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Low Tech Erosion Control (Self Paced)

Learn how to use natural materials to create structures that address drought, erosion, fire damage and habitat restoration.
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Why this course, and why now?

Every day we hear about more extreme events, such as flooding, drought, wildfire, erosion, and  habitat and species loss. Every day is another day that we can take action to solve these issues if we only know how.

Low Tech Erosion Control is a course aimed at teaching any person the ability to assess, design and implement INEXPENSIVE natural material structures to help slow, spread and sink water, combat erosion, rehabilitate lifesheds after wildfires, and provide habitat for animal life. 

Who is this course for?

This self-paced course is for homeowners, homesteaders, farmers, ranchers, land managers and property owners that:

- are concerned about erosion around their land and infrastructure; 
- have a desire to create wildlife/pollinator habitat; 
- are living in an arid environment that's prone to drought and flash flooding
- experience water restrictions or want to conserve what water is available on the land;
- are living with post wildfire conditions and want to prepare for the erosion that's coming;
- want to learn the most ecologically sensitive and cost-effective methods for dealing with these issues; and
- are self-motivated to follow the course material at their own pace without needing any additional live support.

NOTE - No previous knowledge of passive rainwater harvesting is required for this course.  
State of Global Water

Why the WORLD needs Low Tech Erosion Control

Drought, wildfires, habitat destruction, and erosion have pushed our landscapes to the brink of collapse; but, we can come back from the brink.

3.1
Billion

People are affected by water scarcity each year 1

12 million hectares

of arable land globally are lost to desertification and drought every year 2  

1
Billion

acres are lost to wildfire globally every year 3

200-2000 Species

are lost globally each year 4

24 Billion

tons of soil are lost each year 5

3rd Hottest

2020 was the 3rd hottest year on record globally 6
  • 1 https://www.who.int/health-topics/drought#tab=tab_1
  • 2 https://reliefweb.int/report/world/high-price-desertification-23-hectares-land-minute
  • 3 https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/8/19/mapping-wildfires-around-the-world-interactive
  • 4 https://wwf.panda.org/discover/our_focus/biodiversity/biodiversity/
  • https://www.globalagriculture.org/report-topics/soil-fertility-and-erosion.html
  • 6 https://public.wmo.int/en/media/press-release/state-of-climate-2021-extreme-events-and-major-impacts

Learn how to address erosion with the materials at your feet. 

FREE Introduction to Low Tech Erosion Control

Learn more about this course through watching the FREE introductory webinar presentation by Neil and Jeffrey that introduces the topic.
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Course Sessions and Content

Case Studies

Low Tech Erosion Control in the Real World

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Upland Beaverdams

Jeff explains this stunning, humble and camouflaged low tech erosion control installation in Moab, Utah, USA
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FIXED Trail Washout

Jeff goes into how a channelization of a local hiking trail was fixed and additional water was routed back into the local watershed. 
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Rain Garden vs Washed Out Road

Jeff explains how a washed-out road was fixed by installing a rain garden. 
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FIXED Pasture Head Cut

Jeff explains how a small water flow became a head cut and how a simple intervention saved the animals that graze this pasture.
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Protecting Road Infrastructure

Neil explains how to keep water off roads to protect roads for years to come.
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One-Rock Dam Repair

Jeff explains how one-rock dams can be assessed and repaired when issues arise.
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Brush and Mineral Terraces

Jeff explains what to do when the soil doesn't have the inherent structure to hold a terrace by itself.

Nuts and Bolts

What

A series of video presentations, worksheets, assignments and resources to help you determine the rights steps to take, starting from where you are now.

Where

Online and accessible from anywhere in the world, with lifetime access to the course materials and recordings.

When

Any time that works for you! Digest the course content at your own pace, knowing that you have lifetime access to the material. This course becomes another valuable resource in your land management toolbox.
Don't hesitate

Need the freedom to digest and work through a course in your time? This is the course for you!

Who is the course a good fit for?

This course may be of value for you if you are dealing with:
  • Erosion, 
  • Post-Wildfire remediation,
  • Drought, 
  • Water restrictions,
  • Limited budget for resolving these issues, and
  • A preference for self-paced education. 

Who is this course NOT a good fit for?

  • You have no time, you're enrolled in 50 online courses this year and this will be but another course that you don't complete.
  • If you are looking for full-time consultation or direct guidance for your project, this is not the course for you. This is a self-guided course on the theory and practice of LTEC.
  • Anyone thinking that Low Tech Erosion Control is a silver bullet for landscape management. These structures are tools in a land managers tool box that a context depend and built to fit both scope and scale.
Learn from Instructors who can save you hundreds of hours of mistakes

"We all learn from mistakes, they just don't have to be our own."

Meet the instructorS

Jeffrey Adams

Jeff Adams is founder and principal of TerraSophia LLC. Jeff builds capacity to regenerate the health of our watersheds by engaging community members through hands-on education projects and ecological design-build services. He has a depth of experience in water harvesting educational training programs and brings a practical and integrated approach to each project with over 20 years of experience in various aspects of construction and landscape trades, including 18 years as a Permaculture Design Certificate graduate.

Jeff has collaborated with a variety of non-profits, public agencies, schools, businesses, and individuals to raise awareness and build skills for regenerative living. He has traveled extensively around the United States and beyond, teaching, designing, managing projects, and collaborating with many leaders in the field. Jeff holds a self-designed Bachelor of Science degree at Humboldt State University in Indigenous Technology, which he coined as the practical application of knowledge of a place to help meet the needs of that place, including all its inhabitants.

Jeff is an EPA WaterSense partner through the Qualified Water Efficient Landscape (QWEL) program, UT On-site Waste Water Professional level 2, ASSE International Rainwater Catchment Systems Installer and Designer, and UT Licensed Landscape and Excavation Contractor.
Patrick Jones - Course author
Meet the instructorS

Neil Bertrando

Neil Bertrando is owner-operator of RT Permaculture, a regenerative design and consulting firm based in Reno, NV. Neil works with homesteaders, farmers, non-profits, and agencies to empower ecological lifestyles and food systems. He is a co-founder of Reno Food Systems, working to improve local food systems through ecological farming and participation in the local food movement. 
Patrick Jones - Course author
More Case Studies

Low Tech Erosion Control in the Real World

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Road erosion to landscape irrigation

Neil explains how he redirected road erosion into landscape irrigation. 
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Vertical Fish Scale Straw Mulch

Neil Explains the value of simple vertical straw mulch to hold soil, collect sediment and catch water.
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Starving head cuts of water

Neil shows how simple dirt mounds can starve head cuts of the water that create and sustain head cuts.
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Wattle Socks - A Solution for Water

Neil describes using wattle socks and how to overlap them to slow, spread and sink water. 
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The Value of Soil Pitting

Neil explains how soil pitting provides depressions to hold water and help vegetation recruitment.
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Prickly Pear Media Luna

Neil explains how he incorporated prickly pear into a media luna, helping to abate erosion.
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Soil Crete Zuna Bowls

Neil explains how a group of volunteers crafted a Zuna Bowl using onsite soil and Portland cement.
Patrick Jones - Course author
Meet the Host

Javan K. Bernakevitch

Javan K. Bernakevitch is passionate about helping people create more abundant, diverse and profitable landscapes and lives that get better year after year. An educator and designer for clients, community events, non-profit groups, university students and businesses, Javan inspires and empowers audiences with a passion for change.

Integrating Keyline Design, Holistic Management, Permaculture, the Soil Food Web, Myco-Integration, Project Management and Business implementation, he understands and emphasizes the importance of balancing biological systems - soil, water-harvesting, landscape rehydration, composting, growing food and biological waste-water treatment - with financial viability. A career focus on regenerative retrofits of broad acre and small scale landscapes to re-establish working watersheds, ecosystems, productive landscapes and enterprises has taken him across North and Central America, Europe and Africa.

The originator of All Points Life Design, he has pioneered new ways for clients to identify their values and bring regenerative enterprises and productive landscapes to their lives.

He operates Permaculture BC, an education and community hub for permaculture in British Columbia, and All Points Land Design, focusing on land design and installation. He has worked with the University of British Columbia, University of Victoria, Vancouver Island University and Simon Fraser University. Recent partnerships include working with the Cowichan Green Community, Seven Ravens Permaculture Academy, Galliano Conversation Association and Healthy Homes.

Our students love us

Wow! Well that was an epic first session haha. Lots of high level questions and discussion. I am really appreciating the experience of taking both the LTEC and hedgerows courses. Thanks for hosting these amazing classes! 
Luke Rosewood, Calgary AB - Land Designer
This course is a great start! I feel very fortunate to be continuing the learning journey with these excellent humans. Thank you for offering this course, it has been highly professional and encouraging. If this past year has been any hint, there's going to be major demand for this kind of work in the future. Thanks all for the uplifting learning environment.
Joshua Clae, Victoria, BC - Land Designer
Incredible. Just Incredible. What information, what experience, this was time and money well invested. Thank you Javan, Neil and Jeff. We need more of this work in the world.
M. Hart, Maryland, USA - Engineer
Neil Bertrando is a leader in the world of Regenerative Agriculture. His services helped me to organize my operation and truly analyze my next steps, ensuring they would bring the greatest positive change with the least amount of effort. I would recommend him to anyone.
Guner Tautrim, Orella Ranch, Goleta, California, USA
Neil's consultation exceeded the (already high) expectations I had. Neil's expert input during the design phase of my property saved countless hours (months? years?) of work down the road.
Garrett M., Reno, Nevada
I love these classes. Well put together, amazing instructors and some of the best information that's available. I can't recommend these courses more highly.
R.K. EngLAND
Very informative course that build confidence for students to start practicing low-tech erosion control techniques. The presenters were professional and very knowledgeable. They provided a variety of examples to showcase the uses of low-tech erosion control structures.
Nathan Burkepile
Napier New Zraland
The LTEC course was all about leveling up - whether you're new to the material or have been implementing for years, the instructor core presented the materials in a way that was at once accessible for beginners and packed with relevant details for more experienced LTEC practitioners.
Casey Pfeifer
California, 
USA
This is vital information for anyone who has access to land. That means everyone, because even if you live in an urban high-rise built on concrete, no one can live without the good earth to stand on.
Terry Church
California, USA
An excellent well curated course with exceptional facilitators. There was an impressive amount of resources shared to allow deeper study outside of the actual course. Neil, Jeff and Javan had a great synergy working together to keep the classes running smoothly and provide a wide range of examples, techniques and answers to a range of questions. Appreciated the professional approach and content. 
Mellisa Baron
British Columbia, Canada
This coarse was everything I could have asked for and so much more. it really exceeded my expectations. There was so much amazing and insightful material every session. I can't believe how much they were able to pack into such a short timeframe. I feel like I will be digging back into all the incredible resources and re-watching these coarse videos for decades! So excited to apply my learnings and continue this work into the future. I truly appreciate the care, organization, and incredible effort the teachers put into this coarse. A true gem. 
Cody Thompson
Alberta, Canada
Neil and Jeff were very generous with this course. A very fair price for an abundance of knowledge. I highly recommend this course to anyone who wants to do this type of work professionally. I have been fortunate enough to learn from Neil and Jeff hands on. I started a business doing stream / wetland restoration / erosion control / road water harvesting / managing water on landscapes. This course will definitely add value to the services I provide and be a valuable resource for years to come. 
Jeremiah Martin
New Mexico, USA

Frequently asked questions

Do I need any experience to take this course?

Absolutely not! No previous experience is necessary!

Can I message you with questions?

We have a community section in our course where you can ask questions on a topic. 

Will have lifetime access to the course material?

YES! You'll have lifetime access to the course. 

Is the course refundable?

The course is non-refundable.
STATE OF USA ENVIRONMENT

Why the USA needs Low Tech Erosion Control

Drought, wildfires, habitat destruction and erosion have pushed American landscapes to the brink of collapse; but, we can come back from the brink.

80% 

Percent of Western US in moderate to severe drought in summer 2021 1

192.8 Million

Acres in the US experiencing drought. 1

10.1 Million

Acres burned in US wildfires in 2021

23 Species

from 19 States extinct this year 3

15,200lbs

Soil lost per acre, per year since 1990 4

22

Extreme weather events in the US in 2020 5
  • 1 https://www.drought.gov/current-conditions 2021/10/31
  • 2 https://www.iii.org/fact-statistic/facts-statistics-wildfires 2021/10/31
  • 3 https://biologicaldiversity.org/w/news/press-releases/23-species-from-19-states-lost-to-extinction-2021-09-29/ 2021/10/31
  • 4 https://www.hoormansoilhealth.com/pdf/USA-Soil-Erosion-Rates-Are-they-Sustainable.pdf 2021/10/31
  • https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/billions/ 2021/10/31
Don't hesitate

Address drought, erosion and habitat creation with Low Tech Erosion Control. 

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