Rescue EcoVersity

We are a grass-roots movement of citizens who would like to see EcoVersity and Prajna Foundation restored to the promise both institutions have for enabling the people of Northern New Mexico to embrace a more sustainable way of life and society. EcoVersity and Prajna Foundation are sister non-profit corporations that Frances "Fiz" Harwood generously formed before her death in 2003. She intended that they teach and fund hands-on sustainable living and permaculture methods and projects.

We miss having a vibrant EcoVersity campus, with dozens of courses offered at low cost to the community, taught by your friends and neighbors who have expertise in aspects of sustainable living and permaculture. A place that is a hub of activity and hands-on learning. Alas, the New Mexico Attorney General recently stripped EcoVersity of its status as an educational institution because, in the AG's words, it "does not have a defined curriculum with classes offered on a regular basis."

Why have the Boards of Directors have changed EcoVersity's mission by de-emphasizing the idea of a campus? Because, unfortunately, reputable faculty and staff don't feel comfortable or appropriate teaching and working at EcoVersity under the current Boards of Directors of it an Prajna. We are all missing out as a result.

We have made every good faith effort to restore EcoVersity to its promise by peaceful and amicable means, but the current Board members have put us in the position of having to circulate a petition. The petition seeks an investigation to clear up suspicions of wrongdoing, that's all.

Please support this cause – we believe it is very important for our community!

To have effect, the petition needs the signatures of around 1,700 people who are registered voters in Santa Fe City or County. All the petition asks for is your signature and printed name – no address or phone number is requested. If you will, please print out the petition and sign it and ask your friends to sign it with you and mail it to:

Rescue EcoVersity
P.O. Box 6397
Santa Fe, N.M. 87502

(We need a hard copy original of the signatures because the petition is to the Court and the Court does not accept electronic or photocopied signatures.)

To see a letter that was signed by 21 prominent leaders of the sustainability movement in northern New Mexico asking you to support this cause, <CLICK HERE>. (Please note that these people signed this letter in their personal and individual capacities, and not on behalf of any organization or business they may be affiliated with.)

To see affidavits signed under penalty of perjury by 5 people who have familiarity with some of the facts, <CLICK HERE>.

Our Concerns About Fiz's Estate

We are concerned that the current governance of EcoVersity and Prajna are not fulfilling the needs of this community or the wishes of the deceased founder, Fiz Harwood. We have many questions about what has happened and why. We seek transparency and clarity. We feel it is in the best interest of the community for the current Boards to resign and for new Boards to be established. Then we would like to bring together the community, those who have contributed their time and energy to EcoVersity in the past, and those with new ideas and energy to launch it anew. Do you remember the EcoVersity pamphlets and brochures which used to offer dozens of low-cost, hands-on courses for the community? We would like to bring that back. To get to that positive vision, unfortunately, we must first tread some negative ground...

There is concern surrounding the fact that Thomas Harbour (a/k/a "RP" a/k/a Jeff) was put in charge of Fiz's Estate six days before she died of cancer. To compare Fiz’s signature on the will with her signature when she was healthy and aware, <CLICK HERE>.

We are concerned that RP Harbour might have used his position as Personal Representative of Fiz's Estate to land positions on the Boards of Directors of both EcoVersity and Prajna with the help of others who benefited from his appointment as Personal Representative, as detailed below. George Clark and his then-wife Joan Clark held a seat on the EcoVersity and Prajna Boards, respectively; within a month, RP had joined both Boards. We are not sure if Fiz ever intended RP to take a leadership role on these non-profit Boards, and we would like an investigation.

RP Harbour paid himself $134,454 as the Personal Representative (Executor) of Fiz’s Estate. To see a document that shows this, <CLICK HERE>. We believe this fee is too high and would like an investigation into this matter.

In addition, RP paid $87,614 from Fiz’s Estate in fees to the lawyer who prepared the will putting him in charge of her Estate. The magnitude of this payment concerns us. For proof of the fee, <CLICK HERE>.

RP paid George Clark and his then-wife Joan Clark $15,000 each from Fiz’s Estate. There is no evidence in the probate file (the court file) of Fiz’s will that Fiz approved these bequests. The document showing these payments can be viewed here <CLICK HERE>. We are concerned about these payments because we understand that the Clarks owed Fiz $100,000 at the time of her death. We’re not sure whether this debt was actually re-paid to her Estate. However, we believe that it was RP’s legal duty (as the person in charge of Fiz's Estate) to see to it that the Clarks re-paid this debt in full. Many of us find it odd that payments of $15,000 were made to each of the Clarks without evidence in the court file of Fiz's authorization, when Fiz had asked others to make sure that the Clarks re-paid their $100,000 debt to her Estate in full.

We are also aware that Fiz had a right to a Picasso painting, and that RP allowed this painting to revert to her family on the East Coast. We wonder if he did this so that they would not challenge his position in charge of Fiz's Estate, and we ask for an investigation of this question. (The value of this asset could have supported EcoVersty, Prajna, and the community, had it remained here.)

Payments Made to Board Members RP Harbour and George Clark

It concerns many of us that RP Harbour received $48,000 from EcoVersity in 2004. <CLICK HERE> to see a tax return. This was ostensibly for 10 hours per week of work.

Many of us are also concerned that George Clark received $39,287 from EcoVersity in 2005. <CLICK HERE> to see this tax return. This was for a reported 10 hours per week of work, but a staff member stated in a signed affidavit that George Clark did virtually no work.

Meanwhile, in the same year, 2005, RP Harbour received $52,590 from Prajna. <CLICK HERE> to see this tax return.

Then RP Harbour received $78,000 from Prajna in 2006. <CLICK HERE> to see this tax return. This was allegedly for 20 hours per week of work. In 2006, Prajna funded 29 grants worth a grand total $221,642. The money RP received amounted to 35% of the grant total. This concerns us.

In addition, we are wondering about some of the grants Prajna issued. For instance, in 2006, Prajna gave $1,500 to the New Mexico Fencing Foundation. Why?

We are concerned that RP Harbour and George Clark have paid themselves, from Fiz’s Estate and the two non-profits, more than $382,331 (that we know of). This was money that Fiz gave for the benefit of the community to fund low-cost, hands-on courses on sustainability and permaculture.

Our Goal

We really just want RP and the other Board Members to resign so that EcoVersity and Prajna can get back on course and be the wonderful assets that they could be to this community. Because the Board Members won't resign, we have to petition the First Judicial District Court in Santa Fe to convene a grand jury to investigate these matters.

Please join us and support the restoration of EcoVersity and Prajna by signing the petition <CLICK HERE>?

The Numbers

$ 134,454 paid to RP Harbour in Personal Representative fees <CLICK HERE>
$ 78,000 paid to RP in 2006 via 2006 Prajna Foundation <CLICK HERE>
$ 52,590 paid to RP in 2005 via 2005 Prajna Foundation <CLICK HERE>
$ 48,000 paid to RP in 2004 via 2004 EcoVersity <CLICK HERE>
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$ 313,044 that we know of paid to RP Harbour

$ 100,000 owed to Estate by George and Joan Clark (Board Members) in question
$ 39,287 paid to George Clark in 2005 via EcoVersity <CLICK HERE>
$ 30,000 paid to George and Joan Clack via bequest in question from Fiz Harwood <CLICK HERE>
=========
$ 169,287 that we know (or in question) to George/Joan Clark

$87,614 paid for legal fees <CLICK HERE>

Contact: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it (Please include your name and contact information.)

To see a sworn affidavit signed by Tomas Enos (which describes the state of Fiz Harwood’s health around the time she signed the new will, at paragraph 9), <CLICK HERE>

To see a sworn affidavit signed by Clayton Brascoupe describing Fiz Harwood’s vision for EcoVersity and its decline, <CLICK HERE>

To see a sworn affidavit signed by former EcoVersity faculty member Scott Pittman, reciting many facts and much history, <CLICK HERE>

To see a sworn affidavit by EcoVersity’s former Executive Director, Arina Pittman, <CLICK HERE>

To see a sworn affidavit by an uninvolved citizen who feels that an investigation is merited, <CLICK HERE>

This information is as accurate as possible and is created with the limited information that is publicly available. We invite you to further investigate these issues. We are presenting facts we have discovered and the beliefs of the movement as clearly as possible, although individual members may have differing opinions about certain points. There are enough suspicions and the Board Members have not resigned, despite our many pleas that they do so, so we are requesting a grand jury to investigate these and other matters further. Thank you for your consideration.

This website is paid for with money raised from private individuals wanting to see justice. We would like EcoVersity and Prajna Foundation to be restored under new leadership and governance.