Grew up in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and attended Florida State University in Tallahassee, studying liberal arts, Florida History and Constructive Design. A lazy designer, I sought inspiration in nature, shamelessly copying and interpreting natural patterns in ceramics, fabrics and other crafts. I founded Landscape Concepts in 1980, a wholesale/retail nursery and residential landscape company. It morphed into Action Plants in 1990, a special events company providing live green décor and lighting for weddings, corporate events, and the film industry.

I married Ginnee in 1994 and collected real estate as nursery expansion. The business prospered until 9-11-2001. That event led us to reject the artificial, competitive, decadent, consumptive, rat race, leading us to search for alternative lifestyles opportunities and the study of Permaculture. We sold our land in 2006 and moved to the Talamanca Mountains of Costa Rica.

Our intention is to create at Finca Quijote the Permaculture Research Institute of the Wet Tropics to include a community of teachers, researchers, students, and native practitioners including the indigenous.