The man who creates forests in India can also do it in your own garden

Surely some of you who read us will know the story written by Jean Giono called "The man who planted trees" that tells the story of Elzéar Bouffier, an imaginary shepherd, although totally credible, who for many years dedicated himself to planting trees in a large area of Provence and turned into an area full of life and greenery what was once a desolate wasteland. An incredible story that shows how we have the power to change the environment around us with a little perseverance and good work, which Shubhendu Sharma possesses.

Sharma He quit his job as an engineer to plant trees for the rest of his life. Using the Miyawaki methodology to grow saplings and turn any area into a self-sustaining forest in a couple of years. It has managed to create 33 forests across India in two years. Here we show you how he has done it.

Shubhendu Sharma, an industrial engineer, brings the possibility of bringing the very nature of a forest to your own garden. It all started when Sharma volunteered to assist naturist Akira Miyawaki to cultivate a forest at the Toyota plant where he worked. Miyawaki's technique has been used to regenerate forests from Thailand to the Amazon, leading Sharma to think that it could do the same in India.

Sharma began to experiment with the model and created a special version for his own country after various modifications using some special soil properties. His first attempt at creating a forest was in his own garden in Uttarakhand, where he managed to create one in the time of a year. Which gave him enough confidence to go full-time, quit his job, and spend most of the year researching his own methodology.

Sharma created Afforestt, a service to provide natural, wild and self-sustaining forests in 2011. In Sharma's own words: «The idea was to bring back the natural forests. They are not only sustainable by themselves but have zero maintenance«. Another of his big decisions was to quit his job as a high-income engineer at Toyota to plant trees for his entire life.

The beginnings were tough, but now Sharma has a team of 6 people. Their first order was from a German furniture manufacturer who wanted 10000 trees to be planted. Since then, Afforestt has served 43 clients and they have planted nearly 54000 trees.

How Afforestt works

afforestt provides a complete control and execution service which includes materials, equipment, tools and everything that is needed for the project using the Miyawaki method. The process begins by testing the soil and looking for what is needed to make it the right one to start planting all kinds of plants in it.

The land You must be at least 93 square meters to start studying what species of plants and biome is needed. After the tests, the first young plants are prepared in a soil with biomass to make it even more fertile.

Finally begins the process of planting between 50 to 100 varieties of native species. The last phase focuses on fertilizing and irrigating the area for the next two years, after this time, the forest will no longer need any maintenance and will be sustainable on its own. The great advantage of Afforestt is its low cost model with young bushes growing approximately one meter per year.

The future

afforestt has created 33 forests in a total of 11 cities in India and wants to increase this number. Sharma has many plans to grow and put this technology so that more people can implement it.

Is planning on launch a software based on crowdfunding so that anyone be able to add your own native plant species in your area to the tool. So when someone wanted to plant their own forest, they would know what species it would take to make it sustainable in itself.

Another of his ideas is to create an environment where you can pick a fruit from your own garden or plot easier than buying it in the market. An interesting initiative to create forests that do not need any maintenance and that if you want to create your own you can visit its websites or contact Sharma himself at info@afforestt.com.