My good brother Frank and I were one day discussing ways in which we could approach the environmental issues from a practical point of view,and which provided a non-antagonistic approach which would possibly be better accepted by the general community.In other words,we were looking for something which would bridge the gaps between environmentally minded people and those who are not so environmentally inclined. We came up with the idea of giving away trees.The original idea also included giving away water,as this is also fast becoming a scarce commodity in this world,and attention needs to be brought to this fact,but I did not take on this aspect,though I now wish that I had.In any case,I was left with the impression that giving away trees was a very good way to get something happening,so in May of 2000 the Mother Earth Environment Centre became a reality in the beautiful hills of Rosebank in northern NSW,Australia,not far from Byron Bay and Nimbin. Over a period of four years,Mother Earth gave away around 10,000 native trees and plants,and as we had linked up with an adventure tour company based in Byron Bay,tree planting was incorporated in the tours.I cannot describe how many magical experiences we had with visitors from overseas,and how much it affected some to be given the opportunity to plant a tree. We used to buy seedlings from local nurseries,and then pot them on to get them to a better size for planting,and we also collected seeds and grew those.Overall,it cost very little to keep the supply going,and we gained support from right across the community.And that was a beautiful thing too,because even hard nosed farmers were with us.Basically,our approach worked and that is why I want to share it with others.Maybe there are people out there looking for a way to make a difference,but don't know where to start.The beauty of the Mother Earth concept is that it is simple.As soon as you have given away your first tree,you've achieved your goal.Anything after that is a bonus. Anyway,I don't want to make this too long,so I'll stop here.I find it very difficult to keep my correspondence short,so I hope that you will all forgive me if I go on for too long. Peace and love to you, Feralking.
Hi feralking I just wanted to let you know that I support your idea and to thank you for your post. what you have achieved sounds really wonderful and I'd like to learn more about Mother Earth! It is so nice to hear that the farmers were supportive too. I'm originally from the mid north coast NSw, not far from Byron, but I am now living in vic. Despite being one of the smallest states, vic still has the highest percentage of it's natural bushland intact, but is also the most extensively farmed. How about that? unbelieveable I know. So this idea would be a huge benefit to victorian's. What would your plans have been in regards to the water situation in Australia and what do you think of water desalination? thanks again for sharing peace August
Hello Sister, I left NSW about a year and a half ago and I'm now living in Darwin.Mother Earth grew and grew,and eventually I found that I could not keep up with the work.As well as having a lot of support from locals and people from overseas,there were also those who decided that they didn't like the idea that a feral type was doing something that was taking the attention from them.Inadvertently,I became involved in politics,and that really took the energy away from me.But Mother Earth had already achieved more than I had ever dreamed possible,and can I please say that I did not do it on my own.There were a lot of people involved in the whole process. With regards to the water issue,my friend had suggested bringing clean water down from the falls in the hills around Rosebank,and just having a container that people could help themselves from.The excersise would have been aimed at bringing awareness to the general public about the water politics that were already occuring in the area,as well as highlighting the up and coming commercial value that was being manipulated by corporate bodies.In short,just as Monsanto wants to control food resources in the world through avenues such as genetic modification,there are also those who aim to control water supplies.Understanding the politics that would be involved in taking this on,I chose to stick with the trees.Replacing vegetation ultimately has the effect of bringing back the rain. Anyone can do the Mother Earth gig.Seedlings can be bought from as little as 50 cents each,and second hand pots are anywhere from 5 cents to 20 cents each second hand.Potting mix is not expensive either.A bit of knowledge about local plants is easy to find,and once you get going you'll find that peolpe are more than willing to help you out.Plants can be distributed through venues such as community centres,and even local markets.It doesn't take long for people to start contacting you with their needs.What I'm trying to say is that once you get going,momentum will take over. Desalination is a subject that I do not know that much about,but the way that things are going,we may all need to familiarise ourselves with the process.It does not seem that long ago that people would have laughed if you told them that we'd be buying water in the shops,and the reality that it has come to this is something that I find disconcerting.There are so many big issues in the world now that we often miss the details of what is happening around us. Thanks for your interest.By the way,I am considering starting up Mother Earth here in Darwin some time in the near future.At the moment I'm inundated with studies and my work with people. Much love and peace to you sister. Feralking.
