With the support of DAN.com, our biggest partner so far, we started restoring this site with the aim to turn this degraded area into a small scale native forest system with a lot of biodiversity. Based on our three pillars we took action on three levels:

1: Water management
Most of this area is uneven, we used these characteristics to improve the water infiltration in the land.
We dug gutters on contourline (on the same level) following the concept of 'swales'. With the access soil we made a little mound on the lower part of the gutter. Now when the water is flowing down the hill, it will be caught in the landscape, creating a passive harvesting system that rehydrates the area.

2: Soil improvement
Like in vast areas of Southern Europe, the most fertile layer of topsoil washed off because of exploitative practices. It is up to us to build this layer, that is most important to our existence, back up.
We do this by adding biomass: tree prunings, leaves, cut grass, and other organic material. We chop it into fine bits and put this in the gutters we dug and a thick layer on the soil where we plant, This way the soil will be protected from harsh sun and wind conditions. Also, It will hold water like a sponge, slowly giving it to back to the soil. Furthermore this biomass is slowly decomposed, providing nutrients for the soil. Biomass has huge potential to build up the topsoil.
Another soil improvement technique we use is adding nutrients through compost, biochar, ash and other natural fertilizers. Especially in the planting lines we provide the plants and trees with a nutrient boost for the first period.

3: Planting for biodiversity
We imitate the natural circumstances of the original forest ecosystem of this region in order to pave the way for nature to restore herself.
We do this by planting as many different types of trees and plants that are native to this area. This way we restore biodiversity: the multifunctional support web that nature develops to empower all forms of life.
In this area we planted over 50 species, ranging from native forest trees, fruit trees, (productive) bushes, herbs, vegetables, climber plants, flowers,
We work as much as possible with natural succession, meaning that we observe in which stage nature's cycles are (mostly in a very degraded state) and interfere to lift her to the next cycle. Also, our aim is to work with stratification, meaning that we imitate the natural layers of a forest ecosystem.