ABOUT US
Prabighya Basnet
MSc Environmental Science
MSc Environmental Forestry and Watershed Management
Yoga 200HR TT
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Prabighya completed her MSc in Environmental Forestry and Watershed Management in the UK and Italy before returning to Nepal to contribute to conservation efforts. She has worked with INGOs on natural resource management and specializes in slope stabilization. Prabighya also designed the Narayanchaur public park in Kathmandu, transforming a waste site into a community space. She is dedicated to using her expertise for the betterment of Nepal.
​​​Dave Smith
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MSc Environmental Science
Level 3 Forest School Practitioner
Wilderness First Responder and CPR certified
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Dave holds an MSc in Environmental Forestry and has experience in forest management in the UK, focusing on habitat improvements and tree planting. After studying agroforestry and working in natural resource management in Nepal, he completed a Permaculture Design Course and worked on permaculture farms across various countries. As an experienced experiential educator, Dave is passionate about reconnecting young people with nature. This led him to train as a Level 3 Forest School practitioner, helping children explore nature through guided play and activities.
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Together, Dave and Prabighya have created a unique and engaging space for learning.
ABOUT THREE TREES
Our story began in the 1980s when Prabighya’s father hiked into the lush, agricultural valley of Gundu. Captivated by its natural beauty and concerned about the rapid urban growth in the Kathmandu valley below, he was inspired to create a conservation area for both wildlife and sustainable agriculture. He purchased a small piece of land, built a simple house using stone, mud, and wood (our current farmhouse is modeled after this original building), and began cultivating vegetables and rice without chemicals or machinery. At that time, the farm was accessible only by a dirt track, navigable on foot!
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In 2017, Prabighya and Dave took over the farm and began redesigning it using permaculture principles. In the spring of 2018, we planted the first fruit and nut trees, and later that year, we started building our brick-and-mud-mortar home, where we moved permanently in 2019.
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The farm now includes a food forest, chickens, intensive polyculture-style vegetable production, broad-scale crops like rice paddies and wheat terraces, greywater and biogas blackwater treatment systems, a classroom, a cob pizza oven, a forest school site, a plant nursery, ponds, and much more.
NEWLY RENOVATED FARMHOUSE
The newly built, traditional-style farmhouse offers cozy dormitory rooms with double glazing, a separate shower block with hot water, a traditional kitchen, and a spacious paved common area.
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These diverse features allows a wide range of experiences to be provided for individuals, groups, children, and students. Whether you’re dropping by for a farm tour and a cup of organic coffee or herbal tea (harvested from our farm!), or staying for a few days to immerse yourself in the daily rhythms of farm life, Three Trees Permaculture Farm offers something for everyone.
3TP offers academic-focused programs that include workshops on sustainable living, natural building, and climate change, as well as providing Forest School sessions for children aged 3 to 9, led by a qualified Forest School practitioner.
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Through all of this, the overarching goal of Three Trees Permaculture is to help individuals reach their full potential while fostering a love and respect for nature. We aim to preserve Nepal’s green spaces and contribute to a greener, healthier future for the country and beyond. We believe that personal, hands-on experience is key to deep learning and understanding our place in the world.