Shanti Pierce

Shanti Pierce

Board Member

Shanti has been working with bamboo since the mid-90’s. She moved to Florida to work for Walt Disney Imagineering as their bamboo and ornamental grass specialist on the Animal Kingdom Project and following that project began her own farm. She became interested in the medicinal uses of bamboo and pioneered the use of bamboos for teas and supplements in 2008 when she began her company Bamboo Leaf Tea. She has since become a bamboo nutraceutical specialist using all of the parts of the plants to make medicines and speaks globally on the topic to promote the use of bamboo. “Health and wellness should be available to all people and the massive potential availability of bamboos along with their high mineral content allow them to play a social equalizing role – knowledge of how to use them being the key, that is my job”

Miriam Cornell

Miriam Cornell

Board Member

Bio coming soon!!

David Warful

David Warful

Board Member

David (also known as ‘Warf’) is a Florida native that was born in the urban jungle of Miami. Over the last decade he has worked as an environmental scientist, watershed engineer, community project manager, and ecological landscaper. Early in his career he had the opportunity to design rainwater catchment systems in Guatemala, develop water management plans for rural communities in Thailand, and work as an environmental scientist for the Miccosukee Tribe in the Everglades. He discovered permaculture on the internet in 2015 and soon after moved to Orlando to join a growing community of passionate permies.

He lived in Orlando over the last several years, leading projects in the areas of edible and native landscaping, rainwater harvesting, edible & medicinal plants, intentional community living, and community service. He served as the Outreach Coordinator to Orlando Permaculture from 2018-2022. David became a certified Florida Master Naturalist in 2020 and obtained his Permaculture Design Certificate In 2021 with Terry Meer at Sustainable Kashi.

He believes that the path to healing the mind, body, and soul of humanity is only possible through aligning our lives with nature and community.

David is currently cross-pollinating between eco- communities in Florida, Appalachia, and Guatemala.

Cristy Abbott

Cristy Abbott

Board Member

Cristy Abbott is a Certified Permaculture Educator, Practitioner and Consultant who shares her knowledge with children and adults, alike in Permaculture Ethics and Principles for over a decade. She is experienced in regenerative farming practices, urban agriculture, soil building, and seed saving. Cristy currently volunteers at Sweetwater Organic Community Farm - a nonprofit, community supported urban organic farm and environmental education center in Tampa, FL. She is passionate about educating people on the topics of biodiversity and the relationships between soil, plants, animals, and planetary patterns as they relate to the process of farming.

 

Cristy has been involved in developing and operating many large and small-scale community gardens and farms, and is passionate about community building and cooperative housing. In fact, she was on a team of leaders that founded the Faith House Community Garden in St. Petersburg, FL in 2010. The garden received attention from the Sustainable Urban Agriculture Coalition (SUAC) and is now called the 15th St AgriHub (also known as the St. Pete Eco Village). This community garden, on the edge of downtown St Petersburg is a Permaculture demonstration site to provide education and hands-on experience. Originally, the Faith House Community Garden, a project that began with Gaia’s Garden book study club.

Her students have gone on to create projects such as the Tampa Bay Time Bank, rainwater catchment systems, yoga training, community co-housing, and other community-building projects.

Five years on the Annual Florida Permaculture Convergence planning committee.


David Ahlgren

David Ahlgren

Board Member

Born in the Jungles of the island of Guam, David takes a “Natures the Teacher” Approach to all of his Play/Work in Permaculture. Listening and observing the patterns of nature, sharing what he sees with the world and coaching systems into abundance. Second to being a student of nature, David was a student of and mentored by Geoff Lawton.  David received his PDC from Permaculture Research Institute Australia.  After years of research and development on his 120 acre farm in Oklahoma, David Now travels the world, Teaching and consulting in permaculture. David specialises in large scale land restoration projects, many of which are focused on water and nutrient flow. David also is focusing half of his work now on discussions and research on permaculture of how we can relate as humans in more harmony. 

David believes Permaculture is not about what we know, it is about us realising, we know very little, and constantly stopping and soaking in all of nature in every moment, then dancing in harmony.

Past Board Members:

Michelle Deborah, Terry Meer, Tom Carroll, Tara Lynn Hubbard, Jenny Nazak, Ed Boardman, Wendell Martinkovic, Nancy Dwyer