FAQs

STEP (Sanctuary for Tropical Edible Plants) is a global initiative that is building a network of sanctuary communities to support the transition to a life in harmony with nature, with others, and with oneself. Focused on reforestation with edible plants, ecosystem restoration, and community living, STEP empowers people to build future-ready communities.

Because the project is both a refuge and a launching pad, for both plants and people. “Sanctuary” reflects STEP’s commitment to protecting the remaining tropical edible plant species, which will preserve and enhance biodiversity.

The name also reflects the environment STEP creates for people: a place where they live completely immersed in a food forest, with direct access to nutrient-dense foods that support optimal health.

STEP is called a sanctuary because it is a safe and fertile space for life to grow and a new future to take root.

STEP was created to address a crucial missing link in most community and ecological initiatives: personal and interpersonal preparedness. Many projects fail not because of a lack of vision, but because the people involved haven't had the opportunity to develop the mindset, skills, and group coherence necessary to sustain them. STEP fills this need by offering immersive training for internal and external transformation, from transforming thinking patterns to restoring ecosystems.

STEP is for intellectual, open-minded, and growth-driven individuals ready to reimagine every aspect of human life. It's for those who want to live in purposeful communities, restore ecosystems, and develop the mindset, knowledge, and skills necessary to co-create a unified lifestyle aligned with nature. STEP is specifically for pioneers: those willing to explore new territory, challenge old ideas, and help seed a new way of life.

STEP stands out by prioritizing mindset development before land or infrastructure development. STEP begins by training the people who will build the community, providing them with the mental, emotional, and relational tools necessary to live and work collaboratively. Participants undergo an intensive in-person training process that focuses on skills such as communication, confidence, critical thinking, and unlearning limiting social constructs. Only after this foundational preparation do they move on to full-scale, on-site training, where they apply their mindset development to real-world projects such as ecosystem restoration, natural building, and food forest creation. These STEP communities are co-created by the people who train, grow, and live together with a shared vision. This approach ensures that STEP communities are built on a strong and unified foundation.