Meet Sean Eriksen

We recently connected with Sean Eriksen and have shared our conversation below.

Sean, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?

I found my purpose through spending spending lots of time in nature and reflecting on my relation to the species around me. I had to get out of the city, figure out what I truly needed to survive, and then figure out how one goes about acquiring what they need from their immediate surroundings.
As I learned more about where food comes from, where building materials come from, where clothing, and machines, and tools, and water, and medicine all comes from, it became quite clear that we are doing it so wrong. We have hardly any clue where our stuff comes from, and if you want to survive off the landscape around you, it would be nearly impossible. But this is a very new circumstance within the history of this planet. We are living in what is actually a scarce landscape in terms of food, medicine, materials, and biodiversity. So, as I spent time traveling around the country several years ago, living with various homesteaders, farmers, communities, foragers, etc., I began to see that there were certain ways of caring for the land that would create more abundance, and others that would continue our downward cycle of environmental degradation. I realized how much abundance is possible if we as a species can just make small efforts toward supporting water, soil, and biodiversity. The outcome of these actions have the potential to solve so many of our other issues as a society, it’s hard to even fathom. So, through this period of reflection and learning, I discovered what fuels me, what feels right. And that’s to create more abundance on this planet by working alongside nature. I want to help people realize what’s possible if we just understand how other species live and how by creating better lives for other species, we create better lives for the human species. People sometimes discard environmentalism as an obstacle to progress, but the reality is that all of our energy, whether it be food or electricity, derives from the environment. And if we don’t have the basic needs met of being able to live with the land within our bioregion, then we’ll only continue this trend toward desertification, biodiversity loss, and societal collapse. I’m trying to evolve my lifestyle and those around me toward one that supports all species, no matter what the large societal outcomes may be. Why? Because it feels right.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

My business is called Shelter & Seeds, and I offer “Permaculture Landscape Solutions”, which in other words means “working with nature to create abundance on this planet”. My favorite thing to do with clients is to help them understand more about the landscape around them – the water, the soil, the wind, the sun, the plants, the bugs, the fungi. I like to help people become acquainted with the species around them, and figure out how they can both support what’s already there and introduce new elements that would benefit all beings. Water is the foundation of the work, and finding ways to give more space to water within the landscape, whether that be by building terraces in steep terrain, check dams within erosion gullies, beaver dam analogs to sub-irrigate the riparian areas, clay-lined ponds to retain water, or rain gardens to make use of run off from impermeable surfaces such as roofs and driveways. I also help people introduce new elements to their landscape, whether it be by scattering seeds, mulching, planting new nut trees, fruit trees, nitrogen fixing species, native species, medicinal species, functional species, etc. Sometimes it’s making habitat through rock piles, carefully placed logs, or hedgerows. I do lots of hands-on work, but I also do teaching and consulting about these topics. I like to inspire people to feel like they can experiment with their landscape, and that if you are working with nature, there are no negative consequences. You don’t do damage. You may alter the conditions, but you are creating more opportunities within nature with your actions.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

Listening is pretty key early on. You want to be receptive to all ideas. Then, as you learn more, you’ll want to start experimenting hands-on. You’ll want to act and observe, collect data, and compare that to what you heard from others. Then you’ll start to see how the results in the field correlate to the messages you were given from people. From then on you’ll want to strengthen the skill of being able to decipher good information from bad. You’ll be creating a compass for yourself for the things that you believe in or don’t, that you agree with or don’t, and that you want to say yes to or no. Spend some more time getting hands-on experience and surround yourself with people that are of similar perspectives to you. Having a network of people that will help you in various ways is huge if you want to diversify your life, which manifests in all sorts of opportunities for learning and experiencing. Lastly, I’d recommend becoming acquainted with mindfulness and manifestation. You have to see yourself as an instrument, know yourself well, and set intentions for how you want your life to go in the future. You might not be able to change yourself as a person, but you can set intentions, seek them out, and then respond to the feedback that life gives you. Know where you are, where you want to go, and then just jump in and move like water. You’ll probably end up in the right place if you listen to the signs your body and the world around you gives you.

How would you describe your ideal client?

I like to work with people who are interested in these same concepts of care for the planet in a way that creates more food, water, and overall abundance. Extra cool if people are willing to let the weeds grow, to let things be a bit more wild. We have to change our beliefs about tidiness to some degree, our desires for control to some degree. Nature likes a bit more chaos to thrive, but it can be intentional chaos to some degree. Walk the line in between order and chaos. But ultimately, if people want to collaborate to make more natural abundance in this world, I’m happy to work together.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.shelterandseeds.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shelterandseeds/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@shelterandseeds