Past Presenters

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  • Bezleel Israel

           I started out very early in life with a born-in passion for the great outdoors. My mother was conceived at the top of Mt. Whitney" herself an avid climber who then inspired the spirit of the wilderness into everyone she met. I spent most of those wonder years in early San Jose before artificial trees of silicon displaced cherry plum and walnut orchards of phenomenal size. Those fragrant and stately giants from another time proved to be the perfect candidates for honing climbing skills and constructing sturdy tree forts continually built inner self confidence by pushing me to new heights. My brother and I would spend all day in the woods nothing more than imagination as our friend. Year after year we spent 6 wks. in the summer exploring every last piece of wilderness we could find in 14 Western states and Canadian provinces as well. Lasting impressions solidly etched into small and flexible tree trunks eventually grew strong and wide and tall as adults. Escapades of joy into the mountains and forests are something I practice to this day. Rejuvenation in some form is nearly always the result.

         I spent almost 40 years immersed in a system of civilized chaos" where I spent a lot of time building and repairing petroleum dinosaurs as a full time mechanic. As I watched vehicle after vehicle leave the shop and go back to the world spewing noxious fumes and supporting a petroleum chokehold on our lives I knew there had to be a way to cut the cord. It took every bit of fortitude and faith I had to make the leap of abandoning the mechanical mindset and embracing the spirit of creativity I could nurture on my land in Idaho. I look back now with pride and joy on that decision. It took almost 3 years of isolation and reflection to absorb the teachings of the land"" to see the possibilities and the pleasures of working with it. The PDC course I took online in 2014 with Geoff Lawton cemented the whole process into one holistic design that included an eco-tourism cottage industry based on a living classroom format for community education and awareness.  

    Affiliation:
  • Carol Wilburn

    Permaculture is just the right framing for the Renaissance mix of Carol’s diverse experience and current work that pivot around building multi-generational human community while caring for & living with our planet in a regenerative way:  raising food while building soil and sequestering carbon with no-till organic agriculture and intensive rotational grazing.

    A committed elder and teacher she has worked with people in transition and personal inquiry since 1990 grounded in rites of passage council circles and community building.   She carries a deep awareness of the legacy we are creating for all the children as well as the power of intentional retreat time on the land to inspire each of us to risk bringing our fullness into our lives and the world.  She considers elderhood an ever-deepening spiral of understanding one's path of service. 

    Her support of others in conscious eldering and mentoring processes especially focuses on stepping forward now rather than waiting to be even better prepared and affirming we are just the ones to do what the world calls us to. 

    This woman has hard-won practical skills too rooted in years of living in various forms of intentional community homesteading gardening and carpentry.  Also a writer a photographer a watercolor artist and a Professional Engineer her latest endeavors in these realms are designing and building tiny homes in support of community that embodies simplicity sustainability and the safeguarding of precious resources; and advocating for energy policies and technologies that support the health of the planet all species and future generations.  

    Carol is especially interested in the permaculture design process as it applies to the social financial and physical aspects of building an intentional light-footprint community of collaborators close to Sandpoint ID.

    Affiliation:
    Phoenixes Rising

    Phoenixes Rising is an intergenerational project: an engaged circle with young people in their late teens and in their twenties & thirties alongside committed elders who are stepping into their decades of service beyond mid-life adulthood. Each are inspiring, witnessing and mentoring the other, based in rich community and experiences together. My intention is to link with good land and collaborators, so that Phoenixes Rising becomes a rooted learning community: based in practices that support each person in discovering and cultivating the particular gifts and talents they have to bring to the larger world. Practices, projects and workshops include community building, permaculture and sustainability, rites of passage and legacy work.

  • Casimir Holeski

    Hi fellow Permaculturists!
     
    My name is Casimir Holeski. I am the owner/operator of Infinity Matrix Permaculture Nursery and the founder of the Boundary County Orchard Restoration Project.
     
    I am passionate about permaculture and real food! Land access for permaculture minded growers is the topic that is most on my mind these days.
     
    My story: the nutshell version...
    Following a mystical experience that occurred in my early twenties I caught the health bug. I immediately cut white flour and white sugar from my diet and began eating a plant based organic diet.
     
    I quickly realized that in order to eat the diversity of clean and nutrient dense food I desired I would have to learn to grow my own.
     
    Accompanied by visions of an abundance of fruit, vegetables, nuts, flowers, birds, bees, and more I planted my first garden in a four by eight raised bed.
     
    At this point I knew nothing of Permaculture. I spent years working on my garden learning the information that I needed to fulfil my desire to be surrounded by natures bounty and natures beauty.
     
    I expanded my vegetable gardens and planted a small backyard orchard. I planted a strawberry patch and some raspberry canes but I felt like I was lacking some fundamental information that I needed to make my vision of being surrounded by abundance a reality.
     
    Discovering Permaculture after several years of organic vegetable gardening was the key I needed to pull all of the disparate pieces of my own garden puzzle together to create a more holistic vision by design. 
     
    A garden that emulates a forest, a forest garden, was the closest match to the vision in my head I had yet discovered.
     
    As I enthusiastically began to work on my own forest garden I quickly ran into the same obstacle I had already encountered, namely how to acquire the genetic materials (i.e. perennial woody plants and trees) to fill out my planting. 
     
    There is a limited amount of genetic material propagated by traditional nurseries and many of them adhere to a conventional model of agriculture that I do not want to support. Economics was also a limiting factor. 
     
    I found myself asking how I was going to be able to establish my forest garden on a limited budget.
    When one grafted apple tree costs $25 and up it can be very expensive to put in more than a very small planting.
     
    I also chafed at being limited to what was available through the nurseries I was aware of at the time.
    This desire for more independence from the forces of lack and capitalism led me eventually into the world of fruit exploring and propagation.
     
    As I learned more about genetic diversity, local adaptability, and propagation I began noticing the myriad fruit and nut trees in my locale that were going unused, dripping fruit and nuts onto the ground year after year.
     
    An abundant resource and it was being unused by those caretakers who didn't realize the wealth of nutrition and beauty in their own backyards.
     
    It was then that I began to talk to these people about their fruit.
     
    I quickly realized that the majority of people with unused fruit are very generous and I began to harvest some of this abundance for my family to eat as well as for propagation purposes.
     
    I was ecstatic because I found myself in a win/win situation where each party benefitted.
     
    The homeowners or renters had their fruit mess cleaned up and I received a bounty of fresh and nutritious food for my family to consume as well as a wealth of genetic material to propagate.
     
    In the course of this education I was amazed to discover the amazing diversity of high quality fruit and nut trees that had been planted in my locale by past generations.
     
    I realized what an invaluable resource these old heirloom trees were to me and to the greater community of fruit lovers and growers, and I realized that they were dying!
     
    I am passionate about preserving the best of these old trees for future generations and sharing genetic material with like minded growers.
     
    Together we can add to the diversity of our plantings while preserving and continuing the work begun generations ago by our ancestors.
     
    Onwards and upwards, and for the good of all!
     
    See you at Convergence!
     
    Affiliation:
    Infinity Matrix Permaculture Nursery
    Infinity Matrix Permaculture Nursery was begun to propagate plants and trees for my own garden as well as being a way to "share the abundance".
     
    To "create a yield" is one of the first goals of the permaculturalist. 
     
    My nursery is intended to be a vehicle to fulfill the permaculture principles of "people care" and "fair share".
     
    By growing more than I need I have an abundance to share and trade with like minded growers.
     
    In this way Infinity Matrix Permaculture Nursery is a vehicle for me to be of service to the greater community through sharing information and resources.
     
    I have a dream of many similar permaculture oriented nurseries networked and working together to empower those in need of information and/or genetic material to add to their plantings.
     
    A permaculture nursery network that exists to share information and resources such as locally adapted trees and plants makes us all more adaptable and resilient in the face of climate change, political instability, and economic pressures.

     
    Join the movement! 

     
    Nursery something that you are passionate about and share it with the world!
     
    Bonners Ferry Idaho, 83805
  • Chrys Ostrander

    Chrys is caretaker at Heartsong, a former retreat center 25 miles north of Spokane and the venue for the INPC for three years running. Heartsong occasionally hosts permaculture groups, and others, for holding educational events that revolve around permaculture, the healing of individuals, groups and the planet. At Heartsong, Chrys raises dairy goats, takes care of a flock of laying hens, maintains an 8000 sq. ft. garden and assists in the implementation of the permaculture design for the property. A resident of Washington since 1990, Chrys has been active in sustainable agriculture circles since the mid-90's. He learned to do web design twenty years ago working on the first-ever Tilth Producers of Washington website. He now provides web services for private clients and for Washington State University Extension as a part-time employee. He earned his Permaculture Design Certificate from Michael Pilarski in 2012 and enjoys teaching organic gardening, cheese-making, goat husbandry and permaculture.

    Affiliation:
    Chrysalis Organic Web Design

    I’m an affordable, flexible, creative, responsive and communicative website designer. I will answer your emails in a timely manner. I’ve been told my rates ($20 per hour) are “insanely” low. I see my role as making the Internet accessible for those of us of modest means. I can build powerful and effective websites for folks who might otherwise not be able to harness the power of the Internet. I can build a website that you can maintain or I can stay on and maintain the website for you (with a 24 to 48 hour turn-around time after you notify me of your desired edits). I can also maintain your pre-existing website.

  • Cindy Santi

    As a 3 year old child, Cindy was fascinated by life and spent hours and hours exploring nature, playing with bugs, and feeling a very deep and spiritual connection to the world. On the very first day she entered the San Diego school system in Kindergarten, she asked the teacher, "Why are we here?" to which the teacher replied, "We're here to learn to tie our shoes and play together!" Cindy replied; "No, I mean; 'WHY ARE WE HERE!!!?'   She never received the answer she was looking for from an educational system that seemed totally out of touch with what really mattered in life. After years of searching through religious and philosophical teachings she was given visions during meditations that told her to seek out the definition of the word 'Nothing'. Cindy Santi fell into that void before the age of 5. She has come to realize through time that only through surrender to grace can we achieve any lasting connection to source. She is by birth is a Black Water Dragon Master number 22....she is a fore runner and a strident progressive. She is shamanic by nature loves simplicity in form and beauty is full of complexity herself and shies away from the complicated and chaotic. She has been a lifelong devotee to the practice of healing arts; physical emotional and spiritual. She has developed a loyal following of private public and corporate clients from across the U.S. that keep her in a semi-nomadic yet fully grounded state of mind. Time energy and committment have created a long list of evolving individuals who have acheived balance wisdom" and joy in their lives through the cultivation and containment of energy for dynamic relationships and projects. These are the things that matter and give meaning in life for her and she has made them her specialty. That is why she is here.

    Affiliation:
  • Deborah Berman

    Deborah Berman is the founder of Palouse Permaculture, and a cofounder of the Institute for Regenerative and Integrative Science. 

    Affiliation:
  • Debra Williams

    Debra is affectionately known around these parts as The Tipi Lady. She is a master seamstress and has been making Tipis since 1997. She is also an accomplished artist whose artwork has graced more than 50 Tipis. Her Tipis live in numerous states in the US and are also planted internationally in Canada France Chile & Mexico.

    Back in 2003 she became more aware of the toxic impacts on the Earth and the Water that result from the cotton industry. The chemical treatment of the standard cotton canvas used for Tipis compounds these impacts and the health effects of handling this material on a regular ongoing basis in her work was also a concern. She began experimenting with Hemp canvas and made her first Hemp Tipi in 2004. She has become the trailblazer for Hemp in the Tipi world.

    Debra's work has taken her on some amazing journeys. Most notably she was commissioned in 2012 by Grandmother Margaret Behan "Red Spider Woman" of the International Council of 13 Indigenous Grandmothers to make 13 Tipis for their 11th Council Gathering which was held on the Northern Cheyenne Reservation in Lame Deer Montana. As Spirit would have it she "moved shop" to Lame Deer that summer and ended up staying with Grandmother Margaret for another year after the Council as she immersed herself in Grandmother Wisdom and deepened her knowledge of the spiritual & cultural significance of the TIPI.

    For more info about Debra and her offerings visit her website: http://www.sagebrushtipiworks.com

    Affiliation:
    SAGEBRUSH TIPI WORKS
  • Diana L. Duke

    As an endurance athlete and ultra runner, Diana Duke began her journey in permaculture with an interest in nutrition.  In 2009 she embarked on an adventure, riding her bike from San Diego to San Francisco, working on organic farms along the way.  She completed her Permaculture Design Course (PDC) in Costa Rica, in 2010, under the guidance of Scott Pittman of the Permaculture Institute.  She has also studied hugelkulture under Sepp Holzer.  An intership at a dairy farm in Colorado, Sustainable Settings, fostered an interest in livestock.  It is on this dairy farm where she met her husband, Collin Duke.  In November 2012, Diana and Collin landed in Sandpoint, Idaho and purchased 20 acres of forest land in Priest River, Idaho.  Here they started a sustainable tree farm and forest products business.  In 2013 Diana completed the Idaho Master Forest Stewardship and Master Naturalist Progams, and now volunteers her time at Round Lake State Park, as a Nature Hike Leader. Diana also completed her yoga teacher certification in Cuzco, Peru, and has recently started playing the violin.  She has turned her home in Sandpoint, Idaho into an urban homestead, appliying permaculture pricipals and sustainable practices.  Her in town home is complete with ducks, meat rabbits and an uban permaculture fruit guild and orchard.  Most recently, Diana, has been voluteering her time, toward an effort through the Kinksu Land Trust to encourage community, organic gardening and community outreach to those in need.

    Affiliation:
    Devadaru Farm

    A sustainable Tree Farm and forest products business

  • Diane Bruce Miller

    Diane has always called the Pacific Northwest her home, growing up in Spokane, Washington then moving to Sandpoint, Idaho in 1978. Her love of nature and its gifts are readily experienced due to the magnificent beauty in which she lives. Diane has a gardening business dealing with landscape design and maintenance. She also has deleloped a theraputic salve with a range of healing applications. A lifelong student of indegious culture bridging their teachings back into our modern world, has made way for a balanced life linked with the laws of nature.

    Affiliation:
    Aunt Monkeys Botanicals

     Aunt Monkey's botanicals makes an all purpose salve. It's effective organic ingredients is for everyone and every purpose, slather your body with our trusted time-tested balms and oils.It's used for wrinkles age spots blisters bug bites cuts scrapes abrasions eczema psoriasis dry skin cuticles burn stretch marks scars beards hair massage and the list goes on ...

    Sandpoint, Idaho 83864
  • Gabe Gaul

    Gabe Gaul is thrilled about Nature! Loves the outdoors. Permaculture for 10 years.

    More than a decade of  permaculture experience.

    Experienced designer.

    Two introductory and two full-on Permaculture Design Courses (Friends of the Trees/Michael Pilarski).

    Many  years on the Inland Northwest Permaculture Guild (INPG) Board of Directors.

    Affiliated with Northwest Build & Guild.

    Three years homesteading, cultivating and logging.

    Six years commercial, ethical wildcrafting.

    Mushrooms

    Hunting mushrooms since six years old. Won Morel Mania contest (Illinois).

    Radical Mycology Network Certification Course.

    Two years teaching mushroom workshops privately and in conjunction w/ INPG.

    Two years tincturing and making mushroom medicine.

    Gabe offers Workshops Classes & Forays for All Ages.  Subjects include Ethics & Principals of Wildcrafting Introduction to Permaculture Home Mushroom Inoculation and more. Forays with eight to eleven people are guided excursions into natural places for the purposes of learning improving observation skills harvesting or design.

    Affiliation:
    fungipermastead.com

    FungiPermastead & PermaSteadyReggae

     

  • Gloria Flora

    Gloria lives, works and stewards TerraFlora, a permaculture demonstration homestead in Stevens County, WA. A landscape architect by training, she was a Forest Supervisor in the U.S. Forest Service before founding Sustainable Obtianable Solutions and the U.S. Biochar Initiative.  She and her husband Marc are developing and practicing the art and science of sylvanculture. Gloria loves to teach and talk about all of the above and then some!

    Affiliation:
    TerraFlora Permaculture Learning Center

    Sustainable Obtainable Solutions - a nonprofit founded to ensure the sustainability of public lands and of the plant, animal and human conmmunities that depend on them.

    U.S.Biochar Initiative - promoting the sustainable production and use of biochar.

    TerraFlora Permaculture Learning Center - encouraging wholistic permaculture design and implementation specializing in sylvancture, that is supporting ecosystem services in forested settings in ways that provide reciprocal support to humans.

  • Indigo Sutra

    Indigo has been studying herbs for 40 years and raised a healthy family without the use of any pharmaceuticals.

    Affiliation:
  • Jeannine Tidwell

    Jeannine Tidwell is co-Founder and co-Director of Twin Eagles Wilderness School, a family-operated nature connection school centered in Sandpoint, Idaho and offering programs, events, gatherings and community building extended through out the Inland Northwest. She has helped to bring the Twin Eagles vision for people to live in balance with the earth through rekindling relationships with nature, community and oneself by learning and sharing wilderness living skills, the arts of traditional mentoring, permaculture and cultural repair and restoration. Jeannine's path has been one of fate and destiny as she has been on a journey of manifesting her life's work since being with her first mentor at 13. She and her husband lead Rites of Passage for young people and help bring adults through a transformative journey in the Wilderness Immersion Program. She is the mother of two sons and lives in pristine Sandpoint, Idaho.

    Affiliation:
    Twin Eagles Wilderness School

    We are nature based mentors, who believe that our role on Earth as humans is that of stewards, and that in order to take care of the Earth we need to deeply connect with it. Wilderness survival, permaculture, and herbal remedies are just a few of the approaches we use to facilitate deep nature connection. We also belive that this level of deep connection is best facilitated through mentoring. We believe that in order to really make a difference, we must be able to work together as people, as community. At Twin Eagles, we are centered on the age old truth that in order to change the world, we must first "Know Thyself". Twin Eagles offers programs for adults and youth in: Wilderness Survival & Primitive Skills Wildlife Tracking Wild Edible & Medicinal Plants Permaculture & Regenerative Design Nature-based Mentoring & Cultural Restoration Naturalist Training Bird Language & Native Scout Teachings Inner Tracking (nature based journey of self-discovery)

    Sandpoint, ID 83864
  • Jesica Peterson

    Jessica Peterson of Inside Edge Design based in Helena, Montana is going to be one of INPC’s keynote speakers.  Jessica, along with Caroline Wallace, has been developing a public forest garden in Helena,  6th Ward Garden Park, since 2011. They have been assisted by David Jacke who taught a 10-day course there in 2015.  Inside Edge Design just hosted Penny Livingston-Stark for a recent workshop and are holding their first pdc (permaculture design course) in 2016.  They are on a roll and Jessica is coming to INPC to give us a taste of what they have learned.

    Jessica Peterson grew up in a natural setting within an urban environment. Her parents lived communally with family and friends in the early years and shared a large corner garden in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She remembers vividly an “earthworm immersion” class her mother taught the kids on summer evenings, getting used to handling them gently while learning of all the good those squiggly, slimy seeming things brought to the garden, the butterflies, ladybugs, and birds, and to the humans’ plates and tummies. Twenty-five years later, Jesse now lives and works as an independent consultant in Helena, Montana. She holds an MA in Social Economics and a BA in Psychology. She applies the knowledge from social economic theory, along with personal work and life experience (like serving in the Peace Corps in Madagascar), to choose the projects and the organizations to work with in her community. She uses whole systems approaches, including permaculture design and applies them toward social and environmental justice and bio-regional food sustainability.

    Affiliation:
    Inside Edge Design

    Inside Edge Design, LLC (IED, LLC) is a collaboration and exchange of skill sets between Jessica Peterson and Caroline Wallace, based in Helena, Montana. Jessica and Caroline met in Montana and joined forces in 2012 to bring clients a unique pairing: a socioeconomic and community engagement focus with a whole systems design approach to landscape architecture.

    Helena, MT
  • Joanna Castro

    Joanna is the mother of 7 year old Willow, and the co-founder of Vedrica Forest Gardens. Joanna was raised in Central Oregon on an 80% self-suffient homestead with her parents and older brothers. She was professionally trained in Mental Health Counseling and has traveled extensively to experience international communities. Joann awas inspired co-create Vedrica after reading the Ringing Cedars of Russia. Now, Joanna and her son live on their three acre Space of Love without electricity or plumbing, growing and wildcrafting food, making medicine from the wild herbs and intimately learnining the flora and fauna of the land. There are five families sharing in the experiment and raising their children with the land. More families and individuals are welcome!!!

    Affiliation:
    Kin Domain Academy 501c3

    Kin Domain Academy provides education, practice, experience, and sharing opportunites to increase our ability to live in harmony and ballance with the Earth and all her inhabitants.

    KDA offers long term and short term resdiential study terms at Vedrica Forest Gardens. We offer wild food and herb walks, share seeds, and wild medicines. We welcome your interest and enthusiasm. Contact Joanna at joannaopentrust@gmail.com

  • Karie Lee Knoke

    Karie’s passion in life is about living in harmony on the planet.  As a youngster, she focused on wildlife and environmental activism to heal the planet.  Now, she sees the value of healing ourselves first.  Her own healing journey has taken her to that place of faith and trust where the great mysteries of life unfold.  She helps others restore true peace, love, and compassion within themselves.  When we can live in that place of harmony, we can begin to restore the balance of the earth and her inhabitance. She is a certified Energy Medicine Practitioner, in the modalities of Eden Energy Medicine, Light Body energy medicine using shamanic practices in the Incan tradition, plant spirit medicine, EFT, acupressure, Reiki and has a degree in Psychology.  She uses wild-crafted herbal remedies and flower essences to supplement her healing practice. She is very passionate about indigenous skills and spiritual connection with nature.  She is a skills instructor and teaches from her home and many skills gatherings, including Rabbitstick, Wintercount, the Buckeye Gathering, Saskatoon Circle and Between the Rivers gathering.  You can find her teaching braintanning (making deerskin into buckskin), buckskin sewing, beading, herbal remedies and nature awareness skills.

    Affiliation:
  • Kathleen E. Callum

    Kathleen E. Callum is an archeologist with a love for living soils. She is a passionate advocate of a strong local food netowrk, thriving local communities, and bustling historic districts. Kathleen graduated with a M.S. from the Institute for Quaternary Science (now the Climate Change Institute) at University of Maine Orono and dual B.A.s in Anthropology and Geology from University of Montana. One of her archeological specialties is early indigenous and historic agricultureal landscapes and sustainable farming.

    Kathleen is now retired from USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, a current owner of a private archeological consulting firm GEOARCH, Inc. in Leicester, Vermont, and volunteers as a garden manager at Hemlock and Fairview Community Garden in Spokane, Washington. She is also a volunteer WSU Spokane County Master Gardener and Spokane County Master Composter.

    Her childhood growing up in a rural farming community where she spent time with her family maple sugaring, raising livestock, and gardening shaped the person she is today. Kathleen has enjoyed canning, freezing, and other ways of putting up the season's lush bounty with her grandmothers, mother, and sister. She has sold organic produce to a trendy restaurant in Vermont and at a farmer's market in New Hampshire. The Callum/Sloma family has quite a bit of experience ripping out lawn both for rural and urban homesteading, as well as raising chickens alongside busy city streets.

    Affiliation:
    GEOARCH, Inc.

    GEOARCH, Inc. (formerly GEOARCH) is a woman owned small business specializing in archeological, geoarcheological, and heritage discovery projects since 1991.

    Leicester, VT 06733
  • Kelly D Ware

    Kelly has been on the trail of permaculture studies for over 20 years. From the Bullock's farm, to CRMPI, Sepp Holzer, Paul Wheaton, Versaland in Iowa for large scale, and receintly the Regrarians REX10 world tour 10 day training on advanced desiging, through mapping and efficient decision making according to all factors in the scale of permanence. Kelly has a 16 year old urban site, bagan a church food forest four years ago and is in the process of seeking for funding for the large piece of land for the regenerative ag and permaculture school for northwest Montana. Kelly loves educating. She has taught skiing, spanish, yoga, trail running, infant potty training and all aspects of Permaculture, her life's passion. 

    Affiliation:
    Permaculture Montana

    Education and promotion of sustainable ag/ permaculture and building local food networks and resiliency.

  • Kevin Blue

    Kevin Blue began his love affair with the plant kingdom through the practice of western herbal medicine, finding his way to permaculture along the way. Since completing his Design Course in 2012 his most influential experiences have been travels to CRMPI, the Bullock Brothers, a Forest Gardening workshop with Dave Jacke, and most recently travels to Peru and Costa Rica.  He has been involved with a community garden In Bozeman, MT for the past 10 years.  HIs primary areas of interest are herbal medicine, mycology, urban permaculture and greenhouses.  He is inspired to do all he can to help transform humanities relationship with the Earth and each other, starting with the foods we eat and the plants we nurture.

    Affiliation:
  • Kyle Chamberlain

    Ethnobotanist, primitive technologist, forester, trail builder, wilderness therapy counselor, writer, walker.

    Affiliation:
    Human Habitat Project

    Counter-culture piracy, fringe-pillaging, social network posturing, corporate occultism, ext.

  • Lori Thomas

    I grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area when wildlife of all kinds was plentiful; I caught bugs and small reptiles watched massive bird migrations and most of all learned to care for the bugs and insects around me watching them grow and transform in the many glass jars on my dresser.  My first foray into entomology was a 4-H class where we immediately learned to kill bugs and label them which turned me off to that course of study.  As I reached adulthood I focused more on the plant world.  While living in Germany I learned about medicinal plants and how to use them. After moving back to the US and on to Virginia I continued with my plant studies as well as taking classes on interspecies communication and Reiki.  I also began teaching classes on Edible Weeds and their uses but the insects on the East Coast are so prevalent and amazing that they literally called me in for help.  I have now come full circle back to the insects and bugs that I have always loved.

    I understand  the sentience and sanctity of all Beings on this Earth and how having the humility to being open to receiving teachings from any of them can be life changing.

    As a spiritual entomologist and spiritual ecologist I see the amazing often invisible interconnectedness within the Nature Kingdoms.  The messages I have received from some of these Beings and from insects in particular are so simple yet profound that they have completely altered how I view them the Earth and my place in the web of life.  It brings me joy to share these insights with others so that together we can heal our relationship with the Insect Kingdom and begin creating the Heaven on Earth that this planet is meant to be.

    Affiliation:
  • Michael Billington

    Michael’s educational background includes studies at the University of Montana where he did project based learning about conservation, land/resource management and human-landscape relations.  Additionally he studied agriculture, ecology and Indigenous cultures.  His independent studies have focused on acquiring practical skills and have brought him to many diverse teachers. Those studies and practices were implemented and developed from 2012-2015 while managing a 95 acre property near Flathead Lake in western Montana.  At this project he helped install and manage over 6 different ponds, 3 acres of wetlands, and 7 acres total of earthworks and a diverse Edible Ecosystem that spanned the whole complex.

    The bulk of his focus now lies in farming perennial vegetables and alliums.  Additionally, he is an apprenticing seedsman working under David Ronniger.  This work has him gathering and processing a myriad of Native seeds for restoration purposes.  He partners with David Ronniger to operate ronnigersgarlic.com

    Michael is a proud husband and father.  With a focus on the next generation, his life inspiration is to breed historically used native food plants into drought tolerant vegetables.  He believes that when these native vegetables are coupled with perennial food producing plants that modern agriculture will be resilient to the increasing challenges that are facing the planet today.  By learning how to steward edible ecosystems the managers are actively creating new cultures of indigeneity.

    Affiliation:
    Native Seed Foundation and Ronnigers Garlic and Nourishing Roots Farm

    Native Seed Foundation gathers, processes, and sells wholesale quantities of Native plant seeds.  It has been operating for over 28 years.  Our efforts support restoration projects of all scales around the US. Ronnigers Garlic grows high quality fine varieties of heirloom garlic. Nourishing Roots Farm is a farm and consultation service.  We focus production primarily on alliums and perennial vegetables.  Our consultation efforts focalize on perennial food production systems and our projects have included anything from large scale earthworks to food forests to passively irrigated gardens.  We are based in Western Montana.

  • Michael Blend

    As a design/builder with 38 yrs experience in construction and design; from conventional homes, commercial buildings, and land development; to geodesic domes, solar homes, yurts and log construction, Michael brings a wealth of practical experience and knowledge to the table.

    My own journey has led me towards the practice of permaculture which integrates regenerative landscaping and sustainable building site development with sustainable structures as well. This requires a broad knowledge of overall project development which my construction background has readily provided. Fortunately today, the technology is already available to build net zero energy homes (homes that produce as much energy through renewable, clean sources as they consume in a year). By utilizing integral greenhouses, aquaponics and thoughtfully designed landscaping, I hope to move as closely as possible to net zero water consumption and net zero food production in future projects as well. From there it makes sense to add net zero transportation as well, with electric vehicles charged by solar panels at our permaculture demonstration site.

    Affiliation:
    SolarGreen.House

    Our long term goal is the creation of a learning center for people interested in permaculture, net zero construction principals and techniques as well as food production. Participants would have the opportunity to stay on the property for a time while learning or teaching these skills and techniques. The center will provide mentoring and technical assistance with all aspects of business planning, marketing strategies, and production practices as well. We want to provide a hands on learning community where people both offer and receive expertise and community resources/support to go on and create their own projects.

    http://solargreen.house/

    Kalispell, MT 59901
  • Michael Pilarski

    Michael Pilarski founded Friends of the Trees Society in 1978 to promote Earth Repair. He is the foremost permaculture teacher and networker in the Inland Northwest. He has been commercially wildcrafting medicinal plants for 21 years as well as making value-added products and collecting and selling seeds of many native plants. His main area of knowledge is the northern half of Washington state, north Idaho and Northwest Montana.  He also farms many medicinals and food plants in medicinal edible agroforestry systems. 

    Affiliation:
    Friends of the Trees Society

    Working to double the worlds forest cover so people (and all the other species) can live happily ever after.

  • Phil Small

    Phil is a gardener interested in urban food production. He co-founded a volunteer tree fruit gleaning organization, the Spokane Edible Tree Project. Phil is helping establish community food production at Polly Judd Park in Spokane. He and his wife Rosemary have converted much of their urban lawn to garden beds rich in biochar. As a professional soil scientist, Phil promotes healthy, resilient soils to municipal and industrial clients. His permaculture teachers are Michael Pilarski, and Dave Jacke. His primitive skills teachers were Frank and Karen Sherwood.

    Affiliation:
    Land Profile, Inc.

    Formed in 1992 sustainable land use projects are our specialty. Science support for waste utilization is Land Profile's core business.

    Land Profile is active in permit compliance for land development; mitigating impacts to critical areas such as wetlands. We are exploring new and exciting ways to apply soil science skills in the growing dynamic around land revitalization. Biochar is a particular interest. 

    Spokane, WA 99204
  • Rob Lyman

          I started out very early in life with a born-in passion for the great outdoors. My mother was conceived at the top of Mt. Whitney" herself an avid climber who then inspired the spirit of the wilderness into everyone she met. I spent most of those wonder years in early San Jose before artificial trees of silicon displaced cherry plum and walnut orchards of phenomenal size. Those fragrant and stately giants from another time proved to be the perfect candidates for honing climbing skills and constructing sturdy tree forts continually built inner self confidence by pushing me to new heights. My brother and I would spend all day in the woods nothing more than imagination as our friend. Year after year we spent 6 wks. in the summer exploring every last piece of wilderness we could find in 14 Western states and Canadian provinces as well. Lasting impressions solidly etched into small and flexible tree trunks eventually grew strong and wide and tall as adults. Escapades of joy into the mountains and forests are something I practice to this day. Rejuvenation in some form is nearly always the result.

         I spent almost 40 years immersed in a system of civilized chaos" where I spent a lot of time building and repairing petroleum dinosaurs as a full time mechanic. As I watched vehicle after vehicle leave the shop and go back to the world spewing noxious fumes and supporting a petroleum chokehold on our lives I knew there had to be a way to cut the cord. It took every bit of fortitude and faith I had to make the leap of abandoning the mechanical mindset and embracing the spirit of creativity I could nurture on my land in Idaho. I look back now with pride and joy on that decision. It took almost 3 years of isolation and reflection to absorb the teachings of the land"" to see the possibilities and the pleasures of working with it. The PDC course I took online in 2014 with Geoff Lawton cemented the whole process into one holistic design that included an eco-tourism cottage industry based on a living classroom format for community education and awareness.  

    Affiliation:
    ECOS Eden Enterprises

    ECOS Eden Enterprises has many facets to its organization. We consult with individuals and community organizations who want the best use planning for their land. We have been utilizing elements of sustainable design in a natural outdoor classroom setting to enhance and improve the environment and the lives of those who support it.

    ECOS; the Greek word for domicile or home also as an appropriate acronym standing for Environmental Conservation Observation and Support.

    Eden;

    What better way to learn about the importance of nature than to have an adventure in the middle of a garden of plenty?

    Enterprises;

    The bigger than life feeling you experience in a showcase facility that blends technology and natural materials into one adventure filled discovery zone. It's also the bigger than life impact that is created when these sites are replicated elsewhere. Plans are fully underway to create such a place in North Idaho. Crowd sourced funding and promotional materials are being created to ensure that this type of opportunity is supported by many enthusiastic contributors and encouraged by the use of mass media tools.

    Priest River ID 83856
  • Robert Merrill

    The virtues of building with reclaimed materials-- alias the "Hybrid Habitat." Since 1977 the promotion of Alternative Ark-itecture and its' appropriate support technologies have directed my life. Living in more than a dozen Intentional Communities has encouraged and enabled the development of the H/H. This powerpoint reveals how common and often discarded materials can easily be redeemed into solar reliant structures.

    Affiliation:
  • Ryan James Herring

    Ryan Herring is greatly interested in connecting with the earth through the soil and composting. He has been teaching, learning and researching about biologically active soil and compost with the Spokane Master Composters (3yrs) and the WSU Spokane Master Gardeners (2yrs). He took his PDC with Micheal Pilarski at Heartsong in spring of 2015 and has been helping with the Convergences ever since.

    Graduated from SCC with an Architectural Drafting degree in 2008. And has been doing 3D modeling and design on HVAC and Plumbing systems in the local Mechanical Engineering field for about 8yrs since. Has worked on projects such as the Saranac Remodel (LEED Platinum) and Main Market Coop.

    Ryan is a member of the Inland Northwest Biodynamic Association where the group practices the Biodynamic Agriculture Methods described by Rudolf Steiner. They are part of the North American Biodynamic Regional Groups. Ryan practices the Biodynamic method in his Suburban Gardening in conjuction with many Permaculture practices. He has been most intrigued with the Biodynamic way of composting and has been research it and the preparations. Most recently he has been working with Chromatography and learning how to best apply it and where it fits. He has been working with this project with a fellow Master Composter, Ken Avery, and have been making progress towards developing a website and a starting point for soil chromatographs in the local community.

    Recently he has been seen in the local art scene promoting what he calls Permaculture through Art. Connecting others to the local ecological movement and their local environment.

    Affiliation:
    Soil Chromatograms

    Soil Chromatograms is a learning place about the living biological processes envisioned by Pfeiffer. In the long-term it will be a teaching tool for those that want to improve the quality of life, all life, by looking at our relationship with these living biological processes. A laboratory for research and development of Chromatography and post findings through the website. And our ultimate goal is to work with the local Prison and Sustainable Prison Programs (SPP) to set up a small lab and work with inmates to teach them viable life skills that could be valuable for their future reestablishment into society and the workforce.

    Spokane Valley, WA 99016
  • Steven Stargazer

    Starrgazer has been a "student of the stars" for over forty years and has also studied Yoga and other mystical traditions. He lives in the mountains of Northeast Washington and conducts  classes, "playshops" and individual readings,

    Affiliation:
    Starshine

    Astology and other wisdom.

    Colville, WA 99114
  • Tawnya Rourke Kelly

    Since my PDC in 2013, I have been on a new life path.  By the grace of nature and the universe, I have been able to make a living with a small landscaping business and organic farm.  It is my joy and pleasure to teach, learn and make beautiful (and appealing to all the good bugs and critters), the dirt around me.  I specialize in food and pollinator- attracting plant installations, light maintenance, and perennial bed revivals, in addition, of course, to feeding as many people as I can from my own dirt.  I love to work hand-in-hand with my clients (and my kids!).  I learn every day, and live for it.  I spend the cold months working in my community - organizing Free the Seeds!, and helping at school and wherever I can.  

    Affiliation:
    HeartStead Home & Garden Services LLC

    My business provides sustainable landscaping solutions - from light maintenance to full perennial revivals to fruit tree pruning to food and pollinator installations. I welcome my clients to work side-by-side with me to learn what I do, so that they may do it themselves. I also sell these same folks fresh, organically grown fruits, veggies, herbs and plants and even eggs from my farm.  

    Kalispell, MT 59901
  • Teri McKenzie

    Founder/Executive Director of the Inland NW Food Network Teri McKenzie was born with an insatiable love of food. She is passionate about both food and community building" and recognized early on that any social gathering worth its salt includes food.  A returned Peace Corps volunteer and inveterate humanitarian Teri has decades of experience both in the nonprofit sector and in higher education. With a Masters degree in Whole Systems Design/Nonprofit Leadership and drawing inspiration from the teachings of the natural world she is a firm believer in the collective wisdom and creativity of people to address the problems we currently face. In her spare time she enjoys gardening cooking traveling" music and zoning out with her cat.

    Founder/Executive Director of the Inland NW Food Network Teri McKenzie was born with an insatiable love of food. She is passionate about both food and community building" and recognized early on that any social gathering worth its salt includes food.  A returned Peace Corps volunteer and inveterate humanitarian Teri has decades of experience both in the nonprofit sector and in higher education. With a Masters degree in Whole Systems Design/Nonprofit Leadership and drawing inspiration from the teachings of the natural world she is a firm believer in the collective wisdom and creativity of people to address the problems we currently face. In her spare time she enjoys gardening cooking traveling" music and zoning out with her cat.

    Affiliation:
    Inland NW Food Network

    The Inland NW Food Network connects people, place, food and farms through education and outreach. Our vision is to create a healthy, fair, accessible and sustainable regional food system.

    Coeur d'Alene ID 83816
  • Thom & Torie Foote

    Affiliation:
    Footehills Farm

    We grow organic culinary and medicinal herbs for sale to the local community

  • Three Apples and Mike Sullivan

    Three Apples is a solar systems designer with 30 years of experience. He also consults on passive solar house design. 
    Affiliation:
  • william aal

    William (Bill) Aal is deeply involved in social and environmental justice work with a particular focus on agricultural sustainability and social healing.   He has taught Social Permaculture at  several PDCs and Convergences with and been a lead teacher with Starhawk, Kelda Miller and others.  He was on the board of the Washington Sustainable Food and Farming Network for almost ten years and has been involved in the Transition movement as well.   A founding member of the Seattle based Community Alliance for Global Justice and its project AGRA-Watch he has worked with farmers and advocates for ecological and sustainable agriculture both in the US and Africa.

    Aal attended Cornell College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, studying food and soil microbiology, where he acquired a life time  respect for the power of microbes to sustain life on the planet.

    He is co-founder of Tools for Change, which brings a holistic and practical approach to dealing with dynamics  of power in communities and organizations. Versed in opening the imagination, awakening people’s best thinking and inspiring group transformation, Aal works with group reflection to unleash collective genius in organizational settings. Currently he works with his wife, Elle McSharry in a project called Dream Transformation which continues the work of Tools for Change, repairing our relationship with our selves, each other, and the wide world in all its forms.2408 Est 

    Affiliation:
    Tools for change
    Tools for Change explores the nexus of social change and spirituality, working from the inside out. We promote healing, leadership development, and sustainable democracy. Our approach weaves together deep reflection, sharing stories and heart felt dialog to inspire social healing, generosity of spirit and collective genius.
     
    Spokane Valley, wa 99206