Wild is the Heart of India
Central India has long been considered the cradle of co-existence. For millennia, humans and animals have survived together in the abundance of these forests that Rudyard Kipling so beautifully described in his classic - The Jungle Book. But in the last 50 years, over 60% of the forest cover between Central and South India has disappeared. At Beforest, we have often wondered if we could contribute towards reversing this process through our collectives.
We are bringing all our expertise and learnings from turning around geographically diverse landscapes to Bhopal where we intend to write the next chapter of our own jungle book - our next wilderness collective.
The Bhopal Collective
Our First Step - Bhopal Seed Community
Most of the wildlife in the country exists outside the national parks, in completely unprotected farms and villages. In this case, in touching distance of a major city.
Spread across 178 Ac, The Bhopal Collective is a stone’s throw away from Ratapani Wildlife Sanctuary. Nestled between the Khari Territorial Forest and the urban sprawl of Bhopal, the estate has a beautiful monsoon stream flowing through it, which acts as a hub for the wildlife in the area. 15 km from Bhopal city and 39 km from Bhopal’s Raja Bhoj Airport, the estate is located on a 30ft road off the Bhopal-Sehore Road, making it easily accessible from any part of the country.
Acres of Collective
Collective Members
The Estate
Maximum impact with minimal intervention – this is the crux of our design approach at Beforest.
There are plenty of trails and hikes in and around the estate. Being very close to the Ratapani Wildlife Sanctuary, the area teems with wildlife and is great for camping, birding, photography, walks and much more. It is a working farm which we aim to diversify into a deciduous food forest for about 90 members who would eventually nurture it as their home.
As with every Beforest collective, we will undertake detailed studies that include biodiversity studies, hydrology mapping, slope analysis, solar patterns, etc. These will give us a thorough understanding of the land, its potential and how many families the collective can support. We call this the carrying capacity of the land. We have promised you sustainability and we will deliver that.
Food Security
Maximum impact with minimal intervention – this is the crux of our design approach at Beforest.
The site for The Bhopal Collective is based on a 178 acre wheat farm. We believe that we can transform this mono-cropped landscape into a thriving, sustainable and food secure ecosystem by growing a food forest. The food production zones will account for enough grains, pulses, seasonal vegetables and fruits for the 90 families in a completely natural way. A natural integrated pest management system including barrier species like marigold and neem will help maintain the diversity without any external intervention.
Plant diversity is our strongest asset. Besides adding to the overall variety, we also use them to create natural bio fences and feeding zones for the resident wildlife to provide them their fair share. We also focus on growing only seasonal and native variants of food crops simply to make sure the soil and the microbial life in it is capable of supporting these plants. This means we will not be growing any bell peppers or iceberg lettuce by following the simple belief that, ‘Grow not what you desire; but what the land allows’.
Water Security
Maximum impact with minimal intervention – this is the crux of our design approach at Beforest.
Plant diversity is our strongest asset. Besides adding to the overall variety, we also use them to create natural bio fences and feeding zones for the resident wildlife to provide them their fair share. We also focus on growing only seasonal and native variants of food crops simply to make sure the soil and the microbial life in it is capable of supporting these plants. This means we will not be growing any bell peppers or iceberg lettuce by following the simple belief that, ‘Grow not what you desire; but what the land allows’.
Power Security
Maximum impact with minimal intervention – this is the crux of our design approach at Beforest.
Surrounded by towering boulders on all sides, the collective is ideal for generating solar power. Solar farms that are centered in close proximity to the housing clusters are critical in our efforts to provide power security. We plan to meet our heating requirements through unconventional heating methods based on the site’s context and available resources.
We take inspiration from traditional building practices for our community structures. Eco-sensitive design and locally sourced materials will help us reduce the carbon footprint and keep the indoors cooler. Greywater recycling methods are being employed at the collective to conserve energy that goes into pumping water. These measures will ensure a considerable reduction in energy needs and consumption.
In addition, most of our heating requirements will be met through solar or bio heaters. The earth homes that are sensitively planned will also ensure a five-degree temperature drop indoors. Greywater recycling also reduces the pumping needs of each home. Both of these will ensure that the energy needs are a fraction of what we expect in the city. With a combination of grid and solar, we plan to achieve complete power security for the community.
Seed Community
All our collectives are community-funded and co-created. As we start to lock down on this option, we are looking for the support and trust of the Seed Community - the early adopters who buy into the first 25% of the collective's land. They are instrumental in defining the character of the community and the rules that govern it. Once the seed community is formed, we proceed with acquiring the necessary permissions and setting up the infrastructure at the collective.
Join The Bhopal Collective
There is a huge circle of concern which encompasses most urban audiences. Within this is a circle of action. This circle believes in doing something for the change they wish to see.
Our community falls right in the centre of this circle of action. It involves people from different professions, age groups and backgrounds, all having the thread of sustainable living holding them together.
If you want to move the needle a little every day towards a sustainable life and join the 150+ other families who have already come on board, then click on ‘Get Invited’ button and one of our teammates will connect with you.