The philosophy and mission of the DREVO project

The philosophy and mission of the DREVO project

Restoring the land as a living heritage

The DREVO project is based on the understanding that land is not an empty space, not a construction site, and not a disposable resource for short-term profit.

The Earth is a living system in which the following are connected:

geological formation;

water;

soil;

microorganisms and fungi;

plants and animals;

climate;

human activity;

history of the territory;

the life of future generations.

Degradation begins when the bonds between these elements are broken. Water quickly leaves the area, the soil loses structure and organic matter, vegetation disappears, erosion increases, biodiversity declines, and humans become increasingly dependent on artificial irrigation, fertilizers, chemical protection, and constant external intervention.

Therefore, land restoration cannot be reduced to just planting trees, applying fertilizers, or creating an agricultural facility.

True restoration means returning the territory of ability:

retain and accumulate water;

create living soil;

support diverse life forms;

to be renewed naturally;

adapt to changes;

accumulate fertility;

ensure safe production;

to pass on life potential to future generations.

The project's main goal is not to temporarily green the area, but to initiate a long-term process of its recovery.

The earth must become better

The modern economic model often views land as a surface that can be used until exhausted and then replaced by other territory.

The DREVO philosophy is based on the opposite principle:

The earth must become better as a result of human presence.

A person should not leave behind:

depleted and compacted soil;

contaminated water;

exposed rock;

destroyed slopes;

dead monocultures;

territories completely dependent on chemicals;

systems that cease to exist immediately after funding ends.

Each generation must pass on the land to the next generations:

more fertile;

more humid;

more diverse;

more stable;

better protected from erosion and drought;

capable of natural renewal.

Economic activity is considered justified only when it does not destroy the natural basis of future production.

The main economic principle of the project:

Income must come from the health of the system, not from its gradual destruction.

Recovery does not begin with the harvest

On degraded, dehydrated, eroded or polluted land, crop yield cannot be the primary goal.

First, the destruction must be stopped:

stop erosion and dusting;

protect water sources;

identify and localize pollution;

stabilize slopes;

restore vegetation cover;

return organic matter;

create conditions for soil life.

Only after this can the territory gradually transition to productive use.

The basic sequence of DREVO:

safety → water → soil → grasses → shrubs → forest-steppe → young forest → mature ecosystem → sustainable forest garden.

A forest garden shouldn't be an artificial layer imposed on degraded soil. It should be the result of its gradual recovery.

From stone to living ecosystem

The project considers even poor rock and mineral regolith not as useless material, but as a possible foundation for future soil.

The path from the rock to the living earth passes through:

physical and chemical weathering;

moisture accumulation;

bacterial activity;

the appearance of lichens and mosses;

development of grass cover;

root penetration;

accumulation of organic matter;

mushroom colonization;

activities of soil animals;

formation of stable soil horizons.

Humans are able to support and accelerate individual stages of this process, but cannot completely replace them with mechanical mixing of materials.

Soil is more than just a mixture of sand, clay, minerals, and compost. It's a developing, living system of relationships between water, rock, roots, microorganisms, fungi, and animals.

Brief formula for project development:

the rock becomes regolith; regolith becomes soil; the soil gives birth to grass; the grass prepares the bush; the bush protects the young tree; a tree creates a forest; the forest holds water and life; and man, having become the guardian of this process, forms a sustainable forest garden and passes it on.

Priority for long-lived trees

Short-lived crops produce quick results. Long-lived trees shape the future of the area.

Therefore, the project maintains the priority of nature-forming species:

oak;

linden trees;

maple;

ash;

bull;

elm;

chestnut;

nut;

pine trees;

cedar pines;

fir trees;

larch;

other local long-lived trees.

These plants are planted not only for wood, fruits, nuts or decorative effect.

They create:

durable timber frame;

deep root network;

stable microclimate;

forest litter;

animal habitat;

fungal and soil communities;

seed centers;

genetic continuity;

connection between forest generations.

A fruit tree can feed a family for decades. An old oak, linden, or cedar pine can form an entire natural environment over several centuries.

Therefore, a mature ecosystem should not consist solely of quickly profitable productive crops. Its foundation is formed by trees, the value of which extends far beyond their direct economic use.

Forest and forest garden

A natural forest and a sustainable forest garden are not contradictory. They serve different but interrelated functions.

Natural forest provides:

environmental sustainability;

natural regeneration;

conservation of local species;

soil formation;

water regulation;

shelter and food for animals;

genetic diversity.

The forest garden provides:

food;

fruits, berries and nuts;

medicinal and aromatic raw materials;

seeds and planting material;

workplaces;

educational function;

economic support for the territory.

A sustainable forest garden should not displace natural forests. It should be integrated into the restored forest and forest-steppe structure.

Basic principle:

Don't turn the entire forest into a garden, but make productive areas part of sustainable nature.

Man as a keeper

Man has knowledge, experience and technology, but this does not make him the absolute master of the ecosystem.

It is impossible to fully calculate in advance:

all connections between organisms;

long-term climate change;

development of soil communities;

the emergence of new diseases;

migration of species;

consequences of each intervention.

Therefore, territorial management must combine:

scientific planning;

constant surveillance;

cautious experiment;

preservation of natural processes;

recording of results;

willingness to admit and correct mistakes;

respect for the limits of human knowledge.

In the DREVO project, a person acts as:

reducing agent;

keeper;

gardener;

researcher;

organizer;

temporarily responsible for the territory.

He doesn't complete the ecosystem or own its future unconditionally. He accepts responsibility for a certain period, develops the system, and passes it on.

Time as the main resource

Conventional projects are measured by payback periods, construction phases, and political cycles.

The DREVO project measures land development:

seasons;

life cycles of plants;

generations of trees;

soil formation;

change in water regime;

change of natural communities;

for decades and centuries.

Planning for 150 years means that the initiators are consciously creating a system whose final maturity will be seen by future generations.

Looking 300 years ahead means recognizing that today's decisions can impact people and ecosystems that don't yet exist.

This requires a different ethic:

don't look only for quick profit;

do not consider slow development as a disadvantage;

do not destroy long-term processes for the sake of instant results;

evaluate decisions based on their multi-generational impact;

maintain the ability to correct errors;

create a system of succession in advance.

Diversity as environmental insurance

A monoculture can be productive, but it remains vulnerable. A single disease, drought, pest outbreak, or temperature change can damage the entire monotonous system.

That's why DREVO is built on diversity:

species;

varieties;

ecotypes;

genetic lines;

ages;

types of root systems;

height of crowns;

flowering and ripening periods;

methods of reproduction;

natural zones;

economic functions.

Diversity is not a decorative addition. It is a form of ecological and economic security.

The loss of one species shouldn't destroy the entire system. The failure of one crop shouldn't deprive a farm of all income. The loss of one generation of trees shouldn't end the existence of a forest.

Natural mosaic

A mature area should not be completely occupied by the same forest, agricultural field or continuous forest garden.

It is formed like a mosaic:

mature forest kernels;

young groves;

forest-steppe;

meadows;

food fields;

water and marsh zones;

shrub areas;

nurseries;

seed groves;

remediation zones;

public spaces;

territories of natural succession.

This structure increases:

biological diversity;

fire resistance;

disease resistance;

microclimate diversity;

the possibility of migration of species;

economic flexibility;

resistance to climate change.

Every tree has a story

In mass plantings, a tree often becomes a statistical unit. The DREVO environmental certification system restores its individuality.

The tree's history may contain:

origin of the seed or seedling;

place and date of landing;

genetic line;

people who participated in the planting;

survived droughts, frosts and fires;

growth changes;

illness and recovery;

beginning of fruiting;

associated plants, fungi and animals;

its seed and vegetative progeny.

After 16 years of observation, a sustainable tree or natural area can be assigned a permanent ecological passport.

Such a passport does not mean ownership of life, but a social obligation:

remember the origin of the object;

take it into account when planning;

protect him;

save history;

appoint custodians;

to raise successors;

pass on responsibility.

Error as part of knowledge

A long-term project cannot be completely error-free.

Some plants won't survive. Some methods won't be effective enough. The climate will change. Some decisions will have to be reconsidered.

The DREVO philosophy requires:

record failures;

save observation data;

do not hide negative results;

compare methods;

adjust plans;

transfer the acquired knowledge to other territories.

An error becomes dangerous not when it occurs, but when it is hidden, not studied, and repeated.

Technology as a tool

The project may use:

remote sensing;

unmanned aerial vehicles;

spectral cameras;

humidity sensors;

digital passports;

artificial intelligence;

digital twins;

automated irrigation;

robotic monitoring.

Technologies help:

see changes;

identify diseases;

control water;

save the history of objects;

predict risks;

compare methods;

make more accurate decisions.

However, technology does not replace the natural system. It should help humans observe, understand, and more carefully manage natural processes, rather than create the illusion of complete control over them.

Intergenerational contract

The DREVO project can be seen as an agreement between:

those who lived in the territory before;

the current generation;

future people;

natural communities.

The current generation receives land not only from previous owners. They temporarily accept it from the future.

Therefore, every significant object and every restored territory must have:

history;

responsible custodian;

ecological status;

passport;

observation archive;

development plan;

mechanism for transferring responsibility;

long-term goal.

The territory should not depend on one owner, manager or generation.

DREVO's Mission

DREVO's mission is to restore degraded, dehydrated, polluted, and eroded lands by restoring water, creating living soil, and creating sustainable forests, forest-steppes, and forest gardens, preserving the priority of long-lived, nature-forming trees and passing on each restored area to future generations as a documented living heritage.

The project aims to create systems that simultaneously:

restore soil and water regime;

preserve natural and genetic diversity;

produce safe food;

provide animals with food and habitat;

create jobs;

develop nurseries and processing;

unite people around caring for the earth;

retain knowledge;

continue to live and renew themselves after the departure of their creators.

Measure of success

The success of a project is not determined by the number of seedlings planted or the total area of ​​formally landscaped territory.

The real indicators are:

arrested erosion;

restored water regime;

increase in organic matter;

formation of a new soil horizon;

return of fungi and soil animals;

natural regeneration of trees;

the emergence of several age generations;

increasing biodiversity;

reducing dependence on external irrigation;

obtaining a safe harvest;

preservation of long-lived trees;

the ability of the system to survive crises;

transfer of the project to the next generation.

Ethical rule of intervention

Before every significant action, there are five questions to answer:

Will this improve water and soil conditions?

Will this increase the resilience of the area in 25–50 years?

Will this not destroy the natural value that has been formed over decades or centuries?

Will the next generation be able to correct the consequences of the decision made?

Will there be more life left after the intervention than there was before?

If the answer is negative or unknown, the solution needs to be reconsidered, scaled down, or pre-tested in a pilot site.

The main covenant of the project

Do not take from the earth more than it can replenish.

Do not destroy what has been formed over centuries.

Don't measure the value of nature by profit alone.

Do not leave the consequences unaddressed for future generations.

To create systems that live on after us.

A brief formula for the DREVO philosophy

We don't green the land just for the sake of appearance. We are giving her back her ability to create life.

We don't just grow crops. We grow soil, water, forest and the future.

We do not consider a tree to be a temporary improvement object. We recognize it as a participant in the ecosystem and a bearer of living history.

We are not creating a project for one generation. We are beginning a process that must continue for centuries.