Permaculture is a global movement that works to design sustainable human habitation systems embedded in local cultures and ecosystems. The permaculture design process is highly collaborative and relies on visual communication to share ideas on paper, create maps, and finalize design plans. In studying this design process students will learn observation skills, ecological principles including disturbance, competition,  succession , polycultures, and an introduction to soils, plants, microclimates, hydrology, earthworks, ecobuilding, and energy and water storage systems. Students in this program will also study the philosophy of permaculture and visit local places for site evaluation and design inspiration. Students will learn basic drawing techniques to record observations of the physical, biological and social features of a space as well as imagine and communicate alternative visions. They will keep design journals to record ideas and build drawing skills. Students will collaborate in small groups to create and present a design project that encompasses the iterative client-based permaculture design process taught in class.