Man grows 1,360-acre forest in India...by himself

great story and happily this is not the first time i have heard a story like this.
there is an animated movie about some one who did pretty much the same thing somewhere in southern africa.
the film is called "the man who planted trees".

and for an somewhat of an american version, there is the tale of johnny appleseed, a favorite story of mine from my youth.

reply to post by The Benevolent Adversary


Thank you for that!

Here it is for all:

didnt know trees were so cheap on ebay, even evergreen conifers!

last year planted like 100, but just bought 1000 on ebay (white pine for naturalization on some acreage borders) and 100 leylands (for my residence).

i think the some of the arbor foundations mail you 10 free trees when you become a member (for like $10). i've done that dozens of times over the past few years since i turned 25.

Well, this is a great and inspiring story! It also reminds me of the story that happened in France, long time ago, in the Cévennes area. This used to be a very dry area with not much growing there. A single man, a shepherd, kept planting acorns wherever he went with his sheep all the time, using his baton to make a hole and throw in a seed then cover it again. The trees started started growing and finally they grew into a huge forest that covered the whole area where nothing else was before...
And I also know a man, in Switzerland, this is an actual story. He is now in his fifties, and he kept planting every seed fron the fruit he ate, wherever he went: apples, pears, prunes, figs, peaches, lychees, ... etc. Now, 25 years later, he sees "his" trees growing all over the place, offering a place for birds and other animals and free fruit for those who happen to pass there. This is his happy reward and goes on doing that...
So I think this is a wonderful story and marvelous example of what a single person can and will do with faith and patience and we could all emulate him. Why not plant seeds rather than throwing them into the garbage or even rather than putting them into the compost bin?
Thanks for sharing with all!

thats almost as coolas the guy who grew a tree chair!

pooktre.com...

reply to post by The Benevolent Adversary

it is actually based on a book which came out first.

Originally posted by stanguilles7

Originally posted by jude11


Even if it worked out to 1 acre per person that we planted....That's a small scale project that many (not all) could attempt and actually carry out.

No matter where you live, plant a few native plants every year. Especially ones that produce food or medicine for people. Learning proper location, etc, is important, but just getting started is the most important.

Study the land. Observe the cycles. Get in touch with native nurseries in your area. Find out what they recommend to plant. A small investment of eve just $20 a year and some of your time can begin to pay off quite quickly.

There is a lot of evidence that the entire Amazon Rainforest is actually a large, distended food forest from peoples now amost entirely decimated. Humans CAN tend the earth for the better.

edit on 1-5-2012 by stanguilles7 because: (no reason given)

Do you have any links to this info about the Amazon? I'd love to read about it! (genuine interest not doubting your statement)

reply to post by Romekje


Yup, no problem. Addressed it here:

www.abovetopsecret.com...

Great book. Highly recommended.

Is this real? This is amazing - I envy this man - what a fantastic life accomplishment. There's plenty of areas in Britain where we could do the same.

It is estimated that as much as 10% of the Amazon rainforest is manmade and shows signs of land management.

It is not only possible, it's required for a healthy ecosystem.

Originally posted by AGWskeptic
It is estimated that as much as 10% of the Amazon rainforest is manmade and shows signs of land management.

It is not only possible, it's required for a healthy ecosystem.

Actually, the estimates go up to pretty much a 100%

Indeed, much of the American forests were actively tended for a very long time prior to european arrival.

reply to post by stanguilles7

I seriously find that hard to believe - evidence?

Originally posted by OliverNorthsCat
reply to post by stanguilles7

 

I seriously find that hard to believe - evidence?

Which do you find hard to believe? That the Amazon rainforest is pretty much the remnants of a manmade forest, or that much of the American forests were actively tended by people?

From a previous post in this thread:

Planting their orchards, the first Amazonians transformed large swaths of the river basin into something more pleasing to human beings. In a widely cited article from 1989, William Balée, the Tulane anthropologist, cautiously estimated that about 12 percent of the nonflooded Amazon forest was of anthropogenic origin—directly or indirectly created by human beings. In some circles this is now seen as a conservative position. "I basically think it's all human-created," Clement told me in Brazil. He argues that Indians changed the assortment and density of species throughout the region. So does Clark Erickson, the University of Pennsylvania archaeologist, who told me in Bolivia that the lowland tropical forests of South America are among the finest works of art on the planet. "Some of my colleagues would say that's pretty radical," he said, smiling mischievously. According to Peter Stahl, an anthropologist at the State University of New York at Binghamton, "lots" of botanists believe that "what the eco-imagery would like to picture as a pristine, untouched Urwelt [primeval world] in fact has been managed by people for millennia." The phrase "built environment," Erickson says, "applies to most, if not all, Neotropical landscapes."

www.abovetopsecret.com...

He sounds like a mordern day Mother Teresa of plants in a very hot and uncomfortable place.

Good for him and others take note!

India needs all the help it can get from visionary s like this man, with the huge population they have and are going to have to manage soon.

Give him some men, some supply's and get this man farming!

I would love to grow a forest in the Houses of Parliment, it would be a far better use of the space.

Epic
Shows the power of what any one of us can do.

Nature has an order for turning wasteland or burned over areas in to productive, green spaces.
The first plants to colonize such an area are known as pioneer plants.
Often, these are what most consider as "weeds".
While seen as undesirable in suburban lawns such plants perform the important tasks of stopping erosion, retaining rainwater in the ground and fixing nitrogen in the soil.
Along with grasses these are the plants most easily started in such areas.
Once they have been established (1 - 2 years) the odds of successful tree planting are raised considerably.

If you were to seed your own area I would recommend this method first as I believe you will find it to be the least wasteful of seed and your time.
I have a friend who planted redwoods 40 years ago on his property in Virginia. I only wish I could live long enough to see them mature.

reply to post by jude11


good for him. i think he had more work to do.

This is incredible. Only if everyone was earth cautious like this man. It's hard to see past the TV and computer screens, when kids are thrown into this complex world. It's sad but most people don't care.

Originally posted by Asktheanimals
Epic

Shows the power of what any one of us can do.

Nature has an order for turning wasteland or burned over areas in to productive, green spaces.
The first plants to colonize such an area are known as pioneer plants.
Often, these are what most consider as "weeds".
While seen as undesirable in suburban lawns such plants perform the important tasks of stopping erosion, retaining rainwater in the ground and fixing nitrogen in the soil.
Along with grasses these are the plants most easily started in such areas.
Once they have been established (1 - 2 years) the odds of successful tree planting are raised considerably.

If you were to seed your own area I would recommend this method first as I believe you will find it to be the least wasteful of seed and your time.
I have a friend who planted redwoods 40 years ago on his property in Virginia. I only wish I could live long enough to see them mature.

Great advice and if only a few people read and follow it...we'll be ok.

Peace

Global warming can be reversed somewhat if people did more things like this but NASA can make clouds that rain, with better tech you could make a desert into an ocean.