AN ECOLOGICAL
STEPPING STONE

The lotus pond at the Upper Hamlet of Plum Village, international Buddhist community, was leaking. Once meant to symbolize peace and balance, it had become an eyesore.

After more than a year of planning with the community, we had the opportunity to volunteer and co-create a new, nature-inclusive pond.

The new pond merges the traditional Vietnamese symbolism of the lotus with innovative bio-engineering and nature-inclusive principles. Gently sloped, planted banks form an ecological stepping stone within the broader Plum Village ecosystem, supporting local fauna while integrating seamlessly into the landscape.

A dedicated wetland area purifies the rainwater feeding the pond, while a ring of coconut coir logs stabilises the soil of the nature-inclusive banks and maintains the lotus at the centre.

New wildlife as already invested the pond, and some of the ambassador spieces have already been spotted: damselfies, various frogs and even a few palmate newts!