Karen Noon

admiring the gardens at Babylonstoren
Availability

I am available to take on new apprentices in person or via zoom.

Taking new apprentices?
Yes
Individual or group tutorials
both
Notes about contacting me

My phone number

+33788113505
About me

My name is Karen and I am based in Northern France (Brittany) since 2016. We are developing our property into a Permaculture demonstration and education site. Our goal is to create a poly-income scalable smallholding, and we welcome people from all walks of life interested in living a more sustainable lifestyle to vist, learn and share. 

We run Introduction to Permaculture, Permaculture Gardening and Introduction to Smallholding course throughout the year. We also run part time and full time PDC's once a year. My husband Glen teaches Biochar, Charcoal and woodland management courses

I am a Permaculture designer and educator, and have an interest in regenerative agriculture, climate appropriate planting, perennial food orchards, herbs for healing and health, holistic management as well as social aspects of Permaculture. 

We have co-founded a Community Association with other like minded folk in the area in order to share skills, work on projects together and share equipment. 

So far I have worked on eco-education projects, corporate garden designs, community gardens, recycling projects as well as home scale garden designs in the Middle East, UK and France. 

I would be interested in opportunities to mentor, as well as to work and collaborate on projects in the UK and Europe.

Diploma Tutor Experience

I am currently an Assessment level tutor, having completed both the Registration Tutor and Assessement level courses.

I current have a number of apprentices that are actively working on thier Diploma projects. 

We hold monthly zoom calls to check in as a Guild, so you will have support from me as well as a community of other apprentices, all living in different parts of the world and creating exciting design projects.

Diploma Tutor Skills

Before permaculture changed my life and world views I was an Accountant and a Certified Prince 2 Project Manager  implementing large corporate finance systems. Therefore I am able to bring from my past corporate life experience the following attribute into my role as diploma mentor:

Goal setting: my background in project management can aid in defining objectives, creating action plans, and measuring progress.

Communication: I can help apprentices articulate their permaculture ideas and projects effectively

Mentorship approach: I am able to listen, provide guidance, and adapt to the specific needs and goals of each apprentice. I believe in fostering a supportive and nurturing mentorship relationship.

Examples & Case Studies: I am able to share examples from my own experience both with permaculture projects and corporate world case studies

Since starting my permaculture learning journey I have completed the following courses/certifications:

PDC with Aranya at Sustainability Centre in 2011 

RegenAG with Darren Doherty - 2011 

Holistic Grazing Management with Kirk Gadzia - 2011 

Training of Teachers and PTLLS with Aranya, Hannah Thorgood and Jan Mulreany in 2012

 Diploma in Applied Permaculture Design - 2013 

Small Scale Mushroom Production with Gourmet Mushroom Academy ZA

Mentoring and Life coaching with Gaia University - 2019 

Diploma Tutor course with PAB - 2020 

Currently studying with Gaia University for Masters in Integrative Social Design 

My areas of interest are fairly broad ranging. As we live on a smallholding I am interested in pasture management, farm to table food systems, edible landscapes, mushroom propogation, no dig vegetable gardening, growing herbs for health and healing, and integrating animals in a permaculture system. 

I am also very interested in the social side of permaculture and in this regard I have worked on setting up 2 eco-education projects, a community association in our local area, I run seed swap events and open days for the public from our smallholding. 

We run Introduction courses, small holder courses and host volunteers interested in permaculture, so people care and education is an important part of what we do. In addition to the above I am also a certified life coach.

Educator experience

In terms of educator or design experience - these are a few of the designs I have completed

*Smallholding design and implementation

 *Food Forest design 

*Pasture regeneration 

*Corporate sustainable garden design and implementation 

*Urban garden design 

*Community garden design 

* Eco education project

* Recycling project for a members club 

* Renovation and build of kitchen 

* Design for volunteers at smallholding 

* Integrating animals in permaculture 

* Regeneration of orchard

Educator skills

Small farm scale design Integrating animals into a permaculture site 

Holistic grazing management 

Corporate and urban garden design

 Permaculture  Eco-education

Educator qualifications

PDC with Aranya at Sustainability Centre in 2011 

RegenAG with Darren Doherty - 2011 

Holistic Grazing Management with Kirk Gadzia - 2011 

Training of Teachers and PTLLS with Aranya, Hannah Thorgood and Jan Mulreany in 2012

 Diploma in Applied Permaculture Design - 2013 

Mentoring and Life coaching with Gaia University - 2019 

Diploma Tutor course with PAB - 2020 

Currently studying with Gaia University for Masters in Integrative Social Design