Overview

Learn ecological design in Australia, where Permaculture began. Permaculture is a system of applied design for the creation of sustainable human habitat. It is the use of ecology as the basis for designing integrated systems of food production, housing, appropriate technology, and community development. Permaculture is built upon an ethic of caring for the earth and interacting with the environment in mutually beneficial ways.

At Crystal Waters, an award winning ecovillage and wildlife refuge in beautiful, subtropical Australia, you achieve a deeper understanding of human interconnectedness with the natural world and facilitate positive new visions for a sustainable future. You also learn practical tools and strategies for living well and lightly in a post-Peak-Oil world.

The program culminates in an unparalleled location: Fraser Island, the largest sand island in the world. At this World Heritage Site, the majestic remnants of a tall rainforest grows on sand, and fully half the world’s perched freshwater dune lakes are found inland from the beach and the Great Barrier Reef. The combination of shifting sand-dunes, tropical rainforests and lakes make it an exceptional place for students to experience Australia’s natural beauty and efforts at ecological preservation.

Highlights
	Visit rainforests home to endangered flora and fauna.
	Enjoy a three-night excursion to Fraser Island, a one-of-a-kind sand island with rainforests and pristine beaches.
	Experience wildlife at Crystal Waters, including rare birds, kangaroos, and wallabies.
	Learn about green building techniques, renewable energy, and sustainable organic agriculture and their viability in different settings.
	Create your own ecological design & become a Certified Permaculture Apprentice.

Crystal Waters Permaculture Village

Founded in 1987 on the subtropical east coast of Australia, Crystal Waters is an established ecovillage, home to over 200 permanent residents and abundant wildlife on 640 acres of land. In 1996, it received a UN World Habitat Award for its “pioneering work in demonstrating new ways of low impact, sustainable living.” Residents’ eco-homes demonstrate a variety of styles of building, from straw bale to rammed earth, pole house to mud dome and avoid using rainforest timbers and toxic chemicals. Students are housed in a combination of bunkhouse and cabin accommodations and have use of the state-of-the-art EcoCentre which has rammed earth walls, photovoltaic power, rainwater collection, and a Biolytic waste system. 

Read more about Crystal Waters»

Course Topics
	Reading the Landscape: Land assessment for optimal use; Site planning & analysis; Observation of patterns & cycles of nature
	Water in the Landscape: Water saving, storage and management; Aquaculture; Waste water treatment and use
	Building A Healthy Soil: Basics of soil structure, texture and pH; Strategies for improving soil using green manures and intercrops; Mulching and compost; mechanical and mineral rehabitation
	The Cultivated Ecosystem: Establishment of organic vegetable gardens; Basics of selection, establishment, & maintenance of orchards; Ecological pest management; free range poultry systems; cell grazing for cattle and sheep
	Shelter: Appropriate technologies; Energy efficient design & least toxic materials
	Community Support Systems: Urban renewal strategies; Village and community design and community economics

Academic Credit
Earn 4 transferable credits through the University of Massachusetts Amherst

Course: Permaculture (Plant and Soil Sciences 398P)

Find out about transferring credits to your home school »

View the full curriculum for this program »