Syntropic SilvaFlux: Name Origin

Overview

Syntropic Silvaflux is a technique of regeneration and ecosystem restoration- one that I’ve created after studying under various permaculture mentors, syntropic farmers, and full-time stewards.

The basic idea behind Syntropic Silvaflux is to create systems that incorporate and prioritize native species & crops that have either been in the area already; or that have growing conditions capable of surviving the environment they’re being put into. As these plants are prioritized and added, any colonizer species; such as non-native grasses, thistles, and purslane to name a few; are used as chop & drop mulch or homemade fertilizers using the JLF (JADAM Liquid Fertilizer) technique. In the end, everything that grows in the system is used in the system. And through observation and experimentation with each different plant, we can begin to refine our timing and techniques for utilizing all of them, native and non-native alike, all while actually expanding the ecosystems of our soils.

The goal behind any and all of these spaces is to create self-sustaining areas that will gradually require fewer and fewer inputs of labor, resources, and time- until eventually reaching a point of such genetic and biological complexity that it begins to run itself. After roughly 3-5 years, sometimes 8-10 in extreme conditions, the only input needed transitions to pruning and “weeding”… but each time you weed it doubles as your harvest; 95% of things “weeded”, or closer to the lines of pruning, have purpose as either fertilizer, crafting & building materials, medicine, or food. Colonizer species are occasionally cleared as needed, but as Syntropic sites grow they generally outcompete most invasive species within 2-3 years.

Break down & description of the term Syntropic Silvaflux:

Syntropy is a phenomenon found both in physics and biology- both of which describe this fascinating process of exponential growth and expansion of diversity and complexity following the death or passing of one or multiple beings.

In the physics community, Syntropy is:

the tendency toward energy concentration, order, organization, and complexity; a convergence of energy and the formation of complex structures. 

From a Biological perspective, Syntropy is:

used as a way to describe a state of expansive symbiosis interconnecting between biological organisms and species. Across the entire realm of biology in the entire world, this phenomenon is observed in what I would estimate to be 95% of living organisms; from bacteria to mammals. In simple terms, this means that in our world, living organisms have a natural tendency to interconnect with each other- and most remarkably, the highest spike in this interconnectedness happens after the death of one organism. Even more remarkable, is how these symbiotic expansions of diversity can oftentimes even evolve to a point of surpass environmental constraints… and in very little time for that matter.

With both of these definitions in mind, Syntropic Silvaflux was designed to patiently observe, replicate, and expand these phenomenons of interconnection in forests and passive food systems we work with. Hence where “Syntropic” comes from in the name. This means that there isn’t a single sight that looks or is managed the same way as any other; each has its own strengths and weaknesses incorporated through hands-on experience and observation. And then the strengths of those sights are encouraged and expanded while the weaknesses are aided to the point of minimal interference.

Silvaflux on the other hand, is a term derived from two phrases- “Silva” and “Flux”. The word “Silva” comes from the Latin word Silva, translating roughly to forest or woodland. It is also closely related to the word “Silvia”, meaning goddess of the forest. “Flux” also originates from Latin, translating to “flow”. The combination of these two words; forest and flow; are conjoined out of respect for the most important aspect of this technique. And that is the observation of the natural flows and fluctuations in the forests and ecosystems that we occupy and/or steward.

So, all put together, Syntropic Silvaflux translates to nurturing the phenomenon of Syntropy into the fluctuations and flows of what is already thriving in the ecosystems and forests we occupy and steward.