Richard Porter

Born in Victoria and raised in Maple Bay, Richard Porter has lived most of his life on or close to Vancouver Island. His love of the land, sea and nature led him to become a geographer, and to a lifetime commitment to environmental causes — from the re-use and repurposing of materials for his own homes, to the establishment of a native plant nursery, which provides seedlings for restoration projects.

Richard's background, paired with an artistic eye passed down from his mother, a painter and photographer, and his father who shared his world of experiences including fine woodcrafting in his later years, has given Richard a lifetime appreciation of the natural beauty around us. Often where one would least expect it — in a fallen branch or tree.

After moving to Qualicum Beach in 2014, Richard rescued an old lathe (from the workshop of former local wood artist Ed McMillan), tried his hand at woodturning, and the character and beauty of dead and downed trees from friends and neighbours began to reveal themselves.

The old lathe has since moved on to a young neighbour and Richard upgraded to a more powerful one, but the raw material remains the same — Neighbourwood.