Urban Permaculture Design Certification Course – 23 Feb.-14 May 2016

293386987-Urban-Permaculture-Design-Certification-Course-Winter-Spring-2016

by: Kansas City Permaculture Education, Extension, & Research (KCPEER)
at: Urban Farming Guys (& Gals), 3700 E. 12th St. (at Monroe) Kansas City MO 64127
12 weeks, 3 hour Tuesday evening classes, 3 hour Saturday morning field days
Permaculture in Kansas City
Permaculture was first conceived and practiced by Bill Mollison and David Holmgren in Tasmania,
Australia. Although Tasmania’s latitude is south about as far as Nebraska’s latitude is north, Tasmania’s
climate has milder Summers and Winters. Early applications of permaculture prevailed in tropical and
sub-tropical regions, but contemporary efforts are exploring how to design permaculture for regions
with colder Winters and hotter Summers like Kansas and Missouri.
The Urban Imperative
Much of the work in permaculture has also focused on farm scale applications, but increasingly there
are designers working in urban settings and conditions unique to the built environment. Land parcels
are smaller, rainwater carries pollution and it runs off pavement rather than soaking in, soils have been
degraded, the heat island effect stresses plants, and invasive species and wildlife can be nuisances. But
there’s also great potential for neighborhood collaboration, reclaiming vacant land, scavenging
materials, sharing knowledge, and tapping into work trades and time banking. Most notably, 75 % of
the U.S. population lives in the suburbs but typically grows lawns rather than food.
Kansas City