Portrait Exhibition — Elizabeth R. Nail

Marguerite (England) Findhorn, Scotland. Marguerite is English but has spent many years in Australia and identifies with both cultures. A staunch environmental advocate, she has extensive experience participating in protest demonstrations. When I met Marguerite in the summer of 2024, she was in the midst of planning a land trip to Nepal from northern Scotland. After finalizing all the necessary transfer visas and connecting bus rides, she undertook this considerable journey and reached her destination in the Himalayan Mountains. Before leaving Findhorn, she organized and performed at an open mic night in Forres, hosted by the activist group Extinction Rebellion. The theme was “Love and Rage.”

Graham (New Zealand) Findhorn, Scotland. A self-proclaimed left-leaning, anti-capitalist, Graham values simplicity. He moved to Findhorn in 2005 in search of living in community; he wanted to reduce his consumption and live closer to his fellow neighbors. Graham is originally from New Zealand and lived many years in Australia, where he pursued a career in sustainable architecture and communal living. Now retired, he resides at Soillse, a cohousing community within the Ecovillage Findhorn. Graham owns few possessions yet has all he needs: a studio with a kitchen, his electric bicycle, and an art collection that he has thoughtfully composed throughout the years. He continues to be of service and volunteers his time in the communal garden, brings meals to friends who have fallen ill, and helps to support a mother and child who have no other family to rely upon. His home is here.

Roger (USA) Findhorn, Scotland. Roger, originally from Kansas, holds a PhD in philosophy. During his graduate studies, he produced three educational documentary films before making a beeline for the San Francisco Bay Area. While teaching broadcast communication at San Francisco University, he was introduced to the Findhorn Foundation, prompting his move to the community in 1974. He became the owner of the original barrel house at Findhorn and has remained an active member ever since. Roger continues to advocate for the ecovillage, attending council meetings and actively supporting the preservation and enduring legacy of Findhorn’s founding values: co-creating with nature, inner listening, and love in action.

Kajedo (Germany) Findhorn, Scotland. Made in Germany, Kajedo spent his youth seeking enlightenment, which he found in the great outdoors. The forest became his church. For over forty years at Findhorn, he has been the master forester, caring for the grounds at Cullerne House, as well as leading workshops and spirit quests in the Hinterlands. When asked what his purpose is in life, he replies, “to learn how to love well.”

Lorraine (Canada) Findhorn, Scotland. Lorraine works from her studio apartment in the Soillse cohousing neighborhood within the Ecovillage Findhorn. She moved to the village in 2007 after resigning from her job in the non-profit sector in Switzerland. Having spent two years preparing Findhorn’s sustainability report for the Global Ecovillage Network and serving as a main focaliser for the ecovillage, Lorraine has returned to non-profit work. She finds satisfaction in the autonomy of outside employment while remaining an active member of the Findhorn community.

Marilyn (Canada) Findhorn, Scotland. Marilyn first encountered Findhorn in the 1980s but did not return until after the passing of her husband in 2017. She felt a strong calling to live there, which led her to sell everything and move to the village with just two suitcases. As a co-chair of the Local Place Plan (LPP) for Ecovillage Findhorn, she is committed to helping the community navigate through its transitional period in a way that honors both its legacy and potential. Marilyn employs an "integral" and "action research" approach, seeking to connect the community more deeply with itself and facilitate a collaborative, discovery-oriented process. She is inspired by the idea of Findhorn as a “City of Light” and believes it has a large role to play as a model for sustainable, spiritually-grounded community development.

Jeff (USA) Stirling, Scotland. “Relax into it,” Jeff says as he teaches me to meditate in public. An internet security professional retired from the University of California at Berkeley, Jeff set off on a two-year ‘walkabout’ of self-discovery. I met him at the tail end of his wandering tour (which neither of us knew at the time). As he travelled through different countries and cultures, he acknowledged his internal thoughts and feelings, examining what was real and what was only perception. Feeling satisfied that he had completed his objectives for this journey, Jeff ventured back home to America to be with family and engage in a more informed phase of his life.

Elizabeth (USA) Findhorn, Scotland. “Sometimes quickly. Sometimes slowly. The awareness developed during my time in Findhorn was like a slow burn until it came to me all at once. A fated walk in the woods solidified my purpose for traveling and how to find home, even in a foreign land. Home is always in the community you make. Home is always where I am. Home is in my heart.”

Alan Pauel (Denmark) Friland, Denmark. Standing in front of his humble cob house, Alan Pauel is content. Having served as president and board member to the Danish Ecovillage Network, LØS, he is a proud advocate of ecovillage life and Danish culture, from which alternative living is said to originate. He bought his home in 2016 from the original owner and plans to remain here for the rest of his time. Alan Pauel appreciates the spiritual aspects of community and loves to visit Damanhur, a spiritually minded ecovillage located outside of Turin in northern Italy. He hopes to become an ambassador for Damanhur and bring its courses to his home in Denmark, thus linking the two cultures together.

Nikolaj, Laila, and Sigrid (3) (Denmark) Friland, Denmark. Nicolaj and Laila moved to Friland ecosociety in 2016 to build their dream – a straw bale home. As teachers, they love sharing their experience with the many people intrigued with this type of construction. The “Flower House” is being built by hand in collaboration with local and international volunteers. With more work yet to be done, the couple holds onto their dream of an environmentally friendly home that will sustain their children and the generations to come.

Musa & son (Kenya) Samburu County, Kenya. Musa, one of the local employees of Sadhana Forest Kenya (SFK), has a thriving orchard of moringa trees. On this day, the work party was scheduled to help with the maintenance of his trees, and we were welcomed into his home with the usual hospitality of hot chai tea and plenty of smiles. The perpetual jokester, Musa, keeps everyone laughing through the heat and hard work. On Sundays, Musa preaches at the local Christian church, in addition to being a member of the planting crew. Musa also takes turns cooking breakfast, lunch, and dinner at the SFK campus. His chapati (traditional Kenyan flatbread) is the best in the region!

Bruce & Momma Gus (“cat”) (New Zealand) Samburu County, Kenya. Bruce holds a Sports & Recreation degree and is a trained bike mechanic. He previously worked with the international NGO, Bikes Not Bombs, contributing to initiatives in Guatemala. Naturally altruistic, he began volunteering at the age of 16, raising funds to help clean the base camp of Mount Everest in Nepal. Before starting his work in Kenya, Bruce volunteered with Sadhana Forest India. Today, he continues his commitment to service as the Project Director for Sadhana Forest Kenya, where his diverse skill set is aptly suited to the unique challenges of the Samburu region. During the heat of the day, staff at SFK would occasionally retreat to a colleague’s house for respite. There, Bruce often shared quiet siestas with Momma Gus and her three kittens, who seemed especially fond of his comforting presence.

Lark (USA) Samburu County, Kenya. Lark shines brightly from the inside out. With a background in sustainable development and Spanish linguistics, she has a natural ability to connect across cultures and lifestyles. Her journey led her to Auroville, India, where she participated in the original Sadhana Forest project. In 2014, when the opportunity arose to help launch the NGO’s site in Kenya, she joined without hesitation as part of the first team on the ground. For Lark, her work has never been just a job – it’s a way of life. In Samburu, where relationships are rooted more in shared experiences than blood ties, she has found a true home. She is not just accepted here but woven into the fabric of the community as a friend, a sister, an aunt, and part of the land itself.

Megi (Albania) Pemuteran, Bali. Megi embodies authenticity. Like driftwood carried by the ocean, Megi follows the flow of life and nature. A native of Albania, she emigrated to Bologna, Italy, as a young woman. She previously worked in Malaysia before joining the Ecovillage Design Education (EDE) course in Bali to explore her purpose here on Earth. As an immigrant, she has spent most of her life searching for a sense of belonging – a place that feels like home — and finds grounding in the meaningful connections she makes with others. Although not tied to a specific spiritual practice, she is guided by what feels true to her. She is on a conscious journey of self-discovery, questioning what works and what doesn’t. As part of this process, Megi is exploring whether ecovillages can offer a perspective that resonates and, most importantly, where and how she might belong.

Irma (Indonesia) Pemuteran, Bali. A native of the island of Sumatra, Indonesia, and a descendant of the Batak tribe, Irma moved to Bali ten years ago. As an entrepreneur, she is passionate about her homeland. She cares deeply for the communities she serves, seeking ways to document their quality of life and empower them to thrive. Irma believes that spirituality is the catalyzer of sustainability, as it provides the foundation and motivation for communities to live in harmony with the natural world. Although the animistic spiritual practices of her ancestors’ tribe have been lost in her lineage, she and her husband, who is of Mayan descent, are excited to embark on the journey of reconnecting with Mother Nature – engaging as a family in caring for the land and soil together. Irma wants to understand the philosophy behind her ancestors’ stories, as the history is encoded in her genes—she just needs to, as she says, “remember it.”

Vix (England) Pemuteran, Bali. Vix lives in Ubud, Bali, with her husband and their nine cats, the latest arriving at her cottage door during the EDE program. A retired Royal Air Force officer with a Master of Arts in War Studies focusing on women’s roles in conflict, Vix now runs her own coaching business. The courses she teaches on authentic relating and ecotherapy help others improve their communication skills and support those processing grief related to the climate crisis. When grappling with the realities of doomsday fears, she tries to view it from another perspective. “What does it mean to live a fulfilling, meaningful life, knowing that it's going to end?” she asks. “I think there’s more for me to do and contribute something.” Her contributions continue as she prepares to pursue her second master’s degree at SOAS University of London, studying Anthropology of Global Futures and Sustainability, starting in the Fall 2025 semester.

Ashwin (Australia) Pemuteran, Bali. An Indian-Canadian psychiatrist living in Melbourne, Australia, Ashwin initially chose the medical field because of his interest in health, which he no longer believes his industry adequately provides. “How do you promote health and prevent illness in the first place? I think a lot of it is tied to our food,” he says. This understanding, along with his deepening practice of classical yoga, has strengthened his connection between his internal and external worlds, leading him to explore the food he eats through permaculture, regenerative farming, and Ayurveda. Ashwin’s participation in the EDE in Bali reflects his ongoing effort to guide his family toward a simpler, more eco-friendly lifestyle. He aims to move his family into a smaller, intentional community within the next few years. As he puts it, he wants to, “Unlearn suburban dependency and infantilism, and experience more of a nature-connected, self-reliant life where we pick up basic skills that we've lost.”

Anna (Belgium) Pemuteran, Bali. Anna participated in the EDE course and was the photographer hired by Alaya Ecolodge to document the experience. A multi-talented artist, Anna offers her skills as a photographer, dancer, choreographer, and entrepreneur. She led ecstatic dance classes and workshops in the evening, teaching participants how to organically move their bodies. She sees the world in all its beauty and fragility, with her work being an extension of these two interwoven themes.

Portrait of the Artist. Photo credit to Megi (Albania) Pemuteran, Bali

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