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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Thank-you for being such a vocal, sincere, passionate advocate for the ability of ethics to restore the possibility of trust in family and community relationships
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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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Food Purveyor, Canmore, AB / Farmbox Founder
Thank-you! For the density of vital information for creating resilient communities. Thank-you for the inspiration to find innovative opportunities for right livelihood, positive creation, earth repair...and true happiness! Thank-you for the introduction to a vital, vibrant and progressive permaculture community.
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Passion is clearly visible in [Rob's] teaching. Great blend of philosophy, technical knowledge and practical hands-on experience. All of the videos, photos, anecdotes, etc. make for an interesting and engaging presentation.
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Two weeks of inspiring lessons. Two weeks of realization that there are so much more positive options. Two weeks of great food. Two weeks of being surrounded by nice people. Two weeks of enjoying the great facilities of Mountain Waters. But also two weeks of a lot of thoughts. Two weeks of thinking what is really important in life. Course is well worth the money and I will for sure recommend this course to others.
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Michelle was incredibly welcoming and wonderful to meet and engage with. I've heard good things about Verge and my experience definitely reinforces this reputation.
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We would and already have recommended this course, as well as your website to anyone who voices an interest in sustainable living and most especially to those with an interest in developing a career in permaculture design or other elements of permaculture.
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Author of Gaia's Garden: A Guide to Home-Scale Permaculture
If you want to schedule an event with them, or just attend one, I recommend them very, very highly.
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The PDC changed how I look at the world around me. I even find myself considering the permaculture possibilities for houses I see for sale when I'm out running! I loved getting to know a group of like-minded people in my new city over the course of several months. I would recommend this course to anyone looking to take action in the face of challenges facing our society.
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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.
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.
