Meet the Author
Seeds Know What To Do
It’s not everyday that a Hays County Master Naturalist writes an article that gets picked up and posted outside of our online magazine, The Hays Humm. But that’s exactly what happened after Chris Middleton, HELM Project Coordinator, shared Kiran Topiwala’s Hays Humm article, Seeds Know What To Do, with Emily_____ about a HELM visit to Native American Seed (NAS) in September 2025.
First, a little bit about Native American Seed:
Native American Seed (NAS) is a family-owned, Texas based company full of passionate employees aligned through a values-driven mission… helping people restore the earth.
Established in 1988, NAS produces, harvests, and distributes 100% native wildflower and grass seeds, while also offering ecological restoration services rooted in deep respect for the land. As awareness of native ecosystems continues to grow, demand for our high-quality prairie seeds and restoration expertise continues to expand, driven by communities, landowners, and professionals seeking lasting ecological impact.
Now, about Author Kiran Topiwala
“My work is in conservation and regeneration. I am mostly self-learned, a student of nature, but I have completed my Permaculture Design Certificate (2023). The Master Naturalist Program seemed like the appropriate next step for me.”—Kiran Topiwala Photo courtesy Mimi Cavender
Kiran describes himself as a systems thinker and bioregional engineer whose work sits at the intersection of ecological design, community empowerment, and economic transformation. He is deeply inspired by patterns of regeneration and spends his time exploring the edges between self and story, memory and myth, individual and ecology.
As the founder and Co-director of Kula Applied Research Institute, a 501(c)(3) based in Austin, Texas, Kiran leads a research and design laboratory dedicated to restoring the relationship between water, land, and community. Rather than keeping that work behind closed doors, Kula turns its research into free, open-source toolkits and case studies—practical guides that make it easier for individuals, neighbors, and community groups to take action in their own places. He is also the owner of Nurture Nature Regenerative Landscaping LLC, which is a regenerative land management/restoration and native-focused landscaping company serving the Texas Hill Country.
PLACEHOLDER FOR SEEDS KNOW WHAT TO DO OVERVIEW or A summary by Chris with her comments.
Photo Courtesy Tina Adkins
Kiran holds a Master's Degree in Development Practice from Emory University, where he focused on sustainable environments and livelihoods, and a degree in Systems Engineering from Texas A&M University. This rare interdisciplinary foundation has taken him from designing clean water systems in rural Honduras to building holistic elder care networks across 800 villages in India, from dark sky conservation strategy in the Texas Hill Country to humanitarian program evaluation spanning multiple continents with CARE.