Wild, Lush, and Happy: a rewilding urban landscapes update

 In March 2023, Earth Impact (Ei) Founder & CEO Holly Elmore announced the Ei Rewilding Rewilding Urban Landscape Pilots (Pilots) via a Regeneration in ACTION (RiA) article by the same name. 

The July 2025 RiA article, Building Soil Security via Rewilding Urban Landscapes, reintroduces the Pilots along with an overview of the evolution over the past four years, survival and recovery from the 2025 Hurricane Trilogy, and the 2025 Rewilding Pilots Maintenance.

Nurturing the Pilots is an ongoing endeavor with consistent hydration during the dry season, weeding and trimming during the rainy season, cleansing deceased annuals, and planting seeds, seedlings and other foliage as the Pilots evolve. 

Holly often documents the Pilots progress in a series of FB posts supported by Holly Elmore Images (HEI) photos. The following sections are reprints of Holly's FB posts related to the Pilots written in first person. All photos are courtesy of HEI.

WILD, HAPPY, & WEEDED!!! (09/27/25 post)
As it is time to plant the fall vegetable, herb, and edible-flower garden, I embarked on tidying up my wonderfully wild garden upon returning home from Montreal two weeks ago,

A wild, happy & weeded garden

Since the rabbits ate most of the early cover-crop seedlings, I let a few prolific, flowering “weeds” flourish in the garden as standby cover during the summer heat. Additionally, I laid plant trimmings in the garden to cover the soil. As the garden grows, I will clear out the trimmings. 

Ha, the Yard Priestess, Arial (my kitty) took the rabbit challenge into her capable paws. After she killed the first baby bunny, I set a strong intention within the yard’s energy vortex located in the middle of the food forest: NO SPORT HUNTING, except for lizards, is permitted on the property.

When she killed the adolescent bunny, Arial was firm that she was not sport hunting; the kill was a strong message to the neighborhood rabbits: you are not welcome on the property. Arial’s plan worked! 

With no evidence of rabbit activity since the second kill, the sunn hemp cover crop flourished; several of the sunn hemp plants are nearly ten feet tall! The sunn hemp will stay until I harvest and dehydrate their tasty blossoms for my house tea blends. Once the seed pods are dry, the plants are destined for the compost pile, and the seeds are saved for next year's cover crop.

Arial, the Yard Priestess

The mustard and arugula have no regard for garden parameters and grow randomly on both side yards. This is the third generation of arugula and mustard to reseed itself wherever it chooses. 

Notice the maturing papaya tree on the upper left and the Yaupon holly, the only caffeinated plant native to N America, on the right. Turmeric takes up residence throughout the backyard and several are below the Yaupon holly tree.

Between watering, tidying, and weeding, I spent nearly three hours in the yard today; it was sacred time and my heart is glistening.

LUSH & DELICIOUS (10/03/25 post)
The banana-compost circle is integral to the Ei Backyard Permaculture-Oriented Landscape Pilot,

When originally built in February 2022, I simply appreciated the compost circle as an avenue to "walk my talk" with food-scrap composting. Over the past nearly four years, the banana trees inherited from the home's prior occupants thrived and propagated into a dense mini forest.

Since the home reverse-osmosis-discharge water was routed to the compost circle, the banana trees expressed their gratitude with ample hands of decadent fruit. As of this post, there are four young banana hands ripening on the trees; one hand was harvested a few months ago and another this morning.

Banana compost circle

Last year, the abundant banana harvest was a major contributor to the 2024 Holly Jolly Sweet 'n Savory Treats (HJ Treats) bounty. Over thirty mini Chocolate Toffee-Banana Cakes accented with a cardamon-, coriander-, and ginger-spice blend and once out-of-the-oven soaked with simple syrup infused with coffee extract were baked - YUM! The cakes are on the menu for the 2025 HJ Treats menu!

Keeping with the tropical fruit-tree theme, a papaya tree was planted just outside of the banana circle during the 2025 Pilots Maintenance in June. The healthy tree has buds, the first step in the evolution to a tasty papaya.

With a prolific butterfly pea-blossom vine on a trellis behind the circle, I walk within the banana trees daily to harvest the lovely purple flowers; dehydrated butterfly blossoms are a staple ingredient in my house-made tea blends. Thus, I am up close and personal with the urban wildlife that calls the mini forest and compost pile home!

I love and appreciate my banana-compost circle on many levels and dimensions.

PRAYERS WORK (10/04/25 post)
Upon receipt weeks ago of the Florida Power & Light (FPL) notice of the pending tree trimming to clear power and utility lines, I immediately called upon Divine Energies to create a scenario where all benefited. As he oversees my yard, I asked and gave permission for Merlyn to take charge of the scenario.

The tree trimming begins

With perfect timing, as I left my home for an appointment on Monday morning (September 29,) the FPL crew was in the neighborhood. Immediately I found the tree-trimming company supervisor and asked about a "gentle trimming." Fortunately, the FPL manager was on site who could give permission for the gentle trimming.

After educating me on the various utility lines, the FPL manager approved a gentle trim for all utility lines, except the power line. FPL would trim my trees the following morning so I could witness the trimming in process. ALL involved were incredibly nice, professional, and communicative. 

Whew compared to my neighbor's gorgeous tree, my oaks appear unscathed. My neighbor's tree seemed to get a vertical butcher - painful!

SCORE: after speaking with the tree-trimming-company supervisor, FPL deposited the ground limbs on my gravel driveway! As the limbs were generally small, the ground tree debris is too fine for mulch yet perfect for compost!

Ground tree-debris pile

A friend and I smoothed out the pile from five-plus-feet tall to a good three-feet tall. The trimmings a foot or so beneath the surface were already hot! I expect it will take the microbial community roughly three months to cure the trimmings into compost. 

GUIDANCE: Holly tagged numerous compost-savvy friends to share their wisdom on tending to the compost pile. 

Though the Ei Pilots require significant nurturing and attention to maintain them in a tour-ready state, Holly finds the time spent in the yard as sacred. When the yard is wild, lush, and happy, Holly's heart brightens and her soul sings a lovely melody.

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About Earth Impact:

Earth Impact (formerly Elemental Impact) (Ei) is a 501(c)3 non-profit founded in 2010 as the home to the Zero Waste Zones, the forerunner in the nation for the commercial collection of food waste for compost. In June 2017, Ei announced the Era of Recycling Refinement was Mission Accomplished and entered the Era of Regeneration (June 2017 - June 2024). Focus areas included Nature Prevails, Soil Health | Regenerative Agriculture, and Water Use | Toxicity.

The Regeneration in ACTION (RiA) Magazine articles, From Organic Certification to Regenerative Agriculture to Rewilding Landscapes: an evolution towards soil integrity and SOIL & WATER: the foundation of life, published to explain and substantiate the importance of Ei’s rewilding urban landscapes work within the Nature Prevails focus area. What We Eat Matters is an emerging platform that intertwines within the three focus areas.

As Ei enters the Era of Impact (June 2024 – present,) gears shift to a new business model, Ei Educates. Though education was always integral to Ei’s important work, the  primary focus was on projects, pilots, and initiatives supported by Ei Partners. The Regeneration Era focus areas carry over into the Era of Impact.

With the publishing of the March 2025 RiA Magazine article, Water Security: a pending to realized crisis, the Water Use | Toxicity platform evolved into the Water Security platform.

The Holly Elmore Images Rewilding Urban Landscapes-album folder documents two active pilots: the Native-Plant Landscape Pilot and the Backyard Permaculture-Oriented Pilot. The Ei Pilots serve as an educational program.

MISSION:

To work with industry leaders to create best regenerative operating practices where the entire value-chain benefits, including corporate bottom lines, communities, and the environment. Through education and collaboration, establish best practices as standard practices.

Ei’s tagline – Regeneration in ACTION – is the foundation for Ei endeavors.

The following mantra is at the core of Ei work:

Ei is a creator, an incubator.

Ei determines what could be done that is not being done and gets it done.

Ei brings the possible out of impossible.

Ei identifies pioneers and creates heroes.

For additional information, contact Holly Elmore at 404-510-9336 | holly@earth-impact.org.