Nature Rights Council was co-founded by Humboldt Seed Company in 2017 and Humboldt Seed Company continues to provide administration and grant writing assistance to the non-profit. We learned about the project from our friend Ophelia so we reached out to Nat from HSC and Amber Shelton, the Nature Rights Council’s Executive Director, so we could learn more about the Ancestral Guard program, and how it assists with food sovereignty.
Tell us a little about your work please?
Ancestral Guard is a program of Nature Rights Council, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.
Ancestral Guard’s biggest program this year is the Victorious Gardens Initiative, which aims to develop food sovereignty on Yurok tribal territory. Last year Ancestral Guard secured a piece of land and built a large garden on the property. Vegetables were grown and garden boxes with fresh produce were delivered to 30 families that live in Yurok tribal housing.
In 2021, Ancestral Guard plans to build garden boxes at the homes of these families and provide assistance to the families to ensure that the gardens are productive and that food is properly grown, harvested, and preserved for the families throughout the year.
The lower Yurok reservation is considered a food desert and does not even contain a supermarket or grocery store, only a gas station with junk food. The nearest supermarket is about an hour drive. Our hope is that the Victorious Gardens Initiative will bring fresh organic produce to the doorstep of families who otherwise don’t have access to fresh foods in the town they live in.
You can help:
It’s not always about money, following Nature Rights Council online is a free and simple way to help spread the word about the work they’re doing:
Have some extra green? Donations are accepted via PayPal on the Nature Rights Council website in any amount.
At this time there are not volunteer opportunities due to the pandemic. In the future Amber assured us they will have any volunteer opportunities posted on the website!
