Sanctuary For
Tropical Edible Plants

NGO. Edible Reforestation. Ecological Repair. Community Living.

If you want to…

Actively repair and restore ecosystems.
Wake up every day in a thriving environment you helped bring to life.
Be challenged and supported to grow into the best version of yourself.
Eat nutrient-dense, life-giving, fresh, and delicious foods that benefit your body and the planet.
Live in a like-minded community aligned in vision, goals, and priorities.
Be a part of the solution.
Create the greatest beneficial impact possible.
Help build and live within a sanctuary that conserves the largest diversity of tropical edible plants.
Design and create landscapes with earthen buildings and food forests.
Make this world a better place.
Spend your energy on something that you can be a part of for the rest of your life—without having to start over.

Then you’re in the right place.

Sanctuary for Tropical Edible Plants (STEP) is an NGO (Non-Governmental Organization) creating a network of self-sufficient sanctuary communities across the tropics, focused on edible reforestation, ecological repair, and community living. Through the restoration of clear-cut land, STEP is creating thriving ecosystems where people live in communities as an integrated part of nature.

STEP’s goal is to begin with establishing 16 sanctuary communities in tropical regions. Each will be self-sustaining yet interconnected, forming a strong and supportive knowledge-sharing network. These sanctuaries will offer a solution: a new way of living that has the potential to ignite large-scale, beneficial transformation around the world—setting change in motion beyond the STEP communities.

Here’s the plan:

Phase 1: Education

“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.”
— Albert Einstein

To address today's global challenges, we need a new way of thinking—one grounded in unity.

Living in community is part of how we put this thinking into practice. It’s not just about coexisting—it’s about developing the skills to effectively solve problems and build a better world together. The ability to live in harmony with others takes time, effort, and dedication to master mental, emotional, and relational skills like; excellent communication, emotional maturity, problem solving, and beneficial decision-making.

STEP’s education program focuses on learning the
foundational mindset needed to live in a STEP community.

Training takes place at Base Campus—STEP's live-in training centre. A 2-acre site in Petén, Guatemala—where immersive, hands-on learning prepares individuals to actively contribute to building and pioneering the STEP communities. This program is for individuals who are wanting to be a part of the beginning stages of this project.

The STEP training program is structured in six progressive levels, each building upon the last, guiding participants from foundational knowledge to full integration into the STEP sanctuary community. This ensures that once graduated, all STEP members will have the foundational mindset, knowledge and skills necessary to live a beneficial life within a STEP community.

While the primary focus is on training individuals who want to progress into becoming a part of the STEP community, the program is open to anyone who wants to learn and apply these teachings in their own lives, communities or projects.

Learn More About Our Education Program

Here

Phase 2: Implementation – Building The First STEP Sanctuary Community

Work on STEP Site 1 will begin on land that was previously clear-cut and planted with grass for cattle grazing. The area now has low biodiversity and ecological function—making it a practical starting point to demonstrate what edible reforestation and ecological regeneration can look like in practice.

After completing the training at Base Campus, members will begin developing STEP Site 1 and transition into living on-site. Here, members will learn and apply the practical skills in designing and planting food forests, restoring soil, and building infrastructure using as many natural earthen materials as possible.

Phase 3: Replication

Once STEP Site 1 is fully established and functional, efforts will shift toward creating STEP Site 2. This phase focuses on replicating what works—integrating the insights, feedback, and lessons learned from the first site to build even more effective, efficient, and resilient sanctuaries. Our starting goal is to establish 16 sanctuary communities across tropical regions. Each will be tailored to the unique conditions of the local environment, and connected to the larger STEP network for ongoing exchange of insights, resources, and collective improvement.

As more people join the movement, the STEP ecosystem has the potential to grow well beyond the original 16 sites. With every new community, we expand our ability to regenerate land, and model what’s possible when humans and ecosystems thrive together. Each new site strengthens the whole—adding diversity, innovation, and momentum to the larger STEP network.

Together, these sanctuaries form a network that is future-ready—designed to grow stronger over time, respond creatively to new challenges, and support long-term wellbeing for both people and the planet.

Vision

STEP’s vision is a world where people live in harmony with nature and each other. Living in communities designed to regenerate and maintain ecosystems, meet human needs, and cultivate personal and collective growth... and have as much fun as possible while doing it.

This movement will grow through collaboration, shared purpose, and a new mindset—one that recognizes the interconnectedness of all life and the power of working together. It’s not just about building communities. It’s about building a new future—starting with each individual who chooses to take the step.

Where We're At Now

STEP is in its pioneering phase—which means everything here is new and in the making. We’re not offering a polished retreat or a finished community—we’re building it, together, from the ground up. The accommodations are simple, the work is real, and the vision is big.

We’re looking for fellow pioneers: people who are strengthened by challenges, drawn to collaboration, and inspired to help create something the world hasn’t seen before—a living model of how people can coexist in harmony with nature and each other.

Are You Ready To Take The Next Step?

If this vision speaks to you—if you're ready to learn, grow, build, and live in a new way—then this is your invitation. The journey begins with education, and from there, the possibilities are as vast as the forests we’ll grow.