rc clarke
enrolled member of the numunu (comanche) nation.
lover of the intelligence of the wild
permaculture teacher, student and practitioner
received their permaculture design certificate with shad qudsi at atitlan organics in tzununa, lake atitlan, guatemala.
recieved their permaculture teacher training certificate with jude hobbs of cascadia permaculture and rico zook at la loma viva in gualchos, granada, spain.
rc has been a lifelong devotee of nature, striving to think like a forest and raised with a love for the serendipity of soil. his main source of inspiration is the continuous wonder of nature itself and the humbling knowledge and resilience of indiginous communities, their ancestry and the debt permaculture and society itself owes to the wisdom of people who came before and tended this land.
working with permaculture design principles and study for over fifteen years- homesteading in the hills of northern california, working and co-maintaing the sepp holtzer installation at the place of gathering in dayton, montana from 2013-2015, designing and implementing a productive diversified homestead in potomac, montana from 2018-2020 . he has consulted for private large scale farm/ranch design for soil erosion and water remediation/wetland restoration/rotational grazing projects throughout northwestern montana as well as native seed and plant propagation projects throughout montana, idaho and oregon. his work emphasizes whole system design, ecological balance and focuses on silvopasture, silvoculture, food forest developement, and integrated agroforestry. rc has also worked with missoula parks and rec seasonally, teaching homestead camp and permaculture skills with children ages 5-12.
rc has taught and worked throughout central america and mexico, from small private estates and community garden design, helping coffee farmers switch to organic methods, water retention and soil erosion prevention, to teaching workshops on cold pasteurization and low energy input fungi production and waste reduction in indigenous communities as well as natural building/cobb construction and eco community design. he has worked in puerto rico with indigenous families to help restore reclaimed family farms near el yunque cloud forest.
mr. clarke has worked with organic olive farms in southern spain, learning and working with syntropic food forest in the mediterranean climate as well as diversified permaculturally designed farmsteads in subalpine climates. he now calls a small permaculture farmstead home, nestled in the willamette valley in what is ancestral kalapuya/suislaw territiories, and is the president of high quality gardens, inc. , is an instructor with Oregon State University’s permaculture program, and owner/ manager of Spotted Wolf Nursery and Farm. he studied fine art and painting in philadelphia at the university of the arts as well as the university of montana .
if not getting his hands dirty in the gardens or forest, he’s most likely getting happily lost in the woods, in a book or in a painting.