Soil isn’t just dirt – it is the foundation of life for millions of creatures. As Genesis 2 puts it “Soil is the first created place that God kisses by breathing life into it that animates you and me and all other terrestrial (plant and animal) creatures” Soil regeneration is creating new soil and rejuvenating soil health by minimizing the loss of topsoil, retaining more carbon than is depleted, boosting biodiversity, maintaining proper water and nutrient cycling.
Grasslands are vibrant and diverse ecosystems – a home for countless flora & fauna species -they are crucial in carbon sequestration in the face of climate change. Despite being one of the key ecosystems on our planet – they are often neglected and are being seriously degraded due to human exploitation in India. One of our most aspirational ecological projects has been grassland restoration – by following the natural principle of ‘no or minimum disturbance’ & ‘value diversity’. We work on building living soil with watershed development to build drought-resilient grasslands. By restoring native grasses & adding other strategic plants, we are on a mission to convert these so-called wastelands into an oasis of biodiversity.
We work on the ‘Slow it, spread it, sink it, store it’ mantra while working on watershed management. Effective watershed management can help to recharge groundwater, conserve rainwater, reduce loss of water into sinks, prevent soil erosion, build soil moisture & help biodiversity.
Fun Fact: Under the Just Dig It movement, crescent-shaped structures are altering the topography and reforesting Africa’s arid regions.
Permaculturist Geoff Lawton says ‘All of the world’s problems can be solved in a garden.’ Kitchen Gardening refers to the sovereign act of growing one’s high vibrational food in their front yard/backyard/terrace/balcony/windowsill. It ensures a diverse, colorful, and nutritious plate directly from farm to table. Kitchen gardening provides family bonding time and instills values like discipline, patience, and responsibility while also connecting children to nature. Kitchen gardening is recommended to improve overall health and mental well-being. We are extremely passionate about building kitchen gardens in remote villages to make them self-sufficient. Fun Fact – Okinawans – the people from a town in Japan with the highest number of centenarians –practice and recommend gardening daily – to get your quota of physical exercise & get a supply of fresh produce.
Food forests are abundant gardening systems based on succession planning where food is grown in up to 7 layers with companion planting. Based on biomimicry – food forests are highly productive spaces grown to mimic the density and diversity of natural forests. Food forests are a beautiful alternative to monoculture orchards. We design food forests to cater to a farmer’s personal and commercial needs – thus making them strategically, economically & ecologically sound.
A community garden is a public place of rural, suburban, or urban property designated for people living in the surrounding area to grow flowers, fruits, and vegetables. Such gardens may also include spaces for children to play, adults to exercise & set-ups for community gatherings. Community gardens are building blocks to building resilient communities in terms of providing food and kinship. Historically, community gardens were built to create food sovereignty where each villager or citizen either grows on a patch or everyone grows together and shares the harvest. Our community gardening is also aimed at sharing tips and tricks of organic/natural farming with our residents and encouraging them to take these tips to their home gardens or farms.
Fun Fact – Okinawans – the people from a town in Japan with the highest number of centenarians – credit their moai – their strong social network to have multiple close friends – as one of the reasons for their long life.
‘People & Permaculture’ is a big part of our ethos, and working with villages is our step to spread our knowledge and empower individuals. As Bill Mollison says ‘Everything gardens – or has an impact on its environment.’ Following this principle, we believe that true change comes from empowering every individual to be in harmony with Nature at the grassroots level. We work on a village-to-village basis – by conducting extensive surveys followed by a holistic plan to fulfill individual and community needs. We then conduct workshops and demonstrations in regional languages. The basis of all our training starts with soul regeneration – we empower individuals with spiritual values to become resilient and then lead a conscious life in harmony with nature.
Wastewater Management is an integral part of creating closed-loop systems when living on the land – by recycling wastewater for productive use. We primarily work on greywater systems – generated by household, community, village & small-scale industrial levels. Greywater management is essential to maintain hygiene and beautify the landscape.