Why choose Rippledown to do your permaculture courses?’

Well here are three reasons that make the Permaculture Courses at Rippledown a little different:

A social enterprise committed to sustainable living

The Bay Trust who run Rippledown is a social enterprise which is immersed in the world of developing and implementing practical local solutions to the challenges of sustainable living and working in a range of key areas – sustainable building, renewable energy, local food projects, education for sustainability, and community engagement including work with schools and young people. The Bay Trust has a number of properties and projects where solutions and being implemented in all these key areas, with permaculture designs being developed as a fundamental part of that process. It has also designed and built one of the most outstanding eco-buildings in the country – The Pines Calyx – which demonstrates numerous natural building techniques, renewable energy technologies, very healthy building design, very low embodied energy impacts and very low energy use.

Experienced, committed tutors

Steve Charter and the other tutors involved offer years of hands on experience working in key areas of the sustainability field, working with the social enterprise, public, private and education sectors, as well as with community projects. Steve has also moved between a life living off-grid as part of a low impact living project, as well as having significant experience of the pros and cons of working in the heart of the sustainability mainstream, including being on one of the national policy groups for the Green Deal. Steve has particular expertise around sustainable building issues, education for sustainability and living in community. Other tutors have significant experience in permaculture gardening, sustainable landscape design, community projects and biodynamic horticulture.

Providing children with access to outdoor learning

More importantly for many, by booking a course here you are helping support Rippledown’s core work which is to provide primary school children, often from deprived backgrounds, with a wide range of outdoor classroom experiences, and activities which often give them their first real insights into the natural world, as well as often their first stay away from home and even their first walk in the countryside. The Rippledown and Bay Trust staff are passionate about this work, and over 40,000 children have stayed at Rippledown and benefited from what it offers since it opened it’s doors in the 1970’s.

A Unique Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty

Aside from that at Rippledown you are less that 2 miles from the sea, and the word famous SSSi Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty: The White Cliffs of Dover. If you have any questions about coming to Rippledown then please get in touch with us here.