Staff and directors of the Headwaters Glenorchy Eco Lodge were deeply saddened by the passing of their visionary co-founder, Paul Brainerd.
A loving husband, dedicated philanthropist, and leader in sustainability and community stewardship, Paul Brainerd died last week after making it his life’s work to leave a positive impact on our planet and the communities in which he lived.
Paul and wife Debbi Brainerd, originally from the United States, fell in love with New Zealand 30 years ago. Hiking expeditions and a love of nature led them to Glenorchy more than 15 years ago, where they built a home and split their time between the stunning township and their ‘other’ home in the Pacific Northwest.
Twelve years ago, they bought a run-down campground and village store in Glenorchy with a vision to transform them into businesses that would donate their profits to a local community trust.
In 2014, they opened Mrs Woolly’s General Store, and in 2018, they launched Camp Glenorchy (now known as The Headwaters Glenorchy Eco Lodge), the first net positive energy accommodation in the world. Bringing in local artists, craftsmen and builders, and experts in sustainable design, the lodge is now certified to the Living Building Challenge standards, the world's most rigorous and comprehensive sustainability design guidelines.
The Lodge is widely recognised as an international showcase of sophisticated regenerative design and exceptional local art and craftsmanship. It has been recognised in the national Sustainability Awards, the New Zealand Tourism Awards, and last year won the Sustainability Award and Supreme Award at the Queenstown Business Awards.
“The lodge is truly a labour of love that weaves together our shared passion for integrating sustainable design with local craft and art, to create warm, welcoming spaces for our guests and the locals who visit us in Glenorchy,” Brainerd said When winning the recent award.
Before embarking on his and Debbi’s New Zealand journey, Brainerd founded Aldus software to create PageMaker and is lauded as the pioneer of desktop publishing.
When he retired from the corporate world, he set up the Brainerd Foundation to support communities and non-profits in North America, focused on community-based conservation initiatives.
As a co-founder of Social Venture Partners, he led the way in creating a network of young philanthropists who not only provided dollars but also gave their expertise and mentorship to help with social challenges in the communities around them.
In IslandWood, Paul and Debbi created a children’s environmental learning centre on Bainbridge Island in Washington State. Each year, more than 12,000 children, many from economically challenged communities, experience nature-based learning outside in a 255-acre classroom, inspiring the next generation of environmental and community stewards.
Paul and Debbi’s dedication to nurturing environmental and community stewardship is an inspiration to us all. In Glenorchy, Brainerd will always be remembered as someone who loved sustainable design, who was passionate about bringing technology and computers into schools for our kids, and who inspired many to think about what it means to give back to our community.
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