talks & appearances

Drawing on my training in permaculture design, the arts, social sciences, and other fields, I am available to give talks for churches, neighborhood associations, and communities, about how you can work with nature to green-up your community and become more resilient, less vulnerable to droughts, flooding and other disasters. And make your place a sanctuary for life and human connection. My talks are by Zoom or equivalent, so I’m available to you wherever you are located. Contact me and we’ll set a date! I always have openings in my schedule.

During the pandemic shutdowns, I did my speaking engagements exclusively by teleconferencing. This was a change I had been moving toward anyway, to reach a wider audience with less overhead (both financial and fossil). Today’s technology allows us to be connected via large-screen, high-res images, giving us most of the same benefits as if we are actually in the same room together.

As of May 2021, I am now offering some limited in-person talks and consultations for community groups (outdoors and in my local area only).

Many conferences, such as Bioneers, The Nature of Cities Festival, and NEJAC (National Environmental Justice Advisory Council), have had a teleconferencing component long before the pandemic. I’ve found it a good choice to take a page out of their book, and offer my practical and inspirational talks without geographic barriers or a high carbon footprint.

Following is a partial list of my talks, radio shows, workshops, and other events. These are talks and appearances I’ve already done. I’m available to speak on any of these subjects to clubs, neighborhood groups, and other organizations, and will customize my talk for your group. Contact me for more information.

TALKS/PRESENTATIONS

Personal & Planetary Benefits of Low-Footprint Living. Want to live a more eco-friendly lifestyle but aren’t sure what else you can do beyond what you’re already doing? Learn how to radically reduce your eco footprint by harnessing your own self-interest as a motivator.

Diversity: Nature’s Greatest Design Principle. Find out how it works in nature, and how we can apply it to create more abundance and resilience in the human-built environment (including our “invisible structures” such as norms, codes, and organizations).

Easy-care Yards: Create Beauty, Save Money, & Help the Environment. Transform your yard from an endless maintenance hassle into an oasis for humans and wildlife with a few simple tips. Talk and slideshow followed by Q&A. Any problems, questions or concerns you have with your lawn / yard, bring them! Topics include edible landscaping, native plants, and how to get your yard certified as a Wildlife Habitat. 

Naturally Cool: Beat the Heat, Help the Environment, and Cut Your Utility Bill. Did you know that home cooling accounts for about 46 percent of your energy bill in summertime? In this presentation I talk about a variety of simple DIY adjustments you can make to keep your home and yourself cooler, while also helping the environment and of course reducing your utility bill! (This talk is part of my “Healthy Living with the Environment” series, which I do on the first Friday each month at Breakers Oceanfront Park Environmental Learning Center, 13 S. Atlantic Avenue, Daytona Beach FL USA. Time 11am – 12:30pm.)

Other talks I’ve given so far (either at the ELC or by request for community groups, or both):

Healthy Living with the Environment: An Introduction to Permaculture Design

Rainwater Harvesting & Waterwise Landscaping, Ocean-Friendly Gardening

Edible Landscaping: Turn Your Yard or Balcony Into a Fresh-Food Zone

Soil 101: Healthy Soil = Healthy Plants, Healthy People, Healthy Planet

Nature Deficit Disorder: What It Is; How It Hurts Us All; How We Cure It

Resilience

Smart Growth: Can We Really Have It? If So, How?

How To Solve the World’s Problems with Your Garden

The Personal & Planetary Benefits of Low-Footprint Living

Beyond Recycling: Getting a Real Handle on Our Trash 

RADIO SHOWS

“Green Daytona” radio show. My “Green Daytona” series aired monthly in 2019 on the City of Daytona Beach Government radio show. You may still be able to access recordings on WJOY 106.3 FM, or on the City of Daytona Beach Government’s Facebook page. (By the way, WJOY is a gospel station, so when the CODB radio show isn’t on, you can hear gospel music and related content.)

Installments in the “Green Daytona” series included:

Permaculture, Sustainability, and Low-Footprint Living

Natural Capital

Making Peace with Nature

Green Infrastructure

Soil 101

Nature Deficit Disorder

Resilience

Smart Growth: Can We Really Have It? If So, How?

Climate “Code Red”: What Does It Mean for You and Your Community?

WORKSHOPS

Rainwater Harvesting & Waterwise Landscaping (half-day workshop)

Permaculture Design Basics (half-day, full-day, or weekend-long workshop)

Solar Cooking & Simple Living (half-day workshop)

DEMOS

Solar Cooking Demo at the Breakers Oceanfront Park Environmental Learning Center, Daytona Beach. Learn about solar cooking and other renewable-energy technologies that will cut your utility bill and increase your household’s disaster-preparedness.

All of these talks and presentations are available by request. I will tailor the content to address your group’s concerns, needs, and goals.