Teravana Trust

TERAVANA TRUST RECOGNIZES OUR WHOLENESS, OUR INTERDEPENDENCE WITH ALL BEINGS, AND OUR CONNECTION WITH THE EARTH THAT UNITES US ALL. WE LOOK AT THE WHOLE SYSTEM, INTENTIONALLY DESIGNING PROGRAMS THAT SEEK TO RESTORE THE WEB OF RELATIONSHIPS - TO SELF, EACH OTHER AND THE PLANET - THAT FORM THE ROOTS OF A THRIVING PLANET. WE LOOK AT THE WHOLE SYSTEM, INTENTIONALLY DESIGNING PROGRAMS THAT WORK TOWARDS COMMUNITY RESILIENCE - HELPING COMMUNITIES BUILD THE CAPACITY TO MEET THEIR OWN NEEDS. WORKING IN SOLIDARITY WITH LOCAL LEADERS, WE WEAVE STRONGER RELATIONSHIPS TO SELF, TO EACH OTHER, AND TO THE PLANET THAT REVIVE OUR SENSE OF CONNECTION AND HOPE, ENSURING EVERYONE HAS WHAT THEY NEED TO THRIVE.

GUATEMALA PROGRAM: WORKING IN 8 TOWNS ALONG THE NORTHERN SHORE OF LAKE ATITLAN, WE EMPOWER KAQCHIKEL MAYA LOCALS TO PROTECT THEIR NATURAL RESOURCES THROUGH COMMUNITY BASED ENVIRONMENTAL INITIATIVES. ONE OF THE KEY INITIATIVES IS PARTNERING WITH LOCAL FARMERS AND MUNICIPALITIES TO PLANT TREES IN THE MOUNTAINS AS WELL AS FRESH WATER SPRINGS IN THE TOWNS THAT WE WORK WITH. THIS PROJECT IS DESIGNED TO GIVE LOCAL PEOPLE LONG TERM ACCESS TO NATURAL RESOURCES LIKE FRESH WATER AND FIREWOOD FOR COOKING. WE ALSO DISTRIBUTE FRUIT TREES TO HELP LOCAL FARMERS BE ABLE TO SEE THEIR CROPS TO GAIN AN INCOME FOR THEIR FAMILIES. OUR APPROACH TO REFORESTATION IS UNIQUE BECAUSE IT BLENDS TRADITIONAL INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE OF TREE PLANTING AND ECOLOGY WITH ARCGIS TECHNOLOGY WHICH ALLOWS US TO MONITOR EACH REFORESTATION SITE WITH SATELLITE IMAGERY. WELLKIND HELPED START TWO ARTISAN COOPERATIVES, ONE FOCUSED ON MAKING CROCHET PRODUCTS AND THE OTHER WORKING WITH BEADED JEWELRY HELPING WOMEN GET BETTER PRICES FOR THEIR PRODUCTS. WE CONNECTED ARTISANS TO THE FAIR TRADE MARKET THROUGH OUR CONNECTIONS WITH BUYERS AND IN TURN HAVE SUPPORTED OVER 100 WOMEN IN THIS ENDEAVOR. ALONGSIDE THE ARTISAN COOPERATIVE WE ALSO PARTNERED WITH PMA (WORLD FOOD PROGRAMME) TO START A SAVINGS COOPERATIVE THAT HAS HELPED LOCAL ARTISANS SAVE MORE OF THE MONEY THAT THEY MAKE THROUGH THE ARTISAN WORK. OUR ECOLOGICALLY FOCUSED PROGRAMS ADVANCE REFORESTATION, WATER CONSERVATION, AND ORGANIC FOOD PRODUCTION, ALL OF WHICH PROTECT THE NATURAL RESOURCES OF LAKE ATITLAN WHILE ENHANCING FOOD SECURITY. DESCRIPTION OF PROGRAM AND ACHIEVEMENTS (WHAT YOU WANT TO TELL THE WORLD ABOUT THIS PROGRAM): SO FAR OUR ORGANIZATION HAS: - PLANTED OVER 85,000 NATIVE FRUIT AND WOOD TREES TOGETHER WITH LOCAL FARMERS WHICH SEQUESTER MORE THAN 644 TONS OF CO2 EACH YEAR - THE EQUIVALENT OF TAKING 139 CARS OFF THE ROAD! -WE HAVE GIVEN ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS TALKS TO OVER 360 LOCAL PEOPLE -OUR TEAM HAS GIVEN TREE PLANTING TRAININGS TO OVER 500 LOCAL FARMERS AND FAMILIES THAT HAVE RECEIVED TREES AS DONATIONS. -WE HAVE BENEFITTED OVER 5000 INDIGENOUS PEOPLE. -CREATED A NATIVE TREE NURSERY IN TZUNUNA THAT HAS PRODUCED OVER 10,000 TREES TO BE PLANTED IN THE ADJACENT COMMUNITIES. -OUR TEAM HAS REFORESTED 7 FRESHWATER SPRINGS IN 4 DIFFERENT TOWNS OF LAKE ATITLAN. -WE HAVE CREATED A PILOT PROJECT TO CLEAN SEWAGE WATER THROUGH BIOLOGICAL REMEDIATION IN THE TOWN OF TZUNUNA. -WE HAVE TRAINED OUR ENTIRE TEAM IN PERMACULTURE DESIGN AND HAVE INVESTED IN THE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF EACH TEAM MEMBER. -WE HAVE HELPED START TWO ARTISAN COOPERATIVES WITH OVER 100 MEMBERS -HELPED START TWO SAVINGS COOPERATIVES WITH WOMEN FROM THE ARTISAN GROUPS WITH OVER 40 MEMBERS. OUR BIGGEST ASSET AS AN ORGANIZATION IS OUR LOCAL TEAM OF YOUNG PROFESSIONALS THAT ARE DEDICATED TO THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF THE COMMUNITIES THAT THEY ARE FROM. THE HEART AND SOUL OF WELLKIND IS OUR TEAM. THEY DRIVE THE PROGRAMMING OF THE ORGANIZATION AND THEY HAVE DEEP TIES TO THE PLACES THAT WE ARE WORKING IN.

FORESTRY PROGRAM: TERAVANA IS REFORESTING AND RESTORING HISTORICALLY LOGGED COASTAL FOREST IN CAZADERO, CA, AND EVOLVING INTO AN ENVIRONMENTAL MODEL AND EDUCATIONAL RESOURCE FOR NORTHERN CALIFORNIA. TERAVANA WORKS WITH THE COMMUNITY AND IS COMMITTED TO SUSTAINABILITY, BIODIVERSITY, AND LAND STEWARDSHIP. "WHAT YOU WANT TO TELL THE WORLD ABOUT THIS PROGRAM" TERAVANA OFFERS EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS AND WORKSHOPS FOR DIVERSE STUDENT BODIES AND COMMUNITY CONSTITUENTS TO ENGAGE IN A DYNAMIC LIVING SYSTEM OF DIVERSE MICROCLIMATES ON A 730-ACRE FOREST SANCTUARY. DURING A TIME WHEN MANY YOUTH WOULD RATHER STAY INSIDE THAN OUTSIDE AND FACE GROWING FOOD INSECURITY, THE PROGRAM OFFERS OUTSIDE EXPERIENCES AND SUPPORTS SCHOOLS AND LOCAL COMMUNITIES.