Vital Roots Foundation

In nature, wind doesn’t just challenge trees—it shapes them. A tree that grows in still air might stretch tall, but it stays fragile. A tree pushed by the wind? It learns to flex. It thickens its trunk. It digs its roots deeper.

Permaculture reminds us that ecosystems self-correct. Sometimes, that patch of weeds is protecting the soil. That fallen branch becomes habitat. That “mess” is actually doing something useful… if you step back and let it.

This July, a small team of veterans will deploy to a hillside farm in rural Costa Rica. They’re not going to relax. They’re going to build something that doesn’t exist yet. We call it FOB Pura Vida—our dream for a veteran-led permaculture retreat center. A place for service, purpose, and transformationthrough nature and community. This July’s team is our Advance Party—the first boots on the ground.