Meet our dedicated team
Denise Decker
Denise has fulfilled the dual responsibility of Business and Financial Manager for both the Permaculture Skills Center and sister company Permaculture Artisans since March of 2016. She brought with her over 30 years of experience in business management and bookkeeping, including running her own business for over 17 years. Her passion lies in setting up organizational systems, streamlining processes for efficiency, and financial business management. She finds herself fortunate to be immersed in the beauty of community at PSC & PA and strongly believes in strengthening natural ecologies and systems.
Originally from Marin, Denise has raised her family in Sonoma County for the past 32 years. She loves to spend her days off with her family, which now includes three beautiful grandchildren. With her smile and laughter, Denise is a ray of sunshine who brightens all of our days.
Erik & Lauren Ohlsen
Erik is founder and owner of Permaculture Artisans as well as a renowned certified permaculture designer and teacher. He also runs Permaculture Skills Center, a learning center in Sebastopol, CA.
Erik has extensive experience with projects that range from small urban lots to 100+ broad-acre design and implementation. His more than two decades of experience, observation, and listening of landscape patterns, managing installation crews and design teams, and his understanding of ecology make Erik a leader in the field of ecological landscape development.
Lauren has been a core part in creating Permaculture Artisans and Permaculture Skills Center with her husband, Erik. She works to help provide a space for growth in the community. She serves as General Coordinator and oversees the PSC property.
FOUNDERS, OWNERS
BUSINESS & FINANCIAL MANAGER
Brenan Guyol
Brenen’s early background was as a chef and a culinary gardener in the Bay Area. She brings that love of growing food and the understanding of natural systems into her designs. After receiving her MLA from Rhode Island School of Design, she returned to the Bay Area and spent over 12 years as a landscape designer and project manager for residential, public, and civic projects. Brenen then moved to New Zealand, where she had a small, self- sufficient homestead, raising livestock, fruit, and vegetables. She was also involved in local land-care groups and their successful native forest restoration and kiwi conservation efforts, as well as the establishment of a native plant nursery and coordinating volunteer planting sessions.
Upon her return to the Bay Area, she has been able to focus on her passion of designing ecological, resilient landscapes that provide sustainable food and water for both its domestic and wild residents. She is excited to be working with Permaculture Artisans and its team of like-minded professionals.
SENIOR DESIGNER
FIELD PROJECT MANAGER
Chris Clarke
Chris’s introduction to permaculture came in 2009 while reading Gaia’s Garden by the late and great Toby Hemenway. Inspired by the possibility of restoring habitats for otters, eagles, and everything in between, while building abundance for all life, Chris moved to Northern California and finished two years of the Regenerative Design and Nature Awareness (RDNA) Program at the Regenerative Design Institute in Bolinas, CA, and a third year of Weaving Earth. He took two PDCs during that time and, ever hungry for more learning, he completed the Ecological Landscaping Immersion at Permaculture Skills Center in 2016.
Prior to his move west, Chris spent three years in Costa Rica as a Peace Corps Volunteer and micro-finance consultant, which allowed him to use his degrees in Economics and Spanish while on a wild adventure.
Chris is an Associate Designer and is excited to be a part of the Permaculture Artisans design team where the learning continues and he has an opportunity to help restore landscapes while building resilience and abundance.
CLIENT RELATIONS MANAGER
Michael Litwin
Michael has been with Permaculture Artisans since the company’s inception and is no stranger to the principles of permaculture. He has been practicing earth stewardship for over 15 years alongside his friend Erik Olsen.
As a young adult in Sebastopol, Michael helped create a grassroots movement called Planting Earth Activation or PEA. Their mission was to bring together community, organic food, and sustainable living by planting free gardens. The inspiration didn’t stop there. Michael went on to study permaculture at The Occidental Arts and Ecology Center which lead to his first sustainable landscaping job with permaculture great, Penny Livingston. He has since planted countless gardens and dug many-o-swale upon the land of Sonoma County. His in-depth knowledge of permaculture installation and his close connection to this community make him a great asset to the team at Permaculture Artisans.
If you can’t find Michael digging in the dirt, you’ll find him singing on stage with his band Sol Horizon, or on the field with his soccer team. Michael has a passion and zeal for life and a love for Mother Nature that inspires those around him to take action. Care of earth, care of people, return of surplus…long live permaculture!
Julian TK
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ASSOCIATE DESIGNER
MAINTENANCE PROJECT MANAGER
Nik Dyer
Nik has been deeply immersed in the world of ecological agriculture and landscaping for almost 20 years. He grew up in Southern California and was eager to go north as soon as possible. After completing a BA in Environmental Studies at UC Santa Cruz in 2003, he began working at an organic nursery and landscaping on the side. When he went back to school in 2006 to get his MA in Ecological Agriculture from New College of California in Santa Rosa he also lived and worked on several farms. It was during this period that Nik was introduced to permaculture, and his mind was blown. Permaculture provided him with a new evolutionary lens with which to view the world and a toolbox to affect change. He combined this newfound philosophy with his agricultural knowledge and started an edible landscaping business called Purple Carrot in San Francisco. He ran this business for six years before joining Permaculture Artisans. Nik couldn’t be happier to be working with such a brilliant team of like-minded ecological landscaping professionals!
Damien McAnany
Damien McAnany is the Design Director for Permaculture Artisans. He is thrilled to be in a position where he can influence the design of landscapes to be more in harmony with how nature works. He has been in the landscaping field since 2006 holding positions in ecological restoration, landscape maintenance and construction, arboriculture, project management, estimating, and ecological design. He is an ISA Certified Arborist, and is an Accredited Professional with the Sustainable SITES initiative of the US Green Building Council (aka LEED for Landscapes). He is a permaculture teacher and has worked with Geoff’s Lawton’s Greening the Desert project in Jordan.
DESIGN DIRECTOR
Get started today.
We’re hiring!
Check out the current job openings
LANDSCAPE TECHNICIAN, FULL-TIME
We currently have the capacity to hire 2 to 3 landscape technicians to work with us in the installation of our designs. These are permanent, all-season positions. This is a great opportunity for someone to work under experienced foremen and learn all aspects of landscape installation, from planting to hardscape.
Primary Responsibilities Include:
All activities required in preparation and demolition of project sites
All activities required to prepare and install planting areas
Hand dig and backfill trenches & hand grading
Assemble irrigation systems and infrastructure
Move materials with wheelbarrow (i.e. compost, wood chips, etc.)
Lift and place stone and other activities related to hardscape
Assist unloading work trucks, delivery trucks, on-site set up.
All other activities required to install and maintain landscapes
Experience and Physical Requirements:
1 to 3 years landscape construction experience minimum
Ability to lift, pull, and push up to 50 to 80 lbs.
Bend, twist, kneel, climb and balance, be able to reach overhead.
Ability to withstand dust, pollens and gas fumes on a daily basis
Have full range of mobility in upper and lower body
Compensation and Benefits:
Competitive pay depending on experience
Full health, dental, vision & life insurance benefit
1 week paid vacation and 7 paid holidays
Opportunity to be promoted within company
Training in ecological landscaping techniques
Fun and Inspiring team culture
If you are interested in this position, click below for an application:
I chose Permaculture Artisans after interviewing three other landscaping companies. I found a one-stop shopping experience for design, landscape, hardscape, and electrical work to install a fountain. The design of my garden by Geoff surpassed my expectations. The quality of workmanship was superb. During installation, Project Manager Michael made suggestions to enhance the project. I appreciated his care throughout the installation and afterwards. Michael was always responsive to my questions or concerns. Rene, the supervisor kept a good eye on the ongoing work. Nik, Client Relations Manager, also was super responsive and thoughtfully addressed my questions or concerns. Permaculture Artisans employees are passionate about their work. Another cool aspect about them is they provide maintenance of your landscape if you need some help afterwards. Without hesitation, I recommend you give Permaculture Artisans the opportunity to create the landscape of your dreams.
—G.N., Rohnert Park, CA
Want to start your own ecological landscaping company?
Check out the Eco-Landscape Mastery School, a self-paced, online, comprehensive program run by Permaculture Artisans founder, Erik Ohlsen.