Darren Doherty, an Australian environmental educator and consultant, is the second speaker in the 2006-07 GEM Critical Issues International Seminar Series, hosted by the Global Environmental Management Education Center, a center within the College of Natural Resources at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.

Doherty will speak at 7 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 14, at the Country Springs Hotel, 1501 North Point Drive in Stevens Point. His presentation, "Building Sustainable Communities in Vietnam through Permaculture," is free and open to the public.

Permaculture, or permanent agriculture, is the design and maintenance of growing systems in harmony with nature. Its practitioners learn to provide their food, energy, shelter and other needs in a sustainable way.

Doherty spent his early years on the family farm in the Bendigo District of Victoria, Australia. The farm was run by his maternal grandfather, Frank Dole, whom Doherty describes as "a champion rifleman, ardent and erudite socialist and highly skilled engineer/machinist among many other things. In those formulative years and up till his death, Dole passed on a range of rural skills in farming and self reliance plus a strong sense of social justice."

Those skills and values framed Doherty�s life. While managing an organic foods shop, he began consulting for the shop�s customers, based on his own experience as a farmer and gardener. In 1993 Doherty did his first permaculture course and founded his own business designing gardens and small farms in the Bendigo District.

Since then he has established and international reputation in sustainable property design and has worked in Australia, New Zealand, Vietnam and Argentina. Doherty brings great skill and enthusiasm and a sense of humor to his work. He has studied under and co-taught courses with permaculture founder Bill Mollison.

His critical issues seminar will focus on his experience in Vietnam. The lecture is scheduled for one hour and includes time for audience questions.

The GEM Critical Issues International Seminar Series aims to bring to Stevens Point international perspectives on environmental issues. The theme for this third season of seminars is "Sustainable Communities." More information about the series is on the Web at www.uwsp.edu/cnr/gem.