Shift Bristol Portal

Permaculture Courses

Our Full and Introduction Permaculture courses will be back in 2025

Booking coming soon!

Introduction to Permaculture Courses 2025

Where, When & How

Feb 22 / 23 / 24
April 4 / 5 / 6
May 9 / 10 / 11
July 11 / 12 / 13

TBC - A location in central Bristol

Doors open 9.30am - come for an early brew and get settled!

Teaching: 10.00am to 16.00pm

Tea and Coffee Refreshments provided

Please bring your own Lunch

What can I expect?

This indoor 'taster' course will provide an introduction to the basic concepts and practice of permaculture design. It is the first step in learning skills, knowledge, and building an interest in how to 'do' permaculture.

It will explain how permaculture principles can be applied in a range of settings from small gardens to whole farms. And how permaculture integrates land, food, social, economic and health factors to create resilient, abundant and efficient systems.

It's also a lovely opportunity to meet a community of people for the weekend, who are also passionate about sustainability, learning from nature, and skill development.

Topics:

Ethics and Philosophy
Permaculture Design - principles, spirals, linking, zone & sector, frameworks, limiting factors
Permaculture in Action - in the garden; soil, compost, applying Nature's patterns
Permaculture in Action - in the community; social permaculture, appropriate technology
Signposting and Next Steps - Development pathways

Costs:

Full Fee: £165
Part-Concession: £125
Full-Concession: £85
Community Group Members rate* £85 (please purchase a full-concession ticket)

Visit the Green Bottle Sliding Scale as a guide to deciding what tier of course fee you should pay. We no longer ask people to prove which tier they fall into, and instead trust students to choose with honesty.

*Anyone coming on behalf of their voluntary / not for profit / charitable community group or organisation can join the course at the full-concession rate. With the intention of sharing their new found knowledge and skills with the rest of their group.

There is also the option to pay for the course fees in installments (over 3 / 6 / 9 or 12 months). Visit here to find out how!

Where next?

Although these weekends are focused on giving an overview, people have found that the enthusiasm generated, plus books and other sources of information and opportunities for connection, have been enough to go on to create some very inspiring designs and projects.

All Introduction to Permaculture courses endorsed by the Permaculture Association are now CPD UK Accredited and students can purchase a CPD accredited certificate upon completion for an additional £4.

For those wishing to take on further training and education afterwards, there is the option for signing up to Shift Bristol's Full 12 week Permaculture Design Course, running from Sept to Nov 2025, or the Year-long Practical Sustainability Course , running from Sept 2025 to July 2026.

Terms and Conditions

By purchasing a place on this course, you are agreeing to our Terms and Conditions.

Full Permaculture Design Course

Where, When & How

Shift Bristol's full permaculture design course is tailored for those leading busy lives, as you join us for weekly evening classes, plus learning and field trips over some weekends.

14 x Mon evenings

Sept 1 / 8 / 15 / 22 / 29
Oct 6 / 13 / 20 / 27
Nov 3 / 10 / 17 / 24
Dec 1

Weekend dates

Sept 13 / 14 / 27 / 28
Oct 11 / 12 / 25 / 26
Nov 8 / 9

Venue: TBC - A location in central Bristol

Monday evening Sessions: 6.15 - 9.30pm (Doors open at 6.00 for a cuppa)

Mapping skills weekend: Two full days (which weekend, yet TBC)

3+ field-trips: Each student to choose at least three local field trips to attend on the weekend, lasting approx 4hrs with travel time either side.

Group Design Projects: Each student will need some availability towards the end of the course, to work collectively on design projects outside of course hours (approx 8 hours).

What can I expect?

A holistic exploration of an integrated, simple and commonsense design approach to low-impact living, through the application and practice of Permaculture Design principles. Discovering how we may meet our needs for food, shelter connection, and fulfillment in a way that is truly regenerative and joyful.

Topics:

Ethics and Philosophy
Permaculture Principles
Permaculture Design* - spirals, linking, zone & sector, observation, mapping & surveying, design frameworks, stakeholder Interviews, limiting factors
Permaculture in action in the home & garden; soil, compost, applying Nature's patterns to growing, green building and energy usage
Permaculture in action in the community; social permaculture, appropriate technology, permaculture economics, group skills
Signposting and Next Steps - development pathways

*We have a strong belief that 'the whole is greater than the sum of its parts' and our design project work is carried out in groups; each student bringing a unique perspective and skillset to the task. We also believe that permaculture can be a powerful tool for empowering and meeting needs within the community. We find 'real life' green spaces in the network of Bristol for our design project sites; ensuring students learn to design within the context of complex, living systems of people and land.

Costs:

Full Fee: £435
Part-Concession: £325
Full-Concession: £225
Community Group Members rate* £225 (please purchase a full-concession ticket)

There is also the option to pay for the course fees in installments (over 3 / 6 / 9 or 12 months). Visit here to find out how!

What to bring

A notepad

Waterproof clothing and suitable footwear for field-trips

We provide tea and coffee refreshments throughout

Where next?

The PDC is accredited by the Permaculture Association; each student receives a certificate of completion which is globally recognised within the permaculture community.

Many students go on to create inspiring designs for their own gardens and greenspaces. Others join, enhance and support existing projects and organisations with their new insight and skills. Some even feel confident to purchase land or set up a social enterprise.

We have been teaching permaculture courses in Bristol for almost 20 years, and have a wide network of past students, tutors and practitioners who form our extended network. Whatever your passion or idea, we will be able to signpost you to a useful person or resource that will help you on the next stage of your journey.

For those wishing to take on further training and education afterwards, there is the option for signing up to Shift Bristol's Year-long Practical Sustainability Course , running from Sept 2025 to July 2026. Or you may wish to embark on the Diploma in Applied Permaculture Design with the Permaculture Association. Which may lead to a career in teaching permaculture, or becoming a permaculture design consultant.

Terms and Conditions

By purchasing a place on this course, you are agreeing to our Terms and Conditions.

Permaculture Tutor : Tammi Dallaston

Tammi is a multitalented, dedicated, Permaculture practitioner. Alongside her teaching, she is;

A Permaculture Association (Britain) trustee; leading a working group on Disability, Accessibility, Inclusion and Equity (DAIE).
Manager of Field Families (permaculture at events) - which includes the coordination of Glastonbury Festival Permaculture Gardens and permaculture areas at the Green Gathering and Northern Green Gathering. Lead within Dyfi Permaculture - a local voluntary group that meets each month.
Working for Cambrian Wildwood, a rewilding charity in Wales; Cefn Coch Farm, an agroforestry farm; and CiP - Children in Permaculture.
Director of Mach Maethlon - a co-op encouraging local food projects in the Dyfi Valley, Wales.
Founder member of Permaculture Wales (Paramaethu Cymru). Director of Mach Maethlon. Now managing the inception of a community woodland project - Teulu'r Goedwig - near Machynlleth, and Planna Fwyd! community food resilience project.
One of the founder members of Brighton Permaculture Trust. Former manager of Ragman's Lane Farm. Ex-Chair and trustee of Moulsecoomb Forest Garden Wildlife Project.

Permaculture Facilitators

Rosie Fieldhouse : Introduction and Full courses

Supporting Tammi in running the course will be the very warm and welcoming Rosie.

Rosie has recently completed Shift Bristol's Practical Sustainability Course and feels she has seen "the value and power in small acts with a community as a way of building hope and resilience".

She's a craftsperson and maker, specialising in natural building and traditional heritage crafts and runs workshops for children and adults. She also works as a play worker around Bristol and is curious about how play can be a fundamental way of learning about the world and our surroundings. She often combines play with craft to show people that these traditional crafts aren't just fossils from the past, but sparks for the future to ignite new ideas and engagement.

The Practical Sustainability Course opened up a number of doors including becoming a co-founder of a new community composting scheme; Bristol Living Soil, with Shift Bristol tutor Danny Balla.

Facilitating courses in a new opportunity to apply Rosie's natural aptitude for supporting groups of people to learn in a relaxed and inclusive environment, and she is looking forward to helping others on the journey that she herself has travelled.

Jazz Dennis : Introduction courses

Jazz has recently completed Shift Bristol's Practical Sustainability Course and "has so much love for the community and empowerment in the beauty of our earth that shift creates! I only moved to Bristol to start the course in the Autumn of 2023 and feel like I’ve found my family".

She has a background as a maintenance gardener, and now manages an allotment for Roots on the edge of Bristol. "It’s such a joy to spend my days with my hands in the earth, chatting about growing veg. Spreading the good word of a localised, sustainable food system and sharing what I’ve learnt with shift!"