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Coastal Regeneration Immersion: Permaculture Design Certification in Jalisco, Mexico

Date and time

About the event

Tropical Dry Forest Permaculture Design & Regenerative Stewardship Certification (PDC)
12-Day Intensive | 120 Hours | Costalegre, Jalisco, Mexico

Join us for an immersive Permaculture Design Certificate course set in the tropical dry forest bioregion of coastal Jalisco. This 120-hour intensive blends internationally recognized PDC curriculum with hands-on regenerative practice — combining ecological design, agroforestry, natural building, and community stewardship into one integrated learning experience.

Lead Faculty

  • Jorge Luis Gtz. Olarte (Arborescencia RedGenerativa) – Regenerative Design, Soil Biology & Agroforestry
  • Ozzy Lusth (Survior & Xochiraíz) – Wilderness Resilience & Survival Skills
  • Dave Collins (Capacha Coastal Conservation Center) – Bioarchitecture & Ecological Development

What You’ll Learn
The course moves through six progressive phases:

  1. Permaculture & Ecological Literacy – ethics, principles, and reading the tropical dry forest landscape
  2. Water & Soil Systems – keyline design, water harvesting, living soils, and compost systems
  3. Horticulture – food garden design, propagation, and biological pest control
  4. Regenerative Food Systems – tropical agroforestry, food forest design, and guild planting
  5. Ecological Infrastructure – bamboo bioarchitecture, bioclimatic farm design, compost toilets, greywater, and rocket stoves
  6. Integrated Design Studio – team-based final design projects covering watershed strategy, agroforestry, food forest layout, infrastructure, and phased implementation

Daily Rhythm
Mornings begin with optional surf/yoga and journaling, followed by field practicums and hands-on workshops. Afternoons include design studio and construction lab work, with reflection circles, communal dinners, and evening talks, films, or campfire discussions rounding out the day.

Final Project
Participants work in teams to produce a full regenerative design package — landscape analysis, water plan, agroforestry design, food forest plan, ecological infrastructure, and bioclimatic farm plan — presented to a faculty review panel on the final day, followed by a closing ceremony, certificate delivery, and community feast.

Certification
Graduates receive the Tropical Dry Forest Permaculture Design & Regenerative Stewardship Certification (120 contact hours), hosted by Capacha Coastal Conservation Center and Tierralegre, A.C. Curriculum integrates international PDC standards with tropical ecology, agroforestry, ecological restoration, bamboo bioarchitecture, bioclimatic design, GIS/photogrammetry, and regenerative leadership.

Highlights

  • Hands-on bamboo construction (temazcal, bathhouses, sculpture)
  • Tropical dry forest silviculture practicum
  • Community mapping and design project for Ekoa Green Community
  • Talent show and sea turtle release

Agenda

Topics Covered:

  • Introduction to Regenerative Stewardship
  • Permaculture Ethics
  • Principles of Ecological Design
  • Story of Place
  • Tropical Dry Forest Ecology
  • Observation as a Design Tool

Field Work:

  • Site Walk
  • Ecosystem Observation
  • Watershed Identification
  • Flora and Fauna Survey
  • Mapping Existing Systems
  • Soil test; Chromatography

Workshops:

  • Collective Territory Mapping
  • Site Basemap Creation

Topics Covered:

  • Hydrological Cycle
  • Keyline Design
  • Watershed Restoration
  • Rainwater Harvesting
  • Water Distribution Systems

Field Work:

  • Reading Water Movement
  • Swale Layout & earthworks
  • Infiltration Testing
  • Contour Marking

Workshops:

  • Water Master Plan

Topics Covered:

  • Soil Food Web
  • Succession Ecology
  • Compost Systems
  • Biofertilizers
  • Ecosystem Restoration

Field Work:

  • Soil Pit Analysis
  • Compost Building: bokashi & others
  • Microorganism Collection
  • Anaerobic Fermentation
  • Soil Biology Observation

Workshops:

  • Soil Restoration Design
  • Super Magro Biofertilizer
  • Mineral amendments: compost making and bokashi method

Topics Covered:

  • Soil and substrates: fertility, ph and texture
  • Germination
  • Transplantation 
  • Biological Pest control

Field Work:

  • Food garden installation
  • High beds
  • Hugelkulture
  • Propagation

Topics Covered:

  • Successional Agroforestry and silvopasture 
  • Tropical Dry Forest Restoration
  • Productive Ecosystems
  • Native Species Selection

Field Work:

  • Species Identification
  • Agroforestry Layout
  • Tree Placement Strategies

Workshops:

  • Agroforestry Design Charrette

Topics Covered:

  • Forest Ecology
  • Guild Design
  • Layering Systems
  • Perennial Food Production
  • Sintropic agroforestry approach
  • Fertility

Field Work:

  • Guild design and Installation
  • Tree Planting
  • Mulching Systems
  • Irrigation Setup

Workshops:

  • Food Forest Master Planning

Topics Covered:

  • Bamboo Structural Design
  • Material Selection
  • Joinery Systems
  • Natural Building Principles

Field Work:

  • Harvesting Bamboo
  • Treatment Methods
  • Structural Connections

Workshops:

  • Construction of Demonstration Pavilion

Topics Covered:

  • Passive Cooling
  • Solar Orientation
  • Wind Analysis
  • Farm Zoning
  • Human Habitat Design

Field Work:

  • Solar Mapping
  • Wind Observation
  • Site Suitability Analysis

Workshops:

  • Farm Master Planning

Topics Covered:

  • Compost Toilets
  • Greywater Systems
  • Rocket Stoves
  • Renewable Energy
  • Decentralized Infrastructure

Field Work:

  • Rocket Stove Construction
  • Greywater Installation
  • Compost Toilet Design

Workshops:

  • Infrastructure Planning

Topics Covered:

  • Whole Systems Thinking
  • Design Methodology
  • Phasing Strategies
  • Implementation Planning

Field Work:

  • Watershed Strategy
  • Agroforestry Systems
  • Food Forest Layout
  • Infrastructure Plan
  • Architectural Concept
  • Economic Phasing
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