Aranya

Aranya
Taking new apprentices?
Yes
Notes about contacting me

I already have a lot of apprentices, so am now limiting applications to those who have done their design course with me.

My phone number

+44 01503 240946
About me

My current focus is in delivering permaculture training, mainly full design courses over two weeks or six weekends. I've taught over 100 of these as of August 2023. I also co-deliver teacher and Diploma tutor training from time to time.

I first came across permaculture back in the late 1980's, being fortunate enough to meet one of the first designers working in this country. I found the subject full of common sense ideas that immediately inspired me to apply some of the principles in my own life.

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 course, 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! I love to dip into my collection of gardening and permaculture books,but most of what I've 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 the City and Guilds 7307 Adult Education Teaching Certificate. I now co-teach a Training of Permaculture Teachers course with my colleagues at Designed Visions. I have also designed and implemented several major garden projects during the last decade using permaculture principles, that formed a significant part of my Diploma in Applied Permaculture Design portfolio (completed in September 2003 and since then available online). I served as a trustee of the Permaculture Association (Britain) for five years (2000 to 2005) and then served on the Interim Diploma Development Team until it's re-launch in 2010. As well as being a Diploma Tutor I have served on the Diploma and Farming working groups and am now part of the Education working group.

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 to the Process' was published in Spring 2012. I'm currently involved in a number of other projects, including writing a second book on the subject of 'Deep Permaculture'.

Diploma Tutor Experience
  • One year living on an Irish mountain, no modern services or money. Subsistence permaculture action learning!
  • Designing gardens / smallholdings (rural permaculture more than urban).
  • Non-land based design, especially processes (including many permaculture courses).
  • Creating a permaculture related 'right' livelihood.
  • My whole Diploma portfolio (completed in 2003) can be viewed on my website: https://www.learnpermaculture.com
Diploma Tutor Skills
  • Gardening, forest gardening, edible plants in general.
  • Non-land based design.
  • Design analysis tools.
  • Permaculture education (delivering both PDCs & teacher training).
  • Systems thinking
  • Patterns & their applications.
  • Exchange & alternative economics.
Educator experience

* A number of gardens, designed and implemented since 1996, mostly my own. * Some consultancy since 2004, including a few smallholdings. * Small forest gardens. * Some theoretical knowledge of Regenerative Agriculture systems and techniques - I ran RegenAG UK for a couple of years and completed the following courses/workshops: * * RegenAG Advanced Design course (7 days) Oct 2011 * * Holistic Management (3 days) May 2012 and March 2014 * * Polyface Farming with Joel Salatin (3 days) Apr 2013 * * Fertility Farming (3 days) July 2013 * * Biofertilisers and Soil Chromatography (3 days) May 2014

Educator skills

SKILLS AND TECHNICAL EXPERTISE: * The permaculture design process (I've published a book on this subject: 'Permaculture Design - a step-by-step guide' Permanent Publications 2012). * Training of Permaculture Teachers (I've co-taught these courses since 2006). * Gardening, forest gardening and growing unusual plants and trees (I've taught forest gardening courses since 2011). AREAS OF INTEREST: * Using systems thinking and natural patterns in design (I'm currently writing my second book on this topic). * Applying permaculture thinking to the care of our own bodies (since 2011). * Creating permaculture livelihoods (I teach short courses on this topic too). * Alternative currency systems.

Educator qualifications

* Senior tutor in British Diploma system since 2012 * Advanced Permaculture Design Course with David Holmgren August 2005 * Permaculture Teacher Training in June 2001 & Sept 2004 * Diploma in Applied Permaculture Design (Britain) Sept 2003 * Adult Education Teaching Certificate (C&G 7307) Aug 2001 * Certificate in Permaculture Design (PDC) Sept 1996 * BSc Hons Physics 1985