April 14-28, 2024
Tierramor and Porvenir Design team up in our Permaculture Design Certification Course, where whole-systems thinking meets hands-on exploration. Discover the secrets of Syntropic Farming, immerse yourself in ecological patterns, and gain the tools to redesign your surroundings sustainably.
Tierramor and Porvenir Design unite for a Permaculture Design Certification Course, placing a spotlight on Syntropic Farming for an immersive journey into sustainable living!
Permaculture embraces a series of design principles rooted in holistic thinking, drawing inspiration from the intricate patterns observed in nature. Through the adoption of permaculture, we’re innovating novel systems for cultivating our food and caring for the land, aligning them seamlessly with the natural world. This program is relevant for anyone intrigued by crafting sustainable and rejuvenating futures, spanning from enthusiasts to professionals in realms like architecture, planning, ecology, education, farming, and community development.
Within this program, we delve into the fundamental Permaculture Design curriculum, placing a strong emphasis on crafting human landscapes that are both diverse and multi-functional, inspired by ecological patterns.
Participants will actively engage in designing a new area using this methodology, tending to existing systems, and witnessing the practical application of this innovative approach.
Utilizing Tierramor’s dynamic learning space, this course seamlessly blends theoretical lectures with practical, hands-on experiences. Participants will delve into design solutions tailored for both temperate and tropical regions, applying Permaculture principles to real-world scenarios. The culmination of the course involves collaborative team projects, where students put their knowledge into action by crafting personalized permaculture site designs. It’s a dynamic journey from theory to practical implementation, fostering a deeper understanding of sustainable design.
The comprehensive design thinking introduced in the course equips participants with the tools to rethink and enhance various aspects of their environment. This encompasses not only gardens, farms, and homes but extends to livelihoods, relationships, and communities. The course empowers individuals to apply a holistic approach, fostering positive transformations in multiple facets of their lives.
History of Permaculture
Principles and Ethics of Permaculture Design
Design Methodologies and Site Analysis & Assessment
Pattern Languages in Culture and the Landscape
Reading the Landscape and Pattern Recognition
Simple Mapping and Surveying Techniques
Client Interviews and Goal Setting
Map Reading
Master Planning and Design Presentations
Climate and Microclimate Design
Water: Cycles, Catchment, Ecology, Conservation, Treatment
Greywater and Blackwater Systems
Earthworks, Pond Construction, & Water Storage
Soils: Biology, Ecology, Fertility Strategies
Biochar, Biofertilizers, Mulching, Biomass Production, Microorganisms Cultivation, Compost Making
Introduction to Holistic Management
Gardening from the Tropics to the Temperate Regions
Orchards Management and Agroforestry
Plant Propagation, Grafting, Nursery Management
Silvopasture and Aquaculture Systems
Fermentation, Post Harvest Handling, and Harvest Strategies
Shelter and Siting
Natural Building Techniques
Urban and Suburban Permaculture Applications and Case Studies
Regenerative Economic Models
Social Structures, Decision Making, and Community Organizing
Professional Designer Project Case Studies
The course will be taught in English. All instructors speak Spanish.
Arrival day is April 14th, 2024. Students are encouraged to arrive between 2-5pm. The course will start at 8a.m. on April 15th, 2024. Lodging/meals the night of April 14th is included in the cost of the course.
Parking is available on site. A 4 x 4 vehicles is required to reach the site.
The course will end at around 6 p.m. on April 27th. There will be a post dinner celebration. Students will depart on the morning of April 28th (10 am checkout). Lodging/meals the night of April 27th is included in the cost of the class.
Early Bird:
20% discount of listed price for Bunk House and Shared Rooms only. This offer is valid through January 1st, 2024
Bunk House
Single bed in a bunk bed with shared toilet and shower facilities.
$1,800 pp
Shared Room
Single bed in a shared double room. Shared toilet and shower facilities.
$2200 pp
Private Cabin
Private cabin with private shower and shared toilet facilities.
$3000
Each option above includes linen and towels, night lamps, mosquito nets, fans, clothing shelves, bedside table, and a stargazing balcony net.
Day Pass
$1200. This price includes food, instruction and materials, but not lodging.
Costa Rican Discount
We offer an additional 25% discount rate for Costa Ricans. As well, there are a number of partial and full scholarships available, see below for more information.
Couples
Please inquire about cost structure if you are a couple and would share a bed.
Costs include instruction, 14 nights accommodations and 3 fresh, organic, locally-sourced meals per day. Transport to and from the center or airfare is not included.
There are four full scholarships available for this course. The cost of the course upon receiving a partial scholarship is $250.
These are reserved for Costa Ricans and are need based. To apply for these scholarships, please write to Fabian Corrales at operations@tierramor.cr.
To register for this course or for more information please write directly to Fabian Corrales at operations@tierramor.cr
Scott Gallant is an agroforestor and food system designer with nearly a decade of experience working in Central America. He is the co-founder of Porvenir Design, a landscape design firm specializing in productive landscapes. He graduated from Wabash College in 2008 with a degree in Economics. He was the farm manager at Rancho Mastatal for nine years, and has worked with diverse projects such as VersaLand, Open Source Ecology, Project Bonafide and many more as he has developed his skill-set in permaculture design.
Passionate about regenerative agriculture, holistic thinking, ethnobotany, community development, and re-skilling, he still makes time to hike and bike, read exhaustively, and work on his basketball jump shot and frisbee throw. He has traveled extensively in Latin America, leading to a love of the culture, food, and language, which he attempts to speak. Scott writes for the Permaculture Research Institute and has been featured on the Permaculture Voices , Abundant Edge, and Making Permaculture Stronger podcasts.
Hugo started down the permaculture path in 2012; Hugo’s study of organic agriculture led him to continue to deepen his ways of relating to people and the place. A native of San Jose, Costa Rica, Hugo began by promoting urban permaculture through projects such as community gardens and creating edible spaces featuring native plants. While developing communal gardening projects Hugo also focuses on leading workshops and courses within communities to shift to better soil management and production strategies.
Hugo compliments his passion for design by tying communal design for living well into his approach to planning; he has been trained in working with several forms of design for invisible social structures. Hugo is a member of the Red Permanezca, which seeks to creatively promote permaculture in Costa Rica with the end goal of inspiring deep societal change. Hugo’s goals include promoting permaculture through education and site visits, having time to swim and hike in the mountains while living in a collaborative eco-community.
Vero discovered permaculture through her interest in the connection between human health and the health of the Earth. After obtaining a degree in Environmental Health at UCR in 2009, she worked in tourism sustainability, collaborating to improve practices in hotels and agrotourism farms on the Osa Peninsula.
In 2018, Vero developed her own regenerative land project where she was able to share more about permaculture, health, fermentation and yoga. Most recently she worked as the Farm to Table Manager at Finca Luna Nueva Lodge; developing the hotels’ post harvest processing facilities and capacity, while training their kitchen and staff on fermentation, herbalism and local sourcing.
Currently, she is part of the Hierba Buena Community collective, a social permaculture experiment of more than 6 years, where 6 families co-own and are currently co-designing their farm and community.
Her passion for social permaculture and ancestral wisdom has led her to deepen her studies with CASA Latina and Gaia University in courses on Sociocracy, Nonviolent Communication, Social Design and Ecoladeas. In addition to having taken various courses in herbal medicine, ancestral nutrition, fermentation, syntropic agriculture, among others.
The farm team from Tierramor: Javier Abdelnour, Angie Jimenez, and Andrey Rojas, amongst other members of Tierramor’s team, will be joining to facilitate specific sessions and hands on activities.
Yes! Our Events Calendar is up to date with upcoming retreats, events & workshops.
We will have additional lodging options available in the future. Tierramor will also be hosting approximately four Open Days a year. Please sign up to our newsletter to stay up to date with this.
Tierramor is able to comfortably accommodate 30+ people. We anticipate between 10 and 30 people living in the community at any given time. At the moment, 10 people living on site are dedicating the majority of their energy to working on developing the project.
You can join our community as part of the Community Immersion or please check out our latest work opportunities under the Co-Create section.
As a retreat center and a burgeoning community, Tierramor offers a variety of week-long retreats, day events and workshops throughout the year. As part of the Community Immersion, all community members will have free access to daily yoga, meditation, dance, and other embodiments practices and can offer to facilitate and share their own practice with the community.
Sign up to our Newsletter to receive updates on upcoming Community Immersion dates!
Most of the food is vegetarian, and vegans can be accommodated. We aim to have as much local and organic food as possible.
All communal areas have internet. Tierramor has also built a dedicated lounge-like co-working space on the land, which is accessible to all community members. The internet is excellent and we hope to install high speed internet soon as well.
Right now we are open to adults only. Children are welcome to attend specific day events only. As Tierramor continues to grow and evolve, this may change.
If you are renting or bringing your own car, make sure you are driving a four-wheel drive (4x4). The majority of roads are unpaved, dirt roads and require a specialized car. You will be able to safely park your vehicle in the designated parking areas at Tierramor.
You can drive, or take a taxi service from Nosara.
1. Type into GPS the following address: Mini Super Y Licores Río Montaña, located in the mango grove area between Nosara and Ostional.
2. Once there, turn into the road towards the mountains which is next to the Mini super Y licores.
3. Head straight for about 0.5 km until you reach a T junction. There will be a river on your right and a road on your left. Go left and follow the road for another mile.
4. You will pass through a teak forest, go over a small bridge and a 2.5 mile dirt road up the hill will take you to Tierramor.
5. You will see signs along the way and a member of our team will meet you up top to help with parking.
We are located outside of Nosara in the Rio Montana area.
The easiest way to get into town is by car (4x4 necessary) which takes around ~25 minutes in the dry season. The roads can be really bad in the wet season, which makes this a longer and more challenging trip.
We are ~25 minutes away from the beach by car (4x4 necessary). There are sometimes shared rides available. The roads can be really bad in the wet season, which makes this a longer and more challenging trip.
The Dry Season, which extends from November to April, coincides with the peak tourist season. During these months, camping and casita accommodations are at their prime, and it is generally the most enjoyable time to stay at Tierramor. Please note March and April are the hottest months in the Guanacaste region.
The Green Season is exceptionally stunning but can present more challenges, including occasional power and internet outages, heavy rainfall, and difficult road conditions, primarily in the months of August through October.
The weather is greatly influenced by the annual climate patterns.
These opportunities are coming soon! Please sign up to our newsletter to stay up to date with this.
Reach out to us directly at contact@tierramor.cr or fill out the form below. Please make sure you have had a look at the FAQs on the Co-Create pages before reaching out
