Hello.
I’m Anne:

Welcome to my little corner of the internet. I hope you stay a while!

My Story

My business story began with a vision to bring together my permaculture knowledge and skills with my teaching and home economics expertise to help busy people craft more sustainable lives.

When I was undergoing my home economics training way back at Penrith TAFE in Western Sydney (yes, it was a long time ago), I remember teachers telling me I was ‘too slow’ to succeed as a home economist, as I was usually last to finish practical classes, no matter how hard I tried to work faster.

It was never clear to me why ‘working fast’ was so important, but I knew life as a short-order cook was not one of my life goals. I’ve always taken the slower, deeper route.

It’s the world of ideas that has ignited my imagination and led me to seek better ways of understanding life, how we meet our needs, and how we solve our problems.

Anne walks through lush garden with brown chicken under her arm

Flexible solutions

In more recent years I’ve completed trade qualifications in permaculture and have become inspired by the ways the ecological design approach of permaculture, combined with its core ethics of earth care, people care and fair share so beautifully guide us to finding more sustainable ways to live on our precious planet.

This has become such an urgent need in the face of climate change and related pressing global challenges, from new pandemics to economic upheaval.

Over the years, I have come to understand that there are no universal solutions to life’s complex problems. Being grounded in ethics, instead of hard and fast rules, and guided by ecological principles, instead of fashionable ideas, allows us to explore so many creative and practical ways to live lives that are good for us humans and also good for the rest of the planet.

Anne in kitchen chopping veg and laughing

Expertise

I love food and everything to do with it. I love planning meals and what to grow in my home garden, learning about food plants, sharing this knowledge, preparing, cooking, preserving food, experimenting, and creating recipes—oh, and eating. That too. I also know a fair bit about human nutrition and am pretty passionate about the role of good nutrition in public health and food security.

You could say I am a food tragic.

I have also been engaged in the art and privilege of teaching people over the past four decades—from older people living with intellectual disability to fresh-faced high school students.

I truly believe that anyone can learn when provided the right support at the right time.

Woman stands in a subtropical garden, surrounded by lush foliage, arms outstretched and looking happy and excited

Collaboration

Internet technology has gifted us some wonderful opportunities to connect with people we may not otherwise know. It also creates its own challenges.

For this reason, I’ve created the Bowerbird Community Hub. In this online community, members can learn and exchange ideas, recipes, hints and advice for sustainable living in an inclusive, safe and creative space. The aim is to forge genuine connections and, where geography allows, provide opportunities for in-person events to build and support resilient and sustainable communities.

I relish the opportunity to work with people face-to-face when they seek on-site design advice for making their homes and gardens more sustainable.

I also love to connect with groups through public speaking and workshops.

Member of Permaculture Australia.

Community involvement

Here are some sustainability and permaculture projects I support and recommend. Do check them out. You can also follow my blog for links to more opportunities to engage in your local community or projects that help others do the same. Please let me know about your local project!