Permaculture Design Certification (PDC)
Alumni
Below are a selection of some of our PDC graduates and links to businesses they have created or organizations they work for. These incredible students should be seen as an inspiration to fellow PDC students for the work that they have achieved and continue to do. Please take some time to visit the links of the different organizations around the world. We are honored to consider them our friends and colleagues. If you are a graduate of our PDC and would like to be included we would love to hear from you, please write us!
Cassie offers massages, meditation practices and yoga sessions in the southern california. She also organizes retreats and other outdoor activities that are in harmony with nature!
SoulFire Farm is a regenerative, permaculture farm located in Bocas del Toro, Panama. They offer internship and volunteering opportunities, Farm Stays, Farm-to-Table meals, Farm tours and CSA subscriptions of organic fruits, greens, and veggies grown on their farm.
Lizzie received enormous inspiration and understanding of our world after the PDC. She merged her passion for sustainability and helping people live their best life through her online coaching business through which clients reconnect to their food, body, mind, and soul! Her newest group coaching program “Root to Rise” is largely based on permaculture principles.
Is working to support a productive cooperative of organic producers, relating woman, youth and landscape through PAR (Participatory Action Research) whilst discovering and relating needs and planning for rural development.
Daniel Kay runs a business in the southern zone of Costa Rica with the mission of helping people make informed and educated decisions on how to develop their property while bringing as much work to the local rural communities as possible. OrganiX works in home construction, organic agriculture, heavy machinery, water systems and property assessment.
Diane is the co founder of Viverde in Granada, Nicargua. Her daughter Brett also took the Permaculture Design certification and her partner Gerard, co founder of ViVerde took a timber frame workshop with us. They have developed a wonderful property on the outskirts of Granada demonstrating many amazing projects in permaculture, natural building and appropriate technology.
Jairo works with Marco and Talitha for Vida Raiz. A native to Esterillos Oeste, he has taken several workshops to further his knowledge in Permaculture and organic farming.
Marco and his partner Talitha founded Vida Raiz. Their mission is to address the global issues of poverty and food deprivation by empowering at-risk young adults in Costa Rica with the skills to improve theirs and their family’s quality of life.
They are committed to providing a safe place for young adults to live and learn the different elements of sustainable agriculture and permaculture in an environment that mirrors positive life skills for successful living.
Blair is the founder of Strategic Serendipity LLC, a WBE-certified sustainable design & consulting firm with a regenerative and holistic approach to the efficiency of energy systems in the built environment, nature, & the body, specializing in energy audits and management, solar O&M, permaculture design, meditation, mindfulness, & reiki. The goal is to facilitate & maximize efficiency and optimize energy flow in order to regenerate yourself, your team, your building, and or this beautiful planet.
Mari Asai is the president of an environmental organization in Grecia dedicated to a community of environmental and ecological projects in Grecia, Costa Rica. TO see what projects they are organizing check out their Facebook page.
After the Permaculture course at Rancho Mastatal and her degree in Landscape Architecture Karen was very inspired to start her own business. The business focuses on garden design based on permaculture principles combined with asthetic design. Her idea was to use ecological design solutions such as rain beds, cleaning water with phytoremediation, and creating green and lush corners for peoples homes. She also work as a park manager for a big part of the parks and green areas in Oslo municipality, Norway.
Jorge took our first ever PDC back in 2008, since then he and his family have developed one of the best bean to bar chocolate business in costa rica. In 2021 they were voted in the top 3 of chocolate producers in Costa Rica. Jorge is now one of our lead instructors for both our Spanish and English PDCs.
Kealey co-founded KIS Botanicals which is a locally owned, indigenous-inspired, artisanal herbal company that produces herbal products and hosts a variety of learning and healing opportunities. KIS integrate tradition, fun, food, plants, medicine, and ancestral knowledge to keep our community's story alive and connect visitors back to the jungle. KIS are now teachers at our annual PDC.
Juan works for Fundacion Etnollano in his native Columbia. This foundation works with the indigenous communities of the Orinoquía and the Colombian Amazon in the autonomous management of their well-being and the preservation of their culture and territories. Juan is the coordinator of Production and Systems Management.
Fabi works for a number of non profit organizations based in her native Guatemala, including Habitat for Humanity, Aldea and Terra collaborative. These organizations have a common thread of empowering local indigenous communities through regenerative farming practices, fuel efficient stoves and natural building.
Mateo and Emma started Seven Winds farm. They are cultivating ~12 acres of workable and fertile land, with love and the principles of Permaculture, to create a healthy, thriving, productive ecosystem. They also seek to nourish the spirit and share their space with others, offering a guest house and art/yoga studio for creative and healing retreats, personal sabbaticals, and educational workshops.
Doro co-founded Cacao Source in Guatemala, their vision is to offer educational opportunities that explore cacao—rainforest ecology, agroforestry, processing, the empowerment of women’s and farmer's collectives, environmental restoration, and cacao ceremonies.
Matthew started Enso Farm in 2019 and its mission is to produce the most nutrient-dense, healthful food possible whilst sequestering carbon and enhancing the local ecosystem
Shannon and her partner Dave own EcoVida a number of cabins near Playa Bejuco. Following the PDC they started developing a permaculture farm inland using permaculture design principles which they hope to feed guests and educate them in the near future.
Gabriela created Mama Verde as a resource to help parents make decisions that are healthy for both their children and for Mother Earth.
Hannah and Tyler established Goatbusters, an agripreneurial business based at Round the Bend Farm. They manage a small diverse herd of Oberhasli, Nubian, Boer and Alpine goats. These goats rely primarily on perennial shrubs and grasses in the growing season, and nutrient-rich hay produced on the farm in the winter months
Nick is a digital design producer at Nike. Each day I work with a large, multi-discipline group of talented individuals to bring out the best solutions for the team.
Kristen took the PDC at Rancho Mastatal in 2018. Since then, she started her own business called The Greener Good providing sustainable consultation and green interior design in Toronto, Canada. She has spoken at universities, colleges and businesses both online and in person and loves what she does. The PDC was incredibly inspirational for her, it helped bridge the gap between observing the natural world and integrating natural systems and patterns into an urban environment. She uses what she learnt at the PDC in her business and in everyday life and recommend it to all!
Mike is creating a self-sustained and off-grid luxury hotel in Costa Rica. It will have 11 rooms, fine dining restaurant and bar, natural pools, 3 hectare food forest, 1 hectare focused production garden, 1 main greenhouse and 6 smaller ones, hours of walking trails and much more.
Blue-Green Connections is a non-profit organization whose goal is to educate, inspire and motivate local individuals, businesses and organizations to protect our land and waters. We will facilitate collaboration between our supporters and enable valuable research information to be shared and dispersed.
Chris lives in the Dominican Republic and has started a consulting buisness where he helps people and buisness transition towards a more self sufficient lifestyle.
Antu and family started their farm to encourage and promote regenerative living and self-reliance, growing healthy food, building healthy soils, raising healthy animals and empowering others to do the same, through our passion, our commitment and our knowledge.