Regenerative Landscaper
September 2025 – June 2026
Professional Skills Development Program
The Regenerative Landscaper is a comprehensive skill set for assessing, conceptualizing, creating, and presenting Regenerative Design plans for clients, communities, and personal projects.
Develop your skills as a designer
Part One: Wisdom of the Earth
Part Two: Composing with the Land
Part Three: The Conceptual Design Process
Due to the demand on Erik’s design skill this is the only on-line class he will be offering this year.
Don’t loose out on an oppertunity to learn from a world class designer.
Advanced Permaculture Certificate
What you will learn
- Understanding how nature works and how to be in a reciprocal cooperative relationship with the surrounding ecosystems.
- How to read and analyze landscape and community patterns, resources, and constraints in order to develop high-level design concepts.
- How to develop a set of values, visions, and goals for mental/emotional alignment, longevity of the project, care for project community (stakeholders), and for long-term planning and short-term execution of projects.
- How to create basic maps of existing features to overlay design concepts onto.
- How to generate creative and powerful ideas to solve design challenges, and develop projects full of innovation, ecological regeneration, and incredible beauty.
- How to fully plan the development of a project from design to completion through phased planning approaches and platforms.
- How to be nature working for its highest self. How to think like a watershed, and function like a forest in the design process.
- Simple techniques for drafting design plans, be it by hand, or aided by computer programming.
- Understanding of a full and complete design process, which includes multiple iterations, revisions, presentations, compromise, and inspiration.
- How to manage relationships between designers and other project stakeholders whether they be partners, family members, professional clients, school communities, city governments, intentional communities, and so on.
What to Expect
- This 9-month program is divided into three, three-month blocks with one month off between blocks (11 months total). During each teaching block, classes will meet twice a month.
- Class sessions are 2 hours and will include a content-rich presentation followed by time for Q&A.
- Over the course, Erik will be joined by a range of amazing guest speakers.
- Students are encouraged to attend and participate in the live sessions.
- All sessions will be recorded and posted along with resources in a virtual classroom.
- We estimate approximately 4 hours per month on average is expected outside of class time. The amount will vary week to week depending on the course material. Students will have 2 weeks between classes to accomplish any task given in the previous class. Much of the course work can be applied toward projects students are already engaged with if they have landscapes, gardens, organization, or visions they are working on.
Are you interested in implementing regenerative land designs or work with groups and individuals creating resilient landscapes? This class is for you!
Class Schedule - Click here
Part 1: The Wisdom Of Earth
Session 1: The Regenerative Mind Set
- Intro to Program
- Traditional Knowledge
- Ancestral Practices
- Reciprocity
- Core Principles
- The Regenerative Gradient
Session 2: Earth’s Living Systems 1
- The Water Cycle:
- Fresh water
- Cloud condensation nuclei
- Evaporation/condensation
- Forests make rain
- Wetland ecology
Session 3: The Carbon Cycle
- The carbon sponge
- Photosynthesis
- The greatest terrestrial economy on earth
- Forest ecology
Session 4: Earth’s Living Systems 2
- Thermodynamics
- The miracle of photosynthesis
- Regenerative disturbances and natural succession
Part 2: Compose with the Land
Session 5: How to Listen, How to See
- Site Assessment
- Observation
- Sitting and walking
- With and without people
- The mind of “no knowledge”
Session 6: Contextual design
- Onsite tests
- Soil tests: soil profile, shake Test, ribbon test
- Water tests: infiltration test
- Species journaling
- Virtual assessment tools
Session 7: Reading the land
Session 8: Creating a Base Map
- Using Google Earth and other satellite tools
- Accessing Lidar data and other topographical instruments
- Triangulation
Session 9: The Social Context
- What are the traditional practices of place-based people?
- What is the social history of the site?
- What is your personal context along with project stakeholders?
- How does the design engage human communities?
Session 10: Develop Vision, Goals and Values
Part 3: The Conceptual Design Process
Session 11: Creativity and Imagination
Session 12: Concept Planning
- Real regeneration versus greenwashing
- Land access
- Embodied energy
- Question your motives
- Long-term design
- Design timeline
- Finding the aesthetic
Session 13: Permaculture Design Methodologies
- Zone planning method
- Permaculture principles in action
Session 14: Drafting Design Plans
- Drafting by hand
- Computer drafting
- Managing revisions
- Managing expectations/design contracts/agreements
Session 15: Developing Design Plan Sets
- How to use a set of plans
- Planting plans
- Utilities plan
- Irrigation plan
- Hardscape plan
- Demolition plan
- Grading and drainage plan
Session 16: Phased Project Planning
- Creating a project schedule
- Estimated duration
- Time of year
- Budgeted labor materials
- Critical path sequencing
- Gantt charts
Session 17: Managing Professional Design Relationships
- Managing meetings
- Clear project parameters
- Communication systems
- Scheduling
Session 18: Professional Presentation/Implementation Management
The Regenerative Landscaper
By Erik Ohlsen
The Regenerative Landscaper is the textbook for this course. During this course, Erik will walk students through Parts I, II and III of his book.
Get your copy of The Regenerative Landscaper now at 20% off!
CLICK HERE, search for The Regenerative Landscaper and enter the
coupon code: earth-activist-training20
MEET Your Teachers
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
COURSE INFORMATION
- Location: Virtual
- Program is divided into three, three-month blocks with one month off between blocks (11 months total).
- Part 1. Sep. 4th – Nov. 20th
- Part 2. Jan – March
- Part 3. May.- July
- Timing: Thursdays 6:00-8:00 pm PST
- Classes will meet twice a month during teaching blocks (Dates to be announced)
- Helpful Tool: Time Zone Converter
- Weekly 2-hour live sessions with recorded supporting material
- All live sessions are recorded and closed-captioned.
- Access to resources, documentation, and recorded class content is accessible via the virtual classroom.
PAYMENT
- Subscription to the course: $120/month for 11 months ($1320 total)
- Diversity Scholarships available: See below.
- Group Discounts: See below.
- All amounts are in US dollars.
- See below for details.
SCHOLARSHIPS & DISCOUNTS
- Group discounts and Diversity Scholarships available? Yes!
- Keep reading below.
Classwork
We estimate approximately 4 hours per month outside of class time. Students will have 2 weeks between classes to accomplish the tasks given in class. Much of the course work can be applied toward projects students are already engaged with if they have landscapes, gardens, organization, or visions they are working on.
QUESTIONS?
We are here for you. Reach us at: support@earthactivisttraining.org
FUNDING YOUR EDUCATION
- All amounts in US dollars.
Subscriptions
- Standard Subscription: $120/month for 11 months ($1320 total)
- Abundant Subscription: $130/month for 11 months ($1430 total)
Attend as an Organization or Groups
- Organizations 3-5 people – Discount $20/month. $100/month/person ($1,100 total)
- Organizations of 6+ people -Contact support@eat-activist.org for special group rates.
- You must indicate who is in your group at registration.
Diversity Scholarships
- Scholarships are available for Indigenous Peoples and People of Color working in their communities on environmental or social justice issues. See below for details.
Click Here for Scholarship Information
DIVERSITY SCHOLARSHIPS
- Earth Activist Training is committed to increasing the diversity of global permaculture and regenerative land movements.
- We recognize the history of this land called the United States and Canada, and seek to do what we can to rectify the deep injustices and systems of inequity that formed and continue to shape society today.
- Diversity Scholarships are available for Indigenous Peoples and People of Color working in or wanting to work in environmental or social justice.
- These scholarships are pay-what-you-can with the recommended value of 50% of standard tuition, but any amount will be accepted and appreciated.
- To apply, select “Diversity Scholarship” in the payment section the registration form below.
- Earth Activist Training’s Diversity Scholarship fund is supported by donations. Visit our Diversity Fund page if you wish to support our scholarship program.
If you have any questions, we are always here to help: support@earthactivisttraining.org
What Comes Next?
Are you ready for the next step of your learning journey?
Your Learning Journey
Regenerative Land Management (RLM) is a multi-year, advanced permaculture diploma program designed to further your permaculture practice and provide the deep, comprehensive training needed to apply regenerative skills in your life!
You may also be interested in our Advanced Permaculture program. This course is a year-long course broken up into three six-week modules focused on: design, water management, soil care and building, incorporating animals into a system, building food forests, and managing woodlands.
OUR NETWORK
A core component of this course – and every Earth Activist Training course – is our private forum: Earth Activist Training Online network. This platform is where you will find course resources, your homework, and a network to connect with classmates and other Earth Activist students.
Recordings of each class will be available to you as a resource. You will have access to the course for a year after the course ends should you want to deepen your understanding of the material.
