About Us

Alpay Torgut (Dip Perm Des)

I came up with the name Naturewise while I was travelling on the London underground. and have been coordinating its evolution since 1990. This has involved creating and managing two forest gardens; one a community forest garden, the other a partnership/community nursery school forest garden. I did my permaculture course in 1990/91 and received my Diploma in 1997.Also during this period I initiated and ran 20 permaculture courses, in the inner London city setting. Some of my other substantial involvements have been with a housing co-op, a community garden and a community centre. I would say the biggest driving force in my life is to be authentic and take personal responsibility for the global situation. And take action today not tomorrow.
 In 2004 I moved to West Wales, and handed coordination of courses to Nicole and the Naturewise community Forest garden to Claire, since then the Naturewise London team has grown and grown but that’s a story best told by the London team... I continued to support activities in London predominantly through the website.
In West Wales I have been raising awareness through public events, making short films of local food growing (Links on website), reactivating allotments, starting a community forest garden, Initiating Transition Teifi, and opening an Eco shop.  

Telephone: 0845 458 4697      info@naturewise.org.uk

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Nicole Freris

Having trained in medicine, I spent the best part of a decade working with indigenous people in the Brasilian Amazon. This experience woke me up to the world, and the real causes of our individual, social and environmental dis-ease. From training health agents, I became involved with issues related to land use, campaigned against the logging industry and soya frontier and found Permaculture. Permaculture has now become for me the tool for meaningful change in self and the world. Back in London working as a part time as a GP, I plan to train in medical herbalism and am helping to run Naturewise. Through promoting Permaculture courses we seek to create a safe and sane space where people can begin to reconnect.

samsara1964@hotmail.com

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Graham Burnett (Dip Perm Des)

Graham Burnett is the author and illustrator of 'Permaculture: A Beginners Guide', as well as a number of other titles. He is an experienced permaculture designer and teacher, and actively involved with local community building projects including LETS, and is the secretary of his local allotment association. He is a member of the Permaculture Association (Britain) Designers Register, and holds the Diploma in Permaculture Design (Dip Perm Des).

In addition, he has co-run a number of Permaculture Introductory courses, full design courses and specialist courses on vegan-organic horticulture and compost toilet building, as well as workshops for, amongst others, Naturewise, Green Adventure, Birmingham Nursery Collective, Vegan Organic Network, Thrive (the therapeutic horticulture organisation), South East Essex Organic Gardeners and Southend Council’s Agenda 21 forum. Check here for an interview with Graham and here for a selection of his articles and writings.

grahamburnett@blueyonder.co.uk

www.spiralseed.co.uk

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Mark Warner

Former Chair of the Permaculture Association (Britain), Mark is also the founder of the Eco-Village Network UK. An active permaculture teacher and designer, he is currently working and studying in London. Mark brings skills of project planning, event organisation and group facilitation techniques to his role as within the Naturewise courses and events.

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(Dip Perm Des)

Adrian Leaman

Eco-builder, green woodworker and teacher

After finishing a degree in three-dimensional design I indulged in a life of rock n roll hedonism for 5 years followed by 5 years in the film business. I then spent a year and a half working on ranches and out posts in north and central America. When I returned to England I was never the same again. I've spent the last 5 years re-training in ecological habitat management and eco-building. My work is now dedicated to sustainable development through eco-building/craft and nature awareness teaching.

When another river runs polluted or forests are destroyed I feel my heart sink. When I am part of the problem I feel old and tired, when I am part of the solution I feel again like a child.

info@wholewoods.co.uk

http://www.wholewoods.co.uk/

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Ru Litherland(Dip Perm Des)

Ru is a community activist and organic gardener whose involvement includes the Organiclea project on allotments in Chingford and Growing Communities in Stoke Newington. He cycles (and recycles!) alot and lives on a canal boat on the river Lea near Walthamstow.

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Merlyn Peter

Qualified gardener, landscaper, designer in permaculture and member of the Permaculture Association (Britain) Council of Management. I have built formal outdoor ovens, ponds, towers, brick walls, erected fencing and gates, decking, pergola-like structures, sheds and lean-tos and other basic home DIY. I also tree prune and maintain fruit & vegetable crops.

I am involved with two volunteer, permaculture projects entitled Soteriologic Garden. This includes receiving plants as a donation for further environmental activities. The projects to a large extent focus on land regeneration, where the land has been abused or neglected, and edible planting, using food to educate volunteers. The first is a food forest garden, the second an allotment woodland management plot.

Additional to this I have garden parties around traditional themes. This year included celebrating Apple Day and making home-brew cider. Last year involved baking in an outdoor clay oven.

For my allotment I supply fresh organic matter, recycled from council waste disposal services.

On Wednesdays I deliver Fresh organic fruit and veg by bicycle around Brixton.

I advise on aspects of sustainability, providing literature and minimal consultation. But as I say, all this is volunteer-based.

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