My current focus is in delivering permaculture training, mainly full design courses over two weeks or six weekends. I've taught forty of these as of January 2011. 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 Stage One of 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 now serve on the Diploma working group and am part of the Teacher's core 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.

I'm in the process of finishing off my book about the Permaculture design process...