Regeneration and rewilding is obviously immensely valuable to the beings making their home in that location, for the local and regional ecosystems, for our living planet, for our climate, and for future generations.
So how can we also make it valuable to locals and the people owning the land? How can we make it more valuable for the owners and the locals to keep the forest rather than cutting it down?
One answer is food forests and silvopasture. We set it up so it produces enough food to give a good income. Another answer is ecotourism. Many tourists and visitors are interested in seeing these projects, especially if they are diverse and include different types of ecosystems. Yet another is to have a nursery within the forest to sell trees and food plants to neighbors and others.
We set it up so the interests are aligned between the owners and the locals, and the many beings living there, ecosystems, and future generations. So that what’s easy and attractive to do is also good for life as a whole.
It’s not only very possible, it’s happening around the world. The next step is to do this with our economic system and civilization as a whole. That’s also possible if we can find the collective will.
Image by me and Midjourney, a food forest in Cañon del Chicamocha.