Food Forest Community Permaculture

Dear ABC,

In 2018, I had a thought. What if we humans built a different relationship with the land, one where we give more than we take, where we sustain ourselves and yet support every other form of life, and where the future is abundant? At the time, the idea felt radical. Very few believed people would ever choose to live this way.

Today, nearly 200 of us have. To me, that is what being radical really means: not only believing in something before the world does, but having the courage to lead the way there. With this first newsletter, I want to bring that feeling back to each of you.

Every month, we'll share updates from your collective, a glimpse into the other collectives, and profiles of your Beforest members. We'll also publish field notes from the ground—not the technical progress, but the small, magical things that happen when people actually live this way —a preview of what your own life will soon look like.

Thank you for believing before the world did. This belongs to all of us, and it's only just beginning.

Best,
Sunith Reddy
on behalf of the Beforest team.

Updates from – THE HAMMIYALA COLLECTIVE THE HAMMIYALA COLLECTIVE

PLANTATION
MAINTENANCE
CONTINUED

32 ACRES
MACHINE
WEEDED

CONVERSION
SURVEYS
COMPLETED

‹›
Here’s the link to the monthly report
AugustIn Pictures
Hyderabad landscapeCoorg workshopBhopal fieldMumbai group
Hyderabad water bodyCoorg campfireBhopal seedlingsMumbai forest valley
Hyderabad landscapeCoorg collective houseBhopal pond aerialMumbai people in field
HyderabadHyderabad landscapeHyderabad water bodyHyderabad landscape
CoorgCoorg workshopCoorg campfireCoorg collective house
BhopalBhopal fieldBhopal seedlingsBhopal pond aerial
MumbaiMumbai groupMumbai forest valleyMumbai people in field
HyderabadCoorgBhopalMumbai
FieldNotes
The Rare Wildflower Found At The Hyderabad CollectiveThe Rare Wildflower Found At The Hyderabad Collective
NaturalAugust 28, 2026

The Rare Wildflower Found At The Hyderabad Collective

On Elephant Season At Poomaale CollectivesOn Elephant Season At Poomaale Collectives
NaturalJuly 24, 2026

On Elephant Season At Poomaale Collectives

MembersSpotlight
Member portraitCycling groupMember in field

Rajavel Manoharan
Member of the Poomaale Collective

A little before Beforest conceptualised Poomaale, I became interested in a community that was building a forest ecosystem. Unfortunately, I was unable to become part of it because I missed the timing for membership. Since then, I had been waiting for a similar opportunity. That was when some of the minds behind the earlier community came up with the idea of Poomaale. I resonated with the foundational ethos of the people behind it, as well as the commitment to the idea shared by the initial members who showed interest. That alignment led me to join Poomaale as a member.

I am a User Experience Designer at heart. Professionally, I worked as a digital experience designer for about 24 years, evolving from being a consultant to building design teams and businesses. Five years ago, I moved into academia as a founding faculty member at a private university in Bangalore, where I helped build its User Experience Design program.

I am also an endurance athlete and coach runners to adopt healthier lifestyles, using running as a platform through my running group and community. My current area of interest is in knowledge systems and practices that help people sustain a healthy life.

You can get in touch with me via rajavel.manoharan@gmail.com.

©2026
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