🌿 Permaculture is a holistic, ecologically inspired approach to designing sustainable living systems that conserve energy, restore nature, and build resilient communities. Urban Harvest’s 100-hour Permaculture Design Certification (PDC) program offers a dynamic, hands-on learning experience across seasonal units, culminating in a capstone Design Project Showcase.
What makes our program unique? Students join at different stages of the certification journey, fostering a vibrant network of Permaculture Fellows who collaborate, mentor, and build lasting community connections.
🧭 Program Overview
Duration: January–December 2026
Structure: Five thematic units + Final Design Project
Total Hours: 100
Locations: Trees for Houston (1911 34th Street, Houston, TX 77018) + Field Sites
Schedule: Sundays, 1:00–5:00 PM (unless noted)
🌱 Unit 1: Sustainable Living through Permaculture I & II
January 25 & February 1, 2026
Part I: Introduction to permaculture ethics, principles, design patterns, nutrition, and natural building materials.📍 Trees for Houston🕐 1:00–5:00 PM
Part II: Guided tours of a remodeled permaculture homesite and food gardens in Southwest Houston.📍 Private residence & gardens🕐 1:00–5:00 PM
🏡 Winter Unit 3: Designing Green Homes & Communities
February 8, 15, 22 & March 1, 15, 22, 2026
Explore how permaculture principles address rising energy costs, material scarcity, and climate resilience in home and community design. Includes two full-day field visits.📍 Trees for Houston + Field Sites🕐 Sundays, 1:00–5:00 PM | Field Visits: All Day
🌳 Spring Unit 5: Restoring Nature through Permaculture
March 29, April 12, 19*, 26*, 2026
Dive into ecological principles and local environmental challenges. Topics include forest health, biodiversity, and ecosystem threats. Includes guided design and implementation days.📍 Trees for Houston + *Field Visits (10:00 AM–5:00 PM)🕐 Sundays, 1:00–5:00 PM
🍎 Fall Unit 2: Designing Bountiful Gardens
October 11, 18, 25 & November 1, 8, 15, 2026
Learn to design productive family gardens using whole-systems thinking. Topics include vegetable beds, orchards, domestic animals, and labor-saving strategies. Includes two full-day farm visits.📍 Trees for Houston + Farm Sites🕐 Sundays, 1:00–5:00 PM | Farm Visits: All Day
🎓 Winter Unit 5: Design Tutorial & Final Project
December 6, 2026
Eligible participants (≤2 absences) will complete an independent capstone design project. Final presentations and certificate awards will be held during a celebratory showcase.📍 Trees for Houston🕐 11:00 AM–5:00 PM
💳 Tuition & Payment Options
Full Tuition: $1,500
Payment Plans Available:
$180/month for 9 months
$795 in 2 installments
📧 To arrange a payment plan, contact Carol at carol [at] urbanharvest [dot] org