Sunseed
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Sunseed´s history
Sunseed was first conceived in 1982 during a talk at a green festival by Harry Hart, co-founder of the charity Green Deserts. In August 1986, having rented a house in arid Southeast Spain, a small joint project began looking at practical ways of combating desertification. In March 1987 Green Deserts withdrew and Sunseed Desert Technology and The Sunseed Trust were inaugurated to direct the project.
Another house was borrowed, Geoff’s, on a repairing lease, and both houses were rebuilt. Five terraces were under cultivation, and work was started on tree trials, solar stills and new pumps. The Main House was purchased and, in 1988, a third house, Isabella’s, was added. Since then, Gaye’s House and land was purchased on very generous terms allowing us to increase the number of volunteer bed spaces to around 35.
The Volunteer scheme was set up in earnest and volunteers started to come from countries other than the UK. More effort was put into education for visitors and collaboration with other organisations, including universities and schools. Sunseed has gradually evolved into an experiential educational project with visitors working to support the ongoing tasks of Sunseed whilst simultaneously learning how to live in a low impact way.
In 1995 and 1996 teams went to Tanzania, at the request of a women’s group in Dodoma, to start trials of an ultra-low-cost solar cooker and subsequently the Sunseed Tanzania Trust (STT) was established to better oversee this project. STT and The Sunseed Trust remain separately constituted organisations but have an ongoing working partnership.
Today Sunseed exists primarily to provide visitors with an experience of low impact living in a community setting. Approximately 200 people from all over the world visit us every year.