The Team

Deborah Parrish Snyder is a seasoned ecotechnics professional and cultural producer with over three decades of experience in ecological design, sustainable development, and the arts. She has played key roles in the development and management of international ecological projects, including biosphere research facilities, a pastoral regeneration program in the NW Kimberley of Australia, reforestation efforts in Puerto Rico, and desert reclamation initiatives in the American Southwest. Deborah is also the publisher and co-founder of Synergetic Press, an independent publishing house dedicated to ecological sustainability, cultural studies, and consciousness research. Her work bridges science, art, culture, and ecology, promoting interdisciplinary collaboration and long-term planetary thinking.

Dr. Mark Nelson, is a pioneering environmental scientist, engineer, and ecologist with a lifelong dedication to the integration of humans and nature through closed ecological systems and sustainable technologies. A co-founder of the Biosphere 2 project, he served as one of the original crew members during its landmark two-year mission. Mark holds a Ph.D. in environmental engineering sciences and has contributed extensively to the fields of ecological wastewater treatment, bioregenerative life support, and desert agriculture. He is the author of multiple books and peer-reviewed articles and currently serves as an officer of GEC, supporting its global ecological and cultural initiatives.

Thrity ‘3t’ Vakil, FLS, has 30 years of experience in sustainable forestry, ecological restoration, and cultural production. She is president of Tropic Ventures Research & Education Foundation at Las Casas de la Selva in Puerto Rico and currently serves as secretary of Global Ecotechnics Corporation. Her work has included timber production, marketing and sales, leading international Earthwatch research teams, conserving endangered species, and co-founding Puerto Rico Hardwoods to rescue storm-downed timber. A Fellow of the Linnean Society and the World Academy of Art & Science, 3t continues to integrate science and art through fieldwork, advocacy, and creative expression.