Panya Forest

Panya Forest, nestled within the great Northern forests of Thailand is the second iteration of a Permaculture ecovillage once referred to as “Panya Project” that began 20 years ago. The founders, Gregory Pettys and Ramphai Noikaew have lived at Pun Pun Center for Self Reliance farm for 15 years. Pun Pun, a thriving community of nearly 30 people, excels at teaching people from around the world how to save seed, build with natural materials, grow organic food, treat water, etc. Panya Forest, a neighboring ecovillage (only a five minute walk from Pun Pun) seeks now to take off from this crucial foundation and explore too the “inner ecologies” of a community life, primarily via exploration into the contemplative arts. Panya Forest is a thriving food forest filled with cacao trees and myriad other fruit bearing trees. They are building a place that is conducive to culture building. By opening themselves to visitations from ecologically minded artists, musicians, visionaries, dreamers, unschoolers and the like, they aspire to explore what a healthy community requires in these post-modern times after the tangible groundwork has been laid. How do we make beauty together? How do we grieve? How do we create the conditions for children to stay after they grow up? How do we generate an income in a reciprocal way? How do we honor all our relations while remaining open to change? Panya Forest strives to regenerate responsible creativity in an era primarily focused on science and rational thought. They seek to keep alive not only seeds, but so too the ancestral stories that come with each seed. They work closely with indigenous tribes throughout Thailand, attempting to serve as a bridge between “modern” and in-tact ways of being. They regularly host gatherings to explore what it means to be human in these times of radical transition. They offer a safe space for all ages to learn, unlearn, make mistakes, touch the eARTh, ask questions and have fun.
www.panyaforest.com