Ecosystem restoration camps: John D. Liu's new take on saving the planet

I agree with John, I think this is something that needs to happen all over the world.  As a young person with almost no capital, I've been wrestling with the very vexing problem of how to get into permaculture and ecosystem restoration.  These camps can make this kind of education available to those who need it most.  Seems like this is the sort of thing that has the most potential to get us to the tipping point of regenerative action.  So help us get the word out!  Young people interested in earth healing need to know that this is going to be an option.

Join the facebook discussion: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1206960359323785

Here is a webinar from Sustainable Design Master Class that aired just two days ago, wherein John further elaborates his vision:

I am bumping this important topic to the top.  Hey Y'all!  Watch the first video all least.

This is the exact thing I would like to do on our land.  We have the beginnings of a camp, with a composting toilet and a meeting site which were developed for a different camp idea which fell through when the organizer became seriously ill.  But we don't have any buildings.  I'm not a people person or a teacher, so I can't actually do anything about organizing the camp, I can only offer a patch of land.  I don't know if it could be a permanent thing, because the land is small, but it could be a testing ground, if anyone in this region is interested.  Our region is severely degraded - the carrying capacity of the land has been reduced to about 1/5 of its historical level, so there is a lot to do in this part of the world.  We're also likely to be vulnerable to climate change because it is a brittle environment subject to extremes of drought and flood even without climate change.

So if anyone reading this, who is in this region and does not have access to a piece of land to camp on and restore, here's a possibility.  It could be the beginning of a regional movement, perhaps.

You might not think that you have the temperament for being a teacher, but you have a lot to share, especially for what you have accomplished on your land, Tyler.  Your focus on bio-intensive systems as well as erosion control are very important.  Interestingly on the point of the bio-intensive approach, Liu states outright at around minute 36 of the second longer film, perhaps counter-intuitively for the farmer, that we increase productivity by reducing our area in cultivation.

The latter statement is in regards to ecosystem restoration outside of the agricultural use areas which makes the agriculture that much more sustainable/productive, increasing the potential of the better agricultural practices.

Thanks!  I signed up for the group but I do not understand the application question "field of activity."  I answered "kitchen garden" because I have no idea what that question means....my primary activity on the land is in my kitchen garden...

It looks like the idea is to wait until 1000 people join the cooperative before dues are collected.  Dues will be 10 Euros per month or 120 Euros per year.  As of now over 700 people have joined, so the goal of 1000 will be easily met.  I hope lots of permies will join!  I will probably pay my dues in a lump sum.

Thank you for posting this. am signing on this week!

I am not a social media person. can anyone show us how to link to some way to join this program ?

Great idea.

However, I see some ways of doing it which could be interesting:
There are existing youth organisations (scouts...) where people already have the experience of doing camps. And scouts, for example, often want to do something for others.
If, with the money, a part of a camp is financed for a group, with the condition to work for a few hours a day, the existing knowledge could be passed on to other participants.

Example: maybe someone sees a place which could use reforestation, like Costantinos Karoubas. His way, throwing seeds, is great for huge areas with little manpower. However some other techniques, like "Zaï Pits" would work faster but have a much higher workload.

In a 2 week long camp many pits could be dug, even with only a few hours a day of work. And the young people digging the pits would have a nice place to come back to a few years later.

https://permies.com/t/14353/Reforestation-Growing-trees-arid-barren

I have been planting trees in many places, in projects or just like this, and 2 things are nice:
-to know that the trees will be taken care of, not just eaten by goats
-to have some social reward, like being invited to eat/not having to pay for the expenses.

@Gail Moore: you can join here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScORDhbbFfkRc9moKEbdLg4PSCkSChTOtnMkUioLKsu4gwPPg/viewform?c=0&w=1

I am also not a facebook guy, refuse tu sign up. Does anyone know what is happening with the project? Is there a place where we can see how many people signed up? I really liked Liu's movies "Hope in a Changing Climate" and "Green Gold".

I'm not on Facebook either.  I've received updates via email:


Dear Friends:

Dear Founding Members of the Ecosystem Restoration Cooperative and Camps:

I hope that this finds everyone well and happy.

I don’t want to ramble so I’m reporting as succinctly as I can what has been happening and where I believe this leads.

My wish and I believe I speak for all of the members is that we are able to efficiently, effectively and joyously act to mitigate and adapt to climate change in a way which sequesters carbon in the soil and biomass, re-regulates the hydrological cycle, reduces surface and ambient air temperatures, and protects and promotes biodiversity worldwide while training the largest number of people in this direct action to ensure our common future.

The vision of creating the Cooperative and the Camps has exposed a mass pent-up energy where people wish to act but alone are constrained. We need to work together in order to ensure that everyone can do their part to mitigate and adapt to human induced climate change.  In a little over 2 months the public site has over 7,810 people discussing the idea. We continue to grow the founding membership and at this moment have 836 pledged founding members. That means 164 more till we launch and that if each of us finds 1 new member we will have reached critical mass. There have been active discussions on many topics and a vision is coming together for the first camp, the governance, the growing cooperative, where more camps can be and many other topics. From these discussions it is possible to see to some extent what people hope for and what troubles them. We have many highly experienced permaculture designers and trainers, we have some members of large cooperatives, we have many enthusiastic students and young people. There are people from more than 40 countries around the world, all ages and many backgrounds. We are building a movement that is going to be quite representative of humanity.

There seem to be various thoughts on organizational theory and practical implementation. Biologically minded members seem to talk about nursery systems, seeds, soil creation, plant out, water retention methods, and biodiversity. Practical members are discussing woodworking / metal working shops to fabricate the camp, craft works like ceramics which can break the connection with plastics / petroleum, there are interesting ways to build and use solar energy, biogas digesters, cooking facilities, showers, laundry, saunas, grey water systems, and composting toilets. Process oriented members like to discuss governance, communications, policy implications, organizing, fundraising and administrative issues. Culturally minded members are discussing meditation, health and healing, conflict resolution, spirituality, and peace building. Some people are worried about class differences and a few have strong feelings about ethnic differences. While there are many thoughts there also seems to be a type of consensus that we are all joining to collaborate to bring all these systems into harmony to serve to restore the Earth and create functional human relations. I think this is a healthy process but also a long one.

I have been strongly in favor of putting the first camp in Spain. We have been told that there are 3 to 5 hectares on the farm of Alfonso Chico de Guzman where we can build the first camp. The local authorities have suggested that as long as we don’t build permanent structures we don’t need further permissions. This is connected to a larger project by Commonland foundation that is working to transition the traditional agriculture to organic and create sustainable markets for the organic food while stimulating large-scale ecosystem restoration in the region. I am working to ensure that there will be an agreement for at least 5 years so that we don’t have to pack up and leave too quickly. If there is mutual satisfaction I think we can extend the period beyond 5 years but I would like to have that proven rather than just hope it to be true. This should give us time to identify many places that need and want us to set up camps and to grow the cooperative so that more camps can be built. With the experiences gained and the ability to manufacture the camp infrastructure we should be able to reduce building camps to a fine art. We also expect that the Cooperative membership can continue to grow. Once we are at 1000 we will be headed for 2000 and when there, for 5000 and eventually we should grow the cooperative very large.

We have not requested any funds from the members yet. We are working to create an interim council of members willing to serve in a limited capacity to lead in two main areas. First to build the first camp.  Second is to register the cooperative. We are also seeking qualified people to join voluntary treasury committee that must be in place before we accept any funds. We have some help from our fiduciary trustees / fiscal sponsors World Permaculture Association (WPA) a non-profit registered in Italy and Regeneration International (RI) a non-profit registered in the United States. As the Cooperative and the Camps grow we may need to move to paid staff but I hope we can go without spending money as long as possible. The less we rely on the existing economic system the more we are able to be free and to represent our sovereign rights. The issue of paid staff is one that will have to be discussed and decided in the council and with the members consent. When these initial goals have been achieved the Interim council will resign en mass and the membership will be asked to help create a new governance council. The members could choose some members who have served on the interim council to return if they wish or install entirely new council members.

So far we have from membership over 100,320 Euros pledged to this cause. I’m working so that the people will be in control of this effort. I think when we are able to build the camp without asking for other funds we will have the ability to access other funds without giving away the control. If we ask for funds before we build the camp and prove the concept of People Driven Direct Action we might be “big footed” by monied institutions.

I think things are going pretty well.  More than 20 founding members joined the day I wrote this.  I can watch the numbers grow and have contacted everyone who has joined. I’m sending this to all of the founding members so far to keep you updated. If there is anything on your mind there are now many forums to use or write to me if there is something I need to know or be doing differently.

Please feel free to contact me at anytime.

Especially contact me if you feel that you would have the ability and the time to help lead in either the interim council or the camps.

There is much to do … I hope that you are yours will be well and happy … and that very soon we can go camping together.

In Love, In Peace, In Service,

John
John D. Liu
Director, Environmental Education Media Project (EEMP)
Visiting Fellow, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO)
Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW)
Ecosystems Ambassador, Commonland Foundation
johndliu@icloud.com
john.liu@commonland.com
+86-13911-565016

<https://knaw.academia.edu/JohnDLiu>;    

I truly hope many permies will join the cooperative.  I believe this is the real deal.  Anyone who has watched John Liu's films sees that these techniques do work.  The cost is so low to join.  Please join!  

As an apartment dweller I don't (yet) have hands on experience of permaculture or ecosystem design. Joining a cooperative like this seems like a great way to contribute something even now.

Fingers crossed that I can also join one of these camps when things are up and running. What I lack in knowledge and skill I can make up in enthusiasm

I hope people understand that you can join the cooperative now, and that they can not create the camps unless enough people join the cooperative.

A bit of a "pie in the sky" idea for a Sunday morning.  I'm wondering if down the road some hybrid concept of "military conscription" and the WPA would not be a great way for pretty much ALL youth to get their hands wet in permaculture.  It seems as if all of the original implementation in the past was "top-down" with the organizations already having the projects lined up for construction or repair.  But if there were a sub-program within a new WPA that was directed at permaculture implemetation and education, the youths doing the work would be getting the best education possible while simultaneously installing permaculture centers nationwide.  The newly constructed centers could continue into the future with a role as research and education centers.

WPA:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Works_Progress_Administration

Tyler Ludens wrote:I hope people understand that you can join the cooperative now, and that they can not create the camps unless enough people join the cooperative.

Yes, Good point! To be clear, I'm all signed up.
Also, would like to point out that it's not just for young people. From watching the videos it looks like the aim is to get people of all ages involved.

Update about the cooperative and the camps
In July 2016, when John D. Liu started this initiative, he proposed that when we reached 1000 members we would be in the position to move decisively forward. The good news is that we are today (January 23, 2017) at 842 members and more members are joining each day! This means we are very close now to achieving this first target, so it is time to get in touch with you through this newsletter.  We will inform you about how we are organizing ourselves and invite you to become an active participant in our people based community.



Message from John D. Liu
Dear Friends

I’m writing to all those who have joined the Ecosystem Restoration Cooperative as founding members.

The path to the creation of the cooperative and first camp is now becoming clear. A legal non-profit entity is in the process of forming to make it possible to accept and disperse funds to build the first camp.  We can see that the group has the energy and will to take on the important and urgent task of restoring the Earth. And, we believe that we can access the resources we need to build the camp from private donors.

The situation is evolving and there is room for everyone who wants to participate and to lead. There will be steps and missteps. Compassion, collaboration and clear communications are very helpful. We hope that everyone will approach this collaborative work with a light heart and trust in our mutual goals and values.

It is possible to see that the first camp in Spain will be realized in a few months. Within this camp we can each day collaboratively study and learn to restore the Earth’s basic ecological systems that have been degraded worldwide by our human ancestors. We are experimenting with self-governance and with building a new culture of joy, friendship and purpose.  We are engaged in “The Great Work of Our Time” to restore the Earth so that our children, grandchildren and future generations can survive and thrive on a fully functional planet.

We cannot do this in isolation or alone. Restoring the Earth is a big task that requires that we are all engaged. Healing the Earth requires that we open our hearts and learn to work together in collaboration. I would recommend that we realize the enormity of our task. This group is preparing for a marathon and not a sprint. So, I’ll let others explain what active members have been doing to move the project forward.

I hope to see you at the first camp soon and at many more camps around the world as soon as possible.

Let’s go camping and do our best to Heal the Earth and the Human Spirit.


Filmmaker, soil scientist and environmental activist John D. Liu


John D. Liu on Eco-Restoration Camps
How do we organise ourselves?
One of the great challenges of being a group by the people is how you organise the work. We are experimenting with Sociocracy and have temporarily organized ourselves into 6 main circles. We discuss the work and invite new active participating members to contribute their time and skills, communicating through a Slack-like platform called Discord,. From there people will be invited to form part of a more formal circle, with a maximum of 10 people currently responsible for decisions in the following areas. As we grow and evolve more circles will be formed around key tasks:

Administration and Legal issues
Communication and Fundraising
Camp Organization
Ecosystem Restoration Design
Education and Training
Evolution and Transformation

The first three circles are very active now: we are in the process of becoming a foundation, we start up our communication channels and a third group is very busy deciding what is necessary in our first camp in Spain and beyond. The last three groups are still forming themselves, which is logical. They have to wait for the first three to come up with their results.  At the moment around 50 people are actively spending 5 to 10 hours or more of their time per week on this work. We need more people to help us, and also want this process to be a bit more organized and transparent from now on.

https://vimeo.com/198124062

Tyler Ludens wrote:This is the exact thing I would like to do on our land.  We have the beginnings of a camp, with a composting toilet and a meeting site which were developed for a different camp idea which fell through when the organizer became seriously ill.  But we don't have any buildings.  I'm not a people person or a teacher, so I can't actually do anything about organizing the camp, I can only offer a patch of land.  I don't know if it could be a permanent thing, because the land is small, but it could be a testing ground, if anyone in this region is interested.  Our region is severely degraded - the carrying capacity of the land has been reduced to about 1/5 of its historical level, so there is a lot to do in this part of the world.  We're also likely to be vulnerable to climate change because it is a brittle environment subject to extremes of drought and flood even without climate change.

So if anyone reading this, who is in this region and does not have access to a piece of land to camp on and restore, here's a possibility.  It could be the beginning of a regional movement, perhaps.  

Can you explain a bit more about your situation?  How much land?  In your earlier vision of a camp, how many people did you anticipate being involved?  What aspects of John's project do you believe your land could contribute to the most?  (the logistics of camping/ the logistics of certain restoration techniques? etc...)  Do you believe that there is any chance that your land could become the camping spot for restoration efforts that extend to other privately owned spaces in the region?  Or is that unlikely?  What is the native ecosystem and plant community types that would be found in central Texas if the region was ecologically healthy?  What sources of financing do you anticipate?

Thanks!

It's all very unlikely because this is a small piece of land and I am an uncharismatic hermit.  I have no source of financing, only the land.  The "camp" area of land is only a couple of acres.  Our total parcel is only 20 acres.  Periodically I wish to be able to share the land somehow, but it seems pretty implausible at this point.

Also, my post above is really off-topic for this thread and I should probably delete it.

Tyler Ludens wrote:It's all very unlikely because this is a small piece of land and I am an uncharismatic hermit.  I have no source of financing, only the land.  The "camp" area of land is only a couple of acres.  Our total parcel is only 20 acres.  Periodically I wish to be able to share the land somehow, but it seems pretty implausible at this point.

Also, my post above is really off-topic for this thread and I should probably delete it.

Please do not delete it Tyler! Maybe (just maybe) your place is not fit for those camps, but your offer is a good example for others, who might be the right ones for John D.Liu's camps
btw 20 acres seems like a lot of land to me .... It is not the quantity, but the intention that counts

Tyler,  I agree, your idea is worth keeping visible.  Land like yours could offer up experiments in "how to camp well",  and one powerful version of your idea would be to facilitate restoration beyond single ownership boundaries over time. Your post is valuable as an idea to expand/ diversify upon what Liu has begun.   I only saw your response today; thank you!

Latest update from John Liu:

Dear Friends:

Greetings and best wishes on the day that ancient Saxon’s celebrated the Goddess of Spring with bunnies and eggs (This has somehow been adopted by Christians but no one has explained to me what bunnies and eggs have to do with the miraculous resurrection of Jesus).

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. Thank you to those of you who have already paid your pledges. I’d like to request that those of you who have not yet paid you membership supporting the creation of the Ecosystem Restoration Camps go to the website listed below and fill out profiles, add your photograph and pay your pledge.

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 to support this effort are encouraged to go to the following URL and fill out one last form and payment choice to honor their pledge:

http://www.ecosystemrestorationcamps.org/

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, 2016 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 building 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. Cori Chong, Tristan Sea and I all showed up in March!



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.

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. Here again is the link: http://www.ecosystemrestorationcamps.org/



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 wastewater from the camp is cleaned and used in irrigating the landscape. 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 while also supporting the local community.




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.

Although much effort is now going into Spain the foundation is dedicated to helping locate Ecosystem Restoration Camps wherever we are invited and can help to restore the Earth. 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.

The Earth is calling us. Many are called but few are chosen … those who answer the call … have chosen.

Be well and happy.

Best regards, John D. Liu


John D. Liu
Director, Environmental Education Media Project (EEMP)
Visiting Fellow, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO)
Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW)
Ecosystems Ambassador, Commonland Foundation
johndliu@icloud.com
john.liu@commonland.com
+86-13911-565016

<https://knaw.academia.edu/JohnDLiu>;

Looks great and I hope the camp in Spain moves forward and is successful!

I also wanted to add that for young people wanting to do ecosystem restoration work there are good programs that can help with this. In Washington State there is a program called the Washington Conservation Corps. This program consists of teams of 5 young people (25 or under if I remember correctly) and one team leader. These teams are hired by state agencies and non-profits to do work all around the state. I hired these teams to do restoration work at my sites for the past several years and I'm finishing up the process to hire them to do additional work next year. Not a permaculture group but they do great work and it is a great way for young people to get hands on ecosystem restoration experience - they also get paid for their time and I think get extra money to pay for college.

Dear Friends: We know enough to say that Biodiversity, Biomass and Accumulated Organic Matter are the evolutionary factors that have always regulated the Earth's climate (as well as soil fertility, biodiversity and the fresh water system-hydrological cycle).

Each of us affects this every day with all sorts of choices. When we are unconscious of the importance of the need for total vegetative cover, the role of the accumulating organic matter and the amazing diversity many of our choices are negative. Consider over-consumption, energy use, urban design, industrial agriculture, even just how we make grass lawns in all biomes.

When we understand how natural ecological systems work to cool, to infiltrate water, to support the microbial and fungal communities that transformed the Earth making it possible for us to exist then we act differently. At home, in our gardening choices, in what we buy. If we all understand this then the society will transform into something completely different because the things we are now producing, buying and selling will be very different. Even the basis of our money will change because we can see that Ecosystem Function is vastly more valuable than things that quickly pile up in the trash.

It really gets interesting when we realize that together we are powerful. We can join together in Ecosystem Restoration Camps and immediately and directly have a major impact on maintaining total vegetative cover, encouraging biodiversity, growing fertile soils, lowering temperatures, increasing moisture availability, and regulating the Earth's climate.

When we have this level of understanding we realize that it is not just our negative behavior that affects the Earth's climate. We can learn and implement all the best practices to mitigate and adapt to climate change. Then we are the answer to climate change.

I urge you to join this movement and help encourage more and more people to take this on. Do it for yourself and your family, do it for the next generations of life, to it for the Earth. If we all share 10 Euros per month (120 Euros per year) we can have camps all over the world and engage millions in this effort. We welcome you to join this growing movement.

https://www.ecosystemrestorationcamps.org/


John D. Liu
Ecosystems Ambassador, Commonland Foundation
Visiting Fellow, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO)
Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW)
johndliu@icloud.com
john.liu@commonland.com
+86-13911-565016

<https://knaw.academia.edu/JohnDLiu>;

Mr. Liu’s work is inspiring and inspired. I love this idea as a longtime camp kid turned counselor and coordinator at ymca Camp Colman, where during the 80’s and 90’s the leadership was brilliant. The number of Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger songs I learned by heart around the campfire indicates the directors’ inclinations. While I don’t remember it being explicitly stated as a source of their pedagogy in trainings, I bet they would be very inclined towards permaculture philosophies. These amazing women also always made everything fun and funny, even cleaning up. I heard the same explanation fifty times on how to do your dishes, and every time Kim made it funny. Lois always made you feel safe and cared for, and was the greatest public singing conductor I’ve ever seen.

I ended up writing my masters thesis on how service learning experiences that form a sense of altruistic community while immersed in nature can facilitate self realization and more socially and environmentally responsible behaviors. The positive impact of these camps will be far greater than what happens on the site itself, with ripples going out with each participant. We may be just rain drops in the ocean, but altogether we are the tide.

Member fundraising toolkit:  https://www.ecosystemrestorationcamps.org/member-toolkit/

New camp opening in Mexico:  https://www.ecosystemrestorationcamps.org/viaorganicaexperience/

Seeing the idea of temporary camps to help rewild and restore areas, I hope that any organizers are aware of the Rainbow Gathering, which as a group has decades of experience at setting up a temporary community in a remote area for a week or so festival, and then leaving the area better than they found it. I'm sure they would love to share techniques for site and camp preparation for such a worthy cause.