It is with great pleasure that I write this reference, for Charlie Brennan & Bridget O’Brien. I have been the convener of several of their short courses and workshops. These have been very well received and are in the process of expanding two of them, into full courses. 

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As tutors they are both very knowledgeable of their subjects, engaging and inspiring. They are committed to improving understanding of sustainable and resilient practices across the globe and to bringing together communities and shared learning.

Charlie has given greatly, to the communities he encounters, beyond the role and time as a tutor, he gently and kindly challenges where the flows are stuck, and to engage at a practical “hands on” level. His infectious “can do attitude” is deeply refreshing and welcome.

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Similarly, Bridget has designed a game tool for aiding in the “permaculture” design process, that all people to move beyond their own thinking and sticking points, giving rise to positive, unexpected results. 

I wholeheartedly endorse them for other organisations, and look forward to our work together in the future.

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Charlie is a clear, focused & great man to have on board. His dedication to what he does shows through his insightful conversation, ideas & implementation of work.

 

Charlie is a great clearer of stagnation! Our outdoor and indoor spaces have got a new and lovely flow to them now. Thank you.

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Charlie is creatively thoughtful, drawing on his range of experiences to bring holistic solutions to complex issues. Passionate about functioning landscapes, the town of Bellingen is resplendent with examples of Charlie's designs incorporating plants, humans, built and natural landscapes into spaces which are a delight to be in.

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I have known Dr. Charlie Brennan in a professional capacity for several years. We were colleagues in the School of Human Services at Southern Cross University in Coffs Harbour and at the Bellingen Institute. We have also worked together on the planning of a national conference on poverty and we both participated in a major research project on regional poverty in NSW.

 

Additionally, I have worked alongside Dr. Brennan in various teaching situations. He is a committed and highly engaging educator who brings considerable insight into the classroom. Dr. Brennan has taught across a range of units, including a core unit on ethics which has been very well received by students over a number of years. He has demonstrated an outstanding ability to teach in an informative and engaging manner, encouraging students to air their views and injecting considerable insights and humor into classroom discussions.

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In relation to research, Dr. Brennan has established himself as a prominent scholar in the areas of environmental sustainability and sense of place. I understand that he has recently been involved in research in these areas and I expect that Dr. Brennan will continue to make a significant contribution in these fields of study. The breath of Dr. Brennan’s knowledge of sense of place is remarkable and he brings fresh and challenging insights to discussions on such matters.

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Personally, I have found Dr Brennan to be a highly intelligent, engaging and supportive colleague who thinks in highly creative ways and is always willing to participate in discussions on scholarly issues. He is also a reliable and supportive colleague who has brought a positive collegial approach to the workplace. This is matched by a strong and professional commitment to duties across a range of areas including teaching, research and administration. Indeed, it has been a pleasure working alongside someone who has such outstanding personal and professional qualities.

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During the various projects on which I’ve collaborated with Charlie, his creativity and lateral thinking about people and their relationships with the places that matter, has been a refreshing approach to environment and sustainability. 

 

A reflective thinker who ‘looks below the surface’, Charlie’s use of art, photography, poetry, and prose to encourage different ways of knowing and better understanding each other is a welcome underpinning to his work.

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Charlie Brennan has a profound sensitivity to how we as humans can empower ourselves through creating a ‘sense of place’. Being around him, I have witnessed and taken in his way of being around plants, place, and planet.

 

Learning a way of planting my garden more ‘wildly’ as I planted with him, following his tips on how to create entrances to my healing space that would enhance what is already here, I have learned ways of better expressing who I am in the places I occupy.

 

With Charlie’s guidance and example I have gained confidence in my skill around creating a sense of place and have allowed myself to indulge in what it takes to create the kind of environment that supports, enriches and comforts me and my community.

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I have hired Charlie Brennan on several occasions in the past year, for both creative and practical projects on my 5 acres of land. Charlie has been wonderful to work with: cheerful, enthusiastic, completely reliable, competent, respectful, and exceptionally knowledgeable. I know that Charlie really cares about my land, and about supporting my positive relationship with the land.

 

He offers brilliant, artful and functional design ideas and then follows through on creating them, always in respectful collaboration with myself and others living on the land. He is fun to have on the site, and his competence in design and management as well as physical labor is a fantastic and rare combination.

 

I feel very blessed to have Charlie on my team in this land and community stewardship project.

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I couldn’t be happier with the transformation Charlie and the Sacred Places team have created at our home in inner city Newcastle, Australia.  Charlie turned our loose ideas to extend our outdoor living space into a plan that was attractive, functional and affordable.

 

Charlie engaged us in the design process, and took the time to really understand our site and our lifestyle.  The Sacred Places team crafted drainage, landscaped gardens, ponds, stairs and paving into a perfect, private paradise. 

 

 Charlie checked in with us throughout the build, and made sure that we received a quality outcome, on time and on budget.  The team was a pleasure to work with, and the end result exceeded our expectations.

 

We loved working with Sacred Places so much that we recently engaged them again: this time to increase the productive area in our garden. Charlie and the team designed and built significant retaining works and landscaping on our sloping block to create areas for cultivation, propagation and poultry.  Who knew an inner city lot could be so verdant? Charlie really is an ideas Sherpa!

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Charlie has dual strengths in the theory and application of sustainability ideas and practice. While I am most familiar with his horticulture expertise I have also observed him facilitate and mentor multiple diverse learning groups across two decades.

 

Charlie is articulate, curious and insightful; his passion for social ecology and sustainability is only outweighed by his commitment to learning and learning outcomes for his students. 

 

Charlie isn’t afraid to ask questions about the questions. He’s a life long learner and a charismatic trainer, dedicated to inspiring action to the benefit of the individual, the community and the planet.

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