I grew up in a house with a moderately large garden in a small town South of Oslo. My parents have always had a lawn with some fruit trees and flower areas, as you were supposed to do it when I grew up, and the yard had some wild edges as well. These days, most gardens in this area of Norway seem to be overly manicured with grass and little else. They are sterile monocultures maintained by robot lawn movers and noisy edge cutters on a Saturday morning.
My father loves birds and wildlife so he always had a couple of birdfeeders and put out food for the birds daily.
STERILE MONOCULTURE VERSUS FULL OF LIFE
To me, this has always seemed a bit weird. Why such an overly manicured garden? Why so much lawn?
Why create an environment where you need birdfeeders?
Why not have a nature garden, a garden full of food-producing trees and bushes, and native trees, bushes, and flowers? That is a garden full of life and it creates habitat and food for birds, insects and other wildlife. It may require a little more effort to establish, but after a while, it mostly takes care of itself. In general, it seems far more sensible and enjoyable.
WHAT I LIKELY WOULD DO
If I had a house and garden in Norway, what would I do? I would create a small food forest with ample food for birds and other wildlife.
I would start with fruit trees and berry bushes. Maybe apple (eple), pear (pære), plum (plomme), cherry (kirsebær), hazelnut (hasselnøtt), walnut (valnøtt), and raspberry (bringebær), blackberry (bjørnebær), gooseberry (stikkelsbær), and red currants (rips).
I would include some perennial food-producing shrubs like strawberries (jordbær), clover (klover), comfrey (kynge), and chives (gressløk).
I would include some native trees like rowan (rogn), silver birch (sølvbjørk), Norway maple (norsk lønn), common oak (eik), black alder (svartor), and aspen (osp).
I would encourage edible mushrooms in the shady and now humid areas.
I would also have some more open areas with wildflowers. For instance, buttercup (smørblomst), oxeye daisy (geitrams), common knapweed (knoppurt), red clover (rødkløver), field scabious (hestehov), meadowsweet (marihånd), yarrow (ryllik), and purple loosestrife (liljekonvall).
As I plant these, I would remove grass to make space. It can be done one small portion at the time.
All of this can be done in a regular garden, and although it requires some effort in the beginning, it soon largely takes care of itself and it has multiple benefits – food, enjoyment, nature close by, habitat and food for birds and wildlife, and more.
WHY DON’T MORE PEOPLE DO THIS?
Why is this still quite rare? Why do the vast majority of people maintain a sterile garden?
Some of it is likely inertia. They already have a lawn so it may seem easier to just keep it going and not make changes.
They may have other priorities than creating a thriving ecosystem around their house.
They may be concerned about going against expectations and norms. What will the neighbors say if I get rid of the lawn and instead create a natural garden and garden forest?
They may be concerned they won’t know what to do or how to do it.
These things often have to do with identity. Does it fit my identity or not?
ONE VISION
How can we remedy this?
I imagine local governments providing information and support to convert lawns into natural gardens and food forests. They can provide brochures, classes, practical guidance, and perhaps even a rebate on the plants in cooperation with nurseries or a tax rebate.
WHAT AM I DOING?
I don’t have a garden in Norway, but I am the steward of land in the Andes and we are reforesting, regenerating, and creating a food forest here.
We have several types of ants here on Milagros, from tiny to medium to large.
Last year, after moving in, we had some problems with ants in the house and the garden. They would get into the kitchen and eat some of the plants we planted.
This year, we have close to no problems with ants.
Why? Because we work with nature.
Indoors, we make sure to keep all food in closed containers and keep the surfaces clean. That removes 99% of the ants except for a few unproblematic scouts.
Outdoors, we have created a far more diverse ecosystem and we use better soil (compost, organic goat manure) and more mulch when we plant new plants. We rarely have problems with ants eating new plants these days.
Ants are a crucial part of the ecosystem. They aerate the soil and bring nutrients into the soil. They help spread seeds. They eat insects that need to be kept in check. They are food for animals, insects, and birds.
An apparent ant problem is not a problem with ants, it’s a problem with the ecosystem and our approach.
The more healthy the soil, the more healthy and diverse the ecosystem, and the more healthy and strong the plants are because of better soil, the less likely ants are to be a problem.
There are also seasonal variations in their behavior, which we are still learning more about.
Ants are a blessing. They are an important part of the ecosystem. They encourage us to keep the house and kitchen clean. They showed us that the new plants were not healthy, and encouraged us to emphasize building healthy soil and use healthy soil when planting new plants.
The image is of ants on a path near the house rebuilding their nest after a night of rain.
We had a good rain last night, at least 3cm. (I got the rain measuring device out a while after it started.) I love that it mostly rains at night here, and I love falling asleep to the sound of the rain and the thunder rolling through the canyon.
I am also aware of some of the ways the rain impacts Milagros. In general, it impacts the land in two different ways.
DEGRADED AND COMPACTED SOIL
Milagros has been used for grazing and small-scale agriculture for centuries. Although it could be far worse, they have not always followed ecologically sound practices.
In many areas, and especially along the ridge, the soil is severely eroded and compacted. Here, rainwater runs off and creates further erosion. In other areas, there is grass which is not ideal but better than naked soil.
Poor land management has led to a vicious cycle where the rain only continues the erosion.
HEALTHY SOIL
In contrast, healthy soil is porous and absorbs rainwater. The water nourishes the ecosystem and recharges the groundwater, which is hugely important. It nourishes and replenishes instead of causing erosion and flooding.
Healthy soil reflects a healthy ecosystem and is the literal foundation for a healthy ecosystem.
WHAT WE ARE DOING IN THE MORE DEGRADED AREAS
The more degraded areas are along the ridge in the 14 hectares or so that is set aside as a wilderness area.
We have planted native succulents and very hardy native trees in the areas closer to the houses, although it’s just a start.
We are also partnering with an organization that has planted close to two thousand trees in the largest of these more eroded areas, close to the peak. These are native trees well adapted to this ecosystem, and they have planted twenty different types. Again, it’s just a start. We wish for far more diversity than this, so plan to interplant more species in the future. The shade created by this growing forest will eliminate the grass over time.
This is the beginning of building better soil in these areas. Over time, the bushes and trees will slowly create a natural layer of mulch and start feeding the soil. The roots will penetrate the hard soil and make it more porous and able to absorb water. All of this will also increase the healthy microbial life in the soil which is crucial for plant life and the ecosystem.
It will allow the rainwater to be absorbed into the ground instead of running off, which will feed the ecosystem and recharge the groundwater, and it reduces and eventually prevents further erosion.
CLOSE TO THE HOUSES
We have worked on building soil around the small house for a little over a year now, with a more focused effort for the last half year. Daniel P. is coming once a week and is helping us greatly.
We mulch heavily. We plant the plants very close together. We dig relatively deep holes for the new trees so we can fill the holes with good soil. We are bringing in some mulch, worm compost (from a nearby permaculture farm), goat manure (from a neighbor who uses organic methods), and microbes (the Korean type).
We use swales to slow down and hold the rainwater and allow it time to absorb into the ground. Below the house, we are building terraces for the same reason.
We love all the ants here. They are crucial to the ecosystem and bring nutrients into the soil, help make the soil more porous, and help clean up dead plants and animals. They are essential for a healthy ecosystem. (In the beginning, before we got more diversity here, they did eat some of the new plants, which is fine. We used them as an indicator of which plants needed help since they often go for unhealthy and struggling plants.)
We channel some of the rainwater into a pond near the house. To slow down the water and reduce erosion, we have put larger stones in the channels. We may also dig deeper holes and plant some trees there. This too is very much a work in progress.
We are also collecting rainwater, although need to install pumps so we can actually make use of the water! (We don’t need that water right now since we are in the wet season.) From our 100m2 roof, we will get 100 liters of water for each millimeter of rain. Last night’s rain gave us 300 liters of rainwater. (1mm rainwater x 1m2 x 100 = 100 liters of water.)
The photo is from close to the house at dawn after rain a couple of days ago.
There is a dengue epidemic in the tropics and also here in Barichara. We know people who have had a strong case of dengue and have been in hospital.
So how do we reduce the chances of contracting dengue? How do we reduce mosquito bites?
TWO GENERAL WAYS TO DEAL WITH MOSQUITOS
There are two general ways to deal with mosquitoes, and they reflect two general worldviews.
One is to work against nature: drain wetlands and ponds, use pesticides, use toxic insect repellants, and so on. This is severely destructive to ecosystems and life, and it’s the way of our civilization.
The other is to work with nature and support life.
WORKING WITH NATURE TO REDUCE THE MOSQUITO POPULATION
What are some examples of working with nature to reduce the mosquito population?
What we do, in general, is to support the local ecosystem and encourage as much diversity as possible. We are nourishing the soil. Around the house, we plant anything that works well in this climate and ecosystem with an emphasis on food-producing plants and plants good for pollinators. In the rest of Finca Milagros, we plant native trees, bushes, and shrubs, with the inclusion of non-invasive food-producing plants that work well here. (We are just starting on that phase.) We also have a pond and make sure it has a continuous supply of fresh water from a spring higher up the canyon.
This brings more insects, birds, bats, frogs, and others that eat mosquitos and/or their larvae.
SPECIFIC EXAMPLES
Here are some specific examples.
We use mosquito netting around the bed.
We use a ceiling fan at night which creates air currents that discourage the mosquitos.
We use natural and non-toxic insect repellants, which also happen to be locally produced.
We have small lizards in the house, which I assume eat mosquitos when they land on the walls.
I like to go to bed early, which reduces the time I am out at the same time as the mosquitos. (They are mostly dormant during the day.)
We have some standing water around the house, for the insects and smaller animals, although make sure the water is replaced as best we can.
We will install pumps to circulate the water in the rainwater storage tanks.
We keep the main pond filled with water. This helps dragonflies, frogs, insects, birds, and animals. We may install a solar-powered pump here to keep the water circulating better.
We have made Milagros into a nature preserve to support as much wildlife as possible. This will, hopefully, invite more insect-eating birds, bats, dragonflies, frogs, spiders, and so on.
We are adding different forms of mulch to the ground around the house to help the soil, and this also helps beneficial wildlife like frogs, lizards, spiders, and ants.
At least right now, we don’t have too many mosquitos here even if it’s the wet season, and I want to continue to support nature to reduce the mosquito population.
A MORE COMPREHENSIVE LIST OF NATURAL METHODS
I asked ChatGPT 4o for a list of natural methods. The list looks good, and it reminds me that I have wanted to get the BTI bacteria.
From ChatGPT 4o:
Here is a comprehensive list of natural, non-toxic methods you can implement at Milagros to reduce the mosquito population and minimize the chances of being bitten:
1. Encourage Natural Predators
Bats: Install bat houses around Milagros to attract bats, which can consume hundreds of mosquitoes per night.
Birds: Attract mosquito-eating birds like purple martins, swifts, and swallows by installing birdhouses and planting native trees and shrubs.
Dragonflies: Encourage dragonflies by maintaining small water features and adding native plants that attract them.
Frogs and Toads: Create small ponds to attract amphibians, which eat mosquito larvae and adults.
Fish: Introduce mosquito-eating fish like Gambusia (mosquitofish) or guppies in ponds and water features.
Spiders: Support natural spider habitats around the finca by maintaining leaf litter, tall grasses, and rock piles to attract web-building spiders that catch mosquitoes.
2. Mosquito-Repelling Plants
Citronella (Lemongrass): Plant citronella around seating areas and high-traffic spots.
Marigolds: Use marigolds to deter mosquitoes with their strong scent.
Lavender: Plant lavender around the house to act as a mosquito deterrent.
Catnip: Catnip is highly effective in repelling mosquitoes.
Peppermint: Grow peppermint around your outdoor spaces for its mosquito-repelling properties.
3. Habitat Management
Remove Stagnant Water: Regularly check and eliminate any stagnant water (in buckets, plant saucers, tarps) where mosquitoes can breed.
Install Water Pumps: Ensure that water features like ponds have moving water through solar-powered pumps to prevent mosquitoes from breeding.
Add Floating Plants: Introduce plants like water lettuce or water hyacinth in ponds to create habitat for mosquito predators and reduce open water surfaces.
Reduce Dense Vegetation: Clear out dense vegetation where mosquitoes may rest, especially near sitting areas.
4. Introduce Beneficial Insects
Predatory Beetles and Nematodes: Release beneficial insects like predatory beetles and nematodes that feed on mosquito larvae in the soil.
Parasitic Wasps: Encourage parasitic wasps by planting nectar-rich plants (fennel, dill, yarrow) that attract them, as they can help control mosquito larvae.
5. Use Natural Mosquito Larvicides
Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (BTI): Apply BTI in stagnant water sources. BTI is a natural bacterium that specifically targets mosquito larvae without harming other wildlife. Use mosquito dunks or granules in ponds or rainwater catchments.
6. Install Mosquito Traps
CO2 Traps: Use solar-powered mosquito traps that mimic human breath by emitting CO2 to lure and trap mosquitoes without chemicals.
Light Traps: Install UV mosquito traps in outdoor areas where people congregate.
7. Create a Thriving Ecosystem
Plant a variety of native plants to encourage a diverse ecosystem of insect predators like dragonflies, spiders, and birds that keep mosquito populations in check.
Promote Ant Colonies: Support ant populations, especially ground-dwelling ants, which can help reduce mosquito larvae in soil and stagnant water.
8. Natural Repellent Methods
Essential Oil Sprays: Create homemade repellent sprays using citronella, eucalyptus, tea tree, lavender, or lemongrass oils. Spray on skin or around outdoor areas.
Diffusers: Use essential oil diffusers with natural mosquito-repelling oils in outdoor sitting areas.
Garlic Sprays: Apply a garlic-based spray on plants or areas where mosquitoes rest; mosquitoes avoid the scent of garlic.
9. Promote Airflow
Fans: Mosquitoes are weak fliers, so use outdoor fans in seating areas to create airflow that will reduce mosquito activity.
10. Install Physical Barriers
Mosquito Nets: Use mosquito nets around beds and outdoor seating areas to prevent bites while resting or relaxing.
Screen Doors and Windows: Ensure that all doors and windows have tight screens to keep mosquitoes from entering the house.
11. Encourage Ground-Dwelling Predators
Chickens and Ducks: Free-range chickens or ducks (especially Muscovy ducks) can patrol grassy areas and eat mosquitoes, their larvae, and other insects.
12. Personal Protective Measures
Wear Light-Colored Clothing: Mosquitoes are attracted to dark colors, so wearing light-colored clothing when working outdoors can help reduce bites.
Long Sleeves and Pants: Opt for long sleeves and pants in the early morning or late afternoon when mosquitoes are most active.
13. Use of Mud and Natural Coverings
Apply a thin layer of mud to the skin as a natural mosquito deterrent when working outdoors in highly infested areas. Mosquitoes are less likely to bite through mud.
By using a combination of these strategies at Milagros, you can naturally reduce mosquito populations while protecting yourself and preserving the ecological balance on your land.
I am using AI as an assistant to create a food forest.
OUR PROJECT
We have fifteen hectares in the Andes mountains near Barichara. Much of the land is degraded from grazing and is at different stages of recovery, and there is a dry riverbed going through it that used to have water some decades ago. We plan to reforest the land with native species and as much diversity as possible. We will integrate a food forest into this forest, mostly using native food-producing trees, bushes, and wines, and also some non-natives that work well in this ecosystem. It’s still early in the process and we are in the first year of both.
We are working with an organization that is helping us reforest with a variety of native species, and they planted close to 2000 trees a few weeks ago in the more barren and eroded areas of the land. We are also working with a local expert (Daniel P.) helping us create a food forest in the areas closer to the houses. Around our initial small house, we have planted relatively densely in a 10-30 meter circle so far and we are expanding out with more drought-tolerant species. We have also just started planting around the big house since it’s close to being finished.
USING AI FOR OUR PROJECT
Although most of the planning and work is done in the old-fashioned way, I am using AI as an assistant with this project and find it very helpful.
When we have potential plants for our project, I use ChatGPT 4o for information about the plants: their geographic origin, their climate of origin, their ideal microclimate, how drought tolerant they are, how suitable they are to the Barichara climate, how tall they get, how much sun they require, how much shade they cast, their root system, plant identification, how much they benefit pollinators, how long it takes before they are mature, how much annual yield if they are food-producing, medicinal use in traditional medicine and whether this is supported by research, how to propagate them, and much more.
A few days ago, I took a list of food-producing plants from a local nursery, asked the AI to sort according to drought tolerance, and asked it to sort out the plants with the highest yield among the most drought-tolerant ones. We plan to plant quite a few of these in the zone between the immediate surroundings of the houses and the wilderness areas. I double-checked the info with our local expert and he agreed that these were all good for our project.
Most of the plants have been suggested to us by locals and local experts, some are from local nurseries, and quite a few have been suggested by the AI as appropriate to our climate and project.
I love the information I am able to get, and it seems accurate.
I also use AI to develop a plant database for our project. I have created a Google sheet with about 250 plants so far, and maybe 30 columns of information. The info includes a general overview of about eight sentences, the Latin name, Spanish names, English names, etymology, origin and climate of origin, cultural history, natural history, degree of nativeness, suitability to the Barichara climate, drought tolerance, watering needs after maturity, succession stages, agroforestry layers, years to maturity, typical height and width, root system, typical annual food yield, plant identification, scent degree, pollinator value, medicinal use, and more.
I have also created a web interface for this info, using Google Apps Script and programming help with the AI. This includes a script that automatically collects image URLs from Wikipedia for each plant, and an interface to select the main photo and unselect the ones that don’t seem needed. Several fields in the database are numerical so the user can sort the plants according to drought tolerance, sun requirement, shade coverage, nativeness, food yield, pollinator value, scent, and more.
A FEW MORE THOUGHTS ABOUT USING AI AS AN ASSISTANT
In short, I find that using ChatGPT 4o is like having a good assistant. I can ask it for info, categorization, ranking, ideas and suggestions, help with programming, and much more.
Before we implement anything, I always double-check the info and check with our local experts and the info seems to be pretty reliable so far.
Why do I use AI? Right now, it’s because I am not there so this is something I can do and still feel involved. It helps me make decisions and get more ideas. Also, the info available for many of the naive plants is in Spanish, so this is a way to access it and get it presented to me in English. (My Spanish is not at that level yet.) Finally, I need localized info. Our climate is unique and some plants that work at even just a few hundred meters higher or lower altitudes, or in neighboring areas, won’t work in our location. I need to localize the info for our use.
As someone who loves nature and finds technology fascinating, this intersection of the two feels natural.
And just to mention it, I am very aware of some of the drawbacks of using AI, including the huge amount of energy used to train AI models. Still, the genie won’t be put back into the bottle, and I find this a good use of AI. It doesn’t take the work from anyone, it just helps improve the project.
The images above are from the area around the first small house and from our first year of creating a food forest there. One photo is from our nursery area where we propagate trees. When we came, the area was mostly barren with a few pioneer species and some medium to tall trees.
Where we are in the Andes, most of the original forest is gone. It has been cut down for timber and firewoood and to make space for grass and grazing animals.
We are doing the opposite. We bought degraded land and are reforesting it.
Why? It’s not just because we love nature and it seemed the right thing to do. It’s because it’s also profitable.
MAYA NUTS
Right now, we are seeking out local maya nut (guáimaro) seeds and hope to plant as many as possible over the next year.
One mature Maya Nut tree can produce 100-300 kg of nuts every two years on average and can remain productive for a century. This may give USD 50-200 in annual income for each tree, and perhaps half of that in profit. We can easily fit a few hundred guaímaros into our forest. This may give an annual income of a few tens of thousands of dollars.
There is some initial work in collecting and planting the seeds and planting out the saplings. After that, the work is to collect the fruits on the ground, remove and clean the seeds, dry the seeds, and either sell the seeds or roast/grind to make a finished product. Since they are native, the trees mostly take care of themselves. (Apart from a heavy pruning when they are a couple of years old.)
Here is my rough calculation based on my current understanding:
-> DENSITY & NUMBERS
With free seeds, may cost about 1000 USD in labor (ChatGPT) to plant
Can fit 750-1000 guáimaros into a native forest on 15 hectares, 12.5m apart which is quite dense
500 trees may be realistic for 15 hectares, for a diverse dry tropical forest
-> INCOME POTENTIAL
2.5 USD / kg nuts
100-350 kg each 1-3 years = 50-175 kg gross annually
1 tree -> 2.5 USD x 50-175 kg = 125-438 USD gross / 62-219 USD profit annually
(1 tree x (125+438)/2) / 2 = 140 USD profit annually
500 trees x 140 USD = 70,000 USD profit annually / 5,800 USD monthly
FOOD FOREST
This is just one potential income of several from a food forest.
We are planting a wide variety of food-producing plants around the houses. Some of these require some watering during the dry periods but mostly manage on their own. At first, most of this food will be for ourselves and the wildlife, alhough as we produce more, we will sell to local markets. If we eventually have a decent production of something more specialized, we may also sell internationally.
The rest of the land is mostly native forest at different stages of regrowing. With the help of an organization, we are in the process of planting a variety of native trees to make it more diverse. We plan on including a variety of food-producing trees and bushes along the main paths and in the areas closer to the houses. Many of these will be native to the area or the region, like the maya nut tree.
Combined, these trees will produce quite a lot of food for the wildlife and us, and also for sale.
CACAO AND COFFEE
The climate in our neighborhood is slightly too dry and hot for cacao and coffee, although many in this area – at a slightly higher altitude – grow them.
We already notice a change in the microclimate around the house. Where it was hot and dry, it’s now cooler and more humid, and we even have mushrooms growing. That means that we may be in a position to grow cacao and coffee. We plan on planting both soon to test it out.
As the native forest and food forest grows, it will only continue to make this microclimate cooler and more humid, which allows us to grow different plants. In this climate, those changes are very welcome for us too.
NURSERY
We have a small nursery with a few dozen plants. These are for our own use since we are still in the initial establishing phase of the food forest.
In the future, it’s likely that we will sell seeds and seedlings of native and/or food-producing plants. It’s possible we may also create a kind of cooperative where several people grow plants and sell it at a central location, perhaps once or twice a month to start with.
Local nurseries have a very limited selection of food-producing plants, and very few native plants, so there is a market for these kinds of nurseries.
ECO-TOURISM
In the future, it’s possible we can include eco-tourism in our activities. The main path through the land has beautiful views, and we are planning to plant food-producing trees and a wide variety of flowering natives along that path.
Within the end of the year, we will likely have three houses here, including a guest house. We may rent out one or more of these. We may also build one house specifically for renting out. I imagine that renting a house in a reforestation project with a food forest will be attractive to some.
TRAINING & WORKSHOPS
We may offer trainings and give workshops on the land in the future, either led by others or even ourselves as we gain more experience.
ANIMALS
We may include some animals in the future as well, possibly starting with a few chickens for eggs and fertilizer. This can also contribute to the overall income from the land.
In theory, we could do silvopasture – graze animals among the trees – although that’s less likely. We prefer to have a forest.
CARBON CREDITS
We are working with an organization that will plant some thousands of native trees here. This summer, they planted two thousand in the most arid areas. It’s free for us, and they sell the carbon credits to multinational corporations.
There are ways for us to plant trees and sell the carbon credits, although it does require a solid verification process. It could be done through a local cooperative of land owners planting trees, going through the certification and verification process, and selling the carbon credits.
INCREASED VALUE
We don’t plan on selling Milagros. It will hopefully remain a nature preseve long after we are gone.
Still, the value of the land is significantly increasing as the forest is returning and we are creating a healthy and mature food forest.
FOR THE WILDLIFE & ECOSYSTEM
For the millions of beings living on Milagros, this forest is obviously more worth standing. It’s their home. They depend on it. It’s their world and their life.
As human beings – individually and collectively – we depend on a healthy local, regional, and global ecosystem. We depend on it for our life, and for our own health and well-being.
THE ESSENCE APART FROM PROFITS
Mainly, we love living in a forest and it just feels right to help this land return to a more vibrant and alive state. That’s worth more than money.
We will soon plant our first three maya nut (guáimaro) trees on Milagros. We will plant one in the small forest between the houses, one as shade for the big house, and one by the entrance to the land.
OUR SHORT-TERM PLAN
I am in contact with the Maya Nut Institute for information and guidance, and we hope to receive seeds from neighbors within the next few months. I hope to plant a few hundred trees next year. If we receive the seeds this fall, we can plant them in our nursery at the beginning of the dry season in December, water them through the dry season, and plant them out at the beginning of the wet season in April or May next year. Most will be planted along the road up to the houses and along the two main paths going through Milagros. I assume we’ll plant quite a few in the other areas as well.
MAYA NUT NAMES
The Maya Nut has many names: Brosimum alicastrum in Latin. Guáimaro in Colombia and other countries, Ramón in Mexico and Central America, Ojoche in Costa Rica and Nicaragua, Ojite in some regions of Mexico, and Capomo also in Mexico. Indigenous people calls it Sak’a’ (Maya) and Uxpan (indigenous communities in Mexico). In English, it’s called Maya Nut, Breadnut, or Ramon Nut.
CHARACTERISTICS
They are typically 35-50 meters tall, although can grow up to 50 meters tall. Their root system is deep, suitable to a climate with dry seasons and they are an important part of the tropical dry forest in many areas of Latin America. They were used and likely grown by the Mayan people and many other indigenous people as part of their food forests. They take 5 to 7 years to produce nuts, and 10 to 15 years to give a full yield. A mature tree can produce 100-300 kilos of nuts at a time, sometimes up to 350kg. They produce fruits/nuts at irregular intervals, every 1 to 3 years, so the annual average is half of that. It also means having several trees for a more stable production is best. The nuts can be eaten whole and the roasted flour can be used for baking or a hot drink. They are highly nutritious and rich in protein, fiber, and essential vitamins and minerals.
INCOME POTENTIAL
What I have found so far suggests an income of roughly 100-400 USD a year from each mature tree, with roughly half going to expenses and taxes. (2.5 USD per kg x 50-175 kg annually on average = 125-438 USD). This obviously depends on a lot of factors, including the market value. It’s not too much for each tree, but it adds up when you have a small forest.
It will take 10-15 years to have a good income. In the meantime, we can prune the trees for green mulch or sell it as fodder for cows and goats.
A FOREST CAN BE MORE VALUABLE STANDING
With the loss of dry tropical forests in Latin America, the Maya Nut trees have become rare, although they seem to have a renaissance these days with several organizations promoting them and more people planting them as part of a reforestation project or food forest.
Over the previous decades and centuries, many landowners have cut down the forest to sell the timber and grow grass for cattle. These days, many realize that it can be as or more profitable to keep the forest and grow valuable food in the forest or use it as part of a silvopasture system (trees combined with grazing).
As mentioned above, we are regrowing the native forest on our land, and we are creating a food forest near the houses and along the main paths through the land. We will also plant several food-producing trees in the more wild areas to benefit the wildlife there.
My guideline is to create a forest that’s too valuable to cut down. If it has 500 to 1000 maya nut trees, the annual income is high enough so anyone would think twice about selling it or cutting down the forest.
RESOURCES
Above is a good video from Deutsche Welle in Spanish with English subtitles. They interview someone from Tamadúa who produces the roasted guáimaro I use as a hot drink, the chef at Mini-Mal which is my favorite restaurant in Bogotá, and a researcher at the Humbolt Institute in Villa de Leyva.
The Maya Nut Institute educates on the benefits and growing of the maya nut trees and provides seeds and certification. To be a certified grower, you need to follow certain guidelines including sustainable and organic practices, ecological diversity, paying the workers well, and that 70% of the people involved in the production need to be women or younger than 30 years old. That suits us well.
The new plants at the land then came to mind. An organization planted almost 2000 individuals of 20 different types of native trees on Milagros last week, in the most dry and barren areas. I connected with them and was with them for a while.
You are welcome here. Welcome to this land.
You are loved.
I spend time with them from and as emptiness and emptiness taking the form of these new plants on the land.
I see the lush diverse native forest they can and hopefully will become part of.
I notice how they go from being anonymous plants doing their thing to becoming alive and full of presence. (At the very least here for me, and something may happen there too.)
This planting is the first of hopefully many phases of plantings over the coming years. They will provide the framework for a forest that will hopefully be far more diverse and vibrant, with birds coming to plant more seeds and with us adding to it as well. There is a main path going through the land, and we plan to have many food-producing trees and bushes in the forest along it, and also many flowering trees and bushes. The rest will be a wilderness area with little to no human visitors.
Here is a list of the types of trees planted in this first phase:
Saman / Rain Tree (Samanea saman): An excellent shade tree, not native but widely naturalized in tropical regions.
Cedro / Spanish Cedar (Cedrela odorata): Native, valuable timber tree.
Ceiba bonga / Kapok Tree (Ceiba pentandra): Native, important for its ecological role.
Ceiba santera / Pochote (Pachira quinata): Native, valuable for reforestation and soil improvement.
Nauno / False Saman (Pseudosamanea guachapele): Native, useful for nitrogen fixation.
Pata de vaca / Orchid Tree (Bauhinia sp): Likely native, used for ornamental purposes.
Gaque / Clusia (Clusia multiflora): Native, good for soil stabilization.
Guayacán amarillo / Golden Trumpet Tree (Tabebuia chrysantha): Native, ornamental and timber tree.
Carbon credit is a hot topic these days, and a lot of businesses are buying carbon credits to make up for some of the damage they are doing to our ecosystems.
These carbon credit projects typically involve reforestation, with the idea that trees will absorb and store greenhouse gasses from the atmosphere. There is a great deal of difference between these projects. Some use sound ecological principles, use native plants, focus on creating biodiversity and good wildlife habitat, and so on.
Other projects plant whatever wherever without much consideration for the native ecosystem. (It may be faster and more convenient since nurseries typically don’t have many native plants.) In an ecological context, these may do more harm than good.
CURRENT CARBON CREDIT REFORESTATION ORGANIZATION IN THE ANDES
Where I live in the Andes, there is such a carbon credit organization. They provide reforestation for free to the landowners and sell the carbon credits to corporations.
They seem to do good work. They have a good understanding of ecology. They use a variety of native species. They develop the design in close cooperation with the landowners, and they adapt it depending on the wishes and needs of the landowners. For us, they include food-producing trees along the main path to help create a food forest, and they plant more flowering plants along the same paths for scent and pollinators. For others, they plant trees that work well with grazing animals (silvopasture), or they design and plant to provide good conditions for growing cacao, and so on.
I am in full support of what they are doing. We have joined their project, are very grateful for their help, and actively encourage others to join.
EMPTY NICHES
Not all landowners want to join their particular project, so there are some empty niches and space for another entity to fill these.
Most of the people who join the current project are people who have moved into the area over the last one or two decades. They tend to be well educated and all for regeneration. In contrast, many of the locals are generally skeptical about these types of projects. They are concerned, likely based on past experience, that they will be taken advantage of, that they will lose control over their land and what’s done with it, and so on. This is a classic dividing line between newcomers and locals in rural areas.
Several people have their own reforestation projects, so joining this one makes less sense to them.
Also, while the current group is planting mostly native plants, they are using a relatively traditional approach. They are not using methods developed within permaculture, syntropic agriculture, and so on.
So why not create a new organization to fill the empty niches of (a) locals skeptical to joining a project run by outsiders, (b) people who already have their own reforestation project, and (c) people who want to use a slightly different approach, informed by permaculture, syntropics, and so on.
A REFORESTATION & CARBON CREDIT COOPERATIVE
It could be a cooperative, and the members would be local landowners who want to reforest parts of their land in exchange for carbon credits.
We will need a strong certification and monitoring process, likely overseen by an independent third party.
We will need full transparency about all parts of the process – to the members, the certification entities, the carbon credit buyers, and the public.
We would need clear guidelines and rules for the members.
MEMBER COMMITMENTS
The commitment for the members would likely include:
Timespan. Likely a commitment to allow the trees to grow for 20-30 years minimum.
Planting guidelines. Following certain design patterns, use a minimum percentage of native trees, use a minimum variety of trees and plants, and plant at the beginning of the rainy season.
Maintenance guideline.
Sustainability. Chemical-free, possibly other sustainability practices.
Focus on biodiversity and wildlife habitat.
Monitoring, reporting, and audits.
Membership fees. An initial membership fee and an annual percentage of their carbon credit income.
Legal agreements.
Agreement to a code of conduction.
Community support. Attend meetings, share knowledge and best practices, etc.
Transparency. Records, audits.
Accountability. Consequences of breaking agreements.
A NURSERY
With our own small regeneration/food forest project, we are seeing that the main challenge is finding enough seeds and saplings for native plants. The cooperative could have its own nursery, either in a central location or distributed on the land of several members. The people in charge of the nurseries would be paid by the co-op.
A WIN-WIN-WIN SOLUTION?
To me, this seems a win-win-win solution.
Corporations have one more place to buy carbon credits, and some would likely prefer to buy carbon credits from a cooperative using sound ecological practices.
The landowners benefit from the extra income.
One or more people may be hired by and work full-time for the co-op.
The co-op and/or individual landowners will hire people to do the planting, initial maintenance, audits, and so on.
The land and wildlife benefits.
It would be a good model for others. A part of the commitment for the co-op would be to share and train others in creating their own cooperative.
I also suspect it may not interfere much with what the current organization is doing. There is plenty of land in the area ready for reforestation. The ones joining their project will likely be a different set of landowners than would join the co-op.
The photo shows the canyon during a rainstorm, I took it when we first came to the area a couple of years ago.
I watched the trailer for Wilding, a documentary about a rewilding and regeneration project in England, and I found myself very moved watching it.
Why? Because there is something very personal in rewilding and regeneration.
We have our own regeneration project in the Andes so that makes it personal for me, but that’s not what it is about.
When I see the beaver being released, I can vividly imagine myself in his or her place. Being captured, scared for my life, released into an unfamiliar place, and hopefully making a life for myself there.
I imagine myself in the livesof the millions of beings living their lives in this new wilderness. That is profoundly moving.
I am a part of this living system we call Earth. I have grown out of it like like anything else. I am part of this seamless whole. What happens with Earth is deeply personal. I am the Earth grieving itself, I am the Earth wishing the best for itself, I am the Earth regenerating itself on that little piece of land in the Andes.
Rewilding happens within me in two different ways.
It mirrors something in me. I am in need of regeneration and rewilding. I am harmed by certain aspects of our civilization, just like Earth is. Parts of me have been made into a monoculture. Parts of me have lost the natural and mature lushness, aliveness, and vibrancy of a healthy ecosystem, or never was able to develop it.
My world happens within me. It happens within my sense fields – sight, sound, smell, taste, touch, and so on. It happens within and as the consciousness I am. What I am forms itself into it.
It’s good to notice how something – anything – that we are drawn to, moved by, or engaged in is personal. If we are moved by it, if we are even curious about it, it’s because there is something deeply personal there.
We are made for being active in nature daily. We are literally made for it. Our bodymind is made for it. That’s how our ancestors lived going back to the initial single-celled organisms.
So it only makes sense that daily engagement in growing food in our garden has multiple benefits. It makes us feel more alive. It helps us move. It stimulates our minds. It reminds us that we are nature. It reminds us of the life we are designed to live.
That’s another reason why monocultures, including in our gardens, are less nourishing for us. It’s not very meaningful to have and maintain manicured lawns and hedges. It’s not very stimulating to the senses. It feels meaningless, apart from living up to current social norms and expectations and “what will the neighbors think”.
Having a nature garden and a small food forest is something else entirely. It feels far more like the nature we are designed to live in. It’s far more stimulating to the senses. It is far more meaningful since it produces food, provides food and habitat for a myriad of species, and mostly maintains itself after it’s established.
This is regeneration not only of nature but of ourselves. It’s also a small part in regenerating our society and culture.
I am taking care of my parents’ house these days, and am doing some minimal garden work – mostly some weeding in the lawn and on the gravel in front of the house. (Since I prefer to minimize the work, I use hot water to get rid of whatever grows in the gravel.)
Our modern Western culture is obsessed with monocultures, including lawns. These are sterile and do not support much life. They are not very resilient or stable. They require a lot of maintenance and energy input.
What some call “weeds” are pioneer species doing the first step of transforming a desert – as lawns and gravel areas are – into a more diverse, healthy, mature, and resilient ecosystem. When I see these pioneers here, I see a beautiful old-growth forest in the future. They are doing invaluable work. They are amazing plants, far more valuable than the exotic ornamentals most people plant in their gardens here in Norway.
If I lived here, I imagine I would create a nature garden full of diversity – native trees, fruit trees, berry bushes, wildflowers. It requires more planning and input at first and much less after a while. It supports a wide range of life – insects, birds, hedgehogs, and so on. It’s beautiful, smells wonderful, and sounds wonderful in the wind. It stimulates the senses. These places make me feel alive.
I let the grass and flowers grow in May. The photos are of some of the wildflowers growing here at the end of May.
I use ChatGTP 4o as a programming assistant these days. It’s to create a web interface for a plant database for our regeneration, reforestation, and food forest project in the Andes. (Google Sheets + Google Apps Script.) In general, I find the AI assistance very helpful. I am also using it to fill in the information for the database, including ranking plants on a variety of dimensions. This info needs to be checked for accuracy, of course, although it generally looks pretty good.
AI PROGRAMMING PRACTICES
First, a few things I have learned about working with an AI programming assistant.
In general, as with all programming, it’s important to be methodical, do it stepwise, and communicate clearly with your programming assistant or partner.
At the beginning of any new dialog, I give the AI any relevant files and ask it to analyze and examine the project. It helps me, it may help the AI, and it helps identify things that can improve the coding or user interface, including finding duplicate code.
Stay on topic. I keep different subprojects in different dialogs. If I have a question not directly related to the current dialog, I start a new dialog for that question. (In a different tab.)
If the current dialog has been going on for a while and/or the AI starts to forget or mix things up, I start a new dialog for a fresh start.
Since it takes a while for ChatGPT 4o to generate a response, I typically ask for only the section of code that’s updated. That makes it go faster. I’ll ask for the full file if there are several updates throughout the same file, or if I am not sure if the AI is working with the same version of the file as I do.
Sometimes, I ask the AI to give suggestions without producing any new code. This can be helpful with troubleshooting, and for finding a strategy to implement a new complex subproject.
I stay involved with the troubleshooting. The AI seems to have a one-track mind to troubleshooting and tends to repeat the same strategy over and over. So I like to take a step back. I examine the code and give suggestions for other things to try. I ask the AI for ideas of other things to try. I often scrap what we did, go back to a clean version, and ask it to try a different approach. (The last one seems to work the best.)
It’s important to stay involved in general. I like to know roughly how it all works and where the different types of code go and help oversee the implementation and troubleshooting. As mentioned in other places, it will sometimes create duplicate code, put code in a place where it doesn’t fit in terms of the file structure, forget that a file exists, remove vital existing code, and so on.
I am in Europe these days, and I find that working with ChatGPT 4o in the mornings European time works the best. In the evening – after the whole of North America is awake – it seems to slow down and often freezes.
When ChatGPT 4o overloads from what I assume are too many people using it, it freezes, cannot reload, and/or it starts giving weird responses. If that happens, it’s a sign to take a break.
Update: It seems that as the project gets larger and more complex, ChatGPT 4o is no longer able to keep track of the different parts of the code and where it’s located. I need to oversee and direct more in detail and only give the files and sections of code relevant to what we are working on in the moment.
This is all not so different from working with a human assistant or in a team with other humans.
Of course, this is all related to my experiences with ChatGPT 4o. Other AIs may need a slightly different approach, and I am sure much of this will change in the future. For instance, I imagine the AI’s ability to keep track of the project as a whole, troubleshoot, and choose a different strategy when one doesn’t work, will all get better.
PROGRAMMING PRACTICES IN GENERAL
In addition to this, general good programming practices are helpful, of course.
I like to include file information in a comment at the top of the file. This describes the file name, its purpose, and the steps, and it helps me keep track of the different parts of the project. Who knows, it may also help the AI.
When I get a new piece of code, I like to check to make sure it goes into the correct file. I have also learned to regularly ask the AI to check for duplicate code in the files.
Since this is a relatively large project, I put the different types of code into separate files. (HTML, styles, front-end scripts, back-end scripts, scripts for search and sort, and so on.) This prevents any one file from getting too big, and it’s more clear where to put and find the different types of code. (Also, I don’t go overboard with this. In some cases, it makes sense to keep it all contained in one file.)
I make small and incremental changes, one bit at a time. This makes it easier to identify any problems.
I keep track of the versions (deployments). I write down the most recent version that works well and sometimes add a brief comment about what works and what’s left to work on. If something goes wrong and it gets too complicated to figure out, go back to the most recent deployment that worked well and start over with a different approach.
I use extensive logging during development. This helps the troubleshooting.
After I implement something new, I test the website to make sure everything else still works.
I find that if I do this when I am hungry or tired, it tends to not go so well. It’s better to eat, rest, and continue later. It’s amazing how something can be fixed after a good meal or a good night’s sleep.
I expect most of the time to be spent on the fiddly little details that don’t quite work. (The 80-20 rule. 80 percent of the project takes 20 percent of the time, and 20 percent takes 80 percent of the time.)
This is just good programming hygiene in general.
The screenshots are from my current project. The first is one page of the web interface. The look and content is still very rudimentary and needs to be refined. The second is a screenshot of the AI filling in a few columns in the spreadsheet. The third is the code used to retrieve image URLs from Wikipedia to be used to illustrate the text.
A mango tree and friendsOur small nurseryThe first fig treeA second nurseryA dwarf banana plant that produces regular bananas but stays small so it’s easier to harvest
Over the last few months, we have been working to establish a food forest on our land in the Andes mountains. So far, it’s mostly close to the house, and it will likely expand in time and as we get more experience.
To me, food forests make a lot of sense. If I have a piece of land, I cannot see any reason not to establish a food forest. I would do the same even if I lived in another climate. (It would be different, of course, but it’s still fully possible to establish a nature garden that produces a good amount of food.)
THE HISTORY OF THE LAND
The land was owned by the same family for several generations and was used mainly for grazing (cows and goats) and small-scale food production (tobacco, yucca, etc.). Only the area close to the main pond has a relatively mature and healthy forest. The rest is eroded, has a young forest of pioneer trees, and/or has grass.
Before then, in pre-Columbian times, it was part of the land of the indigenous people in the area, the Guane. I am not exactly sure how they used it, but I assume they may have had a kind of food forest there. They may have cultivated food plants, likely mostly perennials, inside of the existing native forest.
THE TWO MAIN ZONES
The plan is to have a food forest in the area close to the houses, starting next to the houses and expanding out, and also to have a food forest along the main path through the land. This food forest will consist of native trees, bushes, and flowers to support the local ecosystem, and a variety of food-producing trees and plants to feed insects, birds, animals, and us, and to provide income in the future.
The rest of the land will be a kind of nature preserve, and an organization will plant a mix of native trees throughout the land over the next several months and years. (They sell the carbon credits to big international corporations, and our land gets to be reforested.)
OTHER THINGS WE ARE DOING
We are also doing other things to minimize our impact on the land and our life-support systems in general.
We are building using traditional techniques and local materials. These are rammed-earth buildings that stay cooler during the day and can last for centuries with a little maintenance.
We are in the process of setting up rainwater collection systems for watering the plants. We can get 1 liter for each millimeter of rain for each square meter of roof surface, so that adds up quickly.
We will install a solar power system. Since we are close to the equator, there is a lot of solar radiation, and it’s not more expensive than buying and installing a transformer which would be the alternative.
The big house that’s being built now will have a vermicomposting system. Inside the house is a regular flush toilet, the water goes to a worm composting bin where the solids stays and is eaten happily by worms, and the water continues and is deposited underground to nourish parts of the food forest. It’s a simple and low-maintenance system with a lot of benefits.
I will most likely replace the conventional flush toilet in the current small house with a compost toilet 10-15 meters away.
In addition, we are getting to know and create connections with neighbors and like-minded people in the region with similar projects. That’s crucial for several reasons, including sharing of knowledge and some material resources. For instance, we are right now buying high-quality compost from permaculture friends in the area. (After a while, we will have our own.)
WHY A FOOD FOREST?
For me, the question is more: Why not a food forest?
It just makes sense all around. It’s fun and rewarding. It provides habitat and food for insects, birds, and animals. It helps revitalize and feed the soil. It will provide food for us as well as income in the future. It takes a little effort in the beginning, but when it’s established, there is much less effort required and mostly just harvesting the rewards. It’s an example to others and may motivate others in the area to do the same.
PLANTING & HELPING THE SOIL
The area around the first small house has poor and compacted soil, so we are using a lot of mulch – combined with compost and some organic goat manure – to help it. The mulch helps retain moisture, and it also provides nutrients and microbes to the soil.
Since the soil is so compacted, it’s important to dig relatively large and deep holes for the trees and mix the soil with a good amount of compost and a little bit of manure. That helps retain moisture in the soil, it provides better drainage for the rainwater, it makes it easier for the roots to spread out, and it gives nutrients for the plants.
We also plant a lot of different things around these trees: peanuts, peas, flowers, vegetables, and so on. These provide more variety which helps keep pests and diseases at bay, the plants support each other, they help the soil, and the variety and liveliness is fun and enjoyable.
As you can see from the photos, we are just getting started, and the photos were taken well into the dry season so it’s not nearly as lush as it will be now that the rain has returned.
We are trying to plant as much as possible now at the beginning of the rain season, so they can get a good foothold while the rain is here. Some will likely need some watering during the dry season, but we are focusing on plants that will survive a period of drought once they are established and have deeper roots.
RAINWATER COLLECTION AND EROSION CONTROL
We are in an area that gets a lot of rain most of the year and has a dry period over a few months during the northern hemisphere winter.
Because of deforestation, rainwater runs off quickly and brings the soil with it. The erosion is worse along the ridge that goes across the land.
We are doing several things to slow down the water and help it absorb into the ground. The main project is to plant a large variety of native trees, bushes, and flowers. That takes time, so in the meantime, and in especially exposed areas, we are building dams using rocks found on the surface, and we are planting agave, mata ratón, and other plants that help keep the soil in place.
We are also channeling rainwater into a pond, and will – as mentioned above – collect rainwater from the roofs of the houses.
There is a dry river going through the land. With reforestation on our land, and hopefully also on the land higher up the side of the canyon, we may bring water back to this river.
THE LAYERS OF A FOOD FOREST
A food forest has several layers, just like a mature natural forest.
It has everything from tall to medium to small trees, bushes, flowers, and vines. This helps us make full use of the vertical space.
All of this vegetation and water – in the soil and the plants – also helps regulate the temperature. It changes the microclimate significantly, and this allows other species to grow and makes it more comfortable for us.
INDIGENOUS PEOPLE & FOOD FORESTS
Many or most of the indigenous people in the Americas created food forests.
They planted food-producing plants in the forests to have better and more regular access to food.
When I am doing the same here, I feel a kind of kinship across times and cultures. We want much of the same. We want to work with nature. We want to support the native forest and our four-legged, winged and crawling relatives and friends. We want to provide for our own needs in a way that also enhances the life around us.
THE MANY BENEFITS OF A FOREST GARDEN
So there are many benefits to a food forest, or a forest garden as it’s also called.
It requires some work in the beginning – in terms of planning, gaining knowledge and experience, and planting and maintenance. As soon as it’s established, it’s largely self-maintaining and we can reap the rewards without much input.
It provides habitat – shelter & food – for a wide range of insects, birds, and animals, especially when native trees, bushes, and flowers are included.
It’s densely planted, and it makes use of horizontal and vertical space. It works in 3D.
The diversity reduces problems with insects and diseases.
It helps nourish and build healthy soil.
It’s a project that will provide enjoyment, food, and possibly income for decades and even centuries into the future.
It will provide income in the future. We can sell food, compost, seeds and seedlings, knowledge and experience, and so on.
It’s profoundly alive, lush, and productive.
It’s fun and deeply rewarding and meaningful, at least for me.
It nourishes the soil and the soul. What can be better than that?
It creates connections with like-minded people working on similar projects. It creates a community.
THE PROBLEMS WITH MONOCULTURES
This is in contrast to the many problems with conventional monocultures.
They are deserts. They don’t provide much of a habitat for insects, birds, or animals.
They rely on chemicals: Pesticides and fertilizers. Pesticides are designed to kill insects, so that’s what they do, and it has led to a dramatic general loss of insects even far away from the growing areas. It’s ecocidal and suicidal. Chemical fertilizers require a lot of energy to produce.
They set the stage for pests and diseases. Having a big area of one plant allows pests and diseases to flourish, which then requires pesticides. Monocultures create a big problem and create another big problem by trying to fix it.
They require a lot of work each year. They often start from scratch each year.
They don’t build soil. Often, through disturbing the soil, laying the soil bare, and using a lot of space between each plant, there is a loss of valuable topsoil. (Which eventually goes into and pollutes the oceans.)
They are inefficient. They often use a big space between each plant, and they only make use of horizontal space.
They are boring. They don’t nourish the soil or the soul.
REVOLUTION DISGUISED AS GARDENING
Permaculture is sometimes called revolution disguised as gardening.
That’s how I feel about this project.
It’s profoundly subversive in the best possible way. It goes against so much of the destructiveness of our civilization (monocultures, pesticides, soil depletion, destruction of ecosystems) and provides an attractive and productive alternative.
Barichara has wet and dry seasons. The dry season is usually December-April, with two or three good rains within that period. Some years, it rains a lot through the year. In other years, the dry seasons last longer.
We are in the dry season and just had a very welcome early morning rain here. I measured it, and it was around 5cm. I imagine many beings are very happy for it – people, animals, birds, insects, and plants.
The roof of our small house is about 100m2. 1mm of rain on one square meter gives 1 liter of water. 1mm of rain on this roof is 100 liters. This rain gave 5,000 liters of water from the roof. That’s quite a lot.
There is no lack of water here, and it is important to manage it well.
FINCA MILAGROS
We collect water from town in one large and one smaller tank. That means we have water for a while even if the water from town doesn’t flow.
We will install a several-step water filtration system (from sand filter through eventually UV light) for clean drinking water. The alternative is water from large plastic bottles, which is terrible due to all the microplastic particles in the water (200,000 in small plastic water bottles from a recent study).
We will soon start collecting rainwater from the roofs here. I am not sure how big the tanks will be, and we may expand. For now, we are thinking of 2×15,000 liters for the larger house that’s being built (220m2 roof surface) and one 15,000-liter tank for our small house. These tanks will be filled up quickly with some good rains, and we will use the water to water plants. (Perhaps also for showering etc., not sure yet.)
Finca Milagros has one large pond and 3-4 smaller ones. We want to channel rainwater better into these ponds, and make them deeper, so they can hold more water. This is important for the birds, animals, and insects relying on that water, it helps the vegetation and life in the areas around the ponds, and it also helps to replenish the groundwater.
The land here has been grazed so only the area around the big pond has a more mature forest. The rest is various degrees of young forest and arid land. Vegetation helps slow down the flow of water and helps the water absorb into the ground, so that’s one of many reasons we are planning to reforest the area with native trees and bushes.
Bare soil is eroded when it rains. That’s why we are planting cactus and succulents there, mostly native. We are also planting hardy native trees there, mostly boca ratón right now. And we are doing some simple landscaping, mostly with rocks, to reduce erosion.
There is a dry river going through Milagros. It’s dry because of deforestation. Forests bring water into the ground (slows the water flow and makes the ground more porous) and reduce evaporation, both of which give water to the river. With reforestation, there is a chance we can bring the water back into the river, especially if we are also able to help reforest the land higher up.
BARICHARA
As far as I know, there are no groundwater regulations here. That’s enormously important. We need to prevent too much use and contamination of groundwater. (Many houses here use septic fields that leach blackwater into the groundwater.) Depleting the groundwater reserves has a huge impact on the ecosystem. Both depleting and contaminating it has serious and devastating consequences for the very long term. Protecting the groundwater is hugely important.
The water that comes from the municipality (aqueduct) is contaminated. That’s another important thing to work on since not everyone can afford good purification systems or to buy drinking water separately. It’s a vital public health issue.
Reforestation is also hugely important. Forests hold humidity and create rain. The other side of Cañon del Chicamocha has more forests and there are always clouds there. I assume they also receive more rain. They (partially) create rain for themselves.
The photo is of the other side of Cañon del Chicamocha at sunset
agua, barichara, santander, agua subterránea, protección del agua
Just a few photos of a visiting vermilion flycatcher (red) and a scrub tanager, both in bushes and trees next to the house. We hope that the number and diversity of birds and other beings here will increase as the regeneration project progresses over the years. (We are still in a very early phase.)
A few days ago, I saw a dead dove near our house on Finca Milagros. It had been there for some hours and the vultures likely wouldn’t touch since it was too close to people. I moved the dove up the hill and put up a wildlife camera, and the vultures came after half an hour for their meal.
WHY DO VULTURES (SOMETIMES) HAVE A BAD REPUTATION?
Why do vultures have a bad reputation in some cultures?
I suspect it serves a function. Vultures are connected with dead animals and rotting meat. We are built differently and rotting meat tends to make us sick. So it makes sense, to some extent, for cultures to instill a revulsion against scavengers in general, including vultures.
The downside is that it can make us blind to their right to life just like us and how they serve us and nature in general.
I LOVE VULTURES
Why do I love vultures?
Vultures serve important functions in the ecosystem. They clean up rotting meat which benefits us, other animals, and the ecosystem as a whole.
As mentioned above, they sometimes have a bad reputation. Where we are in the Andes mountains, farmers sometimes put out poisoned meat to kill them. (This seems oddly self-defeating. It puts poison into the food chain which is bad for all of us, and the presence of vultures in our ecosystem directly helps us. Vultures are on our side.) I have a personality that tends to support and defend underdogs. I want to stand up for them and give them a voice.
They are likely consciousness like me. To themselves, they are very likely consciousness, and just like me, they function through a body. The only difference is the type of body. (They are pure consciousness, and the form it takes depends on the bodymind, the particular senses, the nervous system, and so on.)
They are living beings like me. Like me, they wish to avoid suffering and find (their form of) happiness.
They are expressions of this living planet, just like me. They are part of the same seamless living planet.
They are expressions of the universe, just like me. They too are the local eyes, ears, thoughts, and feelings of the universe. They are the universe bringing itself into consciousness.
VULTURES ARE NOT SACRED?
I posted a vulture video from my wildlife camera on social media, and received this story:
The Parsis of India depend on vultures to dispose of the dead. Soil is sacred so they can’t defile it by burying a corpse. Fire is sacred so they don’t cremate. Water is sacred so they don’t put bodies in water. Air is sacred so they don’t leave bodies to rot. The vultures are the ultimate recyclers.
Of course, this likely has a practical function as well. It obviously makes sense to not put dead bodies in water. As for the rest, I am not sure. Perhaps they didn’t want to use valuable food-producing land for cemeteries. Perhaps they wanted to use valuable firewood for the living. Offering dead bodies to vultures makes sense, it’s a good practical solution.
At the same time, the traditional explanation above doesn’t quite make sense. Is a dead body not sacred? Are vultures not sacred? I imagine there are annoying people in their culture pointing that out.
The video is from the wildlife camera I set up with a view to the dead dove
We all live within an ecocidal civilization, and we all notice and are marked by it in different ways.
SNAKES IN PARADISE
In my case, I have a regeneration project in the Andes mountains. We built our tiny house here. We will plant nearly a thousand native trees in the next few weeks. We wish to make this land into even more of a paradise than it is. We live in a peaceful and magical neighborhood with just a few small farmers and people like us with regeneration and rewilding projects.
There are snakes in paradise, as so often. In this case, the main snake is a huge hotel project being built right across from where we are, in full sight of our house, and where we had more buildings imagined. They are planning an open party and event building right there, which will likely produce a lot of noise. They are also planning the hotel with three-digit rooms, swimming pools, a replica of a traditional town, and a shopping center with chain stores.
To me, this is all madness in this neighborhood. It will create a lot of noise. It will increase the traffic here, on a tiny road where two cars already have trouble meeting. It will take business from innumerable small family-owned businesses. They will deplete the groundwater which will impact all of us in the neighborhood and the ecosystem here. (The trees and vegetation are dependent on a good groundwater level.) Almost nobody wants them here. And the project was approved through what people say was a not-so-transparent process.
These kinds of destructive projects are symptoms of our ecocidal civilization. None of us can escape it. (Unless we are apparently very lucky or have enough money to buy our own island, and even then we are impacted.)
HOW AM I DEALING WITH IT?
How am I dealing with it?
It’s not just one way.
We are in conversation with lawyers, community organizers, and the new mayor.
We are looking at our own personal options and a range of options. (Including at our land.)
I know that this, to me, is all happening within and as the consciousness I am. The consciousness I am is forming itself into it. I am doing ho’oponopono for the hotel project and the ones behind it, and also the distressed parts of myself. (Of course, that it’s happening within the consciousness I am doesn’t mean it isn’t also happening in an outer world in a conventional sense. I have to assume that’s the case. And I am open to the possibility that it’s all happening within and as the divine. No matter what, it’s lila. It’s the play of the consciousness I am. It’s the play of life and the evolution of this living planet and the universe. It’s the play within the divine forming itself into all of this, whether we call the universe the divine or assume all of existence is divine consciousness.)
I am also using tonglen with the people behind the hotel project.
We are using a lot using different Vortex Healing tools and approaches to move the situation in a direction better for the neighborhood and nature here.
I am working on the issues in me that reflect and mirror these kinds of situations. Since the dark part of the dark night started 10-15 years ago, projects and my life in general have repeatedly fallen apart in amazing ways. Something happens that’s a dream for me, it’s starting, and then it falls apart. That has happened over and over in many areas of life. (I lost my health. I lost my dream job. I lost my house and all my belongings. I lost the opportunity to do an amazing PhD in exactly the area I wanted. I lost an amazing relationship that looked perfect. I lost the opportunity to become a US citizen and even lost my residency due to a weird combination of a vital project I needed to finish in Norway, the pandemic, and because Norway was one of the last countries in the world to allow dual citizenship. If I buy something I really like, it often gets destroyed almost immediately. (For reasons outside of my control.) And so on and so on. It seems endless. What parts in me have a charge around this drama and loss? How is it to invite in healing or those parts of me?
How do I see these people? The people behind the destructive project? Can I find it in myself? Can I take the stories I have about them, turn it to myself, and find specific and genuine examples for how it’s true? Can I relate to it with kindness and understanding in myself? Can I find peace with it in myself? Can I relate to it more intentionally in myself?
LILA & MORE
As mentioned above, I see this as lila. The play of the consciousness I am. The play of this evolving living planet and universe. The play of the divine, in whatever way we understand that. (As the universe, as a consciousness that forms itself into all there is.) It’s an opportunity to deepen into that recognition.
It’s also an opportunity to ground even more in my nature as consciousness and all of this happening within and as what I am, and temporarily forming itself into all of this.
It’s an opportunity to find genuine love for the parts of me coming up (reactivity, sadness, grief, anger) that want to protect me and are forms of love.
It’s an opportunity to take action in my personal life and the community.
It’s an opportunity to invite in healing for issues in me mirrored in what’s happening. (Anything in me that has a charge around and connects with loss and drama.)
It’s an opportunity to find in myself what I see in them and relate to it with more kindness and more intentionally.
EVERYTHING IS INVOLVED
Everything is involved in this situation – our ecocidal civilization, the worldview behind it of separation and power-over orientation, politics, corruption, sustainability, community, emotional issues, taking action, prayer, divine support, and it’s even a small part in how our civilization and how humanity unfolds.
The question is: How do I deal with it? How do I wish to deal with it?
UPDATE A FEW DAYS LATER
We have received amazing support from the Vortex Healing community in working with the land and situation here energetically. I am very grateful and curious to see how it unfolds. Amma has also been involved in an amazing way.
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 interestsare 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.
We have started a regeneration partnership with Fundación Guayacanal. They are doing amazing work and seem to have a very good approach to regeneration – pragmatic, informed, grounded, and effective. Milagros is part of a larger initiative in the area that involves several properties.
It’s a ten-year project where they will be responsible for the planting and maintenance of the plants. Each tree will need three years of follow-up. As I write this, we are in the design and planning phase and they will do the first plantings in a couple of weeks. This first phase is in the most degraded areas and will consist of nearly one thousand (!) trees. The second phase will be adding diversity to less degraded areas.
The main focus is on planting a native forest, with a couple of additions. We have a main path going through the land – from the big pond along the ridge to the peak and down to Camino Real. That may be made into a kind of food forest corridor, and we will plant flowering bushes along it as well. It may eventually be part of an ecotourism experience, for instance, a self-guided tour along different ecosystems at different levels of regeneration with information and viewpoints along the way.
Receiving this kind of expert help feels like amiracle. It will transform the land over the coming years. As mentioned above, their focus is on naive tree planting, with some food-producing trees and flowering perennials. That will provide an amazing context for us to add plants here and there. I would love to add to the food forest with nut-producing bushes and more, and add more flowering plants.
We obviously won’t recreate the original natural ecosystem here (1). That’s gone. But we will help the land back to a diverse and vibrant state, and it will hopefully become an even better habitat for a large number of insects, birds, and animals. The second phase of plantings will include currently grassy areas, and as the trees grow and create shade, the grass will hopefully mostly go away.
I have used the terms regeneration and rewilding to talk about this before and I’ll probably differentiate a bit more going forward. What we are doing now is regeneration, helping bring the land back to a more vibrant and healthy state. That includes a natural rewilding since it will bring back more insects, birds, and animals. I also love the term rewilding to refer to our own internal rewilding. And, who knows, perhaps we’ll do some actual rewilding in the future and bring back some animals. For now, I’ll probably use regeneration mostly when talking about this project.
I am very aware that this neighborhood will change over the coming years. Already, they are building a large hotel down the hillside and on the other side of the main road. I suspect many more people will move here, gradually displacing the local farmers who have lived here for generations. (This is sad and has its own problems and downsides, and we very much are part of that dynamic – we bought from a family that had owned the land for generations.) Hopefully, we’ll also see more neighbors engaging in regeneration projects.
Images: [1-3] The three first are from a survey of the more degraded areas. The people from FG geolocated the boundaries of these areas and calculated how many trees to plant there in the first phase. [4] Then a view of Cañon del Chicamocha from one of the viewpoints. [5] A large tree by the main pond, and [6] a giant cactus close to the house. [7-8] Two examples of erosion from the more degraded areas. [9] A hat. And [10] silvery leaves found on the ground. Nature made these, maybe through some kind of chemical reaction? Click on any image for a larger version.
(1) There are many reasons for that. It would be difficult to know what time period we are trying to recreate, and even how it looked back then. What was is gone, always. It would also be very difficult to try to recreate something from the past and impossible to actually do. So it’s much better to focus on supporting a vibrant ecosystem that includes mostly native plants and some non-natives already here that fit well into the ecosystem.
I am at Finca Milagros and have been here for a long time. (Playing my small role in supporting the land to become more vibrant and diverse.) As I pass a mirror, I see my face and am surprised. My face – and likely my whole body – is black and sinevy. I am surprised that people recognize me since I almost don’t recognize myself. The transformation is completely fine with me. It’s just what happens naturally by being here.
The sun in Finca Milagros is strong and regular, and it did recently go through my mind that I would get a lot darker by spending time here. I also sense that I will be thoroughly transformed by this land, just as I am supporting the land in transforming.
The dream may reflect this, and perhaps a knowing in me that it may or will happen. And it’s completely OK with me. A part of me is even enjoying it and wants it. It’s what happens by being here. The land transforms me.
I help the land regenerate and rewild, and the land may help me in a similar way. There is a mutuality here.
Why am I embarking on a rewilding project for our land in the Andes mountains?
There are many answers to that question.
WHAT DO I MEAN BY REWILDING?
First, what do I mean by rewilding?
I am perhaps using a more loose definition than some others. For me, and in this case, rewilding means supporting the land in becoming more diverse and vibrant and a good habitat for a range of life from microbes to insects to birds to reptiles and mammals.
It won’t be the way it was before humans came here, or before Europeans came. That’s not possible. But we can use native plants to help the ecosystem recover and become more vibrant and thriving.
Rewilding for me means what the word implies. It means helping the ecosystem become more wild again, even if it will by necessity look different from how it has ever been before. It won’t be a copy of how it was, but it may rhyme.
WHY REWILDING?
And then, why rewilding? What’s the reason for it? Isn’t it better to make use of the land for food production or housing? Doesn’t it make more sense to sell parts of the land to make money on it?
Here are some of the answers that come up for me.
MOVED TO DO IT
The most honest answer is that I find myself moved to do it. Life moves to do it through and as me.
Beyond that, I don’t really know. I can have reasons and elaborate on those reasons, but I don’t really know.
MEANINGFUL
At a more personal level, I can say it feels meaningful. If this is a project for the rest of my life – and hopefully far beyond, continued by others – then that would make me happy and I would feel my life had meaning in a very specific way.
On a day-to-day basis, it gives my attention and energy direction. It’s a project I can put energy and time into as things move in that direction, and I can give it a breather when that feels more right. It’s a project with its own pulse and life and without a particular timeline.
EXPRESSION OF MY NATURE AND REALITY
It’s an expression of my nature and reality.
I am an expression of this living evolving system we call Earth, just like anything else here is. I am this global and local living system supporting itself.
INTERCONNECTIONS AND SHARED FATE
From a more conventional perspective, I also know that my life as a human being is intimately connected with the rest of this living system.
Although Earth will continue without me and humans in general, we also share fate to some extent.
My health and well-being and the health and well-being of society and our civilization is intimately connected with the health and well-being of our local, regional, and global ecosystems.
It’s in my own interest, and the interest of all of humanity, to take care of our ecosystems and do what we can to help them recover and become more diverse and thriving.
LOVE FOR NATURE AND HUMANS
I love nature, and I have loved nature since very early childhood. I do it because I love nature. I love to see nature in a more healthy and vibrant state. It makes me happy.
I do it because I care about humans and the future of humanity. I love our amazing – and sometimes terrible – civilization and it would be a shame if it ends now. (Although if that happens, that’s OK too. Earth or the Universe doesn’t need humans, although we do bring something unique and beautiful to it.)
THE MANY BEINGS HERE
There are millions of beings on this land. This is their home. Many of them are born, live their lives, and die here. This is all they will know. This place is their life.
If I, as one person, can help millions of current and future beings have a good life here, I would love to do it. I cannot imagine anything more beautiful and amazing.
Each of these beings are their own world. They are their own cosmos. From the smallest microbes and up to the mammals here. What a privilege to support these worlds to have a life here.
I do it for their sake. It’s easy to imagine myself in their situation, and how much I would want someone like me to protect them and their habitat.
NEEDED IN THE WORLD TODAY
Biodiversity loss is one of the major issues in the world today. It’s one of the massive crises we are in the middle of, and one that’s tied in with the more popular climate change and equally if not more important.
If I can play a (very) small part in this global effort to protect our diversity, then what I am doing here is more than worth it.
Just by living in our current economic system, my life inevitably has a harmful effect on life. So this is my small part in making up for it.
LEARNING
I love learning and especially about sustainability and nature, and this is an amazing opportunity to learn.
We will hire two local experts to guide and help us with our rewilding project, and I am looking forward to learning as much as I can as we move forward with this project.
I also look forward to sharing it here and perhaps on social media and/or a dedicated website.
A MODEL
If what I am doing here can be a small local model, then that’s icing on the cake.
If it only inspires one person to do something else, that makes it more than worth it.
We sorely need these models today, in all aspects of society.
MULTIPLE REASONS
So although I most honestly don’t know the answer to this “why”, I can also find a lot of reasons.
Each one of these alone would make it worth it.
I am not doing this because I am especially noble. I certainly am not. I do it because I love it.
And I know there will be times I’ll be frustrated, fed up, tired, and want to give it all a break. I have already experienced that. (For instance, when workers cut down large areas of pioneer species allowing invasive grass to take over and did so after we explicitly told them not to.)
It may seem altruistic to protect nature. For me, it’s self-preservation.
ASSUMPTION OF A DIVIDE
If I see a strong divide between me and nature, then nature can easily be seen primarily as a source of resources, a place to put waste, and a place to occasionally enjoy. If I do something to protect nature, it’s altruistic and often a bit peripheral. It’s a nice thing to do but not terribly important.
INTERCONNECTEDNESS OF ALL LIFE
If I realize the interconnectedness of all life, then I recognize – in a more visceral way – that my own well-being and my own life is utterly and intrinsically dependent on the health and existence of the larger ecosystems and this living planet I am part of. Here, protecting nature becomes self-preservation. I am dependent on the health and vibrancy of nature locally, regionally, and globally.
I AM NATURE PROTECTING ITSELF
I can also go one step further and recognize that I am nature protecting itself. I am a part of this living evolving system protecting itself. I am a separate self, and more fundamentally I am a temporary and local expression of this larger living and evolving system. I am a temporary and local expression of the living and evolving Earth. I am a temporary and local expression of the evolving universe and all of existence.
GETTING IT MORE VISCERALLY
Getting this more viscerally is a big and important shift. It brings us more in alignment with reality. It gives grounding. It’s nourishing. It makes us less dependent on the more temporary surface experiences and situations.
SYSTEM CHANGE
And, of course, it doesn’t mean I am or need to be “perfect” in terms of my own life. I am also a child of my culture. I am also embedded in our social and cultural systems.
As all of us, I live in an economic and social system that rests on the assumption that humans are somehow separate from nature, that the resources of nature are limitless, and that the ability of nature to absorb waste is equally limitless. We live in a human-created social system where what’s easy and attractive to do is also, in most cases, destructive to nature.
And we have another option. We can create an economic and social system that take our ecological realities into account, and where what’s easy and attractive to do – for individuals and businesses – supports life and our ecosystems. It’s possible. We can do it. We even know quite a bit about how to do it.
And yet, it does require a profound transformation of our whole civilization – our worldview, philosophy, economics, energy sources, production, transportation, education, and everything else. And that requires a deep collective motivation. Will we find it? Perhaps. But likely not until we are much further into our current ecological crisis. (Which is a socal crisis since all of our human systems are embedded within our ecological systems.)
On the land in the Andes we are stewards of, there are many different ecological systems, all of them impacted by centuries of grazing and food production. (Although on a relatively small scale.)
Having visited this land for a while, and now living here, several things that come up for me daily.
RESILIENCE AND VULNERABILITY
One is how amazingly resilient nature is when undisturbed by civilization. Ecosystems have evolved to adapt to just about anything that happens in nature with some regularity.
And, on the other hand, how amazingly vulnerable nature is. Ecosystems can be wiped out in a day with the help of machines.
Ecosystems are amazingly resilient when it comes to what occurs naturally, and amazingly vulnerable to civilization and machines.
ECOSYSTEMS PROTECTING THEMSELVES
Another is a feature of the natural regeneration process. On this land, many of the pioneer species have thorns and form dense thickets it’s difficult or impossible to enter.
It’s as if the ecosystem is protecting itself.
It’s as if it’s saying: You damaged me before. Now, as I am recovering, I don’t want any interference. Stay out.
And, of course, machines and technology (including people with machetes and saws) are no match for this natural defense.
CULTURE AND EDUCATION
I keep reminding myself of how important it is to educate the ones we are working with.
The traditional view here is that the pioneer species are “weeds” and should be gotten rid of. Clear everything so you can see the land and decide what to do with it. Clear it all and lay it barren because it’s not a loss.
And, in reality, if you wish to support a healthy ecosystem, it’s a great loss to remove these pioneer species.
IT’S ALL NATURE
Of course, all of this is nature. All of this is the doings of this living and evolving planet.
Civilization is as much a part of this evolving planet as anything yet.
In that sense, it’s all nature. It’s all really the same. It’s all part of the same seamless system.
This view helps us recognize our interdependence with all life. It helps us ground in something more real than the mind-created distinctions between ourselves and the rest of Earth, life, and existence.
And, in another sense, there is a big difference between nature and civilization. Our technology and machines, combined with our numbers, can easily destroy local, regional, and global ecosystems, and that’s what’s already happening.
We are in the middle of an ecological crisis of massive proportions, and one that will impact all of us and humanity as a whole. And, for whatever reason, it seems that only a few take this seriously.
This distinction is important as well. Ecosystems have evolved to deal with what happens naturally. They cannot defend themselves against machines and technology. (Apart from unraveling, taking us with it, and then – slowly – bouncing back.)
We have to defend them, and in that process, we are defending ourselves.
WE ARE NATURE PROTECTING ITSELF
I started out by talking about how this local ecosystem is protecting itself while recovering from damage. Pioneer species often have thorns and form impenetrable thickets.
And I ended with another way nature is protecting itself. We are nature protecting itself. We are part of the living seamless system of this evolving planet, and when we do anything to protect life, we are nature protecting itself.
When I defend this land and take steps to help it recover, I am nature protecting itself.
The focus for the articles on this website has always centered on healing and awakening, with occasional articles on culture, society, sustainability, art, and other topics I find interesting.
From now on, I will also include more articles on rewilding and regeneration.
It’s not a new interest to me. I have been fascinated by and passionate about nature and sustainability since I was little, and that includes what’s covered by rewilding and regeneration.
On this winter solstice (2022), we moved into our tiny house with a large backyard on Finca Milagros. This backyard is fifteen hectares in Cañon del Chicamocha. And I wish to devote a good part of my life to supporting this land to become a more thriving and diverse habitat for plants, insects, birds, and animals.
That will, by necessity, be reflected here since I tend to write about what I am interested in and what I am currently exploring and living.
The rewilding posts will be a kind of chronicle of what we are doing here, and they may be interesting to or useful for others.
And, yes, I know that rewilding is a problematic term. It cannot be done in a literal and complete way, and it’s not possible (or even desirable) to bring this ecosystem back to how it was in precolonial times or even before humans came here. When I use the term rewilding, it’s in a much more loose sense. For me, it’s about supporting the ecosystem to thrive, become more diverse, and become a good habitat for the insects, birds, and animals that are here. I wish to support it in becoming wilder.
A small river goes through Finca Milagros but it’s mostly dry.
This may be because neighbors higher up divert the water. If so, then returning the water to the river is a longer-term project that involves finding better water solutions for the neighbors. If we can help them find sufficient water from other sources, they won’t need to divert the river and it can again flow. That small river will again provide water for innumerable beings and the local ecosystems.
And yes, I am aware that there are more factors. There may be other reasons for the dry river than uphill neighbors. And if they play a role, then their decisions are not always rational. Sometimes culture, resentment, neighbor feuds, and so on play a role.
Still, it’s a good start to get to know the neighbors and those upstream, identify the problem, and see if we can find solutions that benefit everyone.
I’ll occasionally write short updates about the Finca Milagros rewilding project here, partly as documentation and partly because some of it may be helpful to others.
In our very early rewilding project, there has been one big challenge so far: We have very different ideas about how to do things than the locals.
CLEARING A PATH VS A WHOLE AREA
Last year, we asked workers to clear a walking path through an area of the land just big enough for one person to walk through.
Without our knowing, they spent two days clearing a whole hectare of everything except the largest trees. They cut down all of the valuable pioneer species that bring nutrients into the soil, improve the soil structure, provide shade, give protection for other species to come in, and prevented the grass from taking over. Most of these plants were thorny bushes and trees that can grow relatively large and are very beautiful. They cut down trees with 10-20 cm diameter just because they had thorns.
When we complained, the response was: “These are just weeds, it’s good to get rid of them, they have no value, and they’ll grow back”. In reality, what has happened is just what I expected. The area is now completely overgrown with invasive grass. It went from an area with lots of shade and no grass to being covered in tall invasive grass that it’s very difficult to get rid of.
Why did this happen? We were naive and thought that our instructions were clear and understood: Make a path through here that one person can walk through, nothing more. What they heard was: Clear the whole area. Why? Because that’s what people here do. They clear huge areas of land of everything but the largest trees. Why? Because that’s what has made sense of them traditionally since they use the land for grazing. They remove the thorny bushes and trees so cows and goats can more easily graze, and they plant invasive grass that takes over whole areas to provide food for their animals.
What is the lesson? Make sure the instructions are well understood. Show them physically what to do and how to do it. Be there while they do the work, unless you know from experience that they understand.
EDUCATION IN ECOLOGICAL THINKING
We will work with locals helping us with the rewilding project, and it’s essential to educate them.
For instance, what they think of as “weeds” are often pioneer plants. They come into an area after it has been degraded by grazing, food growing, or erosion. They put nutrients into the soil, improve the structure of the soil, create the condition for other plants to come into the area, and many of them here have thorns that also help protect the land. They are pioneers and protectors of the land. They have immense value from an ecological perspective, and in the context of supporting the land having a thriving and diverse ecosystem.
Also, if we need to create a path or open up a view, it’s often more than sufficient to do a little pruning. There is no need to go nuclear.
PLANTING TREES VS ECOSYSTEM APPROACH
I have also noticed a peculiar mindset among many here interested in helping the land.
Some seem to think it’s mainly about reforesting and planting trees, and that planting trees is sufficient.
For me, that doesn’t make sense for a couple of reasons.
Just planting trees can easily become a monoculture just like any other monoculture. It can create a kind of desert. It doesn’t necessarily create an ecosystem full of life.
A vibrant and healthy ecosystem needs diversity. It needs a variety of plants and animals of all kinds. It needs layers.
And each degraded land needs specific help. For instance, we have areas with erosion. Trees won’t help much there. It’s far more effective to plant smaller native plants that keep the soil in place. When the soil is stabilized, we can start thinking about the next step which could include trees. But to start with trees don’t necessarily make much sense.
We had the first meeting today with one of the people (JL) who will help Finca Milagros rewild, and it makes me happy to finally take this step in helping the land return to a diverse and vibrant state. It feels good to talk with someone who is knowledgeable, pragmatic, and has both a vision and a grounded approach.
Here are some thoughts and plans so far:
We need to educate and closely follow up anyone doing work on the land. These are local people with a very different mindset from an ecological one. For instance, they see any thorny plants as a weed to remove, while they in reality are essential for helping the land recover. These pioneers provide the conditions for other plants to grow and thrive.
It’s much better to do some minimal pruning than to remove plants completely. Pruning can support the plants, in some cases.
We can use plants to clear up the water in a large pond on the land. For instance, these can be on a raft and can be removed when they have done their work. (These are non-native non-invasive plants.)
We need to prevent further erosion in some areas of land severely impacted by grazing. We can do this with rocks and plants.
A natural and healthy ecosystem is diverse. It is layered with large and smaller trees, bushes, and even smaller plants. These layers help keep the water in the local ecosystem. (If all trees are the same height, which they often are if planted, the water evaporates more quickly.)
Focusing only on tree planting, which many do here, is not enough and can be a bit misguided. A planted forest can be a monoculture just like any other monoculture. It’s important to focus on the diversity of the whole ecosystem which includes many other types plants, each serving important functions.
There are several engaged species here (we saw a red-light bird after a few minutes by the pond), so one priority is to protect their habitat and create more of the habitat they need.
We have a dry river going through the land. Neighbors higher up are likely taking the water. We need to identify the problem, and possible get to know the neighbors and see if we can find a solution that works for everyone. This is a longer term project.
I knew or suspected what’s listed above since I have been passionate about sustainability and ecology for decades. And it is a blessing to meet and be guided by someone far more knowledgeable than me, and someone who knows this particular ecosystem and has experience with rewilding and regeneration here.
The land is 15 hectares. One or two hectares are closer to the road and perfect for building and food production, and the rest will be wild and mostly left to itself with a few smaller interventions here and there. And we will move slowly and get to know the land, connect with more people in the area working on similar projects, and learn as we go.
Our first project was a tiny house where we will live while we get to know the land better. It’s good to go slowly, be informed, allow possibilities and visions to mature, and think through things thoroughly before doing anything more that impacts the land.
I wish to create wildlife gardens around this and future buildings. Gardens with native plants feeding and attractibg local wildlife, and especially insects and birds.
Last fall and winter, my wife and I were looking for a small piece of land to build a house on in the Andes mountains. After some dead ends, we were shown land that was way beyond what we were looking for in size, and immediately fell in love with it. And through a series of amazing events, we were able to become stewards of that land. We both felt the land chose us, as much as we chose it.
Although the land has forests and a diversity of ecosystems, most of it is impacted by centuries of grazing so we wish to help bring it back to a more vibrant state (rewilding) and be a haven for insects, birds, and other animals.
As part of this longer-term project, I contacted a local guy (originally from the US) who specializes in rewilding. We chatted on Whatsapp and agree to meet later. For me, this is an important and perhaps vital contact for our rewilding project.
Immediately after talking to him, I called up a friend in Oregon. And without me mentioning any of this, apart from being in the Andes mountains and buying land here, he started talking about a rewilding guy in the Andes mountains he has been following for a while. It turns out this guy was the one I had chatted with minutes before.
On the one hand, it’s not entirely unlikely. My friend in Oregon is interested in anything progressive, including rewilding it turns out. (I had mainly talked with him about spirituality and integral approaches before.) Unbeknownst to me, the local guy I had contacted does have an organization with an international reach. And my friend in Oregon did know that my wife and I had been looking for land in the Andes mountains.
On the other hand, it was quite an amazing synchronicity, especially in terms of geography and timing. What were the chances that the guy he knew about was the same local guy I had talked to? Latin America is a big place. What were the chances that my friend would bring it up minutes after I had chatted with the rewilding guy?
A synchronicity is defined as a meaningful coincidence. This was certainly, in my experience, an amazing coincidence. And it was certainly meaningful to me. I feel a deep call to support this land in rewilding itself, and this coincidence only reinforced that wish.
As a child, I was fascinated by nature and nature documentaries and dreamt of working with wild animals when I grew up.
My life took a different course, and instead I had some years as an artist, studied psychology for several years, and later worked with sustainability and then as a therapist.
Now, this childhood dream is again surfacing. Becoming a steward of the land in the Andes comes with the wish to help the land regenerate and rewild and become a refuge for a wide range of beings.
And with this comes another dream: bringing the condors back to this beautiful canyon in the Andes mountains.
Others have done it in other places. They have experience they can share with me. And the land seems good for this project. So why not?
It’s more than a dream. It feels like a calling. It’s something that came and stayed rather than being consciously created.
If it is at all possible, I imagine it will require a lot of time and engagement: Learning about the process. Setting up a local non-profit organization. Finding local allies and people who can join the project. Working with the local government and organizations. Educating the locals and, when possible, getting them onboard to whatever extent they are interested. Finding local bird specialists who can consult. Getting required permits (?). Getting and releasing the condors. Follow-up. And perhaps repeating with a new batch. It may be a decades-long project for all I know.
I don’t know if this will happen. It may not be possible. It may be that the canyon doesn’t provide the right habitat, due to human activity. (Just one poisoned carcass could kill them all.) And the ones who care for the few condors available may have better habitats in mind. If this project is possible, a lot of things still will have to fall in place. And if it does fall into place, it will likely involve far more than I imagine.
Why do I write about this?
Because our childhood fascinations are important. They never go away. When we follow them, it can take any number of outward forms. And you never know when an opportunity comes up to engage in these fascinations and bring them to life in new projects.
For me, engaging in my childhood fascination in this way feels deeply meaningful and aligned with the depth of who I am.
In general, following my fascinations seem important. It’s what brought me on this journey of exploring who and what I am. It’s what brought me into art and then psychology. It’s what gave me the opportunity to work on sustainability with a group of amazing people. It’s what brought me to the zen center many years ago, and the community there. Following my fascinations brings aliveness, meaning, and a sense of deep alignment.
In this case, this dream connects me with my childhood fascination. It may be that this particular project doesn’t come to fruition, but the reconnection in me may lead to something else.
Note: During a kind of shamanic journey some years ago, in a Vortex Healing class, I saw myself in the Andes mountains with condors. They seemed to be my guides. It was an experience that resonated deeply with me. This was a while before I met my now-wife and had any plans of going to Latin America, let alone buying land in the Andes mountains.
My wife and I became stewards of some beautiful land in the Andes mountains. It’s been heavily grazed in some areas, so we wish to help the land return to a flourishing and vibrant state. And that includes allowing a natural succession of native plants until – over some decades – the ecosystem reaches more maturity.
We hired some locals to clear existing paths through the land and gave them very clear instructions to only clear walking paths, wide enough for one person to pass. What they instead did was to clear one large area of all vegetation including smaller bushes and trees, leaving only the more mature trees. This is apparently what the locals do, and our instructions probably didn’t make much sense to them.
For us, it meant that the process of succession was set back one or two years (?) in that area. The vegetation they removed was the pioneer species that provide the shelter and environment for other plants to follow.
Although it was a slightly painful lesson, we also learned that we need to be present to oversee these kinds of projects. We need to find local people to work with who understand what we wish to do with the land, and also educate the ones we work with and make sure they understand. (This happened back in February or March this year.)
The photo is from the land, but another area than the one that was “cleaned”.
This is one in a series of posts with brief notes on society, politics, and nature. I sometimes include short personal notes as well.Click “read more” to see all the entries.
REGENERATION AND CULTURE
My wife and I became stewards of some beautiful land in the Andes mountains. It’s been heavily grazed in some areas, so we wish to help the land return to a flourishing and vibrant state. And that includes allowing a natural succession of native plants until – over some decades – the ecosystem reaches more maturity.
We hired some locals to clear paths through the land and gave them very clear instructions of only clear walking paths, wide enough for one person to pass. What they instead did was to clear-cut one large area, leaving only the more mature trees. This is apparently what the locals do, and our instructions probably didn’t make much sense to them.
Although it was a painful lesson, we also learned that we need to be present to oversee these kinds of projects. And we need to find local people to work with who understand what we wish to do with the land. (This happened back in February or March this year.)
PUTIN AS VICTIM AND SAVIOR
Since Putin is in the public eye these days, he is a good mirror for all of us.
Putin seems to identify with two particular archetypes: victim and savior.
He sees himself – and Russia – as a victim of historical events (e.g. the dissolution of the Soviet Union), of the West and NATO, and a possible victim of just about anyone around him.
He also sees himself as a kind of savior, as the new great leader of Russia and a new Russian empire.
Victims can be reactive and violent. And saviors can be ruthless. (Including through invading and occupying neighbors.) In his case, it’s a dangerous combination.
And the question here is: How does this mirror me? If I take my stories about Putin and turn them to myself, what do I find? How am I a victim in how I see him? (I see myself, Ukraine, the people in Russia, and the world as a victim of Putin’s actions.) How am I a savior in how I see him? (I see myself as taking a more sane and sober approach, which is better than his.) How does this play itself out in other situations in my life? It may not look as extreme or obvious as with Putin, but it’s likely here.
I thought I would include some posts about one of the current projects in my life.
My wife and I find ourselves as the stewards of several hectares in the Andes mountains. Although most of it is forested, the land has been impacted by centuries of small-scale farming and grazing. So in addition to building a small house there – using local materials and traditional building techniques – we want to help the land. We want to help bring it to a vibrant state which will be the home to innumerable living beings — microorganisms, plants, insects, birds, and four-legged creatures.
I’ll post a few updates here, using the “finca milagros” tag “finca brisa” tag which is the preliminary name for the land. See also “rewilding” and “regeneration”.
These photos are from a meeting with some of our design and building team. This is the first meeting where we had plans for the house.
After my partner and I became stewards of some beautiful land, this has been more in the foreground of my mind.
Each being is a world.
On that piece of land, millions or billions of beings (depending on whether you want to include microbes), live their whole life or significant parts of their lives (birds, mammals).
In each case, there will never exist a being like that again. Each one is a unique occurrence.
And each of them experiences the world in their own way. They are, quite literally, their own unique world. A world that has never existed before, does not exist anywhere else, and will never exist again.
Remembering this is very moving for me. It fills me with reverence to be a temporary steward of this land and do my part in protecting it and supporting it to regenerate and rewild.
I am about to embark on a relatively large and long-term regeneration project. And I notice one small voice in me saying: Why do it when it may all be temporary? As soon as you are no longer in charge of this land, someone else will take it over and that person may make it all into farmland or housing development.
Yes, that’s true. And yet, all is temporary. Everything I put energy into is temporary. This universe and everything it makes itself into – including all beings and all human culture and achievements – is temporary.
This is no different.
If I was not to put energy into something that’s temporary, I would end up putting energy into nothing at all.
I prefer to play the game. To put energy into something that’s temporary, including this regeneration and rewilding project.
It feels deeply right. The land is calling to me. I cannot find any good reason to not do it. So why not do it? Why not enjoy the project – with all the challenges and joys that come with it?
In this case, at the very least, it will benefit the many beings that live and will live on this land for the coming years. That, in itself, makes it more than worth it.
