Permaculture Approach For Arid Land & Ecosystemic Regeneration

In Agroforestry we collaborate with multiple different sizes of trees and plants, imitating FOREST’S NATURE.

In Syntropy we consider that we are all part of a one macrosystem. Positioning all the elements; soil, plants, animals and humans need’s one after another synchronized TOGETHER for COLLABORATION.

The idea of designing with Nature is challenging for some people.

Which means It can feel as if you may be executed if your project is not successful... Lack or excess of information can lead to confusion and frustration that can feel difficult when you live in dry rough environments, desertification is so real.

So

Damn.

Real…

However.

Confidence doesn't mean you don't feel that punch in the gut — it's the ability to move forward regardless.

So often, life is messy, and when it comes to meeting challenges with complex projects, especially designing with so many plants involved — it can feel daunting.

Firstly, that first trial plantation that didn’t do it, doesn't necessarily mean you've already failed.

Secondly, your confidence is strengthened each time you stretch yourself into that sense of discomfort.

So instead of running away from fiasco/flaw,

embrace it,

as part of who you are, the new you. 

 In my early tree reforestation, I planted all the trees isolated, a few meters apart in the conventional way, after every summer I would lose nearly every single tree I planted.

Today, ten years later, I’ve planted, with my team, more than 450 fruit bearing trees and 10.000 wild shrubs/trees in different projects. This year, after the longest winter frost and succeeded by the worst summer drought in the last 60 years. Only 13 fruit trees have died, and some 45 wild trees.

So, I can say, I do have a fairly high Mediterranean Planting Success Rate. 

Get used to rejection. I’ve lost more than 50 trees in my personal learning curve. Nature will reject your implementations maybe one, two or several more times before you find the right combination and the right timing.

Those rejections were not a failure —Nature it’s discarding all the time, self-calibrating and the process of adapting doesn't have to be painful, awkward, or embarrassing.

Developing an Adaptive Design, based on multiple options for different scenarios, so if the conditions change, like climate; we still make progress and feel secure despite what is presented to you.

I called it Agroforextreme.

I searched and found advice from agroforestry experts and permaculture gurus on the net. The solutions they presented were fine till the first summer arrived. After my first mediterranean dry summer I understood that the challenge was tougher than I thought.

Second summer came by and the new strategies were not working, so I considered double up my resources to reach the high performing experts in the field, Geoff Lawton, he runs a project in the Middle east, so I followed his online permaculture course, his approach help me a lot, then I summed up with an Analog Forestry top notch workshop with Milo Bekings. Second summer passed, letting behind dust and desperation, trees were still dying, and I knew something was missing, I was lacking some inner depth..

So I decided to try my last attempt. Years before I came across the syntropic work from Ernest Göstch which promotes regenerative high density plant consortiums promoting heavy pruning disruption towards successional fertility. I was desperate, so I invested my last economic resources of that time in attending a 5 day workshop in Spain with Ernest Göstch himself.. the water can be planted..

It took me still 2 more years after that event to digest the information, learn and test the plants that play together in mediterranean conditions and start applying professionally the techniques that this methodology invites you to.

The Same MINDSET That Got These Incredible Results From Syntropic Principles That Will Be Working On YOUR Projects

Examples are for illustration purposes only and not a guarantee that you will experience the same results. These client experiences are examples of past performance and not a guarantee of success. Your results may vary.