Article written by Davide Renna, one of the volunteers who participated in this project.o
Few days ago Reforestation Project has been concluded in Los Portales, eco-village in the southern region of Spain, Andalusia. The project lasted two weeks and ten volunteers from Spain, Italy and Germany partecipated. The goal was the reintroduction of local tree species such as encina (holm oak), alcorque (cork oak), espino bianco (hawthorn), pino (pine) and quejigo.
More than 350 little trees were planted and at least one thousand acorns. Among the other activities, of important matter was the removal of an other local yet invasive species, the jara or rockrose, in order to allow the other plants to thrive.
During the project, both in theoritical hours and on the field, the volunteers learnt how to enrich the soil, water retention’s technique, agroforest’s concept, the importance of micelium, an underground fungal network like the world wide web.
A new way of doing agricolture (or perhaps a lost one) was rediscovered, capable of a global approach to the ecosystem and in sinergy with human conduct. For examples, planting close enough two different species (strawberry and onion, tomato and basil), in order to make them protect and support each other; alternative strategy to herbicides and pesticides; the production of biochar, or terra preta, basically the charcoal, which mixed up with compost is an unparalleled ecological niche for microorganisms and fungi, important to have a rich and fertile soil.
The community of Los Portales is almost self-sufficient when it comes to energy and food resources: of course, some compromise is required as long as nature presents us limits, but the crucial aspect is the whole group of virtuous behaviours the members do o an daily base, like avoiding wasting food, using not too much electricity, recycling, reusing water for the crops, and so much more. To put it simple, where tecnology doesn’t get it, creativity, resourcefulness and a deeper understanding of nature do.
The form of government is sociocracy, a system based upon circles of people with full responsability towards a specific aspect or need of the community. Some members are bridges between the circles and the top or general circles (double linking). The decisions are made after an informed consent and after gathering all the objections (objection harvesting), discussed and explained.
An other important element, that perhaps really unite people in the community, is the group of tools used to solve problems and conflicts. During the project the two explored by the volunteers were deep listening and dreams’ portrayal. Deep listening is an unilateral conversation between two people: one listens without any comment or judgment, the other talk, for an agreed period of time, and at the end of it they switch roles. In dreams’ portrayal the dream of a person is told and staged like in theatral show; then it is analyzed not only in a logical way but also symbolical, based on the Jungian interpretation of dreams.
The project went also beyond the ecological theme. Thanks to the community of Los Portales, planting a tree has been enriched in a spiritual way: once we gathered, both the two groups of long term and short term of volunteers and the members, we planted two symbolic trees, with the hope that not only the current war in Middle East but all the wars may one day stop. And when the children started to mix the soil, to add the compost, to gently rest the trees, called Los Hermanos de la Paz, in that moment the whole entity of the deed showed in its strenght: a different sight towards the future, where there is life and not death, hope and not despair. Because looking towards the future with hope is not only living for ourselves, but also for the people that are going to come. In this way, planting a tree, something we do for the posterity, may take us away from individualism and finally reconnect to each other.
«A society grows great when old man plant trees in whose shade they shall never sit».
Some personal thoughts
Defining intense these two weeks is an understatement. I decided to partecipate to this project with the purpose of reconnecting with nature and to develop more awareness on ecological lifestyle. I found much more, something I didn’t expect: a completely different reality, where a community based on love and mutual support really impressed me. Even though there was a lot to do, people were always available for an advice, a small talk or to tell us their story.
I felt a place so full of possibilities to grow both personally and along others, where is possible to share and express ourselves. The deep listening in particular is an incredible tool I will bring with me and which taught me patience and the treasure someone can find when we face the other without any tought or prejudice.
In short, a two week experience capable of questioning a lot of choices the modern society made during the last seventy years, from the form of government to social and enviromental politics, from work life to private life, from the fragmentation of the extended family to socialization spaces. Concluding, we can only wish that not only Los Portales but all the ecovillages may keep hosting volunteers in order to make these aspects known to the new generations and to the future ones.
