My passion is the conservation of desert landscapes. I have worked in Jordan since 1994 when I was an historian interested in the "desert palaces" of the Banu Umayya, the first caliphs of Islam. I was completely taken with the Jordanian landscape – the vast sweeps of space and light; the rich colors of the black harra, the limestone hammada, the southern sand deserts; the lacelike fabric of life forms that is at once incredibly tough and heartbreakingly fragile…
Having grown up through drought years in southern California, I am keenly aware of the politics and economics of water. After years in Jordan studying the water politics of the eighth century, I became more and more absorbed in matters of modern land use. In 2002 I returned to school at the University of Arizona, Tucson, to earn a degree in Landscape Architecture. My MLA thesis attempted to quantify the rate of deforestation in a study area in the Petra Region. Since 2003 my work has focused primarily on the conservation of native ecosystems in Jordan.
I am convinced that the landscapes I love can only be conserved by including humans as one of the "protected" species in the ecosystem. In Jordan, where some of the earliest human settlements are found in Beidha and Ba'aja of the Petra region, there is no such thing as wilderness. Yet these dramatic landscapes are being transformed exponentially by inappropriate agricultural practices, overpopulation and poorly or un-planned development. It is my hope that through informed planning and design some of the few remaining "vast spaces" – and the people who inhabit them -- will be allowed to retain their character and integrity.
My interests as a landscape architect include residential garden design, sustainable range management, habitat restoration and ecotourism – with a crosscutting commitment to water harvesting and conservation. With a Jordanian colleague I host mishwar jordan, a luxury ecotourism venture focusing on active vacations experiencing our spectacular desert landscapes. I believe that making the landscape economically valuable is a tool for conservation.
My personal pastimes include hiking, trailriding on horseback, gardening, cooking, reading, writing, drawing and contemporary film. I split most of my time between homes in Wadi Musa (southern Jordan), and the capital city of Amman, escaping to a tiny rented farmhouse in the eastern badia whenever I get the chance. My idea of a perfect weekend is to spend two days cooking and invite friends for dinner. I hope one day you'll be seated at my table.