Welcome to the APG Community!
We are an ever growing community in Central Texas committed to resilience, collaboration, and catalyzing diversity and abundance. We believe that although one person can’t change the world, together We can.
It stands for Permanent Agri(culture). It’s an ideology that can be used as a guide when making major sustainable improvements to all areas of our life including our homes, our communities, or our work situations. This ideology offers human beings a way to harmonize with our environment, symbiotically.
Many people first hear of permaculture in a gardening or farming context. But the terrain of permaculture extends far and wide, to include all other areas of human activity as well. Transportation, energy, building, manufacturing, business and finance, social organizations — you name it.
Another aspect that is not so much at the forefront that we believe is highly potent is social permaculture. We believe that an important element of permaculture is being able to facilitate a safe space where all people, marginalized communities, all genders and orientations feel empowered to restructure existing societal frameworks while regenerating ecosystems.
The Earth is a living, breathing entity. Without ongoing care and nurturing there will be consequences too big to ignore.
If people’s needs are met in compassionate and simple ways, the environment surrounding them will prosper.
Take what we need, share what we don’t, while recognizing that there are limits to how much we can give and how much we can take.
“This course change my life from a very deep place in my soul. It gave me the courage to believe in the Earth’s future and my ability to help.”
“I am inspired to steward the Earth more than ever. Even though I have been organic gardening and bio-dynamic gardening for years, I have never felt closer to Mother Nature.”
“This class equipped me with the confidence to utilize the knowledge and realize I already have a great knowledge base and can do what I’ve set out to do! I’m ready to get busy! It has also made me realize that I have a passion for teaching!”
Taelor is a wildling at heart. She is deeply passionate about healing our earth, our bodies, and our relationships with ourselves and one another. She revels in growing healthy soils, healthy bodies, and delicious home cooked meals.
She studied under Caroline Riley, at the Whole Life Learning Center from 2014-2015, where she worked to transform the space into a full functioning permaculture design. She received her permaculture teacher training certificate from Theron Beaudreau in the Fall of 2014. She helped the Permablitz events get started in Central Texas, with Kirby Fry from 2013-2016.
She previously helped start a Permaculture centered intentional community titled Sacred Roots in San Marcos, TX in 2011. She has studied Permaculture design under Theron Beaudreau, Kirby Fry, Caroline Riley and Dick Pierce. Her main focus and drive is to create community and educate others about regenerative permaculture design and practice. Her home base is in a tiny house on 4.5 acres in the Hill Country.
When she’s not gardening or cooking, she is out dancing at local music shows around Central Texas or spending time with her family. Contact her at taelor@austinperm.com, 214-448-6428
Caroline Riley is a Texas native who grew up in the garden and free ranging on the Texas gulf coast with her family. She discovered permaculture design while living in Colorado in 2004 and soon incorporated the ethics and principles into her Montessori classroom as a foundation to learn from nature with youth. She completed her first PDC through Austin Permaculture Guild in 2009. She has since studies with Jude Hobbs, Warren Brush and Geoff Lawton.
Caroline founded One World Permaculture in 2010 with the mission to connect and serve people worldwide through the study and practice of permaculture design ethics and principles. OWP collaborates and inspires to create integrated regenerative community, ecology and economy. This project took her on world travels connecting with communities in need through permaculture design projects and evolved into local design and consultation work in Austin, TX.
In 2011 she and her husband founded the Whole Life Learning Center in Austin, TX which is where she currently focuses her creative efforts. This site is an example of permaculture in action. Over the years as the learning center has grown and matured, so have the permaculture systems in place including animal systems, a beautiful forest garden and farm space, the outdoor living classroom and Mutable Earth Botanicals. Mutable Earth Botanicals is a seed to apothecary herbalism practice and small scale plant nursery offering community and clinical herbalism.
With a passion for experiential learning and creative design, Caroline instructs Permaculture Design Courses through Austin Permaculture Guild and herbalism classes through Sacred Journey School of Herbalism. Her goal is to create a unique learning opportunity for her students from her vast experience.
When not at the learning center Caroline can be found with her husband and two children while enjoying the retreat of her South Austin homestead. Contact Caroline at caroline.riley.carberry@gmail.com, 512-217-0661
Holistic Site Design & Install Services:
What are your hopes and dreams that you want to accomplish at your property? Do you work at a business that wants to take a step beyond landscaping and add more truly regenerative elements to their property? Then this is the service for you!
Hire Taelor for an initial consultation to discover and document the strengths, opportunities, weaknesses, and threats to your property. During this walk around the property your specific wants and needs will unfold. Solutions will then be introduced to holistically solve any problems presented during the consultation. If you also desire an integrative design of the space, together we will map out the perfect homestead, community, and/or education center. We will make sure all essential elements including food, water, energy, and/or shelter are represented.
Service Fees:
How to Design and Steward a Food Forest
THE MEDICINE GARDEN COURSE LOGISTICS
REGISTRATION INFORMATION
Cost : Sliding Scale – $300 – $450 You pay the base of $250 as a deposit. $50 – $200 paid by the 2nd week of class. Please reach out if $ is what is in the way of you registering for this offering.
SCHOLARSHIPS
We offer reparation scholarships for this workshop for our BIPOC community. These full ride scholarships require no payment in exchange for taking the course. If you would like to apply for this please submit a letter of intention attached in an email addressed to Caroline Riley at mommacaroline AT gmail DOT com.
Scholarship Deadline: September 1st. Responses will be given one week after the deadline.
Facilitated by Caroline Riley and Taelor Monroe
2 Available PDC Formats:
Register for Online Only OR Online + Hands-on sessions.
Course Dates: February 22, 2022 – March 25, 2023
Online Only 5 Week Course
Online 5 Week Course: Wednesdays & Fridays 6:30-9pm
Take it from anywhere, all classes recorded
Personalized follow up activities to deepen understanding on each module and support your design process.
Opportunities to connect in person at weekly Cultivate volunteer days that start Fall 2022
Full Permaculture Design Certificate Course
Online 5 Week Course + Weekly Hands-On in Person Sessions
Take it from anywhere, all classes recorded
Personalized follow up activities to deepen understanding on each module and support your design process.
Permaculture Design Project and Certification
Weekly Hands-On learning every Saturday 10am-1pm
PERMACULTURE DESIGN COURSE SCHEDULE
Day 1 – Wednesday, February 22, 2023 6:30pm-9pm via Zoom
Intro to Permaculture, Ethics and Principles of Permaculture
Day 2 – Friday, February 24, 2023 6:30pm-9pm via Zoom
Permaculture Design Methods
Day 3 – Saturday, February 25, 2023 10am-1pm at Cultivate Holistic Supply
Intro to Permaculture design mapping, Intro to design project to design your own property, a friend’s/relative’s property, or the new Cultivate site location
Day 4 – Wednesday, March 1, 2023 6:30pm-9pm via Zoom
Intro to Natural Building design methods
Day 5– Friday, March 3, 2023 6:30pm-9pm via Zoom
Soil Science
Day 6 – Saturday, March 4, 2023 10am-1pm at Cultivate Holistic Supply
Hands-on soil activity, building with cob
Day 7 – Wednesday, March 8, 2023 6:30pm-9pm via Zoom
Mycology, Design Methods in practice
Day 8– Friday, March 10, 2023 6:30pm-9pm via Zoom
Earthworks, ponds, berms & swales, rain water catchment, grey water, black water
Day 9 – Saturday, March 11, 2023 10am-1pm at Cultivate Holistic Supply
Hands-on design methods, Earthworks implementation
Day 10 – Wednesday, March 15, 2023 6:30pm-9pm via Zoom
Vegetable Garden Design, Companion Planting
Day 11– Friday, March 17, 2023 6:30pm-9pm via Zoom
Food Forest Design, Medicine Garden Design, Herbalism
Day 12 – Saturday, March 18, 2023 10am-1pm at Cultivate Holistic Supply
Garden implementation, Design project hands-on
Day 13 – Wednesday, March 22, 2023 6:30pm-9pm via Zoom
Animals in design, Sustainable Food Systems
Day 14– Friday, March 24, 2023 6:30pm-9pm via Zoom
Invisible Structures
ONLINE COURSE COMPLETION
Day 15 – Saturday, March 25, 2023 10am-1pm at Cultivate Holistic Supply
Sharing Circle, Design Certificates & Ritual of Completion
Our Spring 2023 Permaculture Design Certificate Course is currently open for registration. The format of the online lectures portion of this course is Wednesday and Friday evening, 6:30-9pm, over 5 weeks.
Hands-on learning days are every Saturday from 10am-1pm. More hands-on time will be available every Friday at the new Cultivate volunteer days. REGISTRATION AND TUITIONWe provide a sliding scale tuition format. YOU choose the best amount within the range provided that works for your budget. We have found that this format supports accessibility to these offerings.
To register please submit your deposit through the Buy Now button below the format you choose. After you have submitted your deposit, please fill out our form that auto-populates after you leave PayPal. Please reach out with any questions.
SCHOLARSHIPSWe offer reparation scholarships for this workshop for our BIPOC community. These full ride scholarships require no payment in exchange for taking the course. If you would like to apply for this please submit a letter of intention attached in an email addressed to Caroline Riley at mommacaroline AT gmail DOT com.
ONLINE ONLY TUITION FORMAT
The tuition rate is $500-$800 for the online lectures only. A $200 non-refundable deposit is required to secure your spot. ONLINE + HANDS-ON SESSIONS: FULL PERMACULTURE DESIGN CERTIFICATE COURSE The tuition rate is $800-$1000 for the online lectures + hands-on sessions. A $300 non-refundable deposit is required to secure your spot.
A donation to the Austin Permaculture Guild means more outreach in all areas of our organization. We get to host more workshops, have more community building events, sponsor events and other non-profit organizations
Austin Permaculture Guild is a societally supportive platform meaning it is our main goal to help Austin thrive by growing in environmental awareness and action. We do this through our education courses, supporting our local neighbors grow food, and by creating an outlet that connects people to regenerative organizations.
Membership Tiers and Perks included (this is a tax deductible donation):
**These perks are based on a yearly membership commitment. They can be taken away at any point in time if a member decides to cancel their membership before a year’s worth of contributions.***
**All donations made in partnership with Whole Systems Network**
Whole Systems Network: A national nonprofit dedicated to funneling funding to environmental grassroots causes. They do this by hosting events, providing educational trainings, and managing an online resource platform. Our main goal is to help livelihoods thrive within the movement. We are a fiscal sponsor of the Austin Permaculture Guild.
