Meet our dedicated team
ERIK & LAUREN OLSEN
Founders, Owners
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.
DENISE DECKER
Financial & Business Manager
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.
NIK DYER
Client Relations Manager
Nik has been deeply immersed in the world of ecological agriculture and landscaping for almost 20 years. After completing a BA in Environmental Studies with a focus in Agroecology at UC Santa Cruz in 2003 he began his hands-on training in ecological landscaping at an organic nursery with landscaping work on the side. In 2006, when Nik went for his MA in Ecological Agriculture from New College of California in Santa Rosa, he also lived and worked on several farms and was introduced to Permaculture. Nik had always held a holistic, systems-based philosophy when it came to agriculture and human settlement; permaculture provided him with a whole new evolutionary lens with which to view the world and a new toolbox to affect change. Nik combined this newfound design 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 the team at Permaculture Artisans.
MICHAEL LITWIN
Project / Field Manager
Michael Litwin is Project Manager for our Installation Division and has been with Permaculture Artisans since the company’s inception, and is no stranger to the principles of permaculture. Michael has been practicing earth stewardship for over fifteen years alongside his friend Erik Olsen.
As a young adult in Sebastopol, Michael helped create a grass roots 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 fit for Permaculture Artisans.
DAMIEN McANANY LUCE
Design Director
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.
BRENAN GUYOL
Senior Designer
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.
CHRIS CLARKE
Associate Designer
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.
TAYLOR OLSON
Associate Designer
Taylor received her Bachelor of Science at Cal Poly Pomona in Landscape Architecture in 2016 and worked as a residential landscape designer in Southern California for 8 years. Her work for a landscape contractor, farm volunteering, and personal homesteading projects provided valuable, hands-on experience which she applies to her design work every day. Her interest in the Permaculture world began during her university years and finally culminated in her signing up for a PDC at the Occidental Arts and Ecology Center. After completing this course, she found an opportunity at Permaculture Artisans where she is able to turn her lifelong love of nature and ecological design into a career.
TANISHA SMITH
Associate Designer
Tanisha’s first introduction to the world of horticulture was while pursuing her degree in Wine Business Strategies at Sonoma State University. While working in the wine industry, Tanisha discovered biodynamics, sparking her passion for sustainable agriculture and landscape design. In 2018 Tanisha joined a Landscape Architecture firm in Santa Rosa, furthering her interest in the industry and hence she began to pursue her formal education in Landscape Design at Santa Rosa Junior College. Tanisha has had the opportunity to design water-wise and fire-smart landscapes throughout Santa Rosa and is excited to grow as a professional designer with Permaculture Artisans.
CHRISTINE ELLIS
Associate Estimator
Christine comes to Permaculture Artisans from Vermont where she worked as a technical writer and greenhouse and irrigation specialist and where she supported the Intervale Center to develop initiatives such as a business incubator for farmers, a hands-on youth farm, a nursery that grows native trees and shrubs for stream bank restoration, and the state’s largest compost facility. As a coordinator on the Intervale Center’s Development Board, Christine created educational seminars to strengthen community food systems, including “Summervale,” a popular, summer-long, farm-to-table annual event showcasing the region’s love for art, food and culture. Christine’s dedication to stewardship of land through community engagement extends to her work in herbalism and permaculture—most recently having studied with Matt Powers of The Advanced Permaculture Student. As a new resident of the Russian River watershed region, Christine is focused on efforts to advance watershed protection.
JULIAN ANDERLE
Maintenance Project Manager
Julian joined Permaculture Artisans in 2019 after moving from Southern California to Forestville with his wife and two children. With nursery and landscape experience and a certificate in horticulture from UCLA Extension, Permaculture Artisans seemed like a good fit for his interest in ecological landscaping. Julian’s interests are mainly native plants, food crops, and permaculture techniques which promote biodiversity and landscape restoration. On his own time, he loves to be with his family exploring the natural beauty of Sonoma County, playing and listening to music, and tending to his own native garden.
Get started today.
We’re hiring!
Check out the current job openings:
Landscape Technician, Full-Time
Landscape Maintenance Technician, Full-Time
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:
We’re hiring!
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.