The Foundation was created in honor and loving memory of JD (Kyler) Edmont de la Doucette, a remarkable young man whose life was cut tragically short at 25. His passing left a deep and lasting grief among his family, friends, and many others who knew him. Grief was also a part of his own life. Eighteen months before his own death, JD lost his mother.
Like many young people facing loss, JD carried his grief quietly, without targeted support or guidance. Earlier experiences of loss, bullying and alienation had already shaped him, making life harder, but also deepening his awareness of the struggles of others. He was often the person friends turned to when they were struggling, even while he was navigating his own pain. The Foundation carries forward his spirit of being of service to others.
Among these rolling hills in the south of France, JD had found something different. Time in nature gave him space to reflect, to feel grounded, and to reconnect with life. The Foundation exists to offer that same space to others, particularly young people struggling with or profoundly affected by grief or loss.
Our permaculture and forest regeneration project is part of a 12th-century domain set on 100 acres in the lower Cévennes region of southern France, just north of Provence and the Mediterranean coast. The castle is a historical monument, the seat of a noble Protestant family with a colorful past. The property borders a UNESCO World Heritage site known for its Mediterranean Agro-Pastoral Cultural Landscape. It is a unique haven with a chestnut forest and olive grove, dozens of ancient stone terraces of permaculture lining the hillsides, a Roman amphitheater for music and creative events, pristine drinking water from a mountain source, streams with natural swimming holes, cascades, hiking, …
A Franco-American author, screenwriter, and permaculture farmer, JD’s father has dedicated his life and property to the creation of the Foundation. He brings a long-standing commitment to the therapeutic art of storytelling, land stewardship, and the belief in the healing power of creativity, nature, and community.
Greg has long worked to support and guide young people, including through his role as a licensed foster care provider in California. That commitment has deepened through personal experience — knowing firsthand the pain of disconnection, the shadow of depression, and the devastation of losing family and loved ones. Greg’s first experience with grief came at age 14 with the sudden death of his father, an event that shaped his adolescence and defined his self-image. Many years later, he lost Sharon, his dearest friend, family companion, and longtime creative and professional collaborator, to glioblastoma. Five years after that, in 2024, he witnessed the accidental and traumatic death of his only child, JD — the most soul-crushing, spiritually-awakening event of his life.
Having survived his own near-death experience, Greg emerged with a renewed sense of clarity and calling: to create a place where others can process and heal from grief and loss, and find a path toward resilience and a life of purpose and joy. The Foundation is the embodiment of that mission.
A former Finnish soldier with degrees in business management and cybersecurity, Jani brings precision, steadiness, and deep integrity to the daily running of the land. His work blends practical care — forestry, infrastructure, security — with quiet presence and a profound respect for nature. He ensures that the Foundation remains not only functional, but a place of safety, peace, and welcome.
