We are delighted to have Russ Grayson, permaculture elder, journalist, photojournalist and wanderer join us as a guest blogger. There isn’t much within permaculture that Russ hasn’t written about, photographed, taught or provoked conversation about over the many decades.
Russ met Robyn Francis (Permaculture College Australia/Djanbung Gardens) when she walked into a radio station where he was creating news and current affairs/documentaries. While developing a series of shorts about permaculture for broadcast, Robyn offered Russ a media pass for an upcoming permaculture get-together which he attended. It was held in the rural back blocks, up in the hill country behind the NSW Mid-North Coast. Turns out it was the first ever International Permaculture Convergence. After that, Russ did Robyn’s first-ever Permaculture Design Course. It was 1984. Work toward a Diploma in Permaculture Design in media followed.
Later, with his partner Fiona Campbell, Russ taught permaculture introductory and design courses in Sydney.
Highlights:
CURRENT
– management team, TerraCircle Inc, a small international development consultancy
PAST
– educator, Pacific Edge Permaculture Design Course
– permaculture teacher, TAFE Sydney
– program manager, food security and farming systems program in the Solomon Islands for APACE (Appropriate Technology for Community and Environment)
– project manager (Australia based), waste metals and small business startup project in PNG (APACE)
– communications team, advocacy, Australian Food Sovereignty Alliance, Sydney Food Fairness Alliance, Permaculture Sydney, Permaculture Australia
– journalist, editor of environmental business periodical for an international business publisher
– community liaison, Greening Australia
– landcare educator, Calmly Hill City Farm
– outdoor education/ bush guiding (TAFE outdoor guiding course and NSW National Parks Service as part-time ranger)
– various other stuff including search and rescue, remote bushfire fighting, adventure sports equipment industry.
When Russ isn’t helping to influence change in the world you’ll find him bushwalking and kayaking and mucking around in the surf at his local beach in southern lutruwita, Tasmania.
Russ is interested in the trends within the social movement around permaculture and post analyses and reports you will find on his blog at https://medium.com/permaculture-3-0.
A big warm welcome to Permaculture Tasmania Inc. Russ
