Paul Wheaton

Paul Wheaton is an American permaculture author, master gardener, permaculture designer, software engineer, and multimedia producer whose work has reached a global audience. Wheaton is recognized for his expertise in sustainable agriculture, organic gardening, and regenerative design. He has been referred to as the "Duke of Permaculture" by Geoff Lawton and Sepp Holzer, and as "The Bad Boy of Permaculture" by Occupy Monsanto, reflecting his influence and unconventional approach within the permaculture community.

Wheaton began his professional journey in technology, working as a software engineer. He developed Bananacom, a terminal emulator widely used by bulletin board system operators in the United States, and contributed to ground system software for spacecraft involved in imaging for Google Earth and DigitalGlobe. His transition to permaculture was marked by earning an Advanced Master Gardener certificate and writing extensively about sustainable living and permaculture techniques. He also launched a forum for Java programming discussions and later founded the website Permies, which has become a leading online community for permaculture and homesteading.

As an educator and content creator, Wheaton has produced more than 600 podcasts, 200 YouTube videos, and several feature-length films. He has presented at over 100 events across the United States and authored numerous articles and two books focused on environmentalism, homesteading, and sustainable living. His YouTube channel, with hundreds of thousands of subscribers and millions of views, covers topics such as organic horticulture, rocket mass heaters, natural building, alternative energy, homesteading, and aquaculture. Wheaton co-authored "Building a Better World in Your Backyard" with Shawn Klassen-Koop, which outlines practical steps for environmental change at home, and "SKIP: A Framework to Connect Industrious People with Elderly Land Owners" with Mike Haasl, a program connecting aspiring homesteaders with landowners.

Wheaton Labs, his property in western Montana, serves as a hub for innovation in sustainable technology and permaculture. Projects developed there include rocket stove and rocket mass heater technology, extensive hugelkultur earthworks, solar dehydrators, round wood timber frame structures, a passive earth-bermed solar greenhouse, and the Wofati, a cost-effective and energy-efficient home design. Wheaton produced a documentary on wood-burning stoves, demonstrating sustainable heating methods and highlighting designs that use a fraction of the wood required by conventional stoves.

Wheaton is an experienced public speaker, presenting on topics such as energy conservation, earth-friendly heating, and passive greenhouse design. He has spoken at events including TEDx Whitefish and the Southern California Permaculture Convergence, and has delivered public talks at the Missoula Public Library, recorded by MCAT Community Media. Through digital media, live workshops, and published works, Wheaton advocates for practical and accessible approaches to sustainable and regenerative living.