While earning his Bachelors in Ethnoecology with emphasis on Biocultural Diversity Jeffrey became interested in learning deeper, more integrative ways of understanding and interacting with the world in an ethical and ecologically sound manner. Jeffrey completed his PDC in Austria, and later continued his training and education at the Permaculture Research Institute of Australia. Jeffrey deepened his understanding of Ethnoecology with a Master's degree in Global Sustainability, where he researched how trees

Lexi is led in her work by her belief that communities should direct their own futures, her love of this natural world, and the power of people. Lexi has been a huge fan of Quail Springs and their beautiful work since she was first introduced in 2014 while working with the Community Environmental Council in Santa Barbara. She was lucky enough to attend both the International Development PDC and the Social Permaculture Course at Quail Springs in 2017. She left with that rosy, inspired, full-of possibility glow that everyone

Lindsay Allen is a farmer, educator and activist from Boston, Massachusetts. She has been farming for the past 11 years and currently works with Higher Ground Farm as the Operations Director and as the Farm Manager of the 7,000 square foot Rooftop Farm at Boston Medical Center. In addition to rooftop farming Lindsay holds a Masters in Agroforestry and is also a Permaculture Design instructor and a guest lecturer at Tufts University. When Lindsay is not teaching or growing food, she can

Marta grew up with a love of trees and wild places, and a fascination with the dark fecundity and mysterious denizens of peat bogs and muddy tide flats. She has been sowing seeds, talking to snails, and digging in dirt for as long as she can remember. Many years ago she left a PhD track in Spanish Literature to pursue a career in professional cooking, where she mastered the art of transforming parsley into a fine dust and cooking the entire head of a pig. With the beauty of haute cuisine also came a sobering look into the underbelly of our industrial

Morgan is a regenerative garden designer and ecologist with over a decade of experience growing food. She loves helping people create ecological gardens that benefit both people & the planet. After completing a Master of Environmental Science and Management degree at the University of California Santa Barbara, she worked in marine science research and conservation for several years before making her way to Quail Springs Permaculture as a work-trader. There, she completed a Permaculture Design Course, and fell in love with goats. She now teaches people how to grow food and compost

Driven by the profound awareness of our society's growing lack of connection to the natural world and food production, Natalie concentrated her university studies on both urban planning and land use law as well as the effects of urban development, food industry demand, and climate change on marine and coastal ecosystems while attaining her bachelors degree in Environmental Studies from UCSB. After college, these passions led her to complete her Permaculture Design and Green Gardener Certifications and to work

Oscar Carmona is a consultant and educator with over 35 years in small-scale, regenerative food production and sustainable landscaping. He serves as an adjunct faculty member at Santa Barbara City College where he co- created and has taught the Green Gardener Sustainable Landscaping Certification Program for the last 20 years and summer term 2021 will be teaching a new, Small Scale Home Food Production course. In addition to teaching, Oscar owns and operates Healing Grounds Nursery which grows seedlings using Biodynamic

Sasha first came to Quail Springs on a cold snowy night in early 2008 to visit friends who had recently started calling the place home, and the warmth of the people there brought her back. She is passionate about creating a beautiful life, including the structures that house us for so much of our time. This passion leads her to practice those things that help us remember who we really are and why we are here – activities and creations which remind us of our connections to each other, our food, our shelter and the earth.

Growing up farming in a remote mountain valley in British Columbia, Canada, Susan’s early years were influenced by an eclectic mix of gardeners, environmentalists, farmers, and loggers. She completed a BSc in ecology and MSc in evolutionary biology, with a focus on infectious diseases. These studies opened the gates to field research in Costa Rica, Amazonian Peru, western Canada, and East Africa — in addition to bioinformatics and mathematical modelling. Throughout, her goal has been to

Vivien Sansour is an artist, storyteller, researcher and conservationist. She uses image, sketch, film, soil, seeds, and plants to enliven old cultural tales in contemporary presentations and to advocate for seed conservation and the protection of agrobiodiversity as a cultural/political act. Vivien founded the Palestine Heirloom Seed Library as part of this work with local farmers, and has been showcased internationally, including at the Chicago Architecture Biennale

Warren Brush is a mentor, storyteller, a certified Permaculture designer and teacher, as well as a husband, a father and a grandfather. He has worked for over 25 years in inspiring people of all ages to discover, nurture and express their inherent gifts while living in a sustainable manner. He is co-founder and a tender of Quail Springs Permaculture, Regenerative Earth Enterprises, Sustainable Vocations, Wilderness Youth Project, Casitas Valley Farm and Creamery and his Permaculture design company, True Nature Design.