Terry Mock, Co-Founder, Champion Tree Project International & Sustainable Land Development Initiative

Terry Mock received a degree in Real Estate and Urban Land Studies from the University of Florida in 1972.

Since then, Terry has developed a variety of pioneer residential, commercial, industrial and recreational land development projects which employed innovative sustainability technologies, including a specialty in native plant preservation and restoration techniques.

In 1979 Terry opened Palm Beach Native Nursery, the first native plant nursery in Palm Beach County, and supplied native plants and consulting services for many large-scale projects, including the first ecosystem restoration efforts on the Kissimmee River, Jupiter Island and Palm Beach County, Florida.

In 1980, Terry co-founded the Florida Native Plant Society and in 1987 was elected President and became the first real estate developer in history to be chosen as president of a major environmental organization.

In the 1990’s Terry started the first tree nursery cooperative in U.S. history and began to promote new horticultural technology and standards for the nursery industry and in 1996 was elected to Board of Directors of the Florida Chapter of the International Society of Arboriculture where, as Chairman of the Grades and Standards Committee he was presented with the President’s Award of Excellence for dedication toward improving tree quality in Florida’s urban landscape.

Terry has served on the Executive Committee of the Florida Urban Forestry Council and was appointed by the Governor’s Commission for a Sustainable South Florida to the Sustainable Agriculture Committee.

In 1997 Terry co-founded the Florida Champion Tree Project and in 1998 was appointed as a founding Executive Board member of the USDA South Florida Community-Urban Resources Partnership.

In the first decade of the 21st century, Terry completed a three year term as Director of the International Society of Arboriculture and stepped down as the Founding Executive Director of the non-profit Champion Tree Project International to become certified in permaculture design, establish Tree of Life Sustainable Development Consulting, work with Sustainable Land Development Today magazine, as an Editorial Board Director and SLDT Newsletter Editor, and co-found Sustainable Land Development Initiative.

Terry is now developing a sustainable home and permaculture eco-forestry research, education, and recreational project overlooking the Pacific Ocean and the largest remaining old-growth forest on the southern Oregon coast.