HOLISTIC SUSTAINABILITY SEMESTER

The Journey starts here

These transformational courses in Permaculture, Intentional Community, and Ecovillage Design offer students the opportunity to integrate with natural rhythms of the land and experience the beauty, complexities, and intimacy of communal life, while cultivating transformative life skills within our 35 year-old Intentional Community in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains.

2025 SUMMER DATES: JUNE 6 - AUGUST 16

The Holistic Sustainability Semester features internationally renowned teachers in five spheres of sustainability — Personal, Social, Ecological, Economic, and Worldview. We weave experiential learning, indigenous teachings, and deep nature immersion practices into the HSS. Immerse yourself in our Ecovillage and our 87-acre campus of oak savanna, camas meadow, permaculture gardens, woodland streams, and regenerating forest.

more than a PERMACULTURE DESIGN COURSE IN AN INTENTIONAL COMMUNITY

Over each of the courses, students will integrate into our community, Meadowsong Ecovillage, and develop an understanding of the systems of dynamic governance and decision making (sociocracy) which form the basis of our community’s own self-governance.  Students will learn communication skills in a safe and nurturing environment that allow for new growth, expression, and deeper relationships. 

Working with the land in our ongoing restoration projects, informed by indigenous practices and guidance, students will develop an understanding of how one can integrate into the ecosystem and the more-than-human world.  Permaculture-based food production, preservation, animal husbandry and integration provide a basis for students’ future work in the world as rewilders, community builders, farmers, and changemakers. 

Students have the opportunity to earn internationally recognized certificates:  the Permaculture Design Certificate (PDC), the global standard in permaculture education; the Ecovillage Design Education (EDE), a holistic sustainability standard anchored by Gaia Education and recognized by UNESCO; and Lost Valley’s unique Intentional Community Immersion (ICI) certificate, rooted in our 33 year reputation as pioneers in all three fields. 

Discover viable ways to live in greater social and ecological harmony.  Cultivate more resilient relationships.  Join a growing community of passionate, caring human beings, living in service to a regenerative Earth.

 The Experience

Step into the HSS experience by viewing the class schedule and offerings of community immersion. From garden parties and sociocracy to fieldtrips to ancient forests and neighboring ecovillages, the HSS offers countless ways to find gratitude in each moment! Take a cool dip in our woodland creek, or soak in the hotsprings just up the road. We have the Cascades Mountains to the East and the glorious Oregon Coast to the West. Our land and the surrounding areas offer experiences like no other course in the country!

Our Teachers

HSS Teachers carry decades of expertise. Each semester features over a dozen of the nation’s top names in Permaculture Design, Environmental / Ecological Restoration, Interpersonal Communication / Dynamics, and Ecovillage Design who offer an expansive range of teaching styles. This year features David Holmgren, Diana Leafe Christian, Andrew Millison, Dan Wahpepah, and many others ready to lead you. From organic building and farming practices to yoga and natural childbirth, from Indigenous land stewardship, community governance and alternative economies to ancestral skills, wildcrafting, herbal medicine, animal care and husbandry. Whatever your passion, you will find elders, teachers, and guides here to support you on your journey!

Cost

Full Semester (Tiered Pricing Options)

As a 501(c)3 environmental non-profit education center we are deeply committed to the work that we do! For decades, our stewards, staff and teachers have worked well below market rate and volunteered countless hours of community service, including organizing and hosting our education courses, to further our vision and mission of bringing us all into deeper relationship with one another and the more-than-human world. We are honored to support those with limited financial resources in accessing the unique educational opportunities we offer here at Lost Valley. As the economy shifts and our expenses increase, we are hopeful that those who have the means will help move our non-profit to a place of greater economic abundance, so we can meet our most basic needs and continue to invest in the upkeep of critical infrastructure and accessible education for our greater community.

Community Supported $5970 - This tier is offered in recognition that our dominant economic system often neglects to provide a living wage to those of us who are most deeply invested in serving our communities. We the staff and stewards of Lost Valley want to acknowledge that we are all in this together. We will continue to provide accessible quality education offerings to all those who are truly dedicated to the path of mutual upliftment.

Community Sustaining $6470 - This tier provides a more equitable exchange of financial support for the hardworking stewards of our land and community and allows us to continue to bring in exceptional outside teachers, while still covering our most basic institutional costs of operation.

Community Regenerative $6970 - This tier helps support our staff and teachers and allows us to invest more into the regeneration of our land and education center, as well as to help cover the cost for more economically marginalized participants. We are deeply grateful for any additional financial support to help us further the mission and goals of our Education Center.

These packages cover camping on the edge of our camas meadow under towering fir trees or clean and comfortable private room w/ shared bath, facilities access (indoor and outdoor showers, restrooms, kitchens, classrooms, libraries), full vegetarian* meal plan, with a strong emphasis on local, organic, wildcrafted, and ethically sourced ingredients (3 meals 5x per week, site fees, laundry, all instruction and certification including Permaculture Design Course, Ecovillage Design Education, and Intentional Community Immersion, as well as full access to our nature sanctuary trails, creek, and meadow. A 10% non-refundable deposit is required to hold your spot which is included in the full price. If you are in need of additional financial assistance, see the Financial Aid page for options. (*Non-vegetarian options for an added cost TBD, based on demand)

Application process 

We are now accepting Applications for the Holistic Sustainability Semester Summer 2025 course. Start by filling out our APPLICATION FORM, or contact admissions@lostvalley.org with any questions you might have. Once your application has been processed, we will schedule a video call to share further course details and answer and questions to ensure you and the course are a good mutual fit.  You are not fully enrolled until you’ve completed your interview, a background check, and submitted your course deposit.

Join us in our collaborations with a Regenerative Earth!