Dear Friends,
I’m writing to update all those who have pledged to join as founding members on the latest developments of the Ecosystem Restoration Camps initiative. We are now able to collect the pledged membership funds from all those who wish to be part of the Foundation and the Camps. Those who have pledged and are serious about supporting this effort are encouraged to go to the following URL and fill out one last form and payment choice to honor their pledge:
Become a member of Ecosystem Restoration Communities
Joining this will put you on the list of members in good standing having both pledged and paid to support this effort.
Through the hard work of many since July 11th when this idea was first posted on the internet more than 10,000 people have joined the discussion on Facebook of how to create ecosystem restoration camps.
More than 1000 people have pledged to become members of the Ecosystem Restoration Cooperative. The Foundation owned by the members called the Ecosystem Restoration Foundation has been created in order for us to physically realize our goals.
A supervisory board now exists to direct the work of foundation and a management body has been created to implement the decisions. Members of the cooperative are encouraged to volunteer for leadership positions and over time the foundation and camps will be able to provide many members with opportunities to lead the foundation and restoration efforts in many parts of the world.
An agreement with one Spanish member, Alfonso Chico de Guzman has been made to locate the first Ecosystem restoration camp on 5 Hectares of his large farm.
A team led by Daniel Halsey, Jose Ansoleaga Ayala, Regina Cobo and others, following visits to the site have created a comprehensive camp area restoration plan.
A house where the first craftspeople and gardeners can live and a shop where we can fabricate the camp facilities have been rented to provide the base to build the camp. The pictures below were taken in March while the facilities were being renovated for our use. More pictures will come soon showing the accommodations for the first craftspeople and gardeners.
A call for first volunteers has gone out and many have responded.
The Foundation is attempting to ensure that all volunteers who come to build the camp can be supported with housing and food on the site. We are also seeking to purchase all the tools, machines and materials necessary to build the camp keeping all materials natural and when possible up-cycling old industrial machines that are idle in Spain because of the economic collapse.
This means our efforts to collect the pledges are central to the success of the camp creation effort. If you are receiving this message it is because you have pledged to join the cooperative. We urge you to complete the form, build your profile so everyone can get to know you and to join us in paying the pledged membership.
Documentation of the region and the campsite has begun to show a baseline and what is possible through restoration.
The Permaculture Research Institute (PRI), The World Permaculture Association (WPA), Regeneration International have agreed to run continuous Permaculture Design Certificate Courses at the camp once the camp has been fully established.
Discussions with local authorities and partners in Spain reveal that there are many needs and opportunities to support local efforts for restoration. The Campers will have the chance to participate in both regenerative agriculture at and near the campsite and in large-scale ecosystem restoration efforts in the vast Spanish Altiplano. Commonland Foundation and AlVeLal Cooperative have agreed to assist the campers to connect to the larger regional restoration efforts.
The next steps are building the Grey Water Treatment so that all waste water from the camp is cleaned and used in irrigating the gardens. The workshop must be fully equipped and the building of the camp facilities commenced. Planting out the food gardens so that when the campers arrive they will be fed as much as possible by organic produce grown on the farm itself.
This is an exciting time when Yurts, Teepees, Geodesic Domes, Bedouin Tents, Composting Toilets, Kitchen Facilities, Saunas will all be added to the camp. Those who feel like pioneers are encouraged to join this effort.
This effort has the potential to engage millions in the vital work of restoring the Earth’s Natural Ecosystems by creating spaces to learn and practice ecosystem restoration and regenerative agriculture.
Best regards, John D. Liu