The GROWING GREEN SKILLS course will provide you with all the tools to bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and the practical implementation of sustainable development goals. Meanwhile you will learn permaculture principles and mindful consumption practices.
Additionally, by immersing yourself in our community for an extended period, you will come to appreciate the advantages of a simpler, more fulfilling life and lay the groundwork for transformative lifestyle changes in your own life.
You get the skills to grow your own foods (vegetable garden, forestgarden). Know how to find and cook food found in the wild.
You are not just learning to design permaculture projects as any PDC, but you also take part in implementing the designs.
You will learn to plan a forest garden, a vegetable garden and a herbal garden.
Avnø oasis serves as a living example of a simple and sustainable lifestyle, demonstrating how it can be achieved.
With considerable hands-on experience, we practice what we teach.
If you acknowledge climate concerns and sustainable development objectives but tend to view them as remote issues that don’t impact our daily routines, this course can enlighten you on how your everyday practices can influence humanity globally.
After this course, you will be a sustainability pilot that can inspire others to make positive changes!
You will learn how to grow your own food, to keep a healthy diet, to implement permaculture designs, to take responsibility and to create quality relationships with people.
NEW HABITS
Developing new habits that harmonize with the SDGs so it comes to run on "auto-pilot".
ENRICHING LIVES
Personal engagement and communication, prioritizing it over material possessions.
RESPONSIBILITY
Developing of a sense of responsibility for one's own life and thereby the ability to create change and achieve results.
HEALTH
Improving your well-being and health.
POSITIVE CHANGE
Becoming a driver of positive change among yourself, your family, friends, and acquaintances in all directions.
Grow Green Skills on the following 9 themes:
Planning areas for reduced costs, maintenance, and resource usage.
Introduction to restorative, regenerative systems with aesthetic considerations.
Application of principles of ecology and permaculture in design.
You’ll be part of the design team for Avnø Oasis property, actively contributing to and implementing real designs.
Growing own food: vegetables, fruits, nuts, grains, spices, and herbs.
Understanding seasonal cycles and optimizing gardening processes.
Hands-on experience from seed preparation to harvest and processing.
Manufacturing ceramic plates and utilizing local materials.
Cultivation and processing of flax into fabric.
Recycling practices and waste water management.
Harnessing local resources like rainwater, solar and wind energy.
Construction techniques including oven and clay floor.
Working with various clay plasters for sustainable building practices.
Understanding personal needs versus advertising influence.
Evaluating consumption choices in alignment with environmental concerns.
Fashion and style. How to combine this with conscious consumption.
Macrobiotic cooking as a way to a balanced and healthy diet
Utilizing local plant species for nutritious meals.
Preparation of herbs and plant-based products for health and vitality.
Independent design and implementation of sustainable lifestyle changes.
Mentorship support to develop a personalized sustainable action plan.
Re-connection with your essence through new values.
Tools for building deep and empathic relations with other people.
Effective teamwork.
Observation of natural patterns that can be used in our design.
Being surrounded by nature and spending time outdoors to help us to heal.
Be a key driver for a greater transition:
GREEN TRANSITION
Creating awareness of our dependence on Nature, while becoming an integral part of the local area and protecting nature's limited resources.
HEALTH TRANSITION
Living & eating in a way, where real needs are met, thus increasing strength & vitality for a stronger immune system & reducing lifestyle diseases.
SOCIAL TRANSITION
Be a key driver for a greater transition, sustainable relationships and communities, therefore building a sense of belonging & leadership.
FINANCIAL TRANSITION
Acknowledging all kinds of capital, not just money, such as green livelihood & regenerative enterprises.
CULTURAL TRANSITION
Connecting with true life values to create awareness that neither material goods, money, or power has much value when facing death.
PERSONAL TRANSITION
Being inside driven & making deliberate choices, by taking personal responsibility, courage to engage in an unpredictable world & living in the new paradigm.
This course setup aims to actively engage and involve you during all sessions.
The daily training course consists of three 1.5-hour sessions: one theoretical and two practical.
Thursdays and Fridays are days off.
The majority of sessions will be in person, with some theoretical sessions available for online streaming.
You will be part of our excursions twice a month to different eco-villages, a ceramics workshop, linen production, fabric creation, and other activities.
Lena will be the main facilitator for this course. She is a Ukrainian land management and cadastre engineer who has diversified her expertise into sustainable land development. Since 2016, she has been designing smart natural gardens for clients, integrating her engineering skills with ecological principles. She expanded her knowledge by completing a Permaculture Design Course in 2018 and formed a team of permaculture designers in 2019 to provide comprehensive project solutions. Helena furthered her education in ecovillage design in 2020 and began teaching permaculture design to students in 2021. She is also a dedicated mother of three children and resides in the Avno Ecovillage, where she practices and promotes sustainable living principles.
Olha has completed her Ecovillage Design Education course in Ukraine in 2020. Since then her life totally changed. Today Olha is one of the vision keepers of Avnø Oasis community, a board member of GEN Ukraine, a certified Gaia Education trainer and an ecovillage researcher. Having a pedagogical backgroung, Olha has coordinated around 10 various educational programs and courses in Ukraine and Denmark. Olha is both the coordinator of this course and the teacher of some sessions.
Kristiane is one of the co-founders of Avnø Oasis ecovillage and Avnø Højskole. Although Kristiane is an educated economist, she has taught about health and well-being in Norway, Sweden, Denmark and USA since 1982. She developed the Aima tools for personal transformation in 2001 to support a smooth transition to a healthy diet and lifestyle. After participating in EDE Damanhur in 2018, she received the certification of a Gaia Education trainer and created the first Health, Happiness and Green Living course.
Rikke is a skilled homemaker and entrepreneur, having dedicated over two decades to nurturing her family and managing a quaint café specializing in ecological ice cream. Her culinary talents and entrepreneurial spirit shine through in her commitment to sustainable practices, reflected not only in her café's offerings but also in her eco-friendly home constructed with materials like straw and clay. With a background ranging from tourism to coastal surveillance, Rikke's diverse experiences enrich her understanding of community and environmental stewardship, as she advocates for sustainable living practices and assists others in realizing their dreams of eco-friendly home construction.
Lou is a Permaculture Diploma holder certified by Permaculture Association Britain. With over 12 years of experience in permaculture, her portfolio showcases diverse design work in areas such as land stewardship, personal sustainability, eco-building, and community building. She has studied under renowned permaculture experts like Aranya and Caroline Aitken and has been actively involved in Permaculture Denmark. In addition to her permaculture work, Lou is a viticulturist and wine-maker for a small organic vineyard on Fejø island, Denmark, known for producing some of the country's finest organic wines.
Located in a nature reserve, neighbor to the sea and forest, Avnø Oasis offers a lovely setting with a serene atmosphere.
Enjoy healthy and delicious organic meals (vegan option available) and use our facilities to boost and develop new skills: gym, fitness, art, music rooms, our library, and co-working space.
Experience being a part of our diverse community, which also includes doing some household chores & kitchen service together with volunteers and residents.
We ask for a deposit of 500 euros that will be returned when you leave, after we check that your room was left as you found it, keys are returned and all your additional expenses to Avnø Højskole have been cleared (snacks, car use, materials, excursions etc.). Please expect up to 3000 DKK/400€ of additional expenses for excursions and materials.
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