Jo Barker

The Permaculture ethos is my guiding North Star

My websites
http://www.dynamic-equilibriu…
https://www.facebook.com/Jo-B…

Individual or group tutorials
both


Notes about contacting me

01227 832569 [email protected] [email protected] -my direct email or contact me via my profile on the website



Phone number
07747386994

Taking new apprentices?
Yes

About me

I have been passionate about Permaculture since 1990. Permaculture has been my North Star guiding my life. I have brought up my family and directed my  work towards a more beautiful permaculture world. I need to update this text as of April 2024 and add all the more upto date exciting ethnobotany projects and radical selfcare permaculture all rooted in the extraordinary everyday. 

I spend most of my time as a Permaulture Consultant. A Forest Garden and Permaculture Designer, Forager, Gardener, Transition-er and Permaculture Teacher/ Facilitator. I was an active Permaculture Association Board Trustee and a member of the Diploma working group and helped to develop a the Foundation Diploma. I work with Community groups, individuals and the Land.

I have trained professionally as a Permaculture Diploma Tutor, Landscape Architect, Life coach and Kinesiologist which all weave into the Earthcare and Peoplecare projects i am involved with. 

I have been very interested in Everyday Permaculture and have ran over 30 workshops on Home based Permaculture inspired by the David Holmgren's wonderful RetroSuburbia book focuing on Home, Garden. Life.  I have been supporting the Diploma system by helping create a Foundation module course. I am also supporting a Community Service Award / Permaculture in Action scheme, still in develpment. I am a bit obseessed with community garden sof which I am involved with a number running sessions. I enjoyed a part time job at The wonderful Windmill Community Garden in Margate for three years working with families, children, wellbeing and long term employed. I taught basic horticulture and ran many introductory permaculture courses. I also designed and created a beautiful forest garden with the local community.  

In March 2021 I co-started Future Food Forests, designed to create resources for invidiuals, schools and communites.

I am delighted to have been working more recently with Mallards Botanical Garden on the Isle of Man and the National Forest Gardening Scheme amongst others. 

I helped found the East Kent Learning Cetre at The Abbey OPhysic Community garden, We have set up a Permaulture library, hosted two regional events and regular forest garden and permaulture courses and session. 


 

Teaching Permaculture

I first facilitated a session in 1993 (with Patrick Whitefield) and have been regularly been giving talks and facilitating the Introductory weekends since. I have facilitated 13 Introductory weekends, probably over 20 one day introductions and assisted on 5 full design courses. I have given more public talks and mini workshops on Permaculture than I can remember (at least 50).  I did 5 last month! I also run workshops in Forest Gardening, Permaculture, Wellbeing, and my own creation of Survive and Thrive 

2024 Everyday Permaulture for the ordinary everyday and Future Food Forests are current.

Hopefully Soil Food Web School online Permaculture Design Course was with Graham Bell, now Delvin. I have provided a lot of content for this PDC, drawing on much of my personal work.

Permaculture Land design I have designed over 30 Permaculture gardens (possibly over 100! Its been over 30 years) and 3 farms, This includes perennial food gardens / forest gardens.

A constant thread throughout is working with community groups, mainly in Manchester and Kent. I also have worked in Cornwall, Isle of Man and informally in Europe. 

The design ethos also informed my work as a Landscape Architect in 100's of other projects. In the last year I have designed 5 Permaculture gardens, a farm, an urban community park and a community food forest. I have been design support for five LAND learner sites and love my own homegarden. My garden and two clients were  awarded Gold from Kent Wildlife Trust's Wild about Gardens. 

My lands projects have developed over this time weaving in being aesthetic, edible, wildlife friendly and healing. 


 

Being a parent. From natural pregnancy, natural birth, diet, schooling, communication I have been inspired by permacultural thinking. I am not a perfect parent but one who has been fortified by the permaculture journey.

Other Permaculture experience

Peoplecare: I am an Assessment evel Diploma Tutor, a trained Life coach, Kinesiologist (energy medicine practitioner) and have facilitated numerous community projects over many years.

I have been coaching individuals who are 'economically inactive' to explore starting a business combining energy medicine and life coaching. These coaching skills should be useful as a diploma tutor. I have been a Permaculture consultant on a number of community environmental projects. I have run environmental education projects around eco schools, energy, waste, transport, food and planting trees. I have assisted a local bush craft school

  • I have other relevant experience please ask for my CV if you are interested. Observation skills with land and people

  • Foraging wild and garden plants. Its the thing I get asked to do the most. Its usual to find at least 30 edible salad / sou ingredients in every garden, every day of the year. We have foraged over 300 salad ingredients in one salad in our specially designed permaculture gardens. We believe this is a UK record!

  • Permacultural life coaching and applied energy medicine.

  • Transition. I kickstarted the Transition group on Canterbury and started an East Kent Transition gathering. We got a bimonthly Eco-screening going inspired by Passing Clouds.  

  • Canterbury LETS, founder member.

  • Community Supported Agriculture, experience of all activities in two bio-dynamically ran projects. Over 7 years I was Grower, harvester, marketing and in core group. Experience of three different CSAs

  • Straw bale builds Helped out in four projects, minimally. 

  • Visioning exercises

  • Non violent communication

  • Community development.

  • Art- Murals, growing willow structures, photography

  • Planning for real Environmental educations projects, nature awareness, energy, waste, trees

  • Sensitive Permaculture: working with earth energy and nature spirits

  • Schools. Have been involved with lots of projects with every age group. 2 years running Environmental Education programmes. Recently (2013) developed an art proposal to run in schools

  • Children. I have developed a Kids Permaculture curriculum. Nothing as good as the new CiP stuff! 

  • Families. I have been developed Family Permaculture courses 


 

 

My interests
Diploma Tutor Experience

Essentially I prefer to work as a zone 1/ 2 Tutor with regular monthly or weekly sessions. I am always happy to assess Designs whether I am your Tutor or not. I offer a long term payment discount for this committment. I am also available for Technical Tutorials on anything I have listed for one off sessions. A chat on the phone. (no cost).

I have been very keen to help make the Diploma easier and more fun. I was part of the Diploma Working Group for many years and helped rewrite the Mission and bring a Foundation Level to the System. It will still most likely be a rigourous journey if you decide to take it and it has its own amazing rewards. 

 

I need to update this text.

In a nut shell! I have been passionate about Permaculture for over 30 years. I now spend most of my time as a Forest Garden and Permaculture Designer, Forager, Gardener, Transistioner and Permaculture facilitator. I work with Community groups and individuals. I still consider my most important role is as a mum! 

I worked part time at The amazing Windmill Community Garden project in Margate for nearly three years. I mainly worked with the open community days,  long term unemployed, families and toddlers, children and Well Being sessions. I ran many courses inclusing introductions to Permamculture, basic hoticulture, forest garden sessions, cooking and more. It was a brilliant experience.

I have trained as a Permaculture Tutor, Landscape Architect, Life coach and Kinesiologist which all weave into the Earthcare and Peoplecare projects i am involved with.

 

Teaching Permaculture

I first facilitated a session in 1993 (with Patrick Whitefield) and have been regularly been giving talks and facilitating the Introductory weekends since. I have facilitated 12 Introductory weekends and assisted on 4 full design course. I have given more public talks and mini workshops on Permaculture than I can remember (at least 50) . I also run workshops in Forest Gardening, Goal setting,  Permaculture for Transition and Zone00. 

Permaculture Land design I have designed around 30 Permaculture gardens including perennial food gardens / forest gardens. Much of my work has been with community groups in Manchester and Kent. The design ethos also informed my work as a Landscape Architect in 100's of other projects. In the last year I have designed 5 Permaculture gardens, a farm, an urban community park and a community food forest. I have been design support for five LAND learner sites and been developing my own homegarden. My garden was awarded a Gold from Kent Wildlife Trust's Wld about Gardens in 2013 and a client received a gold in 2014. 

Other Permaculture experience

Peoplecare: I have been coaching individuals who are 'economically inactive' to explore starting a business combining energy medicine and life coaching. These coaching skills should be useful as a diploma tutor. I have been a Permaculture consultant on a number of community environmental projects. I have run environmental education projects around eco schools, energy, waste, transport, food and planting trees. I have assisted a local bush craft school

  • I have other relevant experience please ask for my CV if you are interested. Observation skills with land and people
  • Foraging wild and garden plants. Its the thing I get asked to do the most.
  • Permacultural life coaching and applied energy medicine.
  • Transition. I kickstarted the Transiton group on Canterbury and started an East kent Transitin gathering. We have got bimonthly Eco-screening going.  
  • Canterbury LETS, founder member.
  • Community Supported Agriculture, experience of all activities in two biodynamically ran projects. Over 7 years I was Grower, harvester, marketing and in core group.
  • Straw bale builds Helped out in four projects, minimally. 
  • Visioning exercises
  • Non violent communication
  • Community development.
  • Art- Murals, growing willow structures, photography
  • Planning for real Environmental educations projects, nature awareness, energy, waste, trees
  • Sensitive Permaculture: working with earth energy and nature spirits
  • Schools. Have been involved with lots of projects with every age group. 2 years running Environmnetal Education programmes. Recently (2013) developed an art proposal to run in schools
  • Children. I have developed a Kids Permaculture curriculum
  • Families. I have been developed Family Permaculture courses 

I am currently involved with an eco. affordable Community housing project.

I am currently on the Diploma woking group supporting the design strategy.

I am currently a Trustee on the Permaculture Association board. I have been involved with reviewing the Vision Mission Aims.

My main permaculture passion (or obsession!) is David Holgren's new work: RetroSuburbia.

Diploma Tutor Skills

I will walk alongside in support with lots of Permaculture Design, coaching and practical experience. I prefer working more often, weekly or monthly. I will be taking on Apprentices from September 2025 to start October. 

I love Permaculture but honestly found the Diploma very hard. I wanted to be a Tutor to make it an enjoyable experience for others and have found myself in the Diploma Working Group for 4 years to support the design evolution. I helped develop a Foundation Diploma. 

I have loads of skills and experiences to offer as Permaculture has been influencing my life for over three decades. Landscape Design. PART III qualified Landscape Architect. Post graduate diploma with commendation in design completed in 1992. I have 10 years work experience as a Landscape Architect mostly working with community groups in North Kent, Manchester and Stoke. Foraging plants. 15 years ago, I was cash poor and purist about eating chemical free food this led to learning about free edible wild plants. I expanded this into foraging into garden plants and have taken many groups and individuals on forage walks in every season. Designing with perennial edibles was a natural extension of this combined with Landscape design. Interests Bush craft. More of an interest. A close friend runs a school in which I have assisted. I reckon I could survive with my basic bushcraft and thrive with my Permaculture skills. I hope it never comes to that! Creative. I have a strong aesthetic sense and spent many years exploring Land and Environment art. I was involved with a number of community projects. Murals, growing willow structures, bonfire sculptures, art from rubbish! Natural Parenting: Birth, pregnancy, natural nurturing, etc. Peoplecare Community development. Most of my work has involved groups of people. Toddlers, school children, young people, youth at risk, special needs, unemployed, homeless, WI, pretty much everyone. Life Coach and Kinesiologist I have worked with individuals and groups since 2005 goal setting and changing beliefs. Community Business coach. This was applied life coaching on a nearly 2 year project working with 'economically inactive' individuals exploring setting up a business. I applied permaculture principles and ethics to this work. Children. I love working with children and have ran Permacultural projects and I spent 2 years running environmental education programmes in schools. I have developed a Children's permaculture curriculum. I recently proposed a Children's artwork project.

 

Sociocracy. Completed a foundation training Novemeber 2018

RHS Principles of Horticulture 2024

Educator experience

Permaculture Land design I have designed around 35 Permaculture gardens including perennial food gardens / forest gardens/ community and school gardens. Much of my work has been with community groups in Manchester and Kent. The design ethos also informed my work as a Landscape Architect in 100's of other projects. In the last year I have designed 5 Permaculture gardens, a farm, an urban community park and a community food forest. I have been design support for five LAND learner sites and been developing my own homegarden. My garden was awarded a Gold from Kent Wildlife Trust's Wld about Gardens in 2013 and a client received a gold in 2014. I seem to specialise in edible wildlife gardens. Peoplecare: I have been coaching individuals who are 'economically inactive' to explore starting a business combining energy medicine and life coaching. These coaching skills should be useful as a diploma tutor. I have been a Permaculture consultant on a number of community environmental projects. I have run environmental education projects around eco schools, energy, waste, transport, food and planting trees. I have assisted a local bush craft school I have other relevant experience please ask for my CV if you are interested. Observation skills with land and people Foraging wild and garden plants. Its the thing I get asked to do the most. Permacultural life coaching and applied energy medicine. Transition. I kickstarted the Transiton group on Canterbury and started an East kent Transitin gathering. We have got bimonthly Eco-screening going. Canterbury LETS, founder member. Community Supported Agriculture, experience of all activities in three projects. Over 7 years I was Grower, harvester, marketing and in core group on two and have been assisting in a third. Visioning exercises Non violent communication introductions Community development. Art- Murals, growing willow structures, photography Planning for real Environmental educations projects, nature awareness, energy, waste, trees Sensitive Permaculture: working with earth energy and nature spirits Schools. Have been involved with lots of projects with every age group. 2 years running Environmnetal Education programmes. Recently (2013) developed an art proposal to run in schools Children. I have developed a Kids Permaculture curriculum Families. I have been developed Family Permaculture courses

Educator skills

As above

Educator qualifications

Certificate in Permaculture Design Certificate in Teaching Permaculture Creatively - Diploma in Applied Permaculture Tutor. trained to Assessment level PTTLS Preparing to teach in the lifelong sector. Degree in Landscape Design Post graduate Diploma in Landscape Architecture Certificate in Life Coaching Professional qualifications as a Creative Kinesiologist, TFT practitioner (all energy medicine), Brain Gym and Emotional Freedom Technique First Aid Planning for Real Safeguarding. I trained as a designated person. Fire warden. Food Hygiene. Foundation in Sociocracy November 2018