Ever Wondered…
“What can I do with a Permaculture Certificate?”
Meet Our Alumni and Get Inspired By Their Stories!
We have over 500 graduates of our Permaculture Design Certificate course, and they’re doing some extraordinary things. This page is dedicated to showcasing their great work through beautiful videos, clever interviews and profiles of successful student businesses and projects.
Two filmmakers set out to document 10 of our grads in action as they start homesteads, businesses, conferences and more. Warning: beautiful footage and inspiring stories will make you want to jump up and follow suit!
This series tells the stories of 10 past students of our Permaculture Design Certificate (PDC) course, documenting what they’ve done with the knowledge, skills and inspiration they acquired from the course. Two film makers set out to find these graduates and catch them in action, capturing their successes, struggles, and transformations as they embark on new endeavours – starting gardens, homesteads, community projects, businesses, building sustainable homes and structures, hosting conferences and much more.
At this turning point in human history, where people from all walks of life have begun searching for a more fulfilling and sustainable way of living, these PDC graduates show what is possible, and in doing so demonstrate the essence of the permaculture movement that is sweeping Calgary and the world. We hope that watching these videos inspires you as much as we were inspired by creating them; so kick back, press play, and enjoy watching positive, practical change in action!
10 Part Series Trailer:
With countless Verge grads launching their own permaculture careers and projects, it’s getting harder and harder to keep up! So each month, we profile at least one PDC grad and their permaculture business or project. If you’ve ever daydreamed about quitting your job and starting a meaningful career healing the earth, these grads will show you how it’s done.
Explore our Verge Alumni Profiles:
Taking a Permaculture Design Certificate (PDC) can be a life-changing experience. Many of our students leave the course so inspired and full of ideas, they end up making dramatic lifestyle changes, sometimes leaving their jobs to pursue careers in permaculture. And not surprisingly. In this exciting, dynamic and earth-healing field, there’s a lot of room for work. So what does life after the PDC look like? Read on, as Sara Haney, a PDC graduate herself, interviews seven of Verge’s PDC graduates about the career and life changes that followed their course.
Life after the PDC Interviews:
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Permaculture offers an exciting and engaging vision for human organization and habitat. The knowledge provided by this course has equipped me with positive alternative solutions to the significant problems our society faces. I hope to apply my experience to food security policy issues. Rob and Michelle have developed an organized and structured course; combined with their knowledgeable instruction, the value of the course far surpasses the course fee. Highly recommended.
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This design course really helped to us draw connections to integrate shelter more closely with the landscape.
Dirt Craft Natural Building
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Thank-you for your continued support over the years and for facilitating what was a pivotal point in my fiancee and my life.
Reforged Ironworks
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Quite sincerely, I believe everyone who cares remotely about our children's future on this planet should learn about permaculture (or if you just want to know some really useful information)! I am so grateful for the immense amount of useful information the course offered (so generously by Rob) and the amazing people I met that are on such interesting paths
Regenerative Designer, Living Ecology
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The information in the Permaculture Primer and in the PDC has changed my world view and my direction in life. I highly recommend it.
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Rob’s course will transform you into someone ready to make the changes you want to make but are unsure are even possible. The revealing of permaculture design and knowledge at [the permaculture design course] is so powerful because it equips you with the knowledge of how to make real and significant changes in your community and your own life.
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The PDC provides an important perspective for any who are disturbed by the present state of our culture and are seeking viable avenues for co-creating new ways forward.
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Rob's incredible wealth of knowledge and resources provided a great base for understanding sustainable living that is symbiotic with nature...in a way that was inspiring and positive.
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The Verge Permaculture [Design Course] is a comprehensive course with hands-on applications. It is fantastic! Rob Avis provides functional information that goes way beyond the garden to – building, growing & creating a good life. We walked out of the [course] with so many entrepreneurial & sustainable ideas & opportunities there is no way this functional system (permaculture) cannot grow exponentially to make a better future. I am so excited!
Environmental Planner
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Verge empowered me to recognize my way of changing to world.
Giggling Chi Tree
How Permaculture Changed My Life
In this newest blog series, we feature personal stories from past alumni about how how permaculture changed the direction of their outlooks and careers.
