sofo:social_forestry

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sofo:social_forestry [2026/04/20 16:29] – [(Some) social forestry principles] Simon Grantsofo:social_forestry [2026/04/21 18:25] (current) – [Culture-landscape integration] Simon Grant
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 Social forestry is a collection of both **practical skills** and **philosophical perspectives** for the development of **inter-species commoning**. What does that mean? When we think of community-building, we often mean it in the sense of building relationships between humans. Social forestry extends this circle: how do we build community in a way that has its foundation in the specific environment of that community's land?  Social forestry is a collection of both **practical skills** and **philosophical perspectives** for the development of **inter-species commoning**. What does that mean? When we think of community-building, we often mean it in the sense of building relationships between humans. Social forestry extends this circle: how do we build community in a way that has its foundation in the specific environment of that community's land? 
  
-Social forestry is best described in the book //Social Forestry: Tending the Land as People of Place// by Tomi Hazel Vaarde. Here is some [information about the Social Forestry book](https://synergeticpress.com/catalog/social-forestry-tending-the-land-as-people-of-place/), from the publisher's website. Tomi Hazel Vaarde writes from extensive experience in working pillaged, damaged, colonised land in Turtle Island (the USA). Hazel prefers the pronoun, Friend, from Quaker culture, as well as they or she.+Social forestry is best described in the book //Social Forestry: Tending the Land as People of Place// by Tomi Hazel Vaarde. Here is some [information about the Social Forestry book](https://synergeticpress.com/catalog/social-forestry-tending-the-land-as-people-of-place/), from the publisher's website. Tomi Hazel Vaarde writes from extensive experience in working pillaged, damaged, colonised land in Turtle Island (the USA).
  
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 ![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9c/Sterling_Mine_Ditch_Trail_%2850857654287%29.jpg/960px-Sterling_Mine_Ditch_Trail_%2850857654287%29.jpg?direct&550) ![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9c/Sterling_Mine_Ditch_Trail_%2850857654287%29.jpg/960px-Sterling_Mine_Ditch_Trail_%2850857654287%29.jpg?direct&550)
 <caption> <caption>
- _Hazel writes from experience. Friend's experience is from land in the West of [[c:Turtle Island]], which can look a lot like this._+ _Hazel writes from experience. Their experience is from land in the West of [[c:Turtle Island]], which can look a lot like this._
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 </figure> </figure>
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-===== Legacy trees =====+ 
 +---- 
 + 
 +===== Social forestry fundamentals ===== 
 + 
 +### Legacy trees
  
 A legacy tree is a big, old, hardwood tree, for example, an oak tree. Many of us live in lands that have been very heavily deforested, and we don't have many legacy trees left. It is very important for us to protect and nurture these trees! A legacy tree is a big, old, hardwood tree, for example, an oak tree. Many of us live in lands that have been very heavily deforested, and we don't have many legacy trees left. It is very important for us to protect and nurture these trees!
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-![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/75/Major_Oak%2C_Sherwood_Forest_-_geograph.org.uk_-_1198271.jpg?)+![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/75/Major_Oak%2C_Sherwood_Forest_-_geograph.org.uk_-_1198271.jpg?direct&550)
 <caption> <caption>
  _Major Oak in Sherwood Forest is a great example of a legacy tree. It is a forest feature to orient around, as well as a cultural touchstone. Source: John Palmer / Major Oak, Sherwood Forest / CC BY-SA 2.0._  _Major Oak in Sherwood Forest is a great example of a legacy tree. It is a forest feature to orient around, as well as a cultural touchstone. Source: John Palmer / Major Oak, Sherwood Forest / CC BY-SA 2.0._
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-===== Catchments and guilds =====+### Catchments and guilds
  
 Rivers are like the veins and arteries of our land. They flow across council boundary lines and country borders. Each river is surrounded by a [catchment](https://catchmentbasedapproach.org/get-involved/) or drainage basin. The catchment is the land where, when rain falls there, it will eventually flow into the river. Anything that happens on a catchment will impact the river. **Almost all land in Britain and Ireland is part of a river catchment.**  Rivers are like the veins and arteries of our land. They flow across council boundary lines and country borders. Each river is surrounded by a [catchment](https://catchmentbasedapproach.org/get-involved/) or drainage basin. The catchment is the land where, when rain falls there, it will eventually flow into the river. Anything that happens on a catchment will impact the river. **Almost all land in Britain and Ireland is part of a river catchment.** 
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-===== Communication and a sense of belonging =====+### Communication and a sense of belonging
  
 Our modern culture isolates people from the land and from each other. Social forestry revolves around tight-knit communities which work in conjunction with other communities. Establishing and maintaining community is difficult. The formation of guilds allows people to unite over shared work, and via the relationship-building act of teaching each other. Our modern culture isolates people from the land and from each other. Social forestry revolves around tight-knit communities which work in conjunction with other communities. Establishing and maintaining community is difficult. The formation of guilds allows people to unite over shared work, and via the relationship-building act of teaching each other.
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- +### Culture-landscape integration
-===== Culture-landscape integration =====+
  
 Many of us live in cultures that are detached from our landscapes. Hazel calls us "Moderns" or "Modern people". We can buy food from halfway around the planet, and our lives can be transplanted from one location to another with relative ease (as long as you have the money and the immigration documents). This is distinct from cultures that have a strong connection to their land. Many of us live in cultures that are detached from our landscapes. Hazel calls us "Moderns" or "Modern people". We can buy food from halfway around the planet, and our lives can be transplanted from one location to another with relative ease (as long as you have the money and the immigration documents). This is distinct from cultures that have a strong connection to their land.
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 How might one establish new practices (or retrofit old ones) that integrate the landscape into our daily lives? That's something to explore. Maybe existing celebrations could have new traditions appended to them, like going and foraging young plants during a springtime celebration. Maybe festivals can be started revolving around a landscape feature, like an "acorn festival" where people help tend to oak trees and collect acorns, and then eat acorn-based treats. **Which landscape features would you celebrate? How might you get others to start doing it?** Sometimes it can be as simple as just //doing it// --- meeting up with friends somewhere public, making banners to draw attention, and let people join in as they take notice. How might one establish new practices (or retrofit old ones) that integrate the landscape into our daily lives? That's something to explore. Maybe existing celebrations could have new traditions appended to them, like going and foraging young plants during a springtime celebration. Maybe festivals can be started revolving around a landscape feature, like an "acorn festival" where people help tend to oak trees and collect acorns, and then eat acorn-based treats. **Which landscape features would you celebrate? How might you get others to start doing it?** Sometimes it can be as simple as just //doing it// --- meeting up with friends somewhere public, making banners to draw attention, and let people join in as they take notice.
 +
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 +<figure>
 +![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/67/Circular_solar_calendar.png?direct&550px)
 +<caption>
 + _A Northern-hemisphere circular solar calendar, depicting 2 solstices, 2 equinoxes, and 4 cross-quarter days. Traditional Gaelic (triskel symbol) and Christian (crucifix symbol) terms are used._
 +</caption>
 +</figure>
 +</WRAP>
 +
 +### Diversity, messiness, and taboo
 +
 +Social forestry embraces diversity and messiness, as the Wild we interface with is diverse and messy. Categories are useful but are not sacred; deviations and exceptions are natural and should be embraced. In human communities, people may not fit nicely into expected roles --- don't force them, find what //does// suit them and let that passion shine. Modern culture demands a narrow set of competencies and manners of self-expression, resulting in a lot of miserable people who have their skills and passions squandered. No wonder Modern culture produces so many "troublemakers"!
 +
 +At the same time, taboos are necessary to maintain good social forestry culture. You might know about the [paradox of tolerance](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paradox_of_tolerance). We will all carry our own baggage, but we can't let that baggage go unaddressed if it is undermining the community. 
 +
 +It is essential that community members understand what the taboo is, why it exists, and how it is effective at doing its job. Consider the following rule: "No smoking on the bus". This taboo exists to prevent exposure to secondhand smoke. It is pretty effective, but less so now that there are electronic vapes that people can hide. Some people do not consider it sufficiently important to prevent spreading secondhand smoke, and smoke on the bus anyway. How might the taboo be reworked?
 +
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 +<figure>
 +![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/bb/Crocodile_warning_sign%2C_Bramston_Beach%2C_2018.jpg/960px-Crocodile_warning_sign%2C_Bramston_Beach%2C_2018.jpg?direct&550)
 +<caption>
 + _A warning sign showing both the taboo (no swimming) and also why the taboo exists (crocodiles)._
 +</caption>
 +</figure>
 +</WRAP>
 +
 +
 +----
 +
 +
 +===== Considering using social forestry techniques =====
 +
 +Do any of the above fundamentals stand out to you? Are there any that you already practice, or are there ones that you would want to work towards? How might some of these fundamentals be added to the things that you are doing? 
 +
 +It's worth repeating: social forestry practice is //by definition// going to look different in every context. It must be adapted to the landscape and its community and their shared history. This will be iterative, and practice will change over time over trial-and-error. Check back with the fundamentals of land-culture integration, diversity, transparency in rule-making and decision-making, and letting the landscape guide the work we do on it. From that seed, a different plant will grow depending on where you plant it.
  
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  • sofo/social_forestry.1776702589.txt.gz
  • Last modified: 2026/04/20 16:29
  • by Simon Grant