Ridge to Reefs

This is our planet. Beautiful, fragile, connected.

Each interdependent part moves in concert with the whole. The machinery and dance of life turns in an elegant balance... rather it used to. That was before...

Us.

But this is not a story about humans' rapid rise to power consuming our planet.

This is a tale of hope, a vision of a newly balanced dance, and the steps to make it so.

Imagine: a coral reef.

The water is clear, because the earth and soil which can cloud the water has been held in place upstream.

The water is clean, because pollutants in runoff rain water were naturally filtered out and never made it to the sea.

Because the water is healthy, the rest of the ecosystem works too.

Fish and lobster abound, supporting the local fishery.

Sea turtles visit the shore to lay their eggs and eat the excess jellyfish.

A shark patrols offshore, a sure sign of a healthy reef.

Divers come to see the rich biodiversity, supporting a sustainable eco-tourism industry.

Sustainable fishing and tourism support the local economy.

Lift your head from the reef, above the surface of the water, and look up. What do you see?

Beyond the beach sands, the land rises. Green vegetation soften the contours of the mountains. Clear blue streams run in the gullies down to lagoons and flow out to the sea.

Birds sing in the trees and soar above the sea, fishing. Brilliant butterflies dot flowering trees, and busy bees carry heavy loads of golden pollen.

The forest is thriving.

Come in a little closer... modern people live here too, in harmony with the land and sea.

A sustainable harvest is growing here.

Nutritious food is growing on local farms. These farms make this place more independent from imported food.

The land is fertile; there is no good reason to lack food security or healthy nutrition. Growing food for nearby markets and restaurants makes secure jobs.

Solar powered refrigerator trucks carry the produce and products to markets and restaurants.

This source of electricity is clean and does not contribute to global climate change.

Power produced locally off the grid makes farmers independent from energy infrastructure that can be impacted by disasters.

Bioreactors, stream buffers, and wetlands restored or never disturbed at the edge of fields clean any remaining fertilizer as it washes away with the rain.

Natural processes in the soil remove pollutants and bring the runoff rain water in to balance.

By the time water flows through these systems and out to nearby streams, the water is pure and clean.

People downstream in the watershed are protected, and so is the reef.

As storms come and go, rain fills rain barrels with water. Drip irrigation hoses carry water from rain barrel to the fields. This provides a steady source of water to the plants.

This drought resilience strategy maintains independence from water infrastructure that can be impacted by disaster or need for maintenance.

Vetiver grass traps holds soil in place. Top soils are rich in nutrients and are important for growing healthy vegetation and farms. The earth here can readily run off in storms and flow down the mountains. Upon reaching the reef, eroded soils cloud the water column or settle onto the corals.

Coral rely on sunlight to survive. Trapping sediment on the mountainsides where it belongs keeps coastal water clear. Corals grow and thrive.

Vetiver grass bundles planted in targeted rows grow quickly and trap the soil in place with their deep roots. Combined with native plants, these sediment traps hold the earth in place.

Sustainable growing operations work with the landscape. Native plants and nature-based production methods support habitat.

These include natural pesticides and fertilizers, which are also safe for people in the watershed and the reefs downstream.

Wetlands capture runoff from fields treated with natural fertilizers and growing aids. These excess nutrients wash away from the fields when it rains.

Wetlands absorb the extra nutrients which could dangerously imbalance fresh water downstream. Instead, nutrients are trapped in the wetlands mud, feed rapidly growing plants, and fuel microbiological processes that render them inert and safe.

Growing sustainably works in concert with the local ecosystem. This provides habitat for native wildlife and pollinators.

Building sustainable systems is social justice as well as environmental justice. These are interdependent concepts.

With local partners, we innovate, engineer, and construct targeted solutions to environmental problems where they are needed most.

To implement solutions, we upcycle local materials in our construction, engage the local community in design and train partners how to maintain the structures, and leverage the power of natural processes.

In a word, our projects are sustainable.

 Ridge to Reefs: Creating Permanent Sustainability for People and the Planet