Co-Forest:

Dream together, Own together

Co-Forest is a direct result of the intent established by folks who reached out to us and expressed the desire to participate in a wilderness collective without the hassles of home ownership. We took up the challenge and drew up the workings of a collective where everything – all guest houses, all assets and the entire estate itself – would be jointly owned – a true collective ownership.

The site chosen is Hammiyala Estate, located close to Madhopura, Coorg. This is a beautiful running coffee estate that spans 115 acres and includes a perennial stream. Located in the vicinity of Pushpagiri ranges, it is a perfect site for a wilderness collective.

While Poomaale 1.0 was a benchmark in landscape management, Co-Forest pushes the limit further by restricting the construction footprint to only 3% of the total area. We aim to further the sweet spot of economic viability and ecological sustainability, measured through the 4 returns framework that Poomaale 1.0 pioneered.

This time we are wiser by 3 years and have gathered relevant expertise and experience working with varied geographies. We have also collaborated with the best in the permaculture world.

The Estate

The 115 Ac estate was historically a functioning coffee plantation, completely irrigated and conventionally run. We are reimagining this as a food forest where the existing plantation forms one of the many layers. The estate encompasses two hillocks, a perennial stream, and many natural springs and monsoon nullahs. We plan to revive the land by promoting forest-friendly methods to grow medicinal herbs and spices, along with fruiting trees like oranges, figs, pomelos, avocadoes and vines like pepper, etc.

We are committed to leaving atleast half the estate as a low-intervention forest zone and will restrict our food-growing activities to the other half. This will help preserve habitats for wildlife, including big cats, small-clawed otters, elephants, bat colonies, etc. We also intend to build multiple earth homes (modelled on the the ainmanes of Coorg) which will serve as the guest houses for visiting members. Along with all this, low footprint hospitality operations are also envisaged to ease the pressure on the food forest.

We will follow our usual methodology of baseline mapping – contour studies, hydrology, biodiversity studies, etc, followed by broad zoning of the entire estate. Post this, we will carry out controlled design interventions to understand the impact of our activities on the environment. Once we are confident, we dive head-first into the execution.

Seed Community

Like any collective, Co-Forest is a crowd-funded initiative. Wilderness collectives are a feather in our cap as they are extreme examples of economic viability while enhancing the ecology.

The participation in Co-Forest would involve an equivalent share of .5 Ac of the coffee estate and access to the estate guest house for 30 room-nights/year. To get the complete nuts and bolts, register your interest by clicking on “Get Invited” button to the right.

Currently, we are in the formation of a Seed Community – the early adopters who buy into the first 25% of the Collective land. They are instrumental in defining the character of the community and the rules that govern it. For all the faith shown and the contribution made by the Seed Community, we offer introductory pricing for members who come in at this stage. 

More the Merrier

CoForest – our new Wilderness Collective – comes with a lot of benefits. Our journey through coffee plantations, wildlife corridors and freshwater streams is now moving to its next stop with a horizon full of possibilities.

Collective Ownership

The members own the estate together. This significantly reduces the non-farm footprint and also the embodied energy of the estate as we build a lot lesser than a home for each member.

Economical Ownership

The reduced construction footprint translates to reduced costs and makes it easier on the pocket.

Collective aspirations

Collective ownership ensures that all members are equally vested in the collective all the way. While this is largely true for all our collectives, but Co-Forest embodies this spirit in the truest sense.

Join the Forest Friendly Living

Western Ghats are a world heritage site. They are also called a ‘biodiversity hotspot’ as they house the highest density of endemic species. We have currently lost about 60% of this home to a series of plantation activities. Our wilderness collectives are an initiative to keep this biodiversity intact without asking the planter community to compromise their livelihoods. This new paradigm may very well be the future of the Western Ghats.

If you believe in the worth of the cause and want in, or if you missed the chance to be a part of Poomaale 1.0, this is for you. If being in a community of wildlifers, birdwatchers and nature enthusiasts excites you, then click on the ‘Get Invited’ button, fill in your details and one of our teammates will connect with you.