Jack has been enjoying the fruits of a
simple yet full
livelihood for over 15 years. Originally called to be a high school
physics teacher, he found greater pleasure working part-time for
alternative schools and guiding in Turkey in the summers. A 1,500 mile
bike trip with Dev cemented their friendship and later led them to own
a piece of land together and live
off the grid. Since that time he has built (or helped to build) 8 straw
bale houses, installed solar water and electrical systems in the U.S.
and Mexico. His teaching experiences include co-directing a summer
camp, multi-week backpacking and river trips, and a year of traveling
from B.C. to Mexico with six home schoolers from Paonia. One of
his greatest joys is to help people learn new practical skills which
boost their self-confidence. He says "it's no mystery how a house gets
built,
but what happens to people in
the process of building that house,
that really intrigues
me!"
Jack and partner
Michelle
Nijhuis
in front of their off-the-grid, straw-bale office (Click on Michelle to
find out what she does in this office).