by Jean Pullen
All organisms die and transform, rebirthing into new forms. When a tree falls from winds or storms, it decomposes, becoming part of the mycelium network of fungi, creating new soil, and causing seeds to bloom into new life. We are currently witnessing a time of transition in the world. With overpopulation, deforestation, extractive industries, species collapse, factory fishing and farming, viruses, and global warming will come a collective rebirth into a new way of being.
Regenerate your soils and gardens, regenerate your life.
How to Build Soil
We can build up soil by making a lasagna of materials. To build raised beds, start with logs, then smaller branches or leafs, sand, and soil from the forest, then compost, and lastly mulch. We highly recommend asking your neighbors and collecting decomposing wood, branches and organic material to help you get started. It is this lasagna of organic materials that builds the nutrients into the soil.
Once you have created your new soil, plant your garden in it! We noticed after just a few months of mycelium running through our soil that our plants were thriving thanks to the fungi.
What is Mycelium?
“The rule of nature is that when a species exceeds the carrying capacity of its host environment, its food chains collapse and diseases emerge to devastate the population of the threatening organism. I believe we can come to balance with nature using mycelium to regulate the flow of nutrients. The age of mycological medicine is upon us. Now is the time to ensure the future of our planet and our species by partnering, or running, with mycelium.”
—Paul Stamets, Mycelium Running
Mycelium is the network of fungi and bacteria within the soil that connects tree roots, feeding the trees information and nutrients with the rich, decomposing materials of life.
Mycelium is nature’s internet. We are still learning about this incredible underground network of knowledge, a web of life. According to fungi expert Paul Stamets, “mushrooms can help save the world.” In his book Mycelium Running, Stamets writes, “Living in harmony with our natural environment is the key to health as individuals and as a species. We are a reflection of the environment that has given us birth.” If the macro-universe is polluted with toxins and chemicals, so is the micro-universe. Macro- and micro-universes are a mirror.
Fungi and bacteria make up the majority of our lives. Our bodies are composed of about ten trillion cells, and only half of those are human cells. The other cells comprise our microbiome—a vast and complex ecosystem of bacteria, viruses, and fungi that live in or on our bodies.
“I am of the earth
And to the earth I shall return once more
Life and death are old friends
And I am the conversation between them.”
—Rupi Kaur
Learn More about Regeneration
Our connection to the earth is related to everything else in our lives, and so my new book offers suggestions to regenerate yourself, your communities, and the environment. Ready to get deeper into regeneration? Regenerate Your Reality: Your Guide to Regenerative Living, Love, Happiness, & Sovereignty is now available to order. Visit www.regenerateyourreality.com to learn more.
Much of the proceeds from this book will be filtered back to regenerative community-based farming models and planting trees that feed through Kiss the Ground and Jungle Project!
