PINA Membership Plans

Since PINA coalesced in 2012, I view it as a leading organization for promoting permaculture as the framework for sustainable living. My own passion and profession followed the trajectory of my favorite Aldo Leopold quotation, “There are two things that interest me, the relationship of people to their land and the relationship of people to each other.” I’ve been, and continue to be, all-in on protecting and restoring landscapes, supporting ecosystem services and helping people remember our inextricable connection to, and dependence on, nature.

My husband and I created TerraFlora Permaculture Learning Center. As we transition from hobby to business, we look forward to the support and connections that PINA can provide. PINA also keeps us up to date on the latest permaculture advancements throughout North America.

When I learned that PINA was looking for help to magnify support for their projects and programs, it seemed like we would make a great match. Now I get to work with the permaculture luminaries on PINA’s Board, staff and membership. And to help spread permaculture awareness, while learning even more about it.  

As PINA enters its next decade, I am grateful to be with you in its company! 

In 2011, after thirty years of study and twenty-two years of farm development, my book Bioshelter Market Garden: A Permaculture Farm was published by New Society Publishing.

I felt my work was isolated and any influence on the larger issues of the ongoing ecological crisis was not coming quickly. So, when asked to join colleagues that I highly respected to help create PINA, I was both gratified and inspired. The potential to work together would, without a doubt, magnify our voices and our efforts.

In the ten years since our first conversations, PINA has grown to fulfill our expectations and more. Our diverse Board of Directors and Staff and Membership, from throughout North America, bring a wealth of experience and dedication that is leading PINA to greater impact every year. Our on-going creation of programs and member services will help to ensure that permaculture as a profession continues to mature.

As a board member of the Permaculture Institute of North America I am grateful to be in regular dialog with some of the finest people in the field. Their dedication to finding creative solutions to the dilemma of our human relation to our home planet brings hope in bleak times.

I joined the board of PINA to work on developing standards for the Permaculture Design Certification Course. I believe it is important to have an organization that can support permaculture designers and educators to develop professional skills to enhance their work integrity world. Common standards for the PDC and graduates learning professional protocols are important to elevate permaculture into a reputable design modality. I also want to support mentorship opportunities for new graduates who are serious about pursuing permaculture design on a professional level.

 I applied for a Diploma because I was qualified multiple times over and the board made it simple for experienced permaculture designers and educators with an established positive reputation to obtain a diploma easily, and I decided to take advantage of that opportunity.  One benefit is that I can add the PINA logo to my courses to indicate they are nationally recognized by my peers as quality courses.

For people are interested in going the professional route, I think PINA is a tremendous support system.

My motivation for co-founding PINA was to create a national standard for the PDC and to elevate Permaculture Design to a credible level among design professionals and educators.

And finally, I’m endlessly curious about challenges other permaculture designers are solving across a wide range of ecosystems. Since I’ve been with PINA, I’ve found a cornucopia of projects, permaculture experts, and opportunities, of which I was previously unaware. 

When I learned that PINA was looking for help to magnify support for their projects and programs, it seemed like we would make a great match. Now I get to work with the permaculture luminaries on PINA’s Board, staff and membership. And to help spread permaculture awareness, while learning even more about it.  

As PINA enters its next decade, I am grateful to be with you in its company!