Steve Jones

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Born on a farm in Shropshire, Steve traded his years of sorting potatoes and cleaning turkeys to study a degree in sustainable development. After some years teaching about development as well as business studies in schools in Berkshire, he took off to do some extensive travelling and to run a series of projects in Central Africa.

Returning to the UK in the early 90s and fired up by his experiences abroad, Steve became involved with the housing co-operative and permaculture movements here. He established a sustainable housing co-op, Chickenshack, on a disused hill farm in Gwynedd, where he still lives with several other enthusiasts.

Steve also began working with two environmental organisations - the Centre for Alternative Technology, a research and display centre and the world's first and foremost eco centre, and the Permaculture Association, an educational charity promoting environmental design and running training courses to that end.

Steve went freelance in 2002, continuing to work with the many contacts built up in the previous period, but also enjoying the freedom to get involved in some exciting new projects. The main one of these is the award-winning Edible Roof Garden on the Reading International Solidarity Centre, which Steve project managed to two years, before going on to set up the Sector39 sustainable garden design partnership. Sector39 designs and builds edible landscapes as well as water and energy efficient gardens for both schools and corporate clients.