Page for Designers

Want to design/facilitate a blitz but don’t know where to start?  There are a few things that you can do to arm your self with the tools to get er done!

It is important to have a good understanding of permaculture before you go and facilitate a blitz. One of the roles of a facilitator is to provide explanations to the volunteers during the blitz so that they understand what they are doing.  We recommend taking a course or at the very least reading a few key books on the concepts.  One of the best books on the subject is Gaia’s Garden by Toby Heminway.

Once you feel you have a good understanding of permaculture the cheapest, fastest way to build a portfolio is to volunteer on blitzes in the city. There are between 10 - 20 bltiz’s per year in Calgary and every design, designer and facilitator are going to give you different pieces of information.  The more you see the more you will learn.

If you are not quite confident in charging for you first few designs and facilitations you can offer your services for free to build up your confidence. Family and friends are a great place to start as they will still love you if you make a mistake. :)

There is a lot of support in Calgary now on the Calgary Permaculture Community group facebook page, as well as the Students and Friends of Verge Permaculture Facebook page.  The Calgary Permaculture Community Group will also be starting a forum on their site in the near future. Another way to get free advice is to come to the Calgary Permaculture Community Group events.  There are always some old salty designers there that would be more than willing to share their knowledge.