In our permaculture imagination, we always see a world full of biodiversity, where food and water are abundant and landscapes are resilient. All of this begins with the soil beneath our feet. That is why, together with chitalishte “Mechtalishte,” we decided to share this vision with a broader public on World Soil Day, December 5th, during the forum “Soil for the Future – The Future of Soils.” The event will bring together voices that embody permaculture, culture, policy and community.
The program will open with a special message from the legendary Geoff Lawton – the permaculture designer, teacher, and visionary who has spent decades creating thriving, sustainable ecosystems in some of the world’s harshest environments. Having worked in over 50 countries and trained thousands of people, he has brought to life numerous demonstration projects — the most iconic being Greening the Desert. Geoff has devoted his life to showing that even in the most seemingly impossible conditions, nature can be restored through thoughtful design, knowledge and imagination. We hope that his voice will reach a much broader audience, because, as we all know, it changes worldviews and inspires the actions we so urgently need in order to create a world of beauty, abundance and resilience.
We will also present the evolution of the Greening the Desert project: from a small demonstration site in the Jordanian desert to a vibrant hub for knowledge exchange and community building, and now to the new, large-scale initiative for greening the desert in Kuwait.
Thank you, Geoff, for being with us!
Our next source of inspiration will be Zachary Zahariev – a poet and philosopher whose life so beautifully bridged art and gardening. His writing reflected his worldview: the permaculture garden as a teacher and companion, cultivation as an act of both humility and imagination. He communicated with the natural world on levels that many of us rarely reach. Fortunately, he left us his texts, giving us the chance to glimpse his way of seeing — a world where everything is connected and interdependent, and where every seemingly ordinary thing is a shadow behind which a wonder hides.
Thank you, Zachary, for being part of our community and for continuing to inspire us!
His text SaveSoils will be read by Stefan Ivanov, one of Bulgaria’s most renowned contemporary poets.
The third permaculture-related topic will be presented by Konstantin Uzunov. He will introduce the “Laboratory for the Future” – the small city of Mértola in Portugal, where permaculture principles are used to regenerate soil, ecosystems and communities. It is a true model of agroecological and social transformation. There is much we can learn from their experience: how to restore degraded soils and landscapes, design short food supply chains, and use traditions, education, research and culture to counter negative demographic trends and keep small peripheral places alive. We can also learn from their mistakes — and hopefully avoid repeating them in our own designs.
Earth Care, People Care, Fair Share.
Other highlights include:
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Maria Hristova on funding opportunities for soil health innovations
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Albena Simeonova on the connection between soils and organic farming
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Dilyana Tsokova and Donna Todorova sharing the story of the Avellina bio-garden
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Tsvetanka Dincheva on practical research from the Institute of Vegetable Crops “Maritsa”
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Scientific updates supporting regenerative practices, including rhizophagy
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Viktor Penev on the link between soil health and human health
The forum will also let the soil speak for itself through audio recordings from different types of soil, inviting us to listen and learn from the living foundation of our planet.
Register and join us December 5th, 16:00–18:30, at chitalishte Mechtalishte to explore soil, people, and permaculture in action, and discover practical inspiration for a regenerative future.
