Karen Luyckx
Basque Country, SpainEducation, OSU PDC Student, PDC StudentI came to the course thanks to the recommendation of a friend just at the time we were able to finally buy the land we had always dreamed of. I thought the course would be useful in giving me a structure and framework to make a good plan for the site that fits with my values.
Now I simply cannot imagine how I could have done a proper site analysis and design without the course.
There is a huge wealth of input through the course materials (thankfully we can look at them afterwards as there is simply too much to take on board).Even more valuable is the feedback, advice and encouragement provided by Javan specific to our situation. For example, thanks to Javan, the water analysis and water system design is a lot more thorough and incorporates elements we wouldn’t have considered otherwise.
Javan also supported me in thinking through the establishment phase of the food forest, and clarifying the important role animals can play to help prepare our site and build the soil where it is quite eroded.
One thing to bear in mind if you are thinking of doing the course in the 10-week timeframe: it is very intensive, you will feel as if you are eating, breathing and walking permaculture non-stop. If this is too much, you can switch to the more extended version. Finally, having the opportunity to follow the analysis and design process of some incredibly committed people with amazing visions and interesting sites throughout the world has been a true privilege and has added even more to the learning.
Many thanks again Javan. I’ve no doubt that all the instructors are amazing, but can’t help feeling very lucky we got you!
Karen Luyckx
Basque Country, SpainEducation, OSU PDC Student, PDC StudentJust want to echo the others: I am very grateful for having had this opportunity. I don’t know how we would have come up with a vision, strategy and plan for our site, let alone how I would have observed all the things I did thanks to the course. Of course there is a lot more to do, a lifelong time of learning and making the most of things.
Javan, thanks a million for your incredibly useful support, it is much appreciated. Your feedback has really helped me to crystallize some important elements in the design and look a lot deeper and further in many aspects (for example in the water design which has really evolved following your feedback).
What a privilege and inspiration to connect and learn from your wisdom and insights. Thanks for the really positive engagement.
Wishing you all the best of luck and lots of positive energy. The world is a much better place thanks to you :o)
Zee Lee
Landscaper - MalyasiaEducation, OSU PDC Student, PDC StudentA BIG THANK YOU for your help and guidance throughout the course, it is very much more than what I’ve expected and I’ve enjoyed it a lot!
and Lastly, I would like to extend my gratitude to all the instructors, teachers, assistant and administrators, it’s been a joy and inspiration studying this course and I’ll definitely put these theories into action!
Elana Westers
Ecological Landscape DesignerBusiness, Client, Education, General, Life Design, MentorshipDear Javan,
I want to thank you so very much for all of the support and mentorship that you provided me in our sessions together. I cannot thank you enough for your insight and belief in me when I was struggling in life and business. You have given me invaluable tools that have already yielded results, and that I will continue to work with and reference over time. I am forever grateful for you business guidance and for giving me so many great ideas based on your own tried and true experiences. I look forward to continuing to work with you in the future. Thank you always,
Elana.
Tony McQuail
Organic Farmer - Ontario, CanadaEducation, SpeakingI really enjoyed your presentation on Keyline theory and design at the Ecological Farmer’s Association of Ontario conference. It was the clearest and most comprehensible explanation of keyline that I have experienced. It is a concept I’ve read about and also heard a presentation or two on it over the years. With your use of the marker it was an “on Hands” demonstration of how keyline design works and provided a 3 dimensional explanation. Thank you!
Esther Boreel
Midwife - NeatherlandsEducation, OSU PDC Student, PDC StudentThis was the perfect timing and opportunity for me to take the OSU PDC because it was online and I had to make a design for my new site. I have learned so much about everything! I though I knew it all, but I realized I didn’t. I observe differently and I see a lot of opportunities now that I never saw before; my brains just works different and I love it!
Your feedback helped me to get a better understanding and you start with a compliment which is really nice if you expect the worse. The reading, lecture and video’s were good and gave a lot of information. Thank you so much Javan. I realize that this was just the beginning; I already changed my plan every day and I’m already feel an urge to do the next permaculture-isch course.
Starhawk
Educator/Activist/Author/Change MakerEducation, Land Design, Life Design, Life Design for Permaculture, PDC Student, SpeakingJavan Bernakovitch has presented several times in our Earth Activist Trainings, and I’m always so happy to have him! His work combines personal empowerment with a hard-headed business sense and a deep understanding of the permaculture principles and their practical applications. Our students find his work helps them determine their own niche in the permaculture world, and is especially useful when they have some basic knowledge and are looking at what direction to take next. He has my highest recommendation!
Marie-Pierre Bilodeau
Project Manager, East Africa Permaculture Project - Vancouver, BC, CanadaBusiness, Client, Education, Holistic Life Context, Life DesignJavan’s course (Holistic Life Context) helped my team and I discover our “why” and coached us in developing our core values. It helped us find order in the chaos that we were headed toward.
I recommend this course to anybody who is starting a business or non-profit to make sure you and your team are all on the same wavelength and to avoid any future catastrophes.
Figuring out the inner workings of your future organization can help you avoid major breakdowns or even burnout when it is already too late to change anything.
This course is an indispensable investment to any organization. It will get you on the right track with proper habits, goal setting, communication, progress tracking and will allow you to create the infrastructure you need for success.
Javan is an encyclopaedia of information and his wealth of knowledge is priceless. He will go above and beyond the call of duty to recommend books, resources, websites, people to connect with etc.
This course is a gift and will leave you inspired, confident and ready to face any challenge that comes your way.
Amy Rougler
Manager - FranceEducation, General, Land Design, OSU PDC Student, PDC StudentThank you for your support and instruction for the Permaculture Design course. The course was incredibly challenging, and each week I would wonder how I was going to do the homework. Then I somehow did thanks to many hours of research, redos, and support.I found the videos you and Neil made to be essential! So essential that I’m not sure how students in other groups get the homework done!It really helped to see examples and clarify expectations. I think if I didn’t have the videos, I might have found the course to be frustrating. For an online course it was rigorous and I am glad I had the time to dedicate to it and I am really proud of myself for completing it.I appreciated you encouraging us not to focus on grades but on learning, since I was definitely that student in school that cared way too much about grades. Since it was such a challenging course for me, it was validating to see that I was understanding the essentials and able to apply it to a real place.I really enjoyed the format of the course – each week using a different lens to go through the design process. I feel as though my observation and analytical skills have been sharpened and I see the world in a much more interconnected and complex way. I am excited to build on what I have learned now that I know all the things I need to learn more about!Thank you again for your support, teaching, and time.