Meet Drake

Hi there! I'm Drake James (she/her), a regenerative designer, educator, and steward of living systems. Through Urban Village Designs, I work with land stewards, communities, and organizations to recognize patterns within their systems and develop ways of working that nurture holistic health, diversity, and resilience.

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My work weaves together ecological design, relational practice, and systems thinking, grounded in the understanding that landscapes, communities, and organizations are all living systems shaped by relationship and care over time.

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Areas of Experience​

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• Regenerative landscape design and permaculture

• Ecological restoration and land stewardship

• Urban Farms, beekeeping and animal Integrations

• Experiential education and group facilitation

• Project management and crew leading

• Business and nonprofit development

• Service-learning and international education

• Event production and program coordination

• Personal coaching and mindfulness practices

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Education & Training​

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• Permaculture Teaching Certificate – Cascadia Permaculture (2026)

• M.S. in Sustainability Education – Portland State University (2020)

• Challenge Course Technology Teacher Training Certificate – Synergo (2015)

• Oregon Youth Conservation Corps Training – Synergo (2014, Spring 2015, Fall 2015)

• B.A. in Social Sciences, Civic Leadership – Portland State University (2014)

• Permaculture Design Certificate – Portland State University (2014)

• Carpe Diem Latitudes Program – India (3 Months, 2010); South America (7 Months, 2011), including a 2-month internship set in Peruvian ecovillage where I practiced biodynamic farming

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​My work is rooted in the belief that regeneration begins when we learn to see the relationships that shape living systems. I support people in cultivating those relationships in ways that strengthen the landscapes, communities, and organizations they care for.

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Personal Life

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I live in Milwaukie, Oregon and enjoy all the time I can get with my husband and son, cultivating and experimenting on my 2/3 acre living lab, as well as tending to my dogs, chickens, frogs, insects and bees. Additionally, I love backpacking (both internationally and in the backcountry) and writing (including my 3-part memoir series that captures my journeys on el Camino de Santiago from France to Western Spain in 2019, through India and Nepal in 2024, and back home into a more rooted life 2024- 2025).

 

I am also a Food Forest Manager for the Yamane-Bose Food Forest. ​​​