Rehabilitation and Restoration Project ǀ Precious Tree Project NPO

Heartland Organic Farm & School of Self-Sufficiency

Heartland Organic Farm
Karatara Road, Elandskraal
Sedgefield – Knysna, WC South Africa
33° 58′ 14.6964″ S, 22° 52′ 35.706″ E

In the heart of the Garden Route National Park, Western Cape, South Africa, nestled in a hidden valley in the Municipality of Eden between the Outeniqua Mountains and the Indian Ocean, is a Community development project with a mission to reduce their carbon footprint in every way possible – and live a happy and healthy lifestyle while doing so. Their intention is to be a working example of self- sufficiency, sustainability and minimal resource and energy use through sustainable zero-waste agricultural practices at a Family and at a Community level.

The owners believe that the road to Self-Sufficiency is the same road that leads to Sustainability … at least, at first, at a family and a community level since everyone carries the responsibility to start on the journey along the road. Heartland offers a variety of Workshops and Courses in Self-Sufficiency, including principles, practices and implementation methods that cover a wide variety of subjects and which are taught via a unique systematic method.

The Heartland School of Self-Sufficiency in Barrington was devastated by the fires that hit the Garden Route in June 2017. In an attempt to assist the property owners who consider themselves as guardians of this beautiful piece of land, and together with our volunteer group of tree lovers, we are involved in the regeneration and reforestation of this beautiful privately-owned smallholding.

Over run by pine trees – which themselves were destroyed by the fires – our team of volunteers – together with members of the Heartland School of Self-sufficiency – have been active over the past two years – clearing out the new shoots of non-indigenous trees and the planting out of indigenous and endemic forest trees in order to facilitate their restoration and regeneration efforts.