Dr Charlie Brennan - Curriculum Vitae

 "Co-creating the world we know is possible."

My life is joyfully dedicated to doing what I can to understand, acknowledge, support, create and co-create abundant, beautiful, just, healthy, human and ecological communities. 

For some decades I have been immersed in the regenerative sector that includes gardening, farming, landscape design and creation, conservation, food forests, rewilding, organic production, horticulture, Permaculture, Landcare, bush regeneration, regenerating forests and rivers, planting orchards, forests and caring for places. Simultaneously I have worked with community groups, schools, private landholders, organisations, refugees, businesses, volunteers, individual people, disadvantaged people and social groups, Aboriginal communities, universities and people of all ages.

My care, attention and expertise are carried out at the intersections of practice and theory and self, community and environment. Practical disciplined work learnt through tradespersonship, and project organizing is combined with innovative approaches including education in the United World College movement, and studying, teaching and researching Permaculture and Social Ecology. In 2011 I was awarded a PhD for research on putting sustainability ideas, ideals, designs and targets into practice.

My roles weave practical and theoretical, involving combinations of consultation, project design and management, grant writing, education and community engagement, research and evaluation and hands-on work.

With decades of accumulated experience, I now work as Garden Juju Collective which I co-founded in 2018. This work draws from successful global projects, weaving together disciplines and approaches, designing and managing large-scale regeneration projects and delivering innovative workshops in Australia, Europe and the US. Learn more about the Adapt Design Deck I co-created and visit my website for articles and project details.

Since 2023 I have also been co-director of Gateway Farm, Plymouth Michigan. This 14-acre certified organic farm, on remnant farm and close to Detroit is rapidly becoming a destination and demonstration farm showcasing approaches to the sustainable future that is possible.

Workshops & Projects

Whole Farm design

Regenerative agriculture & organic farming

Ecopsychology & sense of place

Landscape design & ecological landscaping

Permaculture theory and practice

Design approaches  

Food forests & foraging

Horticultural therapy & ecotherapy

Rewilding & conservation 

Sacred & Indigenous land

Evaluation, monitoring & reporting

Organisation & social system design

Teaching, workshop facilitation, community education, training

All aspects of gardening

Qualifications & Education

Dynamic Group Facilitation 2018. How to support learning to be active, embodied, and self-responsible. Robyn Clayfield & Earthcare Education, Crystal Waters Community, Queensland, Australia. 

Social Permaculture Course 2017. Permaculture design leading to sustainable social systems. Robyn Clayfield & Robina McCurdy. Aranya Agricultural Alternatives, Telangana State, India.

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) 2011. ‘Situating Place-Practice: Critical reflections on Sustainability, Conservation, Education and Craft’. Sense of place, practice theory, innovative research methodology, putting sustainability into practice. School of Education, Western Sydney University, NSW, Australia. 

Graduate Certificate in Higher Education 2010. How to excel at university level teaching community engagement and research. Teaching and Learning Centre, Southern Cross University, NSW.  

Certificate IV Workplace Training & Assessment 1999. How to deliver and assess workplace training. Enterprise and Training Company, Coffs Harbour, NSW. 

Master of Applied Science (MASc) 1998. Cutting edge transformative, experiential education. Ecologies of self, community and environment and the differing ways of understanding these. School of Social Ecology, Western Sydney University, NSW.

Advanced Permaculture Teaching Certificate 1993. How to teach Permaculture through innovative co-teaching approaches. Earthcare Education. Crystal Waters Community. 

Permaculture Design Certificate (PDC) 1992. A PDC with Permaculture co-originator Bill Mollison. Design, systems, understanding organic processes & Seed Savers. Byron Bay, NSW. https://permaculture.org/what-is-a-permaculture-design-course/

Structural Builders Landscape Licence 1985, Sydney. 

Horticulture Certificate 1984, Ryde School of Horticulture, Sydney. 

Bachelor of Arts (BA) Geography & Economics 1982 Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW. 

A Levels in Geography, Economics, Politics 1980. Bedford College, UK & United World College, Singapore. International school movement for more sustainable world future. https://www.uwcsea.edu.sg & https://www.uwc.org/about

Project Design, Teaching, Supervision & Evaluation

Design & implementation of large-scale landscape regeneration projects 2015- present. Drawing together teams of experts & contractors together to implement ambitious, innovative projects. All aspects of consultation, research, assessment, design and delivery incorporating conservation, Permaculture, ethical, social & cultural and spiritual aspects of land regeneration. US, Australia, UK & Europe. 

• Gateway Farm, Plymouth MI, 2018-present. Consult & design prior to taking on co-director role in 2023. Business strategy, community engagement, rewilding, regenerative agriculture, organic & perennial food systems. https://www.gatewayfarmplymouth.com/ 

• Al-Hadiqa rooftop community heritage garden with/for Arab American National Museum, Dearborn, MI, 2023-24. Seed collecting, cultural stories, horticultural training & support. https://arabamericanmuseum.org/al-hadiqa-aanm-heritage-garden/

• Plymouth Orchards & Cider Mill, MI, 2019-22. Design & install large-scale heritage animals and conservation public viewing & education facility. 

• Oakhill Food Justice Farm, Preston, Melbourne 2021-22. Working with University & TAFE students, local government, community, volunteers, tradespeople & Sustain Australia. Design & deliver online community co-design and establish site, branding, volunteers & liaison with local business. 

• Chavez Community Garden design & support, Detroit 2019 – present. 

• Thora Valley, NSW 5-year large-scale farm regeneration between two World Heritage parks 2016-2021
  

Design & deliver innovative workshops 2016 - present. UK, Eire, US, India, Portugal & Australia. Learning from global community projects and offering workshops combining ideas, experimentation, guest speakers, group reflective learning, practical skills & plans. 

Co-create ‘Adapt’ design tool 2016 – present. Consultation, trialling, publication, marketing, facilitation. https://www.playadapt.com

Long Bay Forensic Hospital/Jail Horticultural Therapy Recommendations Report 2017. How to support patients with serious mental health challenges through garden appreciation, gardening and Caring for Country. Sydney, Australia. 

Liaise with Elders, support, organise & report Living Land, Culture & Language Project 2015. https://www.charliebrennan.info/living-land-culture-and-language

Centre for Ecological Learning teaching, mentorship & projects 2011-16. Working with this ambitious hub of environmental educators. Teaching, conservation, Permaculture, youth mentorship, high school garden and cooking, local organizations & businesses & community. http://www.cel.org.au

Create Sustainability Centre, Bellingen 2014-16, a co-working hub for supporting, showcasing & bringing together diverse local environmental organisations & NGO’s. https://www.facebook.com/bellingensustainabilitycentre/ 

Southern Cross University community project evaluations 2012-14. Regional Initiative for Social Innovation & Research. 

Evaluation of Coffs Coast Innovation Farm 2012. Focusing upon horticultural therapy & sense of place to foster social inclusion. Design methodology, interviews, research, writing & presentations. 

Evaluation of Clarence Valley Healthy Communities Initiative 2014. Delivery of community-based preventative health care including local food, social inclusion, exercise. Design methodology, interviews, research, writing & presentations.

Great Eastern Ranges Initiative projects 2014-15. Manager of community support. Cross-sectoral Australia-wide connectivity conservation initiative. 

Cultural Connections Project 2012-14, working with Gumbaynggirr (Aboriginal) Community as part of ‘Gliderways’ project with Foundation for National Parks, Great Eastern Ranges & Jaliigirr Biodiversity Alliance. https://www.ger.org.au/home

Jaliigirr Biodiversity Alliance Coordinator 2012-15. Bringing 20 conservation organisations towards a shared approach to whole of landscape land management & connectivity conservation. Establish media & communications, Aboriginal engagement, arrange events, grant and report writing. 

Jaliigirr Acknowledging Sense of Place Project 2012-14. Interviews, cognitive mapping, workshop presentations, reporting & artwork. Project design and application of Sense of Place approach. Report written with Dr Judy Lambert. 

Project Manage Bellingen Jaliigirr Biodiversity Fund Project 2011-2014. Working with conservation groups to identify connectivity conservation needs and allocate funds. Bellinger Landcare. https://www.jaliigirr.com.au/

Bellingen High School Community Garden 2011-16. Design, install, liaise with school, students & community and site. Permaculture, producing local organic food, food forests, healing place for community. Bellingen Community Garden Association.

Design & carry out a range of Edible Streetscape & Permablitz Projects 2011-16, in NSW mid-North Coast. Perennial & annual food grown. Community, schools & businesses.

Bellingen Urban Landcare Regeneration project manager 1994-2015.  Cemetery Creek & Bellingen Island Endangered Ecological Community. Design, carry out & coordinate works, grant and report writing, media and community engagement. https://www.bellingenurbanlandcare.org.au

Western Sydney University Doctoral thesis 2005-11. A critical autobiographic appraisal of moving from sustainability ideas & ideals to putting these into everyday place-practice. 

Southern Cross University 2003-14. Lecturer, Unit Coordinator & curriculum development - ‘Applied Ethics & Sustainability’, ‘Written Communication’, ‘Ethics in Society’. Southern Cross University.

Social Welfare Field Education Unit Coordinator & curriculum development. Also Deakin University 2009-10. Southern Cross University 2003 ‘Regional Poverty’ Conference Coordination. With North Coast Institute TAFE & local interagency. Social exclusion research. 

North Coast TAFE Tutor 2003-13. Design, deliver, support learning and assess competence. Units included Graduate Certificate in Rural Extension & Community Development, Conservation & Land Management, Horticulture & Landscape studies. North Coast Institute TAFE. 

Enterprise and Training Company, Coffs Harbour 1994-2003. Design, coordinate & deliver training in conservation, Permaculture, eco-tourism, job skills, Green Corps & OH&S. Adult education and to trainees, at risk youth, long-term unemployed people.  

Landscape/horticultural contracting 1983-92. Consultation with clients, creating designs, project managing garden creation and construction projects, supervision of workers and contractors in NSW mid North Coast, Australia & in the UK also.  

Market Gardening/Farming 1980-83. Farm hand in England, hay & potato harvesting, working on mixed farm & food gardens. A small group of us live sustainably on small-holder farms in Sydney, Australia, growing vegetables and herbs for the markets.  

Publications, Reports, Articles & Presentations

Brennan, C. & O'Brien, B. Washtenaw County Conservation District keynote ‘Regeneration through Permaculture, Conservation (Rewilding) & Community Engagement’. 2025.  

Brennan, C. & O’Brien, B. Ecopsychology Convergence: Sanctuary & Healing in Times of Chaos and Ecopsychology Place & Self Workshop, organizer and facilitator. Plymouth, MI, USA. 2024.

O'Brien, B., Brennan, C. presentations for Elaine Ingham Permaculture course Online/US 2024. 

Brennan, C. & O'Brien, B. Plan C, ‘Thoughtful Preparedness: A holistic approach to proactively planning for future challenges’, Byron Bay, NSW 2024.

Brennan, C. & O'Brien, B. ‘Nourishing, Ourselves, Farms & Places’ Urban Agriculture Forum, Sydney 2023.

Brennan, C. & O'Brien, B. ‘Broad-Scale Food Forests’. International Food Forest Symposium, UK/Online 2023.

Brennan, C. & O'Brien, B. ‘Permaculture in our Daily Lives’ Ailuna Blog 2022.

Brennan, C. & O'Brien, B. ‘Radical Redesign’ in Permaculture Magazine UK 2021.

Brennan, C. & O'Brien, B. ‘In Defence of Food Forests’. International Food Forest Symposium 2021.

Brennan, C. & O'Brien, B. ‘The Practice of Food Forests for Decolonisation’ Urban Agriculture Forum, Melbourne 2021.

Brennan, C. & O’Brien, B. ‘Design & Adapt: From disaster to dreams’. Australasian Permaculture Convergence, QLD, AUS. 2021.

Hil, R. Holdsworth, L. & Brennan, C. 'Being Lonely: Making Sense of Australia's Epidemic of Social & Ecological Disconnection'. Resilient Byron/Ngara Institute 2020.

Brennan, C. O’Brien, B. ‘Gleaning, Foraging, & Gardening for Joy & Survival’ Urban Agriculture Forum, Melbourne 2018.

Brennan, C. & O’Brien, B. ‘Towards Ethics that Break Your Heart’ Permaculture Design Magazine 2018.

European Permaculture Convergence 'Permaculture Ethics Beyond Slogans’ & ‘Yoga Meet Permaculture’. Wicklow, Ireland. 2018.

International Permaculture Convergence ‘The design game Adapt’. Tellengara, India. 2017.

Brennan, C. & O’Brien, B. ‘Radical Redesign’ Permaculture Design Magazine 2017.

Brennan, C. ‘In Defence of Permaculture’. Michigan State University. Sept 2017.

Brennan, C. ‘Therapeutic Horticulture Possibilities’ Report prepared for Forensic Hospital, Malabar, NSW 2017. (Not available). 

Brennan, C. Gumbaynggirr Living Land, Language & Culture project report and recommendations. Great Eastern Ranges Initiative, Centre for Ecological Learning, Foundation for National Parks & Wildlife. Feb 2016.

Brennan, C, Brennan, B & Reed, A. ‘Acknowledging Sense of Place through Art Innovation’. Eco-arts Conference, Wollongong Feb 2016. 

Brennan C. ‘Australian Landcare Movement: Let’s celebrate then radically redesign for the next 25 years. ‘Celebrating our history, growing our future’ Landcare 25th anniversary conference September 2014.

Brennan C. ‘Growing Therapy with Trees’ Landcare in Focus magazine 2014.

http://www.landcareonline.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Landcare-in-Focus-May-2014-Edition.pdf

Brennan C, Learning from Sense of Place’. Jaliigirr Biodiversity Alliance Community Engagement Forum. Coffs Harbour 2014.

Brennan C. Therapeutic Benefits Derived from Practices of Caring for Place’. AABAT Forum Canberra 2014.

Brennan, C. & Cairncross G, Public sector innovation as practice: Social enterprise, community gardening and sense of place in the context of embedded social exclusion in rural Australia 2014.

Brennan C. Lee Y L., Tucker J. & van der Zwan R. An Evaluation of the Healthy Clarence Communities Project Regional Initiative for Social Innovation and Research (RISIR), 
Southern Cross University 2014.

Brennan C. Jaliigirr Biodiversity Alliance case study. Stewardship Network Ann Arbor Michigan 2014.

Brennan C. Lee Y L., Tucker J. & van der Zwan R., ‘Local entrepreneurs as agents of change and regional development: their role in delivering a place-based Healthy Communities Initiative in regional NSW, Australia’ IRSPM conference Ottawa 2014.

Brennan C. & Tucker J, ‘In the shadows of regional development: Early findings of the Healthy Communities Initiative in regional NSW’. SEGRA Conference, Coffs Harbour 2013. 

Cairncross, G. & Brennan C. Innovation in the Not-for-Profit Sector; An Evaluation of a Social Enterprise Garden in Regional Australia. JESP Journal 2013.

Brennan, C. Reflecting Place- Practice’. Inaugural Ecoarts Conference University of Wollongong 2013.

Brennan, C. ‘The Nature of Practice and Thesis Conclusions’ Social Ecology Symposium, University of Western Sydney, Richmond. 2013. 

Cairncross, G. & Brennan C., ‘Case Study of Innovative Community Gardens as Social Inclusion’ IRSPM conference Prague 2013.

Brennan, C. ‘Caring for Public Places’ NSW Planning Forum. Bellingen 2011.

Brennan, C. ‘Situating Place - Practice’: Critical Reflections on Conservation, Sustainability, Education and Craft’. Thesis 2011 Western Sydney University 2011. 

Closing

Many thanks for viewing my CV. It is a summation of my life’s work, skills and qualifications. I have been lucky to work with great people and organisations, on exciting projects and in many special places. This document also indicates future intentions – openings to interesting and important opportunities. If you require further information, please do not hesitate to get in contact. 

Best Wishes, 

Dr Charlie Brennan

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