Who is Pauline Ferguson?

Pauline with Sammy, the Red Fox

I’m passionate about the environment, and I believe we need to stop poisoning it (and ourselves).  I believe that once we’ve stopped poisoning ourselves, humankind can focus on making the next step, maybe understanding and tolerating each other, moving on and becoming all we can be.  I believe it’s possible, I really do.  The first step is to de-tox our environment.

There are non-toxic ways to do most things.  We just need to find them.  While I was looking for these non-toxic ways of doing things, I found the course in Building Biology through ACES.  Building Biology is the science of helping people (and animals) to be healthier, through the removal of toxins or poisons in their environment.  Perfect!!!

I have now completed that course, and am a qualified Building Biologist (Certification Number 0209331), eager to help people and animals in Queensland and throughout the world to be healthier through healthier environments.  That’s a government-accredited course, so you can be sure that it’s not just a piece of paper bought from the interwebs.  ( )  I also try to keep informed as to current research, so if scientists, doctors or researchers have better information, as soon as I know it, I apply it.

Where does Red Fox Building Biology go?

All over Queensland, parts of northern NSW and NT if requested.  In fact, if you need me to visit, please email and we’ll figure something out.

Places include, but not limited to: Brisbane, Ipswich, Lockyer Valley, Somerset, Scenic Rim, Darling Downs, Toowoomba, Granite Belt, Sunshine Coast, Gold Coast

My Vision – a poison-free planet

I really love our beautiful country, and from what I’ve seen of the rest of the world, it’s pretty special, too.  I don’t like poison in any way though – poison kills more than just the intended victim, and it stays toxic and in the environment, continually killing.  Even in non-lethal doses it can cause sickness in humans, animals, plants, insects and birds…

The human race can be so much greater, and I think removing poisons is the best place to start.

A bit about me

I live on the Sunshine Coast, in an old workers cottage in the country, so I enjoy fresh air and clean water every day.  (You should too).  I find the older style homes to have less toxic construction than the more modern ones, there’s something to be said for doing things the old ways!

I’ve had several years experience working in the sustainability field – water reduction and management, solar energy, energy efficiency, waste management – so I know that living these days can be very expensive.  That’s probably why I’m passionate about good design – a well designed building can incorporate passive cooling and heating, which eliminates a lot of the energy consumption issues, as well as saving you money.

I’ve also had extensive experience working in the occupational health and safety field in a dangerous goods warehouse – storing and handling those toxic chemicals – so I have quite a bit of experience in reading, interpreting and applying the information in the Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) as well as the physical safety aspects of a workplace.  I understand risk assessment and mitigation, and I also understand that safety and efficiency don’t have to be mutually exclusive.

I also work with the RSPCA as a volunteer wildlife rescuer – I pick up the injured wildlife and transport it safely to a vet or rehabilitation centre.  I also return the animals to their homes once the vet has okayed that.  One day I’d love to work more closely with rehabilitation of wildlife, but at the moment I’m just doing what I can to help out.

I’m also a bit of a skeptic…

Like most people, I like new ideas and technology that makes life easier.  I love to learn new things, but I also like to think about the how and the why, rather than just accept.  So when I first heard some of the Building Biology ideas, I wanted to make sure they were true, rather than just take it on faith.  So, like a good scientist, I experimented with them.

I found soaps, shampoos and deodorants that were natural (and don’t cost an arm and a leg, either!) and tested them out.  I wanted to be sure they work.  I also found that yes, my sense of smell did improve significantly after a few weeks.  Not always a bonus in the shops that have a lot of imported plastic wares!

I use natural cleaning products like bicarbonate of soda, vinegar, ordinary water and microfibre cloths, and yes, they do a great job.  I bought a good vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter and almost cried at how easy it was to get a clean carpet, with no dog hair, and I wasn’t sneezing all the way through it!

I also tried turning off my wifi to see if that would help my sleep.  I have to admit, the first couple of days I really didn’t see a lot of difference.  About a week into my “trial”, I forgot and left the wifi on all night… the next morning I felt about 800 years old, I was stiff and sore and I really didn’t feel good.  After a hot shower to get my brain cells firing again, I found the problem.  Let me tell you, I turn off the wifi every night now.  We also have one wifi-free day per week.

Why Red Fox?

Ever since I can remember, I’ve had an imaginary friend.  You guessed it, he’s a fox.  I was recently doing some research into totem animals, and not really surprisingly, mine is a fox.  When it came to starting my business, it made sense to me to bring the Red Fox into that.  They’re observant, quick and very family oriented, so I thought if I could incorporate those values, and the ability to think of less-than-obvious solutions, into my business, it would help everyone.

 What’s Red Riding Hood doing here?

Ms Riding-Hood started life a bit naive – she believed everything was good and innocent and there was no danger in her everyday life.  After she had the rude awakening in her Grandmother’s cottage, Red started to question exactly how innocent “everyday” things were, and exploring her immediate environment to discover if there were any other hazards she should know about!

As you can see, she’s become quite efficient and even a bit corporate (hence “Ms Riding-Hood”) but she’s still very interested in making everyday life safe… she’s a Hazard Hunter.