I specialise in collaborative permaculture design processes for schools, community gardens and other urban agriculture projects. I lead groups through vision and goals articulation, site analysis, concept and detailed designs, supporting them to make decisions collaboratively so that the garden is a true expression of the group and the landscape. As a facilitator I understand that helping people work well together so they can resolve the inevitable issues that pop up is often the trickiest part of any project, so I place special emphasis on assisting groups with governance structures, collaborative decision-making and conflict resolution.

I also enjoy helping home gardeners use permaculture design to transform their gardens (and lives!), and offer private garden coaching on a range of topics. *Update Jan 2020: I am taking a break from home garden permaculture design and garden coaching to focus on major projects and overseas aid work. I can let you know when I’m ready to take on more, or I’m happy to recommend other practitioners. I am continuing to offer collaborative permaculture design processes for community projects during this period.

To discuss your permaculture design and garden coaching needs please contact me for more information and my rates.

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“Kat was engaged as a facilitator to engage local community members in helping to design a new community garden.  She is a very skilled and capable facilitator. We were very impressed with the way she structured the sessions, her calm and thoughtful approach to leading and facilitating discussions and resolving issues, and her knowledge of community gardening, horticulture and permaculture.  We would definitely recommend Kat to other councils and would definitely use her services again if the opportunity arises.”

Andrea Lomdahl, Boroondara City Council

“Kat is a talented, bright and connected facilitator. She brings a balance of preparation and openness to her work – and draws on years of practical experience in environmental sustainability. I’m happy to recommend her work, and often do.”

Matt Wicking, Centre for Sustainability Leadership.

“Kat has worked with my family over the last two years to enhance the productivity of our annual vegetable gardens, to establish routines that maximise the usefulness of the produce we grow and to create systems that are resilient and feasible for us to manage. She has coached me out of lots of bad habits, such as over planting certain crops, and taught us how to best prepare out beds, rotate our crops, identify problems, and plant exactly what we need so that we have a continuous supply of vegetables we use prolifically. She relocated our beds out of the sun so they use less water in summer, and discouraged us from creating more beds in favour of maximising the productivity of available growing space we have. Kat’s knowledge and love for productive gardens is deep and her patient and generous approach is infectious. She has taught us to slow down and take a deeper level of observation, allowing me to see many things I had not previously noticed. We feel immensely grateful to her seeing our gardens thrive under her expert guidance, and with every plateful of food they produce.”

Megan Norgate, Brave New Eco

“Kat brings both fun and focus to her training by going deeply into discussions and drawing out the experiences of participants, while still managing the nuts and bolts of training – such as good structure and timing. Her style is relaxed yet professional and is backed up by a high degree of planning and organisation that ensures she responds to the needs of her group.”

Mark Boulet, BehaviourWorks Australia