Building Soil Security via Rewilding Urban Landscapes

In March 2023, Earth Impact (Ei) Founder & CEO Holly Elmore announced the Ei Rewilding Rewilding Urban Landscape Pilots via a Regeneration in ACTION (RiA) article by the same name. The intro sections of this article are derived from the referenced 2023 article.

Front-yard Native Plant Landscape Pilot
Photo credit: Holly Elmore Images

Beyond regenerative agriculture and landscape practices, rewilding land restores the natural ecosystem that evolved over thousands of years. Rewilding land requires the restoration of native plants and cultivates food for indigenous insects. Strong insect populations are the foundation for restoring wildlife-predator/prey hierarchies that once thrived prior to human intrusion.

Inherent within rewilding urban landscapes are three primary benefits: 

• Restoration of vibrant soil ecosystems and urban-wildlife populations; production of nutritious food destined for wildlife and humans.
• Drawdown of carbon from the atmosphere into the soils via plant photosynthesis.
• Establishment of food-secure neighborhoods within a community.

Homegrown National Park
Via his recent book, Bringing Nature Home, how you can sustain wildlife with native plants, Doug announces his Homegrown National Park (HNP) initiative in partnership with Michelle Alfandari, business development consultant, entrepreneur, small business owner, and retimer.

HNP is a grass roots call-to-action to regenerate biodiversity. According to Doug,

“In the past, we have asked one thing of our gardens: that they be pretty. Now they have to support life, sequester carbon, feed pollinators, and manage water.”

National awareness is HNP's product along with a request for the below actions on the more than 40-million acres of private lawn in the United States:

1. Reduce lawns.
2. Plant more native plants.
3. Remove invasive and/or non-native plants.

The What's the Rush 24-minute video by Doug is a superb overview of the critical status of the insect population along with simple lifestyle changes by individuals that collectively make a huge difference.

Permaculture-Oriented Landscapes (POL)
In the previously referenced video, What's the Rush?, Doug refers to POL as ecological landscapes with the following four purposes:

• 

  Banana compost circle
  Photo credit: Holly Elmore Images
  

  Support food webs, human and wildlife.
• Sequester carbon.
• Clean and manage water.
• Support pollinators.

Ei partners with Zach Zildjian Design Services (ZZ Design) on promoting POL. Per Zach Zildjian, an ecological landscaper, POL have three main components:

• Food forest (perennial food production.)
• Vegetable & herb gardens (annual food production.)
• Compost of landscape debris as well as home-food waste.

Ei Rewilding Urban Landscape Pilots

When she returned to her hometown, Sarasota, Florida, after residing in Atlanta for four decades, Holly dedicated her nearly 8,500-square-foot yard to two rewilding pilots. 

The Holly Elmore Images (HEI) Ei Rewilding Urban Landscapes album documents the pilots' progress in a series of photo galleries.

Ei Native-Plant-Landscape Pilot
Native-plant landscapes provide urban wildlife access to food and habitat. When "cide-*" free, native-plant landscapes provide wildlife a safe haven amid urban life filled with buildings, roadways, and often sterile and/or toxic open areas.

Local wildlife evolved to thrive on native foliage and, in general, do not eat or nest in non-native plants. Additionally, many non-native plants are invasive and choke out native plants, further challenging urban wildlife.

2021 Installation Day
Photo credit: Holly Elmore Images

Holly's front yard was designated for only native plants with a focus on food and habitat for local urban wildlife. First steps included removing the non-native, decorative plants from prior residents and smothering the existing grass.

Pamela Callender of Lifelines consulted, designed, purchased the plants, and installed the native-plant landscape on November 18 & 19, 2021.

The HEI album, Ei Native-Plant-Landscape Pilot, documents the the front-yard evolution through a series of photo galleries.

* "cides" are defined as herbicides, pesticides, insecticides, and fungicides.

Ei Backyard-Permaculture Pilot

The backyard pilot follows POL practices with an emphasis on human-food-producing plants. A food-waste-compost circle surrounded by banana trees is integral to the design. Thus, the general rule for the backyard landscape: any non-native plants must produce human food and/or provide direct soil-ecosystem benefit.

Food forest post-maintenance
Photo credit: Holly Elmore Images

While the front-yard landscape is strictly native plants and was installed over a two-day period, the backyard pilot is an evolutionary process. For nearly nine months, the backyard was permitted to return to its "wild state" with abundant plant diversity; a variety of happy insects frolicked in the knee-high grass infiltrated with flowering plants.

Beginning in early 2021, the backyard was slowly "tamed" with mulched paths, a banana compost circle, a row of native-blueberry bushes under the roof dripline, a pollinator garden, a food forest, and a raised herb-garden area with sun protection. Once the invasive carrotwood tree was removed, the south-side yard was opened to ample sunshine and prepped for a vegetable, herb, and edible-flower garden.

No herbicides or soil tilling were used in the taming process; Holly hand-weeded the majority of the areas before prepping for its destination.

The HEI album, Ei Backyard-Permaculture Landscape Pilot, documents the backyard's evolution through a series of photo galleries.

Pilot Evolution
Since their 2021 and 2022 respective installations, the Pilots evolved via the original plants thriving and reseeding themselves along with planting additional foliage. Urban wildlife discovered the urban oasis and thrive with abundant food and ample habitat for nurturing the next generation.

The food forest and surrounding gardens
support healthy soil ecosystems.
Photo credit: Holly Elmore Images

Located on Florida's Central Gulf, Sarasota experiences extreme weather events from severe drought to floods and destruction from tropical storms and hurricanes. Thus, healthy soil ecosystems are critical to the Pilots for survival within droughts, hurricane-force winds, and torrential rain. 

Regular maintenance days scheduled several times annually include mulch and natural fertilizers (fish emulsion, liquid kelp seaweed, worm castings, compost, and other natural products) applications, pruning, and new-plant installations are essential to nurturing healthy soil ecosystems. Daily maintenance includes weeding to keep invasive species at bay, hydration as necessary, and general observation of plant health.

2024 Hurricane Trilogy

The second half of the 2024 hurricane season was brutal to Florida's Gulf Coast: three hurricanes - Debby, Helene, and Milton - made landfall in two months, with Helene and Milton less than two weeks apart. Each hurricane wreaked havoc with different flavors of destruction.

Fallen oak tree branch from Milton
Photo credit: Holly Elmore Images

The Pilots are located three miles inland from Sarasota Bay and were directly impacted by the three hurricanes.

With their own personality and parameters, Hurricanes Debby, Helene, and Milton arrived in and left the Sarasota region with unique damage and destruction.

Debby, a rain event
In early August, then Tropical Storm Debby brought 18 inches of rain to Holly's backyard, flooding the lower-yard levels yet not her home. Two weeks earlier a low-pressure system ended the severe drought with 16 inches of rain in two days. Thus, the area ground was saturated when Debby's rain arrived. Within a day or so, all water dispensed by Debby was absorbed into the healthy soils.

Note Debby remained a tropical storm when she visited the Sarasota area and later garnered the energy to segue into a hurricane.

Helene, a storm-surge event
On September 26, Hurricane Helene moved north through the Gulf around 100 miles off the Florida Central Gulf Coast. Predictions included 4 - 7 feet of storm surge on the Sarasota barrier islands and bay-front coastline. Due to Helene's 100-mile distance offshore, many were surprised when the storm surge arrived as predicted; the storm surge completely flooded the barrier islands and dropped tremendous volumes of sand on roadways and in homes and businesses. The destruction was devastating.

In Sarasota, minimal rain accompanied Helene with Holly recording approximately two inches of rain at her home. Thus, Helene left minimal impact on the Pilots.

Milton, a wind event
At 8:30 pm on October 9, Milton made landfall on the southern portion of Siesta Key, one of Sarasota's barrier islands, as a Category 3 storm; two days earlier Milton rapidly intensified into a Category 5 hurricane breaking records as one of the most powerful storms in the Atlantic basin. Holly's home is less than ten miles from the landfall point.

Hurricane-wind ravaged garden
Photo credit: Holly Elmore Images

For nearly an hour, Milton's eye hovered over the Sarasota region gifting residents with the surreal silence inherent within the eye of a hurricane.

Though the area lost tremendous elder tree cover, the predicted obliteration of the Sarasota barrier islands did not manifest. A good portion of the region was without power for a week or more.

The HEI gallery, 2024 Hurricane Trilogy, documents that significant damage to the Pilots by Milton. Yet, the damage did not compare to the nearby destruction experienced by Suncoast residents.

2025 Pilots Maintenance
Six months after surviving the ravage of the 2024 Hurricane Trilogy, the Pilots were ready for serious maintenance as well as new plant additions. The maintenance timed perfectly with the three-year anniversary of the food forest planting.

The HEI gallery, 2025 Rewilding Pilots Maintenance, documents the profound maintenance. For most of the photo series, images are in reverse chronological order, beginning with post-maintenance, followed by pre-maintenance, and completed with the initial installation. It was inspiring to witness the evolution of the Pilots, both from hurricane resiliency and maturation.

Inspiration 

Pollinator Garden in POL Pilot
Photo credit: Holly Elmore Images

Ei introduced the Ei Rewilding Urban Landscapes Pilots to inspire others to build soil security via rewilding their yards and other urban landscapes.

Though Ei no longer hosts formal Pilot tours, individuals often request private tours for inspiration on what can be done in their yards or to simply bask in the magical energy. Holly frequently gifts seeds and seedlings to fellow local gardeners who always exchange with bounty from their abundant yards.

Though the pilots were complete yard transformations, Ei supports taking small, manageable steps; it is important to take whatever steps flow for the individual or organization. Celebrate successes, share with friends and family, and join the Homegrown National Park!

_______________________________________

Tax-deductible donations in any amount are greatly appreciated to support Ei's important work. 

DONATE HERE

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.

A Hurricane Trilogy

The second half of the 2024 hurricane season was brutal to Florida's Gulf Coast: three hurricanes - Debby, Helene, and Milton - made landfall in two months, with Helene and Milton less than two weeks apart. Each hurricane wreaked havoc with different flavors of destruction.

Earth Impact's (Ei) global offices reside in Ei Founder & CEO Holly Elmore's Sarasota home, located three miles inland from Sarasota Bay. Sarasota is on the Central Gulf Coast 50-miles south of Tampa and was directly impacted by the three hurricanes.

Hurricanes
With their own personality and parameters, Hurricanes Debby, Helene, and Milton arrived in and left the Sarasota region with unique damage and destruction.

Debby, a rain event
In early August, then Tropical Storm Debby brought 18 inches of rain to Holly's backyard, flooding the lower-yard levels yet not her home. Two weeks earlier a low pressure system ended the severe drought with 16 inches of rain in two days. Thus, the area ground was saturated when Debby's rain arrived and caused severe flooding.

Tropical Storm Debby
street flooding
photo courtesy of Holly Elmore Images

Debby's flooding was generally inland along Philippe Creek, a 7.2-mile stream within the Sarasota Bay Watershed, the Myakka River, a 72-mile river that flows through Manatee, Sarasota, and Charlotte Counties into the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf) through Charlotte Harbor, and in several well-established neighborhoods.

Much of Debby's flooding in Sarasota was unprecedented and served as a wake-up call for the importance of infrastructure maintenance; many in the community questioned the common practice of filling in wetlands to build gated communities and other developments.

Before making landfall on August 4 in Steinhatchee on Florida's panhandle, Debby strengthened into a Category 1 hurricane.

Helene, a storm-surge event
On September 26, Hurricane Helene moved north through the Gulf around 100 miles off the Florida Central Gulf Coast. Predictions included 4 - 7 feet of storm surge on the Sarasota barrier islands and bay-front coastline. Due to Helene's 100-mile distance off shore, many were surprised when the storm surge arrived as predicted; the storm surge completely flooded the barrier islands and dropped tremendous volumes of sand on roadways and in homes and businesses. The destruction was devastating.

In Sarasota, minimal rain accompanied Helene with Holly recording approximately two inches of rain at her home.

Helene made landfall as a massive Category 4 Hurricane in Florida's Big Bend Region. After making landfall, Helen traveled north causing catastrophic damage in the North Carolina western mountains and other areas; the destruction path was 500-miles long.

Milton, a wind event
Less than two weeks after Helene's devastation, the Florida Gulf Coast braced for a cataclysmic hurricane garnering unbelievable strength as it traveled east through the warm Gulf waters. With minimal time for collection, streets on the barrier islands remained lined with debris from cleanup of Helene's destruction. Meanwhile, Hurricane Milton barreled towards the Tampa Bay / Sarasota area.

Fallen tree near Holly's home
photo courtesy of Holly Elmore Images

At 8:30 pm on October 9, Milton made landfall on the southern portion of Siesta Key, one of Sarasota's barrier islands, as a Category 3 storm; two days earlier Milton rapidly intensified into a Category 5 hurricane breaking records as one of the most powerful storms in the Atlantic basin.

For nearly an hour, Milton's eye hovered over the Sarasota region gifting residents with the surreal silence inherent within the eye of a hurricane.

Though the area lost tremendous elder tree cover, the predicted obliteration of the Sarasota barrier islands did not manifest. A good portion of the region was without power for a week or more.

Old Florida Charm
Hurricane Helene's storm-surge flooding and sand deposits caused unrepairable damage to many of the region's elder homes and businesses. In general, structures designed and built in accordance with the more recent building codes survived the hurricanes with minimal or at least repairable damage. New building codes require elevated living/working space along with hurricane-resistant construction materials.

The Rod & Reel in 2018
photo courtesy of Holly Elmore Images

Sadly, the Sarasota region lost many of its iconic, eclectic restaurants. One local favorite, the Rod & Reel Pier Restaurant built in 1947 survived Helene with only the pier sustaining major damage. Yet, Milton completely obliterated the pier and restaurant; only the sign survived. The Rod & Reel was the first stop on Holly's famed SRQ Tour.

Another popular dining destination, Caddy's Bradenton on the Manatee River was completely destroyed and will not be rebuilt.

Yet, the Cortez Fishing Village established in the 1880's cleaned, repaired, and opened for business within weeks after Milton seemingly destroyed the charming village. Pop's Sunset Grill located on the Intracoastal Waterway and Turtles on Little Sarasota Bay, popular eclectic destinations, opened within days after Milton traveled across the state. It is surreal that Turtles received minimal damage as Milton made landfall nearby.

Ei Rewilding Urban Landscapes Pilots
When she returned to her hometown in 2021, Holly donated her front yard for an Ei Native Plant Landscape Pilot and her backyard for an Ei Permaculture-Oriented Landscape Pilot. The Holly Elmore Images Ei Rewilding Urban Landscapes Pilots album chronicles the pilot development and progress. 

The RiA Magazine article, Ei Rewilding Urban Landscapes Pilots, announces the pilots and emphasizes their importance within the Ei Nature Prevails platform.

Oak tree debris in pilot
photo courtesy of Holly Elmore Images

For Tropical Storm Debby, the Pilots were appreciative of the excessive rainfall after the drought during the summer's usual rainy season. As Holly's home is three miles inland from Sarasota Bay, Hurricane Helene's storm surge did not impact the pilots. 

After Hurricane Milton, the pilots were completely disheveled and numerous plants lost. The four massive oak trees on the property provided protection from the intense wind and deposited a significant amount of oak debris throughout the pilots.

The healthy soil filled with active microbial communities and fungi networks absorbed the tremendous rainfall from Debby and held the roots in place for most of the young trees, bushes, and plants. In the overall perspective, the pilots were reasonably unscathed by the 2024 hurricane trilogy and will completely recover over time.

Resiliency is a necessity for those who choose to call the Florida peninsula their home. With warming oceans, increased frequency and intensity of hurricanes are forecasted for the Sunshine State. The 2024 hurricane trilogy is a glimpse of future weather patterns.

_______________________________________

Tax-deductible donations in any amount are greatly appreciated to support Ei's important work. 

DONATE HERE

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 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.

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.

Local Food Security: building a movement through yard gardens and food forests

During the COVID pandemic, flaws in the national and global food systems were evident with the plethora of empty grocery shelves caused by supply chain and other challenges. Often, local producers came to the rescue by providing healthy, nutritious produce to communities through neighborhood farmers' markets and consumer farm visits.

Recently planted garden
Photo credit: Holly Elmore Images

Additionally, there was a significant increase in home and urban gardening. A March 2022 University of Georgia (UGA) study, COVID-19 pandemic fueled massive growth in green industry, found about one out of every three people began gardening in 2020 because they were home more.

According to the study's lead author, Benjamin Campbell, UGA College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences, "Gardening not only gave people something to do, but it also gave them a little bit more happiness.” Food insecurity was a driver for many of those included in the study.

Historic Gardening Movements
Depleted soils, broken food systems, and supply-chain challenges contribute to food insecurity for rural and urban populations. Local food security is a a severe challenge for humanity.

According to the U.S. Department of Human and Health Services, in 2020, 13.8 million households were food insecure at some point during the year. The World Food Programme made a dire announcement:

2022: a year of unprecedented hunger

As many as 828 million people go to bed hungry every night. The number of those facing acute food insecurity has soared - from 135 million to 345 million - since 2019. A total of 49 million people in 49 countries are teetering on the edge of famine.

Image courtesy of Living Farm History

During the Great Depression (1929 - 1939,) local gardens provided a means of survival. According to the Gardens Role in Great Depression Research Paper, governments introduced relief gardening programs to combat emotional stress, poverty, and hunger. The relief gardens were also referred to as vacant-lot gardens, subsistence gardens, or welfare-garden plots.

In World War II (WWII,) the federal government called on citizens to plant victory gardens; nearly 20 million Americans answered the call in the name of patriotism. Victory gardens produced an estimated 9 - 10-million tons of vegetables, the equivalent of the commercial-agriculture-crop production destined to feed the troops: victory gardens made a tremendous difference and avoided food-shortage and hunger scenarios during the war.*

Thus, the U.S. has precedent on preventing food insecurity on a mass scale during the Great Depression and WWII via home and vacant-lot gardening. Challenge: both programs were strongly promoted and supported by the U.S. federal government. Without government support, communities, non-profits, and individuals must create a movement for U.S. residents to plant and nurture gardens, instead of lawns, at their homes.

* Facts provided by the Living History Farm, Farming in the 1940's, Victory Farms.
** Section is an excerpt from the Regeneration in ACTION (RiA) article, Water & Soil: the foundation of life.

Modern-Day-Gardening Movement
Inspired by the relief gardens' and victory gardens' past successes and fueled by the food shortages during the COVID pandemic, a modern-day-gardening movement is underway. 

In 2021, Modern Farmer publisher Frank Giustra and Big Green Co-Founder Kimbal Musk announced the launch of the Million Gardens Movement (MGM,) a charitable food initiative; MGM aspires to give everyone the opportunity to grow their own food, whether it is on a windowsill or in a backyard, and to create a healthier, happier, more sustainable world.

“Big Green and Modern Farmer started Million Gardens Movement to make it simple for anyone to give a family a garden,” says Musk. “Planting a seed is an act of hope for a brighter tomorrow.

Ei food forest
Photo credit: Holly Elmore Images

The Elemental Impact (Ei) Rewilding Urban Landscapes Pilots (EiPilots) support the modern-day-gardening movement and showcase how lawns may be replaced with vegetable gardens and food forests; the Ei Pilots are aesthetically pleasing as well as functional. Located in Ei Founder & CEO Holly Elmore's spacious front and backyards, the Ei Pilots are easily accessible for tours. 

The RiA article, Ei Rewilding Urban Landscapes Pilots, introduces the pilots while the article, Urban Afforestation: Food Forests and Microforests, showcases the global-food forest movement.

Tours are an excellent avenue to inspire neighbors and community residents to join the gardening movement. Individual tours were common from the onset of planting seeds, seedlings and saplings within the Ei Pilots.

Food Forest Tours
As part of their 2023 Eat Local Week (ELW) festivities, Transition Sarasota hosted dual for-pay food forest tours on October 18. As the curator of the Ei Rewilding Urban Landscapes Pilots and a food forest at his parents' home, Zach Zildjian of ZZ Design Services spearheaded the tours. One of the most popular ELW events, the food tours were oversold!

The RiA article, Food forests transform lawns into lovely, beneficial landscapes, features the ELW food forest tours.

Holly begins the Ei Food Forest tour in her backyard.
Photo credit: Ana Galeana

On January 7, 2023 the FB group 941 Natural Gardeners hosted an Ei Pilots tour focused on the backyard food forest and the vegetable, herb and edible-flower garden. Nearly 30 intrigued local residents attended the Sunday morning tour. Though Holly lead the tour, Zach was on site to answer in-depth and technical questions.

Beginning indoors due to the rain and chilly temperature, tour participants were welcomed with homemade sweet treats along with Holly's butterfly pea blossom-white-tea blend. While indoors, Holly gave the an introduction to Ei, the Ei Pilots, and the underdevelopment Ei Focus Area What We Eat Matters. 

As the rain subsided, the tour began with the Native-Plant-Landscape Pilot in the front yard; the pilot intention is to provide food and habitat for local, urban wildlife. Over two-years young, the Native-Plant-Landscape Pilot was designed by Pam Callender of Lifelines and installed on November 18 & 19, 2021. Holly explained that the impervious driveway was removed to enlarge the pilot area and aid with rainfall retention on the property.

Holly explains the evolution of the Ei Food Forest.
Photo credit: Ana Galeana

Once in the Backyard Permaculture Oriented Landscape (POL) Pilot. Holly explained how the backyard was permitted to grow wild for almost nine months. As she weeded the tall grass of sandspur plants, the yard guided Holly on the paths that eventually earmarked the food forest home. While still in the wild state, the invasive carrotwood tree was removed from the southside yard; once the large tree was removed, the area was perfect for the vegetable, herb, and edible-flower garden (garden.)

The POL Pilot general rule is any non-native plant must either produce human food and/or nourish the soil ecosystem.

After Holly hand weeded it, the designated food forest area was covered with cardboard and topped with mulch to prepare the soil for the trees and ground cover. On June 15, 2022, the food forest was installed under Zach's design and direction. An organic process, the food forest welcomes new plantings, ground cover, and trees on a sporadic basis.

Two of the groundcover crops - sweet potatoes and African mint potatoes - produce an abundant, tasty  harvest. The Meyer lemon, Persian lime, Surinam cherry, Barbados cherry, mulberry, and loquat trees bore fruit in their first year; though healthy, the tangerine, Eureka lemon, persimmon, pomegranate, and kaffir lime trees are yet to bear fruit. 

Harvested blossoms and house-made tea blend
Photo credit: Holly Elmore Images

On a regular basis, Holly harvests and dehydrates butterfly pea and sun hemp blossoms, lemongrass, moringa leaves, pennyroyal stems, and lobster flower leaves for house-made tea blends. Additionally, Holly uses lemongrass stalks and kaffir lime leaves for culinary dishes.

In late September, 2022, Holly along with Zach's crew planted over 500 seeds in preparation of the garden installation weeks later. 

... and then Hurricane Ian ravaged the Florida Gulf Coast mere days after planting the seeds. As they were moved indoors while preparing for the hurricane, the seeds were unharmed. Though Ian wreaked havoc on it, the food forest proved resilient and sustained minimal long-term damage.

Hurricane debris, mainly large branches and medium-sized tree trunks, were perfect for confining the garden's three main plots. In its second winter season, the garden thrives and produces an abundance of lettuces, vegetables, herbs, and edible flowers.

As the tour concluded, many participants eagerly accepted plant cuttings and seedlings from the food forest.

Beyond Food Security
Though a strong proponent of building local food security for humans and urban wildlife alike, the Ei  Pilot's primary focus is on replacing lawns and open space with native-plant and permaculture-oriented landscapes. 

Lawns are environmentally detrimental as they lack diversity, generally are non-native plants, and are often treated with the "cides"* and petro-chemical fertilizers. The previously referenced RiA article, Water & Soil: the foundation of life, explains the devastating impact of lawns on the environment and urban wildlife.

Ei celebrates that the Ei Rewilding Urban Landscape Pilots create a tremendous added-value benefit by supporting the modern-day-gardening movement via building local food security with yard gardens and food forests.

* the "cides" include herbicides, pesticides, insecticides, and fungicides.

_______________________________________

Tax-deductible donations in any amount are greatly appreciated to support Ei's important work. 

DONATE HERE

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 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.

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.

Food Forest: a perfect Montessori school classroom

 After over a year of planning, 7th- and 8th-grade students at NewGate Montessori (NGM) planted a food forest on October 11, 2023 under the guidance of Zach Zildjian of ZZ Design Services. Due to limited space on the five-acre campus located in Lakewood Ranch, the food forest footprint is long and narrow along the parking lot. 

NewGate food forest planting day
Photo credit: Holly Elmore Images

Secondary school guide Gillett Cole, who oversees 7th- and 8th-grade students, was inspired by the SURF - Suncoast Urban Reforestors - Colony Cove Microforest installation in June 2022. Gillett and a fellow school instructor participated in the microforest planting day where he met Elemental Impact (Ei) Founder & CEO Holly Elmore. The Holly Elmore Images (HEI) Colony Cove Microforest album gives a pictorial recount of the microforest-planting day.

Subsequently, Holly, Zach, Gillett, and fellow NGM staff met to strategize on a meaningful and profound educational experience for the students. During the meeting, the microforest concept evolved into a food forest; the fruit harvest expanded the education with culinary and commerce opportunities.

The Regeneration in ACTION (RiA) article, Urban Afforestation: Food Forests and Microforests, educates on the underlying premises of food forests and presents numerous global examples.

Montessori Schools
As described on the American Montessori Society site:

Montessori is an education philosophy and practice that fosters rigorous, self-motivated growth for children and adolescents in all areas of their development, with a goal of nurturing each child’s natural desire for knowledge, understanding, and respect.

Montessori classrooms are ideal workplaces, where children are engaged, energetic, exploring, social, and most of all, learning to take ownership of their own education. They’re also unified communities in which each child understands the responsibility of being an individual student in the class while supporting the learning of others.

Entrance to the NewGate campus
Photo credit: Holly Elmore Images

At NGM, classrooms are designed to stimulate children’s independence and intellectual development. Rather than present or lecture students, NGM teachers are akin to facilitators, mentors, and coaches and often guide students in small groups. 

Classrooms are vibrant, fluid, and support independent learning at a student's own pace.

Sustainable environment creation as well as commerce and economic viability are integrated within the educational platform. Planning, designing, and planting a food forest aligns perfectly with the Montessori core values.

Student Participation
After he explained the basic premise of food forests, Zach walked the campus with the students to determine the options available for the forest. The students selected an easily accessible site next to the parking lot and close to and within existing campus landscaping.

Under Zach's tutelage, students measured the site and computed the number of trees, shrubs, and ground cover plants required; the students researched of potential plant species and with Zach's guidance devised the plant list. Though many of the fruit-producing trees are not native species, the ground cover plants selected were native to Florida.

Zach demonstrates
tree-planting protocol
Photo credit: Holly Elmore Images

On planting day, Zach educated on the intricacies of placing and planting the trees, shrubs, and ground cover; the students placed the plants within food forest best practices. After Zach demonstrated how to dig and hydrate the holes for the plants, the students used the provided shovels to complete the planting process.

Gillett and his fellow teacher worked alongside the students until the food forest was completely planted.

The students are responsible for nurturing and maintaining the food forest as it matures. With an on-campus kitchen, fruits harvested from the forest may be made into jams, marmalades, and other products available for sale.

In the spring, two to three students will prepare a professional PPT presentation along with a possible video for a speaking engagement at a Rotary Club of Sarasota Bay luncheon meeting. Holly is a club member and will schedule the presentation

The HEI album, NewGate Food Forest Planting Day, chronicles the October 11 planting day.

Food forests, organic gardens, and native-plant landscapes provide excellent outdoor classrooms that align perfectly with Montessori educational principles.

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Tax-deductible donations in any amount are greatly appreciated to support Ei's important work. 

DONATE HERE

About Elemental Impact:

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. Current focus areas include Nature Prevails, Soil Health | Regenerative Agriculture, and Water Use | Toxicity.

The Regeneration in ACTION 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.

The Holly Elmore Images Rewilding Urban Landscapes-album folder documents two active pilots: the Native-Plant Landscape Pilot and the Backyard Permaculture-Oriented Pilot.

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@elementalimpact.org

Food forests transform lawns into lovely, beneficial landscapes

In recent years, backyard food forests moved from an anomaly to an emerging trend in urban environments. Local food security, soil regeneration, as well as nutrition and habit for urban wildlife are common catalysts for designing and planting backyard food forests.

In addition to backyards, small tracts of urban land contribute to the community ecosystem via food forests. Across the globe tiny food forests reside on former empty lots, school and corporate campuses, and common areas such as city parks.

Food Forest Basics*
According to Project Food Forest, a food forest, also called a forest garden, is a diverse planting of edible plants that attempts to mimic the ecosystems and patterns found in nature. Food forests are three-dimensional designs, with life extending in all directions – up, down, and out.

Ei Backyard Food Forest
photo courtesy of Holly Elmore Images

A food forest consists of numerous layers of plants ranging from fruit- or nut-bearing trees to shrubs to dense ground cover that protects the soil and prevents weeds. Perennials and self-seeding annuals are recommended to create a forest with minimal yearly maintenance. 

Plant diversity is important to nurturing a healthy, self-sustaining food forest. Selecting plants that attract beneficial insects who pollinate the forest and control pest insects creates an ecosystem based on nature's perfected principles.

Prior to planting, soil preparation is key to establishing a nurturing forest foundation where mycorrhizal fungi and other soil-ecosystem components flourish. In an urban environment, a common soil-preparation method places cardboard covered with a thick layer of mulch over the forest footprint; the soil preps for weeks to several months. Upon planting, compost and other natural amendments are added to the soil.

* The Food Forest Basics section is an excerpt from the Regeneration in ACTION (RiA) article, Urban Afforestation: Food Forests and Microforests, where the impact of food forests and microforests across the globe are introduced.

Ei Rewilding Urban Landscapes Pilots
When she returned to her hometown, Sarasota, Florida, after residing in Atlanta for four decades, Elemental Impact (Ei) Founder & CEO Holly Elmore dedicated her spacious approximately 8,500-square-foot yard to two rewilding pilots: 1> Front-Yard Native Landscape Pilot and 2> Backyard Permaculture Oriented Landscape (POL)Pilot.

The pilots' intention are to showcase how rewilding traditional lawns into lovely landscapes benefits human as well as wildlife inhabitants. Though many homeowner associations prohibit rewilding practices in front yards, there is often flexibility within backyards, especially if there is a fence that prevents public viewing.

Fortunately, Holly's home resides in a City of Sarasota neighborhood without a homeowner association. Thus, it flowed to implement front and backyard pilots.

The Holly Elmore Images (HEI) Ei Rewilding Urban Landscapes album documents the pilots' progress in a series of photo galleries.

Ei Backyard-Permaculture-Oriented Landscape (POL)Pilot
The backyard pilot follows POL practices with an emphasis on human-food-producing plants. A food waste-compost circle surrounded by banana trees is integral to the design. Thus, the general rule for the backyard landscape: any non-native plants must produce human food and/or provide direct soil-ecosystem benefit.

Backyard in its wild state
photo courtesy of Holly Elmore Images

While the front-yard landscape is strictly native plants and was installed over a two-day period, the backyard pilot is an evolutionary process. For nearly nine months, the backyard was permitted to return to its "wild state" with abundant plant diversity; a variety of happy insects frolicked in the knee-high grass infiltrated with flowering plants.

Beginning in early 2021, the backyard was slowly "tamed" with mulched paths, a banana compost circle, a row of native-blueberry bushes under the roof dripline, a pollinator garden, a food forest, and a raised herb-garden area with sun protection. Once the invasive carrotwood tree was removed, the south-side yard was opened to ample sunshine and prepped for a vegetable, herb, and edible-flower garden.

No herbicides or soil tilling were used in the taming process; Holly hand-weeded the majority of the areas before prepping for its destined purpose.

Ei Food Forest
In alignment with the permaculture focus, a food forest was planted in the center backyard within an area designated by paths. After several months of soil preparation, the initial trees were planted on June 15, 2022 along with native shrubs and sweet potato ground cover. Three months later, the young food forest proved resilient when it survived  Hurricane Ian's battering of the Florida Gulf Coast.

With ample shade from two magnificent live oaks, the food forest's growth is reasonably stunted due to limited sunlight. It is comfortable to work midday in the food forest during the summer heat due to the abundant shade.

Sweet potato harvest
photo courtesy of Holly Elmore Images

Fifteen-months post planting, the backyard food forest thrives with frequent, diverse harvests; the young trees gifted inaugural, though not abundant, Meyer lemons, Persian limes, Barbados cherries, surinam cherries, mulberries, and loquat fruit. Though healthy, the tangerine, Eureka lemon, and pomegranate trees did not produce fruit in their first year.

Sweet potato and African mint potatoes were bountiful ground covers. Edible flowers - marigolds, cosmos, butterfly pea, ground sorrel, and borage blossoms - were used fresh as garnish for food-styling and dehydrated for house made tea blends; the lobster flower and moringa leaves and cranberry hibiscus were also dehydrated for tea and other culinary accents.

In anticipation of a 30-person food tour, the peripheral backyard gardens were cleansed of Spanish nettles and other plants in unchosen places (aka weeds!) Growth around the paths was trimmed or pulled and the paths were refreshed with mulch. The HEI 2023 Backyard Permaculture Pilot Restoration album includes before and after images to showcase the impressive restoration.

Food Forest Tours
As part of their 2023 Eat Local Week (ELW) festivities, Transition Sarasota hosted dual for-pay food forest tours on October 18. As the curator of the Ei Rewilding Urban Landscapes Pilots and a food forest at his parents' home, Zach Zildjian of ZZ Design Services spearheaded the tours. One of the most popular ELW events, the food tours were oversold!

Zildjian Food Forest
Soil preparation on the Zildjian Food Forest (ZFF) started in February 2022 followed by initial planting in April 2022. Though only several months older, the (ZFF) is significantly more mature due to daily direct sunlight.

Zach hosting ZFF Tour
photo courtesy of Erin Saba

As prominent caterers known for their locally sourced organic food, the Zildjians planted unique and hard-to-source produce in the ZFF for utilization in their business. Additionally, decorative greenery and flowers grow to accentuate their delicious cuisine and buffet tables.

The ZFF was first on the tour itinerary and attendees enjoyed lovely refreshments before heading over to the Ei Food Forest.

Ei Food Forest
As the Ei Food Forest was second on the tour itinerary, the attendees were happy to stay past the stated end time. Attendees were greeted with Holly's house-butterfly pea white tea along with apple-cinnamon cakes; Zach hand harvested the apples on a recent trip to North Carolina.

Following Holly's background and overview dialogue, Zach took the group through the food forest while explaining the design, planting, and maintenance protocol. Attendees asked a multitude of questions and chimed in with their own experiences.

Many of the attendees accepted Holly's offer to gift second- or-third-generation seedlings as well as various plant clippings.

As anticipated, the formal ELW tours spurned a deluge in informal and formal Ei Food Forest tours.

With the Ei Rewilding Urban Landscapes Pilots closing in on two-year anniversaries, the pilots reached a maturity level where tours are excellent vehicles to showcase their intentions; the pilots showcase how rewilding traditional lawns into lovely landscapes benefits human as well as wildlife inhabitants

_______________________________________

Tax-deductible donations in any amount are greatly appreciated to support Ei's important work. 

DONATE HERE

About Elemental Impact:

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. Current focus areas include Nature Prevails, Soil Health | Regenerative Agriculture, and Water Use | Toxicity.

The Regeneration in ACTION 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.

The Holly Elmore Images Rewilding Urban Landscapes-album folder documents two active pilots: the Native-Plant Landscape Pilot and the Backyard Permaculture-Oriented Pilot.

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@elementalimpact.org