The Patrons of Herland Forest are volunteers who support the long term work of crafting a living memorial, a food forest that fulfills the vision that Charlotte Perkins Gilman set out in her 1915 novel Herland. Gilman dreamed of a permaculture forest that sustainably produces the food, fuel, and fiber a community needs in order to thrive, one in which the forest sustains the community that sustains the forest. We share Gilman’s vision, and believe that the most radical thing we can do is to create a working model of a better way.

Often distance and other obligations prevent people from getting hands-on with the process of tending the forest. So instead of contributing their labor, some choose to make a monthly donation subscription that helps to pay for the fuel and equipment, bulbs and seeds, trees and shrubs needed to create a bountiful, diverse forest.

As in much of life, there’s a trade off between time and money. Having a reliable stream of support makes it possible for Herland Forest to plan and schedule long-term sustainability projects that need to be done according to nature’s time line. The literal seed money provided by Herland’s patrons helps to accelerate the process. It helps us demonstrate that natural burial is a powerful strategy for preserving the forest in ways that serve the local community; a community that includes not just humans, but also the animals and birds that rely on the forest just to survive.

We hope that you feel that the mission of Herland Forest is worth supporting and you’ll become a Patron of the Forest at whatever level of support works for you. Patron of the Forest donations are not tax-deductible, but if you are interested in making a tax-deductable donation to help us protect more forest from development, then please reach out to us at herlan*******@**ail.com.