I first came across permaculture back in the late 1980's, being fortunate enough to meet one of the first designers working in Britain. During the 1990s I regularly lectured and debated on environmental issues in schools and colleges and in the media for a national campaigning group over a period of five years. After that I completed the Certificate in Permaculture Design (as a two week residential), where I finally got a proper immersion in the subject. From that point on I just had to incorporate all these great new ideas into what I was doing - I was hooked! We clearly learn much better when we have an enthusiasm for a subject and although I love to dip into my collection of gardening and permaculture books, most of what I have learned has been from simply going out and having a go.

I went on to participate in two separate week-long Teaching Permaculture Creatively courses and to complete Stage One of the City and Guilds 7307 Adult Education Teaching Certificate. I also designed and implemented several major garden projects during the last decade using permaculture principles, some of which forming a significant part of my Diploma in Applied Permaculture Design portfolio (completed in September 2003). I made it available (perhaps the first one ever fully online) for others to view on my website (where you can still find it): www.aranyagardens.co.uk

After shadowing a Training of Permaculture Teachers (ToT) course led by Robina McCurdy & Andy Langford in 2004, I've been regularly co-teaching ToTs with my colleagues at Designed Visions. I served as a trustee of the Permaculture Association (Britain) for five years (2000 to 2005), the Interim Diploma Development Team (2005-2010) and currently serve on the Diploma Working Group and the Education Working Group. I also act as Senior Tutor for the Diploma in Britain, helping students along their own Diploma pathways.

I was initially trained in Physics, but I felt that I needed to be doing something that wasn't harming our beautiful planet, so I turned my gardening hobby into my job. As well as being work that I enjoyed, maintaining gardens naturally was something positive that I could do to earn my living. However, "Multiple elements for each function" is an important permaculture principle that reminds us that nature always supplies everything from more than one source. This is why eco-systems have such an inherent stability. So in order for me to enjoy this same benefit, I diversified my work and created a 'poly-income' for myself. Teaching permaculture courses and tutoring Diploma students now makes up a large proportion of what I do, but I always have other projects on the go as well.

I feel that permaculture has a lot of solutions to offer us, so I now enjoy having the opportunity to teach "something that can make a real difference in all our lives". Among my other diverse activities, in 2003 I initiated the Permaculture Musicians project. This has in turn produced a CD of permaculture songs called 'Earth Stars', that was sold to raise funds for permaculture projects at home and abroad. I also sometimes photograph the salad mandalas I create from plants grown in my own garden.

My book 'Permaculture Design - a step by step guide', which evolved from design worksheets over two years or so, was published by Permanent Publications in April 2012.

Permaculture Design - a Step-by-Step Guide, now available for pre-order

Whe-hey! After nearly two years, my Permaculture Design Step-by-Step Guide is almost here... I'm taking pre-orders now at a specially discounted price.

Darren Doherty bringing RegenAG to the UK in the autumn

In-demand permaculture & keyline designer Darren Doherty is bringing Regenerative Agriculture to the UK at the end of Oct / start of Nov.