Speakers

Jan-Willem Jansens is an ecological planner with expertise in landscape-scale planning and ecosystem restoration. Jan-Willem started his career as a student and researcher of agroforestry at the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI) and the International Centre for Research in Agroforestry (now World Agroforestry Centre - ICRAF) in Nairobi, Kenya. He subsequently worked for three years as a forestry advisor in Niger, West-Africa. In 1993, he moved to New Mexico to work as a rural development specialist for the Forest Trust. In late 1997 he started his own business in forest and watershed restoration and was the executive director of Earth Works Institute. He presently is the owner and principal of Ecotone Landscape Planning, LLC, in Santa Fe, New Mexico. In the last three decades, Jan-Willem led or participated in several landscape-scale watershed restoration initiatives. He designed and oversaw the implementation of restoration projects in piñon-juniper ecosystems, in streams and wetlands, and in forest and post-fire areas. He holds a master of agricultural sciences degree with specializations in landscape architecture, forest ecology, and soil and water conservation from the Wageningen Agricultural University in The Netherlands.

Joyce Skeet and her husband, James, co-founded Covenant Pathways and Spirit Farm, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in Vanderwagen, New Mexico. Raised in Pennsylvania, Joyce learned agriculture, animal husbandry, and food preservation at an early age as part of a lifestyle centered on living off the land. In 2015, Covenant Pathways launched Spirit Farm, which uses all natural methods to restore the land and keep animals healthy. Joyce is passionate about healthy soil and meaningful connections with plants and animals. She focuses on growing practices that increase the nutritional value of food and on raising animals in ways that restore the land and produce healthy meat.

Mike Halverson is the Nursery Manager at Santa Ana Native Plants, located on the Pueblo of Santa Ana. With decades of experience in the high-desert Southwest, he specializes in growing plants for restoration, pollinator habitat and cultural importance.

Under his leadership, the nursery produces over 250 native species used in restoration projects across the region, including Tribal natural resource programs.

Mike is also a passionate educator, sharing knowledge on native plants, water conservation, and climate-resilient landscapes. His work reflects a deep understanding of Southwest ecosystems and a commitment to restoring them.

Austin Unruh is the founder and CEO of Trees for Graziers (TFG), a company helping farmers in Pennsylvania and beyond take their grazing to new heights using silvopasture. His goal is to make silvopasture as easy and cost-effective as possible for farmers, which is why TFG offers everything from planning and funding acquisition to planting and aftercare, while also growing silvo-specific nursery stock and educating the public and conservation professionals about silvopasture.

James Skeet is the co-founder of Covenant Pathways and Spirit Farm, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. He is passionate about connecting the heart and soul of all peoples to the land through Indigenous Regenerative Intelligence that integrates the ancient wisdom of Native cosmology to create a haven where soil health, nutrient rich foods, human health, and free markets can prosper for another 10,000 years. His heritage has assisted in grounding him in the work he does as a full-blooded Navajo Native American from Vanderwagen, New Mexico where he and his wife, Joyce, have an experiential farm that uses only natural practices including microbiological composting to heal the high desert southwestern soil — a living example of how we can recover and reclaim traditional farming and spiritual practices to transform our way of life and health, reducing the dependency on the very food system that is harming us.

Indra is an independent writer and agricultural policy analyst with extensive experience in agroecology, seed sovereignty, water conservation, and agrarian politics. He previously served as Director of Policy and Outreach at the National Seed Association of India and currently hosts India's only bilingual agri-talk show, Krishi Ki Baat / Farm Talks, on The Wire.

Over the years, Indra has travelled through hundreds of villages across India, working closely with farmers on regenerative agriculture, indigenous seed conservation, sustainable farming practices, and community-led ecological restoration. He has delivered more than 200 lectures worldwide on agroecology, environmental issues, water conservation, and agrarian politics, including invited talks at the International Labour Organization (ILO), leading Indian and American universities, and international farmers' and seed forums such as the Rocky Mountain Seed Festival.

For the past five years, Indra has also been working closely with Rajendra Singh, widely known as the "Waterman of India," to study and promote traditional water rejuvenation systems across India. Through this work, he has trained hundreds of people from around the world in indigenous water conservation techniques and has participated in the revival and construction of ponds and decentralized water systems in different regions globally. He is also the international coordinator and outreach director for Jal Biradari, India.

Recently, he was invited by the President of Colombia as an international expert to advise on water policy and peace reconciliation efforts in the country. He has also worked with various state governments and central government institutions in India on drafting and advising policies related to water conservation, agriculture, and ecological restoration. At present, he is actively involved in efforts to revive three rivers in Rajasthan and two rivers in Chhattisgarh, India.

In 2022, Indra was invited to deliver a lecture series across several universities in the United States, including American University, Washington DC, and George Mason University. He is currently associated with American University, DC, as a guest research mentor, guiding undergraduate and graduate students on issues related to agriculture, sustainability, ecology, and public policy.

Indra has authored over 500 articles on agriculture, environment, water, and politics for prominent national and international media platforms. He is also frequently invited to participate in television and digital news debates on agrarian, environmental, and policy issues.

In his early twenties, Indra was mentored by Dr. Vandana Shiva and worked with Navdanya as Campaign Manager and Media Spokesperson. He continues to actively engage in seed conservation and is an avid urban food gardener.

Amanda Bramble is the director and systems designer at Ampersand Sustainable Learning Center in Cerrillos, NM. She teaches about permaculture, greenhouse design, natural building, passive solar, watershed restoration, and water conscious systems. She designed and crafted Ampersand's infrastructure to cultivate respectful and conscious relationships with the natural elements that support life. She guides apprentices and interns at Ampersand and teaches at local colleges and educational organizations. Amanda's Earthstar mentorship program focuses on not only teaching skills but weaving the community support structures essential to creating a vibrant future.

Chili Hawes, FRGS, is one of the Founders of October Gallery and Director since its opening in 1979. A native of the Rocky Mountains, she obtained a BA in French Literature from Colorado College, followed by a year at the Sorbonne and post-graduate work in Linguistics at Claremont Graduate School and has taught at all levels of the educational system both in the USA and Australia. A founder and director of Institute of Ecotechnics (www.ecotechnics.edu), she has managed various ecological projects in the high desert of New Mexico, the Outback of Australia and the south of France. She has travelled widely including major research trips for the October Gallery to India, Melanesia, Peru, Southern Africa and Fiji.

Dr. Mark Nelson, Chairman emeritus of Institute of Ecotechnics (www.ecotechnics.edu), Director, Wastewater Gardens International (www.wastewatergardens.com), works in closed ecological systems, ecological engineering, restoration of damaged ecosystems, and ecological wastewater recycling. Mark served in the "biospherian" crew for Biosphere 2's closure experiment, 1991-1993. Books include "Pushing Our Limits: Insights from Biosphere 2" (2018), "The Wastewater Gardener: Preserving the Planet One Flush at a Time" (2014) and "Life Under Glass: Crucial Lessons in Planetary Stewardship" (2020). Wastewater Gardens were implemented in 14 countries, current project: Eden In Iraq for 10,000 Marsh Arabs (www.edeniniraq.com). BA Dartmouth College, MS University of Arizona, PhD University of Florida.