Lydia Neilsen

Lydia Neilsen is a gardener, educator, soil builder, and earth lover. She is the co-designer and manager of the Westside Permaculture House in Santa Cruz, a demonstration garden for the use of home scale permaculture design, where she lives with her partner Lochlan and their 7 year old son Ailin. She is also the Garden Teacher and Garden Manager of the one acre biodynamic garden and small orchard at the Santa Cruz Waldorf School, where she is bringing permaculture to the children, the campus and the community. She and Lochlan have a Permaculture and Biodynamic Consultation Business called Dirt Dragon Designs, so named for the dragon shaped cob oven they built with their housemates and friends.

Lydia and her family have been involved in RDI programs in Permaculture and Ecology of Leadership for many years, making the monthly trek from Santa Cruz up the coast to Bolinas.  Lydia has been teaching for RDI since 2007 and is now an instructor/facilitator for the Four Seasons Permaculture Design Course.

Lydia and her family are dedicated to the development and implementation of  regenerative designs and practices on a do-it-yourself scale. They enjoy eating high quality pastured meats and dairy, and believe that animals and animal husbandry are a critical element in landscape, human, and planetary health. Lydia specializes in soil building, greywater, water harvesting earthworks, food forests and efficient uses of limited space. Contact Lydia at LNeilsen@earthlink.net, or call Dirt Dragon Designs at (831) 466-0416.