Situated on 730 acres of coastal forests and grasslands with marks of historic logging, Teravana is representative of other forests in Northern California that have also seen centuries of deforestation and logging. Three stages of major clear-cutting throughout the 1800s, 1950s, and 1970s show scars on the land, bearing hardened soils and erosion that move topsoil into waterways.
As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, Teravana nurtures the symbiotic relationship between human health and planetary well-being through community outreach, educational initiatives, and environmental advocacy. Teravana’s vision is for individuals to leave their programmes as agents for change for personal well-being and the environment. Teravana has operated as an organisation since 2019. It has impacted northern California through reforestation projects, ecological and mindfulness workshops, and school garden programmes. Today, Teravana continues to connect people with the land, primarily through its community garden and surrounding forest.
Teravana is embraced for its openness to a diversity of minds and ideas that have been implemented towards healing people and the planet. Visitors and staff members find unique niches of impact that they are able to share with the land and others who come after. Upon leaving (and sometimes staying), many people who come here find themselves changing ways that they typically work in the lives they lead outside of these grounds by integrating nature’s voice in their work. Often, people return with upgraded offerings for the land and the programmes that continue to grow out of this space.
Teravana is working on regenerating 730 acres of land and waters, starting with fire resilience modeling and regenerative farming using indigenous and multicultural practices. The organization has planted close to 80,000 trees and over 75 varieties of agroecologically-friendly edible and medicinal plants. It has also selectively thinned dead and dying Douglas firs which were the result of historic clearcutting of redwoods and oaks. Beaver dam analog and gulley stuffing practices are in place for creek restoration and soil erosion management, respectively, and fish surveys are conducted annually to check for coho salmon and steelhead trout spawns and health. There is a herd of Watusi cows on the land who graze and provide natural fertilizer for the start of a silvopastoral and regenerative farming system. In 2024, Teravana launched its community garden to provide free organic food to low-income households and Title I schools. It serves as a demonstration for the relationship between human tenders, forests, grasslands, farms, and water bodies. Partnerships are continuously being developed to continue work with additional biodiversity surveys and fire management.
Teravana currently partners with WellKind Guatemala and Awakened Spirit Yoga.
Compost making
Water retention
Tree planting
Food growing
Erosion control
Soil building
Cover cropping
Habitat creation
Agroforestry
Bioremediation
Community building
Fire prevention
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