Plant Care Lead

Plant care activities include planning, planting and feeding vegetation, inspecting them for health, noting the progression of producing plants and subsequent harvesting of them, and performing pasture revitalization practices.

Permaculture Practices

We implement permaculture into our vegetation design. From ethics to companion planting to four-dimensional design, we encourage the plants and trees to grow stronger together. The sanctuary is in growing zone 11A, with an elevation of 1540-1620 feet (470-495 meters, and an average rainfall of 210 inches (5 meters). These factors shape the diversity of vegetation in the food forests and gardens.

Korean Natural Farming

We incorporate some Korean Natural Farming (KNF) techniques into our soil health. Fermented Plant Juice (FPJ), Indigenous Micro-Organisms, and Lactobacillus Acidophilus (LAB), Water Soluble Calcium (WSC), and Sea Water are the simplest concoctions to make or collect. These concentrates are diluted in water and applied to the soil and compost piles as needed to encourage healthy mycelial and bacterial growth in the soil, thereby improving the health of the surrounding plants.

Plant Care

Before creating new planting areas, we concentrate on building up existing ones so they can be more self-sustaining. Regular health checks on the vegetation will let us know of problems before they get critical. We check the vegetation for signs of distress, which can be anything from feeding insects, mold, and fungal diseases to invasive weeds, water levels (too high/low), storm damage, animal damage, and age. Depending on what is harming the plants, we address the cause of the problem and treat the surrounding area so that the problem does not affect the other plants.

Plant Identification

Due to the ravages of the sun, wind and rain on the land, our plant identification signs often in need of repair or replacement. Regular inspection of the plant signs will help us know what the plants are, and how to care for them.

There is no alcohol, drugs, tobacco, or consumption of animal products at the sanctuary. This policy is strictly enforced. What you do outside of the sanctuary is your business, but please do not arrive inebriated, intoxicated, or otherwise disruptive.

Visitors have told us that our sanctuary has a special feel to it. There is a calm on the land and with the animals that they find remarkable. Please contribute to this calm environment through kind actions and words.

We want our sanctuary to be an opportunity for you to learn and explore ways of treating the land, and the plants, animals and people that call it home. If you would like to experiment with growing food or caring for animals, please clear your plans with the onsite manager. Thank you for being considerate.

• Please stick to the paths. We are planting lots of groundcover to abate weed overgrowth. Treading on these plants can weaken them. It will reduce their effectiveness against the weeds.
• Visitors should refrain from picking flowers and fruit without the supervision of trained staff. The staff have the experience to know what can be collected, when, and how much. Overgrazing can damage the plant's health.