A sanctuary of self-discovery
GUYANA is home to countless tourist hotspots, from Linden to the Essequibo Coast – each with its unique aim, attractions, and ambitions. Whether it is ATV tours or kayaking, Guyana is home to countless natural wonders, and many people have found ways to enjoy it. But hidden several miles off-road in Long Creek is an estate with a different mission. Sitting on ten acres of untouched natural beauty is the Armadillo Earth Farm. Formed more than five years ago, Armadillo Earth Farm aims to reconnect its visitors with Mother Earth. With yoga and tea made from Guyanese herbs, which are described as grounding experiences, Armadillo Earth Farm gives its visitors a chance to experience their Guyana unlike ever before.
From city girl to reconnecting with the Earth
Diane Chin was born and raised in Plaisance. Growing up, her only experience with nature came from the ocean near her home. For many years, Diane led what many would consider a successful life. She worked as a flight attendant before pursuing fitness and becoming a trainer, nutritional consultant, and holistic health practitioner. As successful as life seemed on the outside, Diane sought to work towards something new, something bigger than the “9 to 5”. Diane and her family rebuilt their life in Long Creek half a decade ago, a drastic change from the hustle of a community like Plasiance to the complete stillness of the forest. Diane grew a profound love for her new home, as she stated, “I was not a forest girl. Why I loved it so much, I can’t tell you because two years ago, if you had said to me that I would be living in the forest in isolation, I would have asked if you were crazy because that was not me. But I can’t tell you what happened; perhaps nature spoke to me, or the trees spoke to me, and I have now a deep and profound love for the forest.”
Armadillo Earth Farm began as a simple initiative. Diane and her husband sought to create a home for family and friends. After a few years of dwelling in their natural escape, the family decided to accept people into their home. As Diane explained, it was a slow and cautious process opening their home to the public. “Bit by bit, we opened it to people who were looking for a space to retreat, a space to go inward, a space to reconnect to the natural world because we are nature, and nature is us. This body that we wear belongs to the earth, and one day it will go back to earth.”
Exchange of energy
Diane and the Chin family have mastered the art of sustainability in more ways than one. Armadillo Earth Farm is sustained mainly by volunteer work. People from all around Guyana and the world travel to be a part of Armadillo Earth Farm, and in return, they have a home there. Diane explains what she calls an ‘exchange of energy,’ “We are a volunteer space too, and we are an exchange space, so if somebody wants to stay here and they don’t have the financial resources, and they have a skill that we require, like if they’re an artist or they’re great with a car, or they just wish to learn carpentry or they wish to learn about ecological building, which is what we do here, then they can exchange working six to seven hours, and they stay here for meals and accommodation. There’s an exchange of energy. And so we have volunteers that come from around the world to stay here, and they work with us on projects that we have. We have lots of local volunteers.”
Completely Off-the-Grid
One of the things that make this destination unique is its truly ‘off the grid’ nature. As Diane explains, time on the farm is as close to authentic living as one could get. From living entirely off rainwater to houses and furniture made entirely out of natural materials, Armadillo Earth Farm is a truly grounding experience. “Our water comes from the rain. And our electricity comes from the sun.” She further added, “It is a sustainable ecological building because it is made exclusively of sandbags. We use sandbags as an ecological building technique. And we use recycled wood that has been thrown out by the sawmills to be burnt. And we collect those and see what we can do with them so that the life of the tree doesn’t go in vain.”
Yoga, Bush Tea, and Grounding
Armadillo Earth Farm is one of those places that caters to everybody, probably because the experiences are shaped by what the visitors seek. One of Diane’s main events is ‘Yoga and Bush Tea’, a guided yoga and meditation occasion facilitated by yoga instructors who volunteer from all around the world. This gives Diane the opportunity to offer Yoga and Bush Tea once a month for free. As she stated, “Our signature event is Yoga and Bush Tea, which is free. It is donation-based; you can give whatever you think the experience is worth. One of the components we have added to Yoga and Bush Tea is a mini market.”
Armadillo Earth Farm seeks to create a community, gathering like-minded people who are on their own road to self-discovery. Events such as Yoga and Bush Tea are community-oriented, with complete strangers coming together to support each other. The mini-market aspect of this event flourished in its own way and is now a major aspect of the farm. “The mini-market allows small vendors or small businesses who grow their own food or agriculture, somebody who makes something with their hands or grows their own stuff. They come here on Yoga and Bush Tea with their little tables and whatever they make. And we have a little community market. So people buy whatever it is they make. And we try to find farmers around here who are interested.” Visitors can expect a guided spiritual experience. Persons can engage in yoga under the stars or grounding in the forest, complemented by music, folk tales, and exchanging personal experiences.
For an entity like Armadillo Earth Farm, protecting nature is at the forefront of its mission statement. As Diane explains, “There is no exploiting the earth, but taking only what we need. So we take only what we need. And to have a farm, we do not need to take down the entire forest.” Armadillo Earth Farm is all about finding and conservation, whether it is finding oneself or working towards conserving their natural surroundings. Diane and Armadillo Earth Farm are on a mission to protect and repair. “And one of our missions here, as the highway changes so much, is to protect the forest and to protect the animals of the forest. But this is a sanctuary. We will not kill anything here unless we are in danger or we are hungry. Then we would kill something here. But if a snake passes through here, this is the home of the snake. Who are we as human beings to come and say that they can’t be here? This is their home. That’s how we see it. So we don’t kill; we relocate things.”
