PERMACULTURE Internship description
Projects include (not limited to):
Agroforestry
Social Forestry
Biochar
Fire Mitigation / Remediation
Brush Clearing / Trail Maintenance
Milling
Gardening / Weeding / Watering
Lost Valley Educational Center is looking for three-four Permaculture Interns to join our land team this season!
We are looking for responsible, motivated, dedicated and passionate individuals who want to live in community.
The intern supports the Land Steward and Garden Manager with hands-on permaculture land tending and gardening.
The role requires a high level of interpersonal skill, self-motivation, creative problem-solving ability and a genuine desire to serve. Ideal candidates are curious, self-motivated, service-oriented, conscientious and enthusiastic about living in community.
The permaculture internship role works with the Land & Garden Circles to accomplish our land conservation and restoration goals as well as gardening, fire mitigation, agroforestry, and orcharding/food forest maintenance.
The role requires the ability to perform long hikes in the forest and some strenuous physical labor. We are looking for 18/20 hours a week with a three-month commitment. This can be extended if both parties are amenable.
Program supervisorS
Brian Byers - Land Steward
Brian Byers is a permaculture designer, educator, and activist with over a decade of experience in sustainable agriculture and forestry within the Willamette Valley. As a passionate advocate for building resilient communities, reconnecting individuals to the natural world, and fostering a sense of place, Brian brings a holistic, systems-based approach to all of his work.
Brian holds a Bachelor’s degree in Philosophy from Gutenberg College and has studied permaculture with regional experts including Andrew Millison, Heiko Koester, Hazel Ward, and Jude Hobbs. He is a certified permaculture designer with advanced certifications in surveying, earthworks design, forestry, and teaching.
Since 2016, Brian has served as the lead instructor for the Lost Valley Permaculture Design Course (PDC). His tenure at Lost Valley also includes roles as Garden Manager (2014–2016), Land Steward (2019–present), and Executive Director (2022–present). In these capacities, Brian has enjoyed supporting the organization’s mission to promote ecological and social resilience through education, land stewardship, and community engagement.
Kelson Gorman (he/him) - Garden Manager
Kelson is the Garden Manager at Lost Valley, where he oversees agricultural systems that promote food security, resilience, education, and research. He fosters a learning environment focused on permaculture and agroecological approaches to local food systems. Kelson emphasizes the importance of building relationships with the more-than-human world and the role of stewardship grounded in place.
Passionate about collaboration, Kelson works alongside community members to create a compassionate world that supports future generations. He stands in solidarity with global agroecological movements advocating for just, sustainable food systems that prioritize local communities over profit.
Kelson has a degree in Sociology and Philosophy from the University of Oregon, as well as a strong foundation in Latin American Indigenous movements. His experience includes working on multiple farms through WWOOF and permaculture programs in Central America, and earning a permaculture design certificate. Kelson completed a six-month internship at Lost Valley in 2024 and has extensive experience in community gardens.
