture Design Course Online.
Ian Trew
Permaculture Design Course Online Teacher & Co-Founder Noosa Forest Retreat
Ian Trew is a sought after public speaker and principle teacher of the NFR Permaculture Design Course Online.
While at university, Ian met the co-founders of Permaculture David Holmgren and Bill Mollison and became inspired to pursue an integrated approach to health of individual, soil,
planet and community.
He has now worked for over 25 years in areas of permaculture and integrated natural health for both government and private practice and has worked on a range of long term permaculture projects.
Previous students have now gone on to design and implement their own sustainable systems, be involved in third world aid work, teach permaculture and recently winning the prestigious Sunshine Coast Environment Council (SCEC) Award.
Ian is a founding member of Queensland’s Sunshine Coast Vedic and Cultural Association in the mid 1990′s and has been working in the area of personal health and health retreats since.
He has been deepening his study and practice of Ayurveda and holistic counselling, offering customized health retreat programs on the Sunshine Coast and Noosa hinterland since 1999.
Christina Laurikainen
Permaculture Design Course Online Teacher
Chrissy (also known at Tiina) creates lessons which are clear, factual and supported by real-world permaculture experience. She keeps in mind the many & diverse global ecologies and understands many of these intimately, as she has lived in 13 countries throughout Austral-Asia, Arabia & the Mediterranean.
She first encountered permaculture when working at Beelarong City Farm (Brisbane, Australia) in 2003 and progressed to Noosa Forest Retreat permaculture community in 2005. She is currently developing a 30-acre property using permaculture principles at Traveston (QLD, Australia). Additionally, she has worked as an environmental scientist at Australian River’s Institute, who boast Australia’s largest number of water-based scientists.
Chrissy holds a Bachelor of Science (Environment) – majoring in Natural Resources & Pollution (Griffith University), a Permaculture Design Certificate (Sustainable Agrarians), “Earthworks” Certificate (Permaculture Research Institute) and “Natural Building Course” (Puravida Sustainable Technologies).
Chrissy’s life goal is to realise ecological utopia. For this end, she partakes in a vegetarian diet (due to animal welfare), buys second-hand where possible, maintains an awareness to counteract the negative effects of consumerism & competition, minimizes the use of plastic & manmade materials and continues to educate + develop herself as an honourable & ethical individual. She also plans to found a communal scientific research facility, with a focus on permaculture in significant forested landscapes (such as can be found along the eastern coast of Australia which includes remnant 300-million-year-old rainforest).
This permaculture online course is perfect if you’re interested in:
- Sustainability
- Natural Health
- Growing healthy organic food
- Reducing your footprint and integrating your life-style with nature
- Setting up your property for a self-sufficient life
- Living off-the-grid