Hello! I was born in Mexico and raised in the U.S.A. until in 1983 when my parents decided to move us back to Mexico in an area that is now referred to as the Mayan Riviera. When I arrived there was much jungle and wildlife and not much of anything else. No phone, no t.v.'s and just the very basic necessities. I was a PADI scuba instructor for 10 years and for the past 18 have been dealing with Mexican handcrafts. I have traveled most of Mexico searching for them, dealing directly with the artisans and tending my store, no vendors, to ensure the personal attention to each of my clients. I love my work!

I first heard about permaculture in January of 2010 when Stuart Muir Wilson was visiting our area. It was only a one day intro but I had heard enough to know that this was something that I wanted to do and my home all ready had the native tree higher growth. As time went by I decided to call my home El Refugio de la Sirena and created a place where mostly women and healers visiting Playa del Carmen could find refuge. I have never received money for this, only exchange or trade. I now have three levels of garden space and many areas are decorated with Mexican handcrafts.

This year, 2013, I finished a second level multi-functional salon that was inaugurated with Stuart Muir Wilson doing a 5 1/2 and also a one day introductory permaculture course. What came next was quite unexpected, I had assumed each participant would take there new knowledge home and start gardening and that would be the end. But no, that was not the case! Stuart had planted a seed in several of these students to continue as a group and create community projects. Stuart was on his way to the International Permaculture Convergence in Cuba and I was not, I couldn't afford to. It was on the insistence of this group and by doing a collection for my air fare that I was able to go as the permaculture representative of our very new group officially named Permacultura Playa del Carmen, on facebook. Since then we have joined forces with the Playa del Carmen group of Transitions and Moce and we are at this moment working on many projects, workshops and on February 2 we will be hosting our very own Expo for our city with the hopes of creating much awareness throughout this area. I am truly grateful for all that is happening on a community level with my family, friends and neighbors! Thank you Stuart for teaching us, thank you Darren Doherty for helping us get into the convergence, thank you Bill Mollison for having thought of something so wonderful and thanks to everyone who is making this truly an amazing journey. ;-D