Many people know of the story of the Phoenix – the mythical bird that rises to new life from the ashes. In contrast this story is not a myth. It is about how charcoal – that very ordinary burnt out leftovers of a fire actually contain the power to transform.

Last year I read an article in the National Geographic magazine about soil. Soil, as in dirt, appears so boring to most people. Yet our lives depend on the quality of our soil. Our mineral intake is dependent on it. The lack of nutrients in seemingly ‘beautiful’ fruit and vegetables is a worry. The article highlighted various places where soils were being depleted, eroded, and even destroyed. It also talked about where it was being transformed.

The one which caught my attention was the discovery in the Amazon of acres of fertile ground. Now I always thought the Amazon was lush but it seems the good soil there is very shallow. Yet they had found this area which was producing great crops and the good soil was 6 foot deep (2 metres). The fascinating thing is they realised it was actually man made.

Yes, hundreds of years ago people had dug the fields up. Now 6 foot is a long way to dig any hole. Imagine digging up huge areas of it! The holes were filled with some rubbish and pottery but the single most important ingredient was charcoal – and LOTS of it. This charcoal helped retain water, it added nutrients to the soil and it was still doing this HUNDREDS of years after it was buried. (And we think farming and society has progressed!)

At my home the nature strip out the front was where the former owners parked their cars. The soil was compacted rock hard. There was NO chance of anything growing there. It was ugly. Laying turf over it would be a waste of time as no roots could break the soil surface.

So I started a project to transform it.

The first step was to cover the area with grass clippings and water it for a week. Then the real fun began. The next step was to drill holes in the soil. Yes imagine someone beside the road using a electric hammer drill to make holes in dirt. Each hole was about 10 cm deep. It certainly attracted some unusual looks but soon the area was literally covered in holes.

Then it was more grass clippings and continued regular watering. The holes allowed the water to seep in rather than run off. The grass clippings helped it retain some water and not dry out so quickly. Slowly the soil became less compacted. Finally it was at a stage where I could attack it with a mattock and break it up.

It took work to remove the top 10 cm of dirt until I hit rock. I then found a local fire place at a picnic spot and filled some containers with this magical ingredient – charcoal. After laying a bed of charcoal I covered it back over with the original soil mixed in with more grass clippings and compost. After scattering grass seeds, fencing it off it, and more watering the area was slowly transforming.

For the first time in 10 years it was now green – not beautiful but green!

In the process I thought a lot about life. How hard we can be. How life giving water can run off us. How we need softening and to deliberately create some holes to let it soak in. How we each have burnt out dreams and seemingly only charcoal to show for some of our past efforts. This article and project helped me to see charcoal in a new light.

There was life in that charcoal after all but as long as it sat in the fireplace it wasn’t doing anything. It was only when it was recognised and positioned that the charcoal could serve a purpose and bring life and transformation.

In the world of marketing also there can be efforts which don’t work but there can still be life in them. Past mistakes, negative stories of things which happened in a school or business can actually be the making of a good future story.

Thanks charcoal – you really are quite amazing!