The Gaia Way is engaged in 3 main directions: Saving the Music Tree, Saving the Forest, and The Forest as Teacher. The first two are designed to show that ecologically sound and economically viable projects can be developed which will insure the safety of the Atlantic Rain Forest for generations to come. The third direction seeks to use the fruits of the previous two directions to teach the lessons learned. Within each of these directions there are specific projects.

Saving the Music Tree Saving The Forest Forest as Teacher The Pernambuco Tree grows wild in the Atlantic Rain Forest. For centuries it has been harvested to produce bows for musical instruments. Because the Atlantic Rain Forest is disappearing at an alarming rate, the future of this tree lies in our ability to make the tree a part of the normal harvesting of crops which are economically sustainable. Hence the Cacao project in which we seek to be able to grow the Pernambuco Tree as a shade tree for the growing of Cacao. If successful, the Pernambuco Tree will become as plentiful as Palm Trees and the future of the Music Tree will be assured.pernambuco tree flowers Unfortunately no one knows if the Pernambuco Tree can be tamed. Therefore, we plan to conduct a variety of experiments, manipulating various independent variables (e.g., moisture, nutrients, shade, wind, proximity) in order to determine which variables produce the highest quality wood.

One of the challenges with this project is that it will take several years before the trees are sufficiently mature to be able to test the effects. To accomplish our goals we have a number of projects which you can participate in. These are listed below. Click on the link for a fuller description. Planting the Music Tree

he Joni Mitchell refrain - "They took paradise and put up a parking lot..." are not simply words, as all over the world forests have given way to houses, streets and parking lots. Nonetheless, environmentalists have started to counter this trend by trying to develop economically sustainable projects in the forests which provide the forests with an a priori reason to exist. We hope to achieve this economic viability in two ways: ecotourism and products. The first product we will establish are orchids. Orchids are an ideal product because they grow naturally in the forest and are unobtrusive because they live off the existing vegetation. We plan to develop species which will have appeal to both the local and the International markets. One way to preserve the forest is to reduce the rate of deforestation and conversion of forest land to agricultural land. Home hydroponics systems, which are capable of growing food indoors, cope with this task to a certain extent.

Flowers and Herbs
As we develop the rainforest to cultivate orchids, we intend to have low impact pathways and observation spaces where visitors can spend time enjoying the natural wonders of the rainforest. To accomplish our goals we have a number of projects which you can participate in. These are listed below. Click on the link for a fuller description.

Saved land:
1,332,840,651 sq. ft.
30,597.8 acres
12,239.1 hectares
47.8 sq. miles

Projects of The Gaia Way

Our goal is not only to establish the projects described here, but also to teach the lessons learned, to the locals as well as to the world. What is true for our work in the Atlantic Rain Forest will be just as true for the Indonesian rainforests, or the Amazon, or elsewhere. We are establishing relationships with colleges and universities in Brazil, the United States, and Australia to invite students and scholars to participate with us in these projects and to help support other projects. Through this website we are planning to establish a webring of similar minded websites to promote interaction. We are also planning to establish lecture series and CDs/DVDs which can be used to promote the concepts developed here.

YOU CAN HELP

rainforest frog

by a generous donation of your time, energy, expertise, and resources. The Gaia Way is a collaborative efforts in which we seek to address many issues, some of which are listed here. We invite your participation, to help us with these projects or to use our resources as a base to pursue your own interests within the framework of our principles.