Makvärket near Holbæk in Zealand, Denmark, was the wonderful frame around the NPA’s Spring 2026 Diploma Gathering. As permaculture designers, we found the site – renowned for its innovative recycling and imaginative construction – to be an incredibly motivating environment.
The first day we focused on getting to know each other and exploring what the NPA community is all about. With a few new members joining us, it was a wonderful opportunity to refresh the guilds and reconnect with old or new buddies. We were especially fortunate that our gathering coincided with the first Friday of the month at Makvärket, as this meant we were invited to join their People’s Kitchen and enjoy some truly delicious homecooked food together.
Saturday brought us into the world of permaculture designing and what it takes for a design to be really great. We dived into a great small design and shared reflections. We also had three amazing presentations lined up:
Birgitte Holst presented her Foundation certificate – her two first designs and her diploma pathway so far. It was two very detailed and lovely garden designs.
Marian Nummert gave her Midway presentation, showcasing five designs: brushwood fence construction, a hometown natural history tour, food forest planning at the community house, NPA gathering design, and a hands-on regenerative workshop. All were presented with clarity and style.
To conclude, Simon Gillesberg shared his complete diploma portfolio, featuring ten distinct designs. His work offers an insightful and personal account of his journey with permaculture, marked by thoughtful reflection and well-constructed reasoning. Simon’s expertise is clear as he demonstrates through his projects how he has successfully enhanced biodiversity and regenerated ressources. Especially the connection with the land is explored through the designs as Simon makes efforts to find simple solutions that lets him regain responsibility for the consequences of his actions and needs, as well as working to enhance connection with the ecosystem and its functions.
We then peer reviewed Simon’s work, because the NPA emphasizes learning, offering others a chance to benefit from Simon’s designs and help build our learning community. It was a blended meeting with people present from Finland, Sweden, Estonia and Denmark online and in the room.
After an abundance of lovely food brought from our own kitchens, we had the celebration of Simon’s diploma accreditation. We went on a kind of treasure hunt through the wonderfully rustic enormous buildings that make up Makvärket to find ourselves in a small room with a lot of candles and a refreshing drink. It became a night of anecdotes and magic!
Congratulations Simon!
6-8 March 2026
