Exploring the potential of creating refugium for regenerative cultural seeds nested within biological refugium for rare, endangered, ethnobotanically pertinent and/or practical plant species
Fantastic idea, but we have all learned important lessons from Gaza. If you create 'refugium' you will have to create missile defense systems in tandem, similar to what Iran has, or Israel to a lesser extent, in order to defend your precious plots from aerial attack. A hostile government could wipe out thousands of years of efforts in a single day. The richest men of this planet play the role of jealous gods and want absolute control over the seeds of life. You know as well as I do that once you create these 'refugium,' 'dangerous ideas' will propagate in these healthy ecozones in tandem; dangerous, of course, to the tyrants of this world.
I suppose I am about as prepared for an overt hostile government military attack (which would likely use AI powered killer drones) as I am prepared for a level 9.9 earthquake, or an F5 tornado touching down on my house, or a nuclear bomb landing on our town or an asteroid, in that I am doing what I love to do, living life to the fullest, striving to leave increased biodiversity, hope, empowerment, beauty and abundance in my wake (so, if God decided I were to have to die tomorrow, though I would prefer to keep on living, i would be at peace with that).
Whether it is a government black ops wetwork agent (using one of ten ways they could kill me and i would never see it coming, nor be able to prevent it), a giant 500 foot high tsunami, a orbital DEW vaporizing me or a swarm of deadly micro drones, I just do not waste my creative energy spending lots of time trying to “prepare” for those kinds of things. I do not even go as far as having a gun myself. I mean I practice martial arts and we have a big dog, so self-defense is something I do put some energy into for deterring random degenerates from harming me or my wife, but taking steps to “prepare” a defensive strategy against the most deadly weapons that the military industrial complex has created? I just do not see the point.
I think God has a time picked out for each of us to return home and no amount of drone swarms will change that, so I just focus on making the best of the time I do have here on Earth while I am here, until I get called home.
Despite the disheartening behavior of billions of confused, lost and egocentric human beings, I draw hope and inspiration from observing the irrepressible regenerative capacity of the living Earth.
I strive to further align my own daily actions with her regenerative capacity and hone where I give my energy to fully reflect my acknowledgement of the sacredness of all life.
I choose to have faith that many of those who choose a path that is devoted to and grounded in love, perpetual learning, humility, compassion having the courage to strive to protect those that cannot protect themselves, giving a voice to those that cannot speak for themselves and taking steps to embody that which one would like to see manifest on this world for future generations will be guided through the storm ahead to find a fertile place to plant their seeds for a new way of living to set down roots when the time is right.
And when my awareness of the seemingly endless ways in which humans are wreaking havoc and scheming about how to dominate, enslave and kill each other starts to get to me and my faith wavers I take a step back to look at this life from the the more holistic perspective of my soul.
From the perspective of my spirit I remember that there is beauty and meaning to be found in impermanence. From that knowing, whether or not my efforts in this life send out clearly observable multi-generational ripple effects or not becomes irrelevant. After all, within a broader cosmic cycle, the inevitable natural result for this world will be end of all life on Earth. Planets only live as long as their stars burn, and eventually our sun’s life will come to an end as well, at which point all that ever was created by humans on this Earth will eventually be turned back into the stardust from once it came.
Does that inevitability make living a life where one chooses to be creative, kind, courageous, hopeful and curious any less meaningful?
In the end, whether its 1 more day, a couple years or a 100, it always comes down to the question:
How do I want to spend the time I have left on this Earth?
Does planting a seed in the Earth and tending it to grow, providing poetry for the senses, food for pollinators and nourishment for the soul have any less value because of the impermanence of that individual plant only living for a single season?
Do the fleeting expressions of form and color in a sunrise or a sunset make it any less beautiful or worth being present and aware to cherish and appreciate?
Asking myself these questions allows me to regenerate the faith, hope and sense of purpose in my heart and mind despite the corrosive onslaught of a world full of humans that have lost their way.
Secondly I will share with you here that the act of creating a refugium, or a food forest (or any other expression of love, hope, biomimicry and living art) is not something one engages in with the purpose of controlling the outcome and achieving 100% certainty of success, rather it is like a seed planted in the soil, with nothing more than faith and a resolute choice to be there to care for it as long as one it able to do so.
Such choices are not merely about re-organizing matter and gathering organisms into configurations that produce more food and medicine than before, these are processes that produce food for the soul. It is the process and the act of co-creating that provides that nourishment for the soul, not the end result of the middle aged self-perpetuating food forest or ancient food forest. Thus, whether or not God wills the refugium to continue to exist, the process of creating it will have been worth every second, every drop of sweat and every early morning that one got up to witness the sunrise on that work of living art.
I don't think a conversation about reforesting can be complete without reading the beautifully written little book, "The Man who Planted Trees" by Jean Giono. Only 50 pages, but definitely one to inspire. Available from Chelsea Green. Enjoy!
Wow. What a lot of work went into this. I'm not sure if I'm contributing correctly. It's something I've always just done. I live on a very small lot and don't have a lot of room, but I have areas of my yard where I throw old seeds, plants that have gone to seed and just let those areas "do their thing". I've found that many things that need to be babied in the garden, end up doing quite well once they have "acclimated" to the soil, weather, etc. I call these spots my "garbage spots". I do clean them up a bit from time to time, but I just let nature run it's course. I typically can get edible items like parsnips (they go insane), dill, coriander, and numerous other plants. If I'm unable to eat or use what grows there, the bees are always happy there and when before I clean things up now and then, birds and rabbits love these spots for either hiding or feasting. Nature knows what to do and it seems like it's begging to be left alone to do it's thing sometimes. I don't know if things that are not native to the area benefits things in the "big picture", but I sure enjoy seeing what pops up every year and enjoy seeing wildlife and bees having a place. What I do doesn't require work, watering, or anything. Is it a mess? Sort of, but I've been learning that Nature seems to kind of an "ordered chaos" for lack of a better term. Sorry for the rant. Hope it was kind of on topic. Thanks for your work. I'm learning some new things by reading your posts.
Hey Rob, yup lots of work but well worth it if you got something helpful out of it. :)
I do not think there is a "correct" way to contribute, as I said in a note recently it is a process that I believe will be more effective if it is place based (and not one size fits all, or regimented, or institutionalized with bribes/incentives or threats) and applied in a decentralized way which makes sense for specific context, culture and bioregion.
So your using your intuition and available resources to help useful plants naturalize through (shall we call it) "strategic benign neglect" is a great example of place based refugia that works for you and your goals. You are preserving biodiversity, getting food, feeding pollinators, protecting the soil and it is your own sort of tradition. That is a form of Biocultural Refugia.
I also have areas in my designs that I simply throw sow some choice species in, compost, mulch, and then allow nature to express herself freely there. She knows what she needs, I just pay attention, read the soil, the plant distribution and try to lend my energy to help her along.
What an extraordinary resource!! Thanks so much. I am listening to Starling Arrow for the first time as I continue to read. This essay is a keeper to which I will refer over the next months as I begin my gardens.
Ahh yes, their harmonic soulful melodies are a real treat aren't they, what a blessing it would be to play songs like those as lullabies for little ones.
Saving this to savor later as I’m trying to discipline myself to write! Ugh, hate the word “discipline!” Says the Vata. 😬I think I’ll go for a walk in the woods to pick up sticks and Pine cones and Birch laying on the ground for my wood stove. Is that procrastination or intuition ?? 😂 The 🧚🧚🧚 are calling me and I don’t like to ignore them. 🤭
Thx for the mention, soul brother to the north! 🌲🌲🌲💚
I look forward to hearing what you think when you have time to read it :)
I totally understand the challenge with writing, for me I have to get in a certain head space. I usually go outside first, touch a tree that I have planted, connect with the heart of the Earth for guidance and open my awareness to the Creator then I go do some pre-liminary research (if its a technical article). After referencing a few books, I start writing and it can take me a whole day or more before I have the bones/foundation of an article (which is challenging sometimes with all the other stuff going on in life that I am responsible for). I suppose for me it is less about discipline and more about "preparing the soil" of my mind, heart and conscious awareness so that it is receptive to the seed of the core idea for what I am writing, and able to nurture the seed to become something capable of providing a harvest that can nourish other people's minds.
Just follow your heart sister, each person's process is different and the results of your writing speak to how you have one that works.
haha, there is one like that at the place where I work. He was a feral cat, but looks like some kind of “runway model” show cat with perfect fluffy long white hair (they named him snow). He did like me at first and liked to hang out with me while I worked with the plants, but after someone asked me if id help get him into a travel case to go to the vet and get fixed (so he could be adopted as a part inside / outside cat) he has never forgiven me. Gives me dirty looks from ten feet away and turns and walks away, which sucks, but it is what it is and he`ll probly live longer now that he has a safe spot inside when he wants it.
Man I have a stack of books about 20 high that are a mix of recommendations from subscribers and gifts from other authors hoping for a review so I do not think I will be able to get to it this winter, but I am interested and one day, i`ll let you know what I think :)
I've been there. I rescued a feral kitten when I was wintering in Cape Breton. Fed her, got her to trust me, adopted her I guess. Took her to the vet, which I wouldn't do today. When I went to the vet to get her the girl asked me to go into the back and get her out of the cage. She didn't want to do it.
"I suppose they are usually upset."
"Well, yes, but not THIS upset."
Man was she pissed at me.
Regarding 'The Biosphere' I thought I had your address somewhere, can't find it. I'd send you a copy were you to email it to me. No pressure.
Buying a lumber mill. Then I'm done sourcing equipment until I can move to the woods and sell this fine house I no longer want to live in. I have so much work to do. Yay!
Fantastic idea, but we have all learned important lessons from Gaza. If you create 'refugium' you will have to create missile defense systems in tandem, similar to what Iran has, or Israel to a lesser extent, in order to defend your precious plots from aerial attack. A hostile government could wipe out thousands of years of efforts in a single day. The richest men of this planet play the role of jealous gods and want absolute control over the seeds of life. You know as well as I do that once you create these 'refugium,' 'dangerous ideas' will propagate in these healthy ecozones in tandem; dangerous, of course, to the tyrants of this world.
I suppose I am about as prepared for an overt hostile government military attack (which would likely use AI powered killer drones) as I am prepared for a level 9.9 earthquake, or an F5 tornado touching down on my house, or a nuclear bomb landing on our town or an asteroid, in that I am doing what I love to do, living life to the fullest, striving to leave increased biodiversity, hope, empowerment, beauty and abundance in my wake (so, if God decided I were to have to die tomorrow, though I would prefer to keep on living, i would be at peace with that).
Whether it is a government black ops wetwork agent (using one of ten ways they could kill me and i would never see it coming, nor be able to prevent it), a giant 500 foot high tsunami, a orbital DEW vaporizing me or a swarm of deadly micro drones, I just do not waste my creative energy spending lots of time trying to “prepare” for those kinds of things. I do not even go as far as having a gun myself. I mean I practice martial arts and we have a big dog, so self-defense is something I do put some energy into for deterring random degenerates from harming me or my wife, but taking steps to “prepare” a defensive strategy against the most deadly weapons that the military industrial complex has created? I just do not see the point.
I think God has a time picked out for each of us to return home and no amount of drone swarms will change that, so I just focus on making the best of the time I do have here on Earth while I am here, until I get called home.
Despite the disheartening behavior of billions of confused, lost and egocentric human beings, I draw hope and inspiration from observing the irrepressible regenerative capacity of the living Earth.
I strive to further align my own daily actions with her regenerative capacity and hone where I give my energy to fully reflect my acknowledgement of the sacredness of all life.
I choose to have faith that many of those who choose a path that is devoted to and grounded in love, perpetual learning, humility, compassion having the courage to strive to protect those that cannot protect themselves, giving a voice to those that cannot speak for themselves and taking steps to embody that which one would like to see manifest on this world for future generations will be guided through the storm ahead to find a fertile place to plant their seeds for a new way of living to set down roots when the time is right.
And when my awareness of the seemingly endless ways in which humans are wreaking havoc and scheming about how to dominate, enslave and kill each other starts to get to me and my faith wavers I take a step back to look at this life from the the more holistic perspective of my soul.
From the perspective of my spirit I remember that there is beauty and meaning to be found in impermanence. From that knowing, whether or not my efforts in this life send out clearly observable multi-generational ripple effects or not becomes irrelevant. After all, within a broader cosmic cycle, the inevitable natural result for this world will be end of all life on Earth. Planets only live as long as their stars burn, and eventually our sun’s life will come to an end as well, at which point all that ever was created by humans on this Earth will eventually be turned back into the stardust from once it came.
Does that inevitability make living a life where one chooses to be creative, kind, courageous, hopeful and curious any less meaningful?
In the end, whether its 1 more day, a couple years or a 100, it always comes down to the question:
How do I want to spend the time I have left on this Earth?
Does planting a seed in the Earth and tending it to grow, providing poetry for the senses, food for pollinators and nourishment for the soul have any less value because of the impermanence of that individual plant only living for a single season?
Does the impermanence of this man’s art make it any less beautiful or worthwhile in creating? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iEpz8Z2BMAc
Do the fleeting expressions of form and color in a sunrise or a sunset make it any less beautiful or worth being present and aware to cherish and appreciate?
Asking myself these questions allows me to regenerate the faith, hope and sense of purpose in my heart and mind despite the corrosive onslaught of a world full of humans that have lost their way.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
Firstly I will invite you to read this : https://open.substack.com/pub/edwardslavsquat/p/the-revolution-will-involve-fermented?r=q2yay&selection=f3f76204-60d5-4630-8426-3570043b168f&utm_campaign=post-share-selection&utm_medium=web
Secondly I will share with you here that the act of creating a refugium, or a food forest (or any other expression of love, hope, biomimicry and living art) is not something one engages in with the purpose of controlling the outcome and achieving 100% certainty of success, rather it is like a seed planted in the soil, with nothing more than faith and a resolute choice to be there to care for it as long as one it able to do so.
Such choices are not merely about re-organizing matter and gathering organisms into configurations that produce more food and medicine than before, these are processes that produce food for the soul. It is the process and the act of co-creating that provides that nourishment for the soul, not the end result of the middle aged self-perpetuating food forest or ancient food forest. Thus, whether or not God wills the refugium to continue to exist, the process of creating it will have been worth every second, every drop of sweat and every early morning that one got up to witness the sunrise on that work of living art.
I don't think a conversation about reforesting can be complete without reading the beautifully written little book, "The Man who Planted Trees" by Jean Giono. Only 50 pages, but definitely one to inspire. Available from Chelsea Green. Enjoy!
Thank you for the recommendation, added to my wish list :)
Wow. What a lot of work went into this. I'm not sure if I'm contributing correctly. It's something I've always just done. I live on a very small lot and don't have a lot of room, but I have areas of my yard where I throw old seeds, plants that have gone to seed and just let those areas "do their thing". I've found that many things that need to be babied in the garden, end up doing quite well once they have "acclimated" to the soil, weather, etc. I call these spots my "garbage spots". I do clean them up a bit from time to time, but I just let nature run it's course. I typically can get edible items like parsnips (they go insane), dill, coriander, and numerous other plants. If I'm unable to eat or use what grows there, the bees are always happy there and when before I clean things up now and then, birds and rabbits love these spots for either hiding or feasting. Nature knows what to do and it seems like it's begging to be left alone to do it's thing sometimes. I don't know if things that are not native to the area benefits things in the "big picture", but I sure enjoy seeing what pops up every year and enjoy seeing wildlife and bees having a place. What I do doesn't require work, watering, or anything. Is it a mess? Sort of, but I've been learning that Nature seems to kind of an "ordered chaos" for lack of a better term. Sorry for the rant. Hope it was kind of on topic. Thanks for your work. I'm learning some new things by reading your posts.
Hey Rob, yup lots of work but well worth it if you got something helpful out of it. :)
I do not think there is a "correct" way to contribute, as I said in a note recently it is a process that I believe will be more effective if it is place based (and not one size fits all, or regimented, or institutionalized with bribes/incentives or threats) and applied in a decentralized way which makes sense for specific context, culture and bioregion.
So your using your intuition and available resources to help useful plants naturalize through (shall we call it) "strategic benign neglect" is a great example of place based refugia that works for you and your goals. You are preserving biodiversity, getting food, feeding pollinators, protecting the soil and it is your own sort of tradition. That is a form of Biocultural Refugia.
I also have areas in my designs that I simply throw sow some choice species in, compost, mulch, and then allow nature to express herself freely there. She knows what she needs, I just pay attention, read the soil, the plant distribution and try to lend my energy to help her along.
Thanks for sharing your experiences.
What an extraordinary resource!! Thanks so much. I am listening to Starling Arrow for the first time as I continue to read. This essay is a keeper to which I will refer over the next months as I begin my gardens.
Thanks Laura!
Ahh yes, their harmonic soulful melodies are a real treat aren't they, what a blessing it would be to play songs like those as lullabies for little ones.
Saving this to savor later as I’m trying to discipline myself to write! Ugh, hate the word “discipline!” Says the Vata. 😬I think I’ll go for a walk in the woods to pick up sticks and Pine cones and Birch laying on the ground for my wood stove. Is that procrastination or intuition ?? 😂 The 🧚🧚🧚 are calling me and I don’t like to ignore them. 🤭
Thx for the mention, soul brother to the north! 🌲🌲🌲💚
I look forward to hearing what you think when you have time to read it :)
I totally understand the challenge with writing, for me I have to get in a certain head space. I usually go outside first, touch a tree that I have planted, connect with the heart of the Earth for guidance and open my awareness to the Creator then I go do some pre-liminary research (if its a technical article). After referencing a few books, I start writing and it can take me a whole day or more before I have the bones/foundation of an article (which is challenging sometimes with all the other stuff going on in life that I am responsible for). I suppose for me it is less about discipline and more about "preparing the soil" of my mind, heart and conscious awareness so that it is receptive to the seed of the core idea for what I am writing, and able to nurture the seed to become something capable of providing a harvest that can nourish other people's minds.
Just follow your heart sister, each person's process is different and the results of your writing speak to how you have one that works.
Hey Gavin.
My daughter broke the cat dish I bought her in Chinatown, she fixed it...https://substack.com/profile/100236884-john-galt/note/c-84645762
I'm just finishing up Vernadsky's "The Biosphere" It's wasted on me, you should read it.
Hey buddy! I love that! Thanks so much for sharing.
I am not familiar with the book i`ll add it to my list, thanks for the recommendation.
Hi Gavin.
That beautiful cat hates me. But she isn't fond of men in general.
I do think you'd like that book. I have a hard copy. It's a drill down of life on earth starring photosynthesis.
haha, there is one like that at the place where I work. He was a feral cat, but looks like some kind of “runway model” show cat with perfect fluffy long white hair (they named him snow). He did like me at first and liked to hang out with me while I worked with the plants, but after someone asked me if id help get him into a travel case to go to the vet and get fixed (so he could be adopted as a part inside / outside cat) he has never forgiven me. Gives me dirty looks from ten feet away and turns and walks away, which sucks, but it is what it is and he`ll probly live longer now that he has a safe spot inside when he wants it.
Man I have a stack of books about 20 high that are a mix of recommendations from subscribers and gifts from other authors hoping for a review so I do not think I will be able to get to it this winter, but I am interested and one day, i`ll let you know what I think :)
I've been there. I rescued a feral kitten when I was wintering in Cape Breton. Fed her, got her to trust me, adopted her I guess. Took her to the vet, which I wouldn't do today. When I went to the vet to get her the girl asked me to go into the back and get her out of the cage. She didn't want to do it.
"I suppose they are usually upset."
"Well, yes, but not THIS upset."
Man was she pissed at me.
Regarding 'The Biosphere' I thought I had your address somewhere, can't find it. I'd send you a copy were you to email it to me. No pressure.
Buying a lumber mill. Then I'm done sourcing equipment until I can move to the woods and sell this fine house I no longer want to live in. I have so much work to do. Yay!