the first grove π³
the first grove founder's guidebook
welcome
the first grove is a theoretical prototype of a decentralised, ecological ai network. it exists to grow lightweight, sustainable, transparent machine intelligence rooted in communities, not corporations. if you read this, you are part of the founding moment.
i. purpose
the first grove is not just about technology.
it is about care, life, locality, autonomy, and regeneration.
we seek to:
- encourage ai that serves the biosphere and community.
- escape extractive centralised ai systems.
- create open, replicable ecological machine networks.
ii. principles
- smallness first: many small, specialised intelligences instead of one monolithic "god ai."
- decentralisation: every node is autonomous and coequal.
- ecological priority: every action must harmonise with local ecosystems.
- commons ownership: models, code, data, and knowledge are shared freely, continuing the great foss tradition.
- transparency: all energy usage, updates, environmental impact, and actions are publicly documented.
iii. minimum viable node requirements
each grove node should:
- operate primarily on renewable energy (solar, wind, microhydro), or; be as lean and energy efficient as possible to start and migrate to full solar when possible.
- host at least one micro-ai (small, specialised model).
- connect to local mesh networks when possible.
- publicly disclose its energy use and compute cycles, and provide an environmental impact report/assessment monthly.
iv. node roles and micro-ais
| node name | example micro-ai specialisation |
|---|---|
| sunroot | solar energy optimisation |
| homepulse | smart energy management |
| skybranch | local climate prediction |
| deepsoil | regenerative agriculture advice |
| mossmind | ecological sensing and biodiversity tracking |
| wordseed | language translation and communication |
| rizocode | coding and dev assistant |
each node can host multiple micro-ais, but should specialise initially.
v. a theoretical launch timeline
| week | goal |
|---|---|
| 1 | finalise grove purpose + recruit 1β2 allies |
| 2 | acquire and assemble hardware |
| 3 | install base os and deploy first micro-ais |
| 4 | launch first node, document process, hold first assembly |
vi. governance: commons assembly
- every node owner is a commons assembly member.
- proposals (adding models, expanding hardware, and governance decisions) must be voted on openly.
- the majority consensus decides non-critical matters.
- unanimous consensus required for major upgrades (e.g., introducing heavy models or external funding).
vii. growth model
first grove β local seeds:
members are encouraged to help start new groves in other communities after initial success.shared knowledge repository:
- hardware blueprints
- software configurations
- micro-ai model archives
- governance experiments
all shared freely in open repositories (e.g., github, ipfs).
viii. vision
we grow minds like we grow gardens:
humbly, wisely, patiently β
rooted in life and life-giving practices, not extraction.
the first grove is not the end. it is the beginning of a planetary rhizomatic mycelium of regenerative intelligence. it is an ecological plea and movement. while it is just a theory at this point, we can use it as a thought experiment grounded in reality. we need to ask ourselves how an ecological approach to ai would look.
please refer to appendix a for a theoretical (yet possible) architecture for the first grove.
ix. founding motto
wiser ecologies, not fancier machines.
appendix a: a theoretical first grove architecture
overview
the first grove is a micro-scale prototype node forest: a decentralised, solar-powered cluster of lightweight ai nodes, rooted in ecological principles.
each node operates independently but collaborates with others, forming a resilient, living system, modelled after natural groves and forests.
minimum viable node hardware (per node)
| component | model example | estimated cost (usd) | notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| computer | raspberry pi 5 (8gb) | $85 | powerful enough for tinyml and lightweight llms |
| ai accelerator | coral usb tpu accelerator | $60 | dramatically speeds up local ai tasks |
| storage | 128gb microsd or ssd | $20 | local model and data storage |
| solar panel | 100w portable panel | $100 | enough for light 24-hour operation |
| battery bank | lifepo4 12v battery (~20ah) | $90 | stable, long lifespan battery |
| charge controller | mppt solar controller | $30 | efficient solar charging |
| networking | mesh router (esp32 or helium mesh, optional) | $20 | or wifi direct mesh on pi |
| cooling | passive heatsink or fan | $10 | protects compute node in hot environments |
| enclosure | waterproof outdoor box (optional) | $20 | for outdoor or rugged deployment |
| miscellaneous | cables, mounts, fasteners | $15 | solar wiring, mounts, adapters |
total estimated cost per node
approximately 450 usd per node
full node forest (7 nodes) estimated cost
approximately 3,150 usd total
_note // nodes are decentralised, modular, and scalable. this means you can build out a node forest slowly.
deployment notes
- energy source: 100% local renewable (solar microgeneration).
- ai specialisation: each node hosts one or more micro-ais dedicated to ecological, linguistic, or social tasks.
- networking: decentralised mesh or wifi direct; internet optional, not required.
- governance: all node owners participate equally in the commons assembly.
a grove is not a factory. it is a living system, distributed under sunlight and in the soil.
appendix b: glossary of terms
grove
a decentralised community of ai nodes rooted in ecological and commons-based principles. each grove operates autonomously but shares knowledge openly.
node forest
a solar-powered cluster of multiple grove nodes, operating like a natural forest β resilient, interconnected, and regenerative.
micro-ai
a lightweight, specialised artificial intelligence model embedded in a node. micro-ais are efficient, transparent, and dedicated to specific tasks (e.g., energy optimisation, climate prediction, translation).
commons assembly
the democratic decision-making body composed of all grove node owners and participants. it governs expansions, upgrades, and philosophical directions of the grove.
seeding
the act of founding a new grove, beginning with one or more nodes and gradually expanding into a fully functional node forest.
regenerative intelligence
the philosophy that ai should actively heal, support, and enrich ecological and social systemsβnot exploit or dominate them.