Seeds as a Catalyst for Understanding diversity

Our trust in the world is broken in several places.

This is not how we thought things would turn out. We grew up in a time where we were told that the future would be brighter than the present.But within our lifetimes, with this decade even, something broke.

My (Guardian) newsfeed and socials have become a source of overwhelm and sadness. I want to stay connected but am often crushed by what I see: the climate and biodiversity crisis, no-sense wars, despot leaders, a rise in the billionaire class, disinformation in the media, data control, AI free for all. We are living in a time of system breakdown. Within this, how do we as individuals and communities make sense of, find peace with, and take joyful action inside such large scale influences on our lives?

Our project at the lands above Myponga Beach is an answer. It’s my way of reconciling the heavy reality of our times, with what satisfies deep needs, connects us, and gives us cause for hope. Not hope that everything broken globally will somehow fall back into place, but that on a local level, our future can be better than our present.

This project is real, not just a concept. It’s something we can do with our hands. And we have agency to create something beautiful, for each other and for our uncertain future together.

This weekend something clarified in my understanding.

Forty people were seated in our shed at Myponga, listening intently as project ecologist Brad Bianco walked us through the scientific methods of seed collection and storage.

He explained why planting 1000 seeds of a species is going to be better than 100 tubestock (small plants grown and cared for in a nursery). Intuitively I was sure that having small plants that had already proved themselves viable was better than a handful of seeds that would have to struggle their way out into the harsh elements. But it’s not. The reason: genetic diversity is an imperative for ongoing life in a changing environment.

In changing conditions, biodiversity is the only safe bet.

Explainer: Every seed is a potential genetic variant. Variations that might make it better able to deal with the dry, get along with local soil life, or better reproduce in the conditions. Or less so. The point is that we’re better off letting nature run 1000 genetic experiments than humans picking 100 experiments. Something from the edges of genetic norm may be just what is needed to help the whole species thrive. Or something that sits dormant in the soil for 5 hot years before springing to life because of some unique marker of a good season ahead. Life is complicated, season variations are complicated. I finally got the imperative for biodiversity, especially as we move into even more unstable climate futures.

But the penny drop was this.

We’re in a moment where a small group of billionaire, largely white and almost exclusively male despots in America (and emerging here in Australia) are trying to actively eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion from the conversation. They use their purchasing power and media dominance to shout down and shut down anything that strays from the centre of their limited world view.

Artists, queer culture, neurodivergent folk, even novel scientific discovery all take place, almost by definition, outside of the centre, free from the norms. And I would argue it is only at these places, by these people, that the world is changed for the better.

Celebration and learning from the edges is not a woke idea. It’s an imperative for long term survival of us all. 

As a society we can’t know with any certainty what even the near future holds. We don’t know which ideas will be needed in 5 years time. Or which ideas will look good for 5 years, then turn out to be catastrophic. Monoculture of ideas, of leadership, of human endeavour is dangerous for us all. 

An inclusive, well-informed and respectful democracy has this promise of a way forwards. But for many reasons, that is what we are losing on a global and possibly even national scale. It’s why seeking out a more diverse political representation will be important in the upcoming election. (Go Teals, go Greens!)

It’s why we’re seeking a diversity of voices and ownership in The Circular Initiative. And it’s why we’ll be sowing several million seeds at Myponga.

This is what I have learnt; from diversity good things grow.

Go well.
Triton