Geoff Lawton’s resume
Resumes — by Murray Gray October 16, 2005
GEOFF LAWTON
Permaculture Consultant, Designer & Teacher
Holder of Diploma’s of Permaculture Design, since 1995 in: Education, Design, Implementation, System Establishment, Administration and Community Development
In 1996 accredited with the Permaculture Community Services Award by the permaculture movement for services in Australia and around the world
Since 1985, Geoff Lawton has undertaken 1,000’s of jobs consulting, designing, teaching and implementing in seventeen different countries around the world. Clients have included private individuals, groups, communities, governments, aid organizations, non government organisations and multi national companies.
In October 1997 Bill Mollison, upon his retirement, asked Geoff to establish and direct a new Permaculture Research Institute on the 147 acre Tagari Farm previously developed by Bill. Geoff Lawton developed the site over three years and established The Permaculture Research Institute as a registered charity and global Networking centre for Permaculture projects. Geoff Lawton is the managing director of The Permaculture Research Institute.
PERMACULTURE DESIGN JOBS
2003 – 2004 – Kiribati, Tarawa in the far South Pacific, wholistic complete island consultancy involving total island inputs and outputs.
Jordan, design of ministry of agriculture research station for conversion to diverse, organic production.
Iraq design of a completely destroyed Kurdish village near Erbil, using strawbale building technique for housing structures.
Egypt, teaching and consulting on permaculture design.
New Orleans, Louisiana, USA , taught 2 permaculture design certificate courses one through association with Tulane University and one through the Cypress Accadomy.
Mexico, Oaxaca taught a permaculture course to 53 students.
2002 – 2003 – Mexico, Oaxaca design of a permaculture demonstration site education center, including the implementation of four dams and a large water harvesting system.
More design work in Jordan and Australia.
2001 – 2002 – Numerous design consultancy jobs in both Jordan and Australia.
Including the design of Diversity Farm the new home of The Permaculture Research Institute. An integrated design including four dams and a large water harvesting system
2001 – 2002 – Dead Sea Valley, Jordan – Sustainable Arid Landscape Farming Model, demonstrating rapid reversal of salted landscape.
1999 – 2000 – Cegrane, Macedonia- Rehabilitation of a 120-acre refugee camp.
Louisiana, U.S. – Army Ammunitions Plant 1500-acre redevelopment
Central Vietnam – NICCO Forest, Permaculture demonstration and education center and rainforest regeneration, implementation of 2 dams and a large water harvesting system.
Central and South America
2002 Oaxaca, Mexico- implemented 3 dams, swales and designed new permaculture research institute.
1998 Costa Rica – implemented major earthworks
And dams. Initiated the Permaculture Institute process.
Consultancy, Costa Rica (10 days). 1997
Food forests & farms (various) – western Brazil
Sub tropical thorn desert (30 acres) – Ecuador
Fishponds & swales (80 acres) – Ecuador
Food forest, fishponds & native animal
Husbandry (600 acres) – Ecuador
Food forests & farms (various) – Peru
Rainforest & food forest (11 acres) – Ecuador
Sub tropical farm (3 acres) – Ecuador
Peruvian Amazon Aquaculture at Pucucalpa with Shipibo Indians.
Re-visited for consultancy 1996
Yachana Lodge; eco-tourist lodge (1760 Acres),
Napo River, Ecuadorian Amazon. 1996
North America
Hacienda Los Luceros, Santa Fe, New Mexico. P.C. Development Consultancies
1998 Louisiana L.A.A.P Consultancy
Europe
Macedonia 1999 re-design Cegrane 46 ha refugee camp as a permaculture research institute, including 8.2K of swales and a large number of swale bale buildings.
Demonstration garden (2 acres) – England
Energy efficient community (83 acres) –
Denmark
Demonstration garden (2 1/2 acres) – England
Australia
Hundreds of design consultancy jobs completed throughout Australia many leading to the implementation of water harvesting earthworks.
PERMACULTURE COURSES, WORKSHOPS & CONFERENCES
Teacher
2003 – 2004 3 Permaculture Design Certificate Courses Diversity Farm, The Channon, NSW, Australia. 1 in The Ministry of Agriculture of Jordan. 1 in Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA, 1 in Cooroy, Queensland, Australia, 1 in Yalunga community, Barkers Vale, NSW, 1 in Oaxaca, Mexico, 1 in the Cypress Academy, West Wega, Louisiana, USA. 1 in Sinai, Egypt, 1 in Griffith University Brisbane Australia.
2002 – 2003 5 Permaculture Design Certificate Courses Diversity Farm, The Channon, NSW, Australia, 2 Weeks of short courses and presentations given in Jordan.
2001 – 2002 5 Permaculture Design Certificate Courses Diversity Farm, The Channon, NSW, Australia, 1 in Minden, Louisianna, USA.
2000 – 2001 3 Permaculture Design Certificate Courses Tagari Farm, Tyalgum, NSW, Australia, 2 in The Channon, NSW, Australia, earthworks implemented at Diversity Farm, 1 in South Shona, Dead Sea Valley, Jordan. 1in Minden, Louisiana, USA.
1999 – 2000 6 Permaculture Design Certificate Courses Tagari Farm, Tyalgum NSW, Australia, 1 in Macedonia with 129 students in one course. 1 in Central Highlands of Vietnam with earthworks implemented. 1 in South Shona, Dead Sea Valley, Jordan with earthworks implemented.
1998 – 99 12 Permaculture Design Courses, Tagari Farm, Tyalgum, NSW, Australia,
Large Japanese course 43 students – Tagari Farm, Tyalgum, NSW, Australia. 1 in Manaus Brazil with earthworks implemented.
1997 – PC Indigenous people’s workshop, Nimbin National P.C. Convergence.
Presenter at the International Permaculture Conference, Perth 1996 (“ Establishing and Maintaining a Strong Local Permaculture Group”).
Presenter at the National Permaculture Conference, Nimbin NSW 1997. (“Permaculture Working Within the Local Community”).
Workshop Presenter National Conference, Nimbin 1997 (Earthworks)
Co-presenter of “Third World Indigenous Peoples” Course, Nimbin, NSW, 1997
Presentation (slides), “Working in Indigenous Peoples in Permaculture”, Santa Fe, USA, 1997
Second PC Design Certificate Course (72 hours) Christiania – inner capital city alternative community, established 1971, Copenhagen, – Denmark. 1997
Working for the Brazilian Dept of Education on a second PC Design Certificate Course (72 hours), implemented large earthworks during the course in Agricultural College grounds. Manaus, Brazil. 1997
Second PC Design Certificate Course, Guatemala. 1997
First PC Design Certificate in Pine Ridge Reservation with the Lakota Sioux, South Dakota, USA. 1997
1996 – Bridgetown, W.A, two-day course for South and Central American PC activists
PC Design Certificate Course (72 hours) – Cooroy Butter Factory Environmental Gardens. 1996
First PC Design Certificate Course (72 hours) – San Lucas, Guatemala. 1996
PC Introduction Course (2 days) – Ecuadorian Amazon, Napo River, “Yachana Lodge” eco-tourist lodge. 1996
First Design Cerificate Course in Christiania. (72 hours) Denmark. 1996
1993 – 1995
PC Design Certificate Course (72 hours) – during which a large aquaculture dam was constructed. 1995
PC Design Certificate Course (72 hours) – Porta Velho, Rondonia Brazil. A test case course for the Brazilian government. 1995
PC Design Certificate Course (72 hours) – Manaus, Amazonia Brazil. A test case course for the Brazilian government. 1995
Five PC Design Certificate Courses (72 hours) – Cooroy, SE Qld. 1995-1997
PC Design Certificate Course (72 hours) – Cruzeiro Do Sol, western Brazil. 1995
PC Introduction Course (4 days) – Pucalapa, Peru. 1995
PC Design Certificate Course (72 hours) – Tena, Equador. 1994
PC Introduction Course (2 days) – Cotopaxi, Equador. 1994
PC Introduction Course (2 days) – Sushufindi, Equador. 1994
Design Implementation Workshop (2 days) – co presenter, Palmwoods, SE Qld. 1994
PC Introduction Course (5 days) LEAP participants – Caloundra, SE Qld. 1994
Food Forests Workshop (3 days) – presenter – England. 1993
Making a Living from Permaculture Workshop – presenter, Denmark. 1993
PC Design Certificate Course (72 hours) – Bundaberg, central Qld. 1993
PC Design Certificate Course (72 hours) – Assistant to teacher – Ballina, NSW. 1993
Participant and Student
Farming the Future Expo August 1999 – presentation of global P.C. projects
Farming the Future Expo August 1998 – 2 presentations of global P.C projects.
P.C National Conference Nimbin, as a representative for PC Noosa, September 1997
International Permaculture Conference – represented PAL & PC Noosa (4 days)- Perth. 1996
International Permaculture Designers Convergence – represented PAL & PC Noosa (3 days).1996
English Permaculture Conference – presented PAL slide show, attended teachers’ meeting.
British Permaculture AGM – helper (3 days) – England. 1993
International Permaculture Conference – helper (10 days) – Denmark. 1993
International Permaculture Designer’s Convergence – helper (3 days) – Sweden. 1993
National Permaculture Convergence & Expo – consultant – Crystal Waters, SE Qld. 1992
Energy Efficient Buildings Workshop (2 days) – Tyalgum, north NSW. 1992
Strawbale Building Workshop (2 days) – Tyalgum, north NSW. 1992
International Permaculture Conf (4 days) – T shirt printer, Pappinbarra, NSW. 1984
Permaculture Herbs workshop – Nambour, SE Qld. 1984
Permaculture Design Certificate Course – Bill Mollison (72 hours)) – Stanley, Tas. 1983
Introduction to Permaculture workshop (2 days) – Nambour SE Qld. 1982
PERMACULTURE ACTIVISM
Director of Permaculture International Limited since 2004
Director of Permaculture Research Institute, Tagari Farm
ABC Radio 10 to 15 minutes radio show every Tuesday morning since 1992
Numerous television and radio interviews on local and national television.
Permaculture Noosa Vice-President. 1996-1997
Assisted in the establishment of Permaculture Caloundra, 1997
Permaculture taken on as the policy for Family Agriculture of the Amazon, Brazil.1997
Permaculture introduced into the curriculum of the Agricultural College of Amazonians, Brazil. 1997
Brazilian government establishes a department of Permaculture within the ministry of agriculture, as a result of the succesful Brazilian test case courses. 1996
Cooroy Butter Factory Environmental Gardens, conceived, proposed and partially supervised a six month community garden design and construction project. 1996
Peruvian Amazon aquaculture system using Amazonian fish for the Shipibo Indians, Pucalpa, Peru 1995
The Butter Factory (Cooroy, SE Qld) – committee member. 1995
Permacultura America Latino (South America) – foundation director. 1994
Permaculture Noosa (SE Qld) – committee member. 1995 -1996
Permaculture Noosa (SE Qld) – president. 1994 -1995
Permaculture Noosa (SE Qld) – co founder,secretary. 1992-94
Tagari Publishing – representative (books & PC products). 1992
Permaculture Nambour (SE Qld) – committee member. 1985
Best of Permaculture book – co cartoonist.
Local fairs & events – permaculture stall holder.
Public forums & environmental issues – active permaculture participant.
PERMACULTURE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL
PIJ.47 – Magazine cover art work – co designer
PIJ.51 – Brick & Tile Permaculture – author
PIJ.53 – The Sleeping Jaguar – co author
PIJ.55 – Ecuador – co author
PIJ 73 – Permaculture Aid in the Balkans
Green Connections – Future Food Security
Comments (18)
dear Geoff,
I writted moonths ago to the permaculture inst.of australia to get help for our Comunitary Center of Andean -Amazonian Permaculture in Bolivia,in a Qeshwa village.I didn’t receive any response.For your book about permaculture in the whole world,look to our website http://www.sachawasi.org,more complete in french,than in spanish or english.We will complete it very soon.
Bruno
Comment by Bruno de Roissart — April 17, 2009 @ 9:32 am
Pure Genius and inspiration!!!!
Comment by Amatullah — December 28, 2009 @ 8:10 am
Recently I was given the opportunity to view 3 of your videos that were borrowed. I would like to send you $20 for each of them ($60 total) as I copied them to study beyond the time that I would have been able to keep the originals. I am in California, USA. Please send directions for best way for my to send payment.
Thanks for all you do.
A PDC wanna be.
Kelly J. Harvey
Comment by Kelly J. Harvey — July 20, 2010 @ 8:23 am
Hi Kelly,
The best way to pay for the 3 DVD’s ($60.00) would be to make a donation to PRI via paypal.
Please go to the payments and donations part of our website and hit the ‘donate’ button. This will take you straight to paypal.
Thanks kindly,
Siobhan
PRI Administrator and on-line orders.
Comment by Siobhan — July 21, 2010 @ 5:05 pm
Hello,
Where can I get or read those PERMACULTURE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL articles?
Thank you,
Ricardo
Comment by Ricardo Marques — January 27, 2011 @ 12:14 pm
Dear Geoff,
I’m interested in your thoughts about the use of recycled railway sleepers, as evident in the Peregian Beach Community Garden.
Some have commented about past preservative practices with this form of timber, and the use of herbicides whilst ‘in situ’ under rail track, and the risk of contamination of food grown locations using such sleepsers.
Do you have any concerns?
Best wishes,
Dr Peter Heffernan
Flinders
Victoria
Comment by Peter Heffernan — February 20, 2011 @ 11:19 am
Hi Geoff,
I really like your vision concerning design systems and sustainable communities. A few points.
So called “global warming” is altering systems that can be designed. Also, what of major spiritual, foundational qualities of humanity? Have you seen some of the work by Scot Aaron. He works with time and space a bit differently looking at the “spiritual food” — Here is a copy and paste
learn how to intimately connect with
1] God through the mystical Enlightened Consciousness in foundational core powers of World Religions
2] the meta of physics, in each of the atoms [extended through core energies in all minerals, food and bodies ] through the symbolic, biochemistry [real energy relationships in molecules, enzymes, amino acids, chains of sugars, macromolecules, chromosomes, DNA, Virus, Bacteria, Cells to material objects like semiconductors, microwaves in communication, transistors, drugs, neurochemistry etc. ], through
3] biology and human reality including plant potencies and animal kingdoms to
4] our Celestial Map where we circulate consciousness in a Spectrum of Light and “Involve” all of existence.
[source page – http://relativitycreationismcosmology.com/
great work Geoff, – you are a visionary
Govinda
Comment by Govinda — July 17, 2011 @ 8:24 am
I have just seen the sea water farm information. I wondered if the local communities should be given the heads up that using the output for the intensive farming of animals could would not green the rest of their land.
Geoff Lawton’s demonstration of swaling in Jordan’s rapid results seems to be down to the heavy mulching and trickle drip kick started the mycorrhizal fungi in the beginning. I wondered the local communities involved with Salt Water Farming should be presented with alternative uses for the outputs such as using chipped mangrove thinnings as a mulch for Swale gardens. Would the mangrove chip need to be inoculated with fungi to get the same result as crop waste.
Though it is respectful to listen to local communities desire for meat production, perhaps they don’t yet know of the other alternatives. offering the option of less intensive animal husbandry and luscious fruit and vegetable gardens might be appealing especially if it recharges their ground water and fills their wells.
At last the questions: How to inform communities involved of the more sustainable use of sea water farming outputs as inputs into establishing fresh water farming?
How to support them in negotiating a percentage of outputs for more local sustainable initiatives even if they are not as immediately profitable to foreign investors?
Oh yes and does the chipped mangrove thinnings mulch require inoculation to work as well as farm waste?
Comment by Rhea Anderson — July 30, 2011 @ 4:56 am
In drylands it is all about anti-evaporation by design this is the way to achieve rapid recovery.
Harmonizing with landscape and water harvesting on contour to grow combinations of extremely hardy desert trees creating shade, condensation, wind buffering by close spacing and organic matter supply support for climax production tree species establishment.
To start this process any mulch which is not allopathic will help and if your design is good quite quickly become redundant as the system will provide its own organic matter.
Herds as grazing animals are a natural and integral part of a healthy natural dry land environment but they do need to be very carefully managed by numbers and regular movement. In this way they are a great asset in recovering the fertility and diversity of drylands and assisting in reforestation.
Comment by Geoff Lawton — July 30, 2011 @ 2:11 pm
Dear Geoff,
I am very much inspired by your food forest video and I think that with some guidance from you we could develop this vision and wisdom in this semi-arid zone of Rajasthan.
I have been developing the production of vegetables, herbs and the propagation of native trees here over the last 10 years and still have not established a good compost supply or succeeded in a great deal of diversity. We stick to seasonal vegies and I basically listen to the locals. I can now see what can be achieved if we start to step out of the norm and experiment a bit and so today we planted in a small area a combination of millet, lucerne grass, ashwagandha, roquette, European paprika, tomato and basil, psyllium and lavender – all of which pretty much have the potential to do well mid-monsoon. We have a dam here – talab as it is locally called but it has not been full for 3 years now and is close to empty now. We have been in drought for 3 years.
I wonder if you would ever consider visiting us out here. It is primarily a yoga ashram under construction since 1992 and there is a great deal of potential development for landscaped gardens and forested areas – especially in the area of fruit orchards.
Summer temperatures get higher each year – 49 celsius in June and so we do lose alot of trees each year. Acacias do well and some local types. Neems are our number one.
In addition,if you know anybody who would or could come out on a volunteer basis with some experience and the desire to experience a quite and gentle atmosphere that would also be great. I suppose you must meet 1000s of greenthumbs owing to your mission whereas I feel quite isolated here in that respect. Many of the European guests are even fearful to come to the gardens because they are sure that they we meet cobras and scorpions!
Thankyou for the inspiration. I share your ideals and really feel that children need to be learning basic horticultural skills from KG class these days. It is the need of the hour and surely the greatest joy. My teacher often says that agricultural is the best culture. Perhaps it is also the most ancient.
Sincerely yours
Puspa Devi
Comment by puspa devi — August 4, 2011 @ 7:39 pm
Hi my name is Jordan Bantuelle and I am a New Orleans native and an LSU graduate in biological sciences. Since my college days I have been an activist and organizer on many environmental and social justice issues. From these experiences and seven months of living on farms I have come to the conclusion that permaculture may just be one of the best tools we have for creating a freer and more just society. I am very serious about dedicating my life to practicing and promoting permaculture (though I also think it is lots of fun!).
I see that you have taught a few classes in Louisiana. I was hoping you could help me get connected into the already existing permaculture network here in Louisiana. I have some experience but I am ready to work hard and learn as much as I can. Any way that you could help point me in the right direction would be greatly appreciated. Please email me back at jbantuelle@gmail.com.
Thanks,
Jordan Bantuelle
Comment by Jordan Bantuelle — August 22, 2011 @ 7:23 am
Dear Geoff,
I’m due to be giving a seminar at the Landscape Institute in London next month. I’ve an hour to introduce permaculture which is a huge challenge! One of the key points I’d like to make is that the principles can be applied at any scale (in fact include the principle appropriate scale) and I was thinking of very briefly mentioning projects like Masdar City (and others of a similar size in passing to help make that point). I hope this doesn’t seem too daft a question but if I could sum up the contribution of permaculture to the Masdar masterplan in one sentence, what should I say?
Hope you’re all well at Zaytouna. Thanks again for the week I wwoofed! (It was the best of my 3 weeks in Australia…)
Best wishes,
Simon Watkins
Comment by Simon Watkins — September 27, 2011 @ 2:28 am
Greetings Geoff,
I have watched a program today in Aljazeera news channel called Earthrise which featured your project in Jordan. I found your work on Permaculture extremely interesting and believed that your will benefit millions of lives here in Nigeria, especially northern Nigeria where there Sahara encroachment, water scarcity and the majority of people here are poor, not educated and there means of livelihood is farming.
I am wondering if you and your group have done any project in the northern part of Nigeria in the past, if not I would like to urge to consider doing a project here as it will touch millions of lives. Project here can
Comment by Yakubu Fari — October 31, 2011 @ 9:27 pm
Just listened to your interview with Jack Spirko. Love your comments made. If ever in Texas do let me know. With our drought, we need all the permaculture insights you offer. I’m learning more each day on building a food forest.
Comment by Carl Burnham — May 24, 2012 @ 12:56 pm
Hey everyone!
Thanks Geoff and all his followers for everything…everyone is truly an inspiration to be the change we want to see in the world.
Do you or does anyone know how I can attend or get hands-on experience with some of the things Geoff is doing?
Any volunteer opportunities, classes, or list of projects that he is working on that one could get involved with within the united states?
I assume it could be difficult to get in touch with him but I have questions for any experts out there…
How do we offset our consumption of gasoline or electricity for things like garden equipment? For example, if I want to shred garden or kitchen waste, small twigs or branches, leaves, and wood chips.
I saw a clip in Permaculture Soils of Geoff shredding organic matter with some sort of hand-crank device…it really looked ideal for the DIY gardener who wants to become self-sufficient.
Thanks and God bless,
z
Comment by zack — June 13, 2012 @ 5:10 am
Geoff,
i recently heard your interviews on the survival podcast, which were great, and was pleasantly surprised to hear about your experiences in Louisiana and your thoughts on using the delta as a filter, not a drain…i’m very new to permaculture, but after having read Bill Mollison’s course and studying your teachings, i’m hooked.
i live in New Orleans and have already started growing my own vegetables. I hope to turn my 50′ x 50′ backyard into a mini permaculture experiment using elements of South Louisiana ecosystems.
i was curious to know if you’d be interested in sharing some thoughts/ideas you had about great projects in South Louisiana that i might try to tackle some day in the future.
I’ve already contacted the State Abandoned Mine Reclamation dept. to inquire about opportunities to turn abandoned sand mines along local rivers into permaculture exhibits.
This is just one idea i had, but i’m sure that you have already envisioned many more.
Just let me know if you might be interested in pointing me in the right direction.
Great work…Very Inspiring…Thanks…Will
Comment by will — July 4, 2012 @ 11:37 am
Sir,
your work is very inspiring, sir what would it cost us to consult you for a water harvesting project in northern Nigeria.
Comment by Fidelis — April 1, 2013 @ 2:45 pm
Dear Geof
I am extremely thankful to you and Bill Mollison for doing great job “Permaculture”, I feel lucky and proud that I am also a little part of your community as I have done my PDC with Mustafa Bakir in Malaysia.
In Pakistan we are two people at the moment having PDC as Pakistani national. I am working with one of my colleague who is from UK in the establishment of an institute, where we work on Permaculture and can teach PDCs as well. Also our goal is that one day Insha Allah we will make PRI Pakistan. I know you are so busy, but would be so great if you please visit my page Pakistan Permaculture Design at Facebook and appreciate my little effort in this regards. I am also a member of your free video site.
Best regards
Shafqat Ullah
skkakar75@yahoo.com
Comment by Shafqat Ullah — April 17, 2013 @ 6:27 pm
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