Nature Towns: Something Worth Building

As children, we learn that our sandcastles can get washed out by the waves, that wind and rain can break up our forts, rearrange things in our sandbox, and that fire can destroy.  We learn that bullies can pick apart our creations.  We learn that most things are not permanent and many will need to be rebuilt.

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That is what I think of when I read the news of late.  I am looking for a spark of hope, for a place that is worth building in the face of climate change, a place that I can eventually give to my children.

I want them to have a place where their bodies grow stronger with good nutritious food, not weaker from poor nutrition and toxins.  A place where the community is resilient against the tides of the economy.  A place where they can have careers based on stewarding and managing nature, not being tied to a computer screen.  A place where their children can be free-range rather than raised in the backseat of a car.  I haven’t found the place yet, so my partner and I decided to create it.

There is very little innovation in urban planning, but we have figured out a new idea and how to make it profitable for homeowners, builders and stewards. It is economic development that improves the environment. It starts with building a small town inside a regenerative agriculture farm.

Nature Towns is an old term for a fortified community.  At least 1,500 years ago or more, they were designed to defend against marauders and invaders.  Now we need Nature Towns to fend off the extreme weather of climate change, whether it be flooding, wildfires, drought, or the secondary effects of insufficient food, extreme temperatures, etc.  It’s important because, for many of us, our homes and properties represent the biggest single investment of our lives, as well as, eventually, a financial gift to our children.