I've been a professional environmental educator for over 20 years, and an organic farmer and green builder for the last decade. I spent the first decade of the 21st Century developing one of the most sustainable properties in North America. Trollbacken is a 38 acre farm/forest in New Hampshire. More recently I have undertaken PhD research in permaculture education at the University of Waikato in Hamilton, New Zealand.

While I was developing Trollbacken I was unaware of the word "permaculture," but I was basically practicing it. I met Bill Mollison at Schumacher College in Totnes, England and had no idea who he was. I look back on that now and laugh.

My PhD research focuses on incorporating permaculture into secondary school science as a way to develop ecological literacy in students. Simultaneously, I am working as a consultant and run workshops on eco-design and practical skill-building. While I write my dissertation, I'm also renovating a 100 year-old villa and developing the section as a permaculture property. My wife and I founded The ECO School in 2009 with the mission of providing high quality sustainability education at affordable costs.

Some Before and After Shots

Two years and counting.

An Ecological Model for Community Sustainability Education

Over the last 2 years we have been developing an ecological model for whole community sustainability / resilience education. We learned heaps about the difference between theory and practice with surprising results.

Looking Back on 1 Year of Eco-Renovation and Cost Savings

With a year of data on power use and waste disposal, we are in a position to demonstrate what is possible to others in our community.

The Little House That Could

The Little House That Could is a multi-disciplinary curriculum about passive solar design and energy efficiency designed for upper primary school and lower intermediate school children.

Excellence in Environmental Education

We are currently working in an innovative, cross-curricular programme for primary schools based on the science and maths of passive solar design and energy efficiency.

Low-Maintenance/High-Productivity Gardening

Four-dimensional, beyond organic, carbon positive food production.

Multiple Functions

We've been busy over the last 10 months converting an abandoned property into a low-cost / high performance permaculture paradise.

A Permaculture Approach to Permaculture Education in Schools

Designing around the existing strengths and weaknesses, opportunities and barriers, energy flows and resources in state schools is essential for implementing effecting, sustainable permaculture education in schools. Here are three examples of how we've go

Permaculture as Education

I'm involved in applying a permaculture perspective to education from Year 1 students through Year 13 students, adult learners and even education research. Here is a glimpse on my ideas about permaculturists as educators.

"If it lived, it can live again." - Geoff Lawton

Waste management, resource recover, and building organic matter on sand.

Taking the Project into Schools

We are now involved in sharing our project - the Eco-Thrifty Renovation - with area schools.