A personal message

Studying systems sciences, especially Gaia theory, changed my views of science, education and life so much that I have found it increasingly less interesting to teach biology and mathematics from a more "traditional" perspective. These new ideas were not only powerful in their explanatory power - including inspiring new answers to those age-old questions, "What is life?" and "How did it begin?" - but they also offered a much more effective way of articulating what I felt about nature.

Thus, in 2001, I quit mainstream college teaching to found Euglena Academy, which has become one of the greatest joys of my life. Teaching about life - and the universe within which it is embedded - from a systems and Gaian perspective is very fulfilling intellectually. Since that time, I have had the opportunity to offer that perspective to thousands in classes, seminars, workshops and public lectures. I have experienced the joy of watching many reach what one of my advanced students calls an "ah ha!" moment, when the elegance & awe-inspiring beauty of life takes on a deep, new meaning grounded in an intuitive understanding.

Like many of the great scientists and philosophers of our times - Lynn Margulis, James Lovelock, Ilya Prigogine, Fritjof Capra, William Irwin Thompson and others - I believe strongly that the ideas from systems sciences, especially Gaia theory, can - and must - provide a foundation for the emergence of truly ecologically sustainable cultures that demonstrate survivability and adaptability in the face of our formidable 21st century planetary challenges.

In addition to teaching, I am an avid writer, now working on a book about systems sciences, Gaia theory, life and their relevance to the future evolution of human cultures. I am also a student of the relationship between science and mythology; a backpacker and lover of big wilderness - both mountains and deserts; a photographer, electronic percussionist and passionate dancer.