Bahrija Oasis

Permaculture courses

2011-08-15T14:56:00.000-07:00

Please follow this link for the current information. Thanks.

www.permaculturemalta.org

Spring happenings at the Oasis

2011-04-10T13:17:00.000-07:00

Sunsets are never a bore, even if we experience them daily.

As the dates to the exciting upcoming permaculture courses draw nearer,we are kept busy with activities happening at the Oasis...
Volunteers and permaculturists are working together to cultivate and expand further the establishment of rural sustainable design. The pictures that follow, show some clips of the recent activities. For the upcoming courses please visit www.permaculturemalta.org/courses/
One of our bell tents is comfortably sitting near the carob tree while hosting friends who stay with us for some time and help out with the chores of an organic permaculture farm.

The view on our coast is breathtaking and we have enjoyed countless sunsets among the giant rocks that make up the characteristics of our earthly paradise.

Giorgia and Stefano from Milan stayed with us for a few weeks. in this picture, Giorgia is busy with her newly acquired skill of using reeds as a natural material for creativity at the oasis. Reeds are carefully traditionally coppiced once a year. They are annual and thus they regrow each year. Thus they are classified as a renewable material.

Spiru is a young permaculture apprentice who is enjoying keeping free range chicken. He is keen on improving the farm with integrative elements and is always helping out with new ideas...however radical they may seem.

Going with the flow

2010-09-27T23:33:00.000-07:00

Sunday 17^th October Green Drinks Malta will be holding a tea-time & afters event called

Permaculture Propagation – A going with the flow experience

between 4pm and 8pm

at the wonderful oasis Dar Frate Jacoba, Triq Wied iż-Żiju, M’Scala

This event should not be missed by those who are still wondering what the hell is Permaculture?, like the idea and want to implement it, enjoy green gatherings, are looking for an alternative afternoon out or just want to be invited to a unique spot in the South of Malta. Whatever your reason, you will have to apply by sending an email to Natalie: info@greendrinksmalta.org. The maximum number of people for this event is 60.

The event is free (well partly funded by EUPU this time round) but a donation to Dar Frate Jacoba once you’re there will be appreciated by the wonderful and hard working team who run the place.

What to expect: Fair-trade beverages to welcome you, a short intro about Permaculture & the completed training programme and an interactive info fair. All this will be topped off with wholesome hors d'oeuvres & wine in the company of lovely people.

Booking is open.

... by the way, Green Drinks Malta together with the Permaculture Research Foundation & Bahrija Oasis, is commemorating the World Day for the Eradication of Poverty and reiterates that Permaculture is a meaningful process to eradicate poverty. Peppi Gauci had the following to say “Permaculture is actual practical work which involves action to eradicate poverty on many levels, financial, environmental, ecological, physical, spiritual, emotional, and psychological”. This is how Peppi explains it:

An insight about Permaculture and its link to Eradication of Poverty

In our modern world, globalization has become a factor of major influence in the way we live. Technology has changed the way humans interact with each other and the planet drastically over these last fifty years. In the western world, civilization has engaged in systems which by now are completely dependent on globalization. What does this mean? This means that virtually everything, from the food we eat to the fuel we use to get from one place to the other, from the tools we use, to the fabrics of our shelters, is dependent on globalisation.

Although, many comforts are owed to this factor in the west, much of the real price of this system is being paid in other parts of the planet to the detriment of other people and the planet itself. Globalisation is dependant on a capitalist system which means that in order for it to function, consumption of energy and materials need to be maintained.

However, not only there is not enough energy and resources to supply the entire world's population with the trend we are used in the west, but since the consumption rates are greater than the natural supply ability our system is generating the phenomenon of poverty. Poverty in the west is linked to the absence of material acquisitions for example money and property. However, poverty goes much further. The inability for us to respect our environment, observe the natural patterns and maintain enhanced growth of our natural resources is a type of poverty which is presently being cushioned by globalization. Poverty in our society is everywhere. We have become nations which are suffering from poverty, be it physical, spiritual, environmental, psychological, communal or cultural. Yet, we fail to see this as the messages in our media and modern life projects otherwise.

However, it is only a matter of time, until we will be forced to see that what we are being led to believe is only an illusion created by a system which is running out of time. It is only a matter of time.

Permaculture and permaculturists around the world are working along the realisation that our planet needs our attention in order to sustain a balanced humanity. The main ethoses are Earth Care, People Care and Fair Share. Once these are cultivated, than we are able to once again be in the abundant state of the planet's capability. Permaculture focuses on symbiotic relationships which foster stronger and resilient communities both in the human aspect and the natural world. Hence, Permaculture is gaining the attention of millions of people who have understood its validity for the survival of the human kind within healthy ecosystems and have joined their potential to cultivate themselves as part of the solution to present problems. To conclude on this I would like to phrase Bill Mollison (one of the founders of Permaculture 1976) and say ''The problem is the solution” and “Everything gardens''.

Documentary feature on Permaculture in Malta

2010-09-07T12:00:00.000-07:00

In the production of a documentary entitled 'These Green Thumbs' the director is trying to discover the challenges and potential solutions Maltese agriculture is currently facing. The documentary features strong active personalities from the alternative holistic scene on the Maltese Islands. These personalities include Peppi Gauci the Permaculturalist from the Bahrija Oasis, Shirley Cauchi a Macrobiotic Counselor and Joe Borg a local Organic Farmer.

A comprehensive portrayal of alternative agriculture in Malta and its impact on human health.

Peppi Gauci, a Maltese permaculturist, talks about Malta’s land, the soil and the climate elements affecting agriculture.

Technology has helped the farmer keep up with the demand for food, however agriculture is facing a lot of challenges in this unfriendly ecological climate.

Is Malta steering away from the self sufficiency of traditional farming?

Permaculture as a reparative tool to create a natural microclimate where organic life will flourish again.

For the remaining documentary clips visit:

These Green Thumbs

Permaculture

2010-08-30T00:00:00.000-07:00

Out of all sustainable farming practices, permaculture is probably the most holistic and ambitious approach. Permaculture is a coined term phrased from “permanence’ and ‘agriculture’.

This approach is based on a design science which involves human input as stewards and constructors of benign and healthy ecosystems made up of trees, water, perennial plants and the production of food and raw materials for human beings. As its name implies, permaculture does not focus on short term gains, but rather long term self sustaining methods of growth, including resource management and soil and water restorative systems which are also ideal microclimates for biodiversity enrichment.

This approach has been a slow catch for conventional farmers, partly because it requires more training and knowledge and partly because it relies on an unusual diversification of land use and crops with limited markets.

However, permaculture is governed by three imperative ethics( listed below) for safeguarding a better future civilization;

Earth care, People care and Fair share (share and return of surplus).

Permaculture is aimed at providing solutions for communities to empower their relationships with themselves, their neighbors and their environment. It has the potential of providing thinking skills whereby problems become solutions and collective efforts work for a more just and equitable future.

For more information on the subject, please visit www.bahrijaoasis@blogspot.com Or write to permaculture.malta@gmail.com for the upcoming courses and events.

Organic Farming

2010-08-20T00:00:00.000-07:00

The next phase of agricultural transition is already taking place around the world. The organic farming revolution is the most important element of this transformation, possibly the most sustainably promising factor and least discussed element of future farming.

It is not a small element either, recently, conversion of farmland from conventional to organic production has been happening at the rate of several million acres a year.

Organic agriculture uses less fossil fuels than conventional agriculture, because it needs no chemical fertilizers or pesticides, while producing equivalent yields. Thus organic produce is grown through processes which are more natural, ecologically viable, and with the protection of bio-diversity in mind.

Ecological benefits aside, it also has a simple economic advantage since it does not require paying for expensive chemical fertilizers.

As raw materials for the chemical industries become scarce with the peak-oil scenario, the equation will be harder to ignore. At the same time, the infrastructure and knowledge base necessary for organic farming on a commercial scale is already being used and expanding worldwide.

In Malta organic farming is in its infantile stages, however, a growing demand for this kind of produce is steady and most of this can be attributed to a number of organizations working in this field. A number of local farmers and growers have already demonstrated some successful methods, however further investment in education and more research are necessary to increase this growing market.

Consumers have a role to play. Understanding that organic produce is better for one’s self and the environment, it is important to share this education and further its demand in order to establish an ethical demand controlling supply scenario.

Sustainable Farming

2010-08-09T00:00:00.000-07:00

Farming has played an important role in the evolution of mankind all over the planet for thousands of years. Although there has been an element of evolution in farming methods, crop choices, seed varieties, irrigation systems and land management, agriculture has only changed dramatically over the last four decades. This change can be mostly attributed to the events which were shaped by the ‘Green revolution’. In brief, ‘The Green Revolution’ was an accelerated growth of mainly initially developing countries grain production together with the introduction of a different agricultural input such as input of petro-chemical fertilizers, synthetic herbicides and pesticide applications, controlled irrigation and a severe change in landscape management. Once such a system was adapted it became reliant on all herewith mentioned factors and if one had to eliminate any single factor, such adopted crop success will surely fail.

Studies are increasingly showing that conventional agriculture needs severe changes. In order to sustain itself, other forms of fertilizers rather than synthetic ones need to be sourced and applied, while soil and water conservation methods need to be thought and incentivized in order to maximize their biological and social long term benefits.

Since conventional agriculture practice is facing multiple challenges such as inadequate clean water supplies, changes in weather patterns, pest management, and an increase in the carbon footprint, further research and investment is needed in the forms of pilot projects pioneering alternative agricultural methods.

Such methods like agro-forestry, bio-intensive organic farming and permaculture have already marked major improvements worldwide. These farming methods share a common goal:

To produce fresh healthy products, without compromising the natural ecology and bio-diversity which are prime factors to sustainability.

It is important here to mention that sustainability means the ability to sustain, and thus an element of long term planning and resource buildup tied with ethical consumption is needed. This element will be entirely dependent on cyclical patterns of cycling nutrients and energy just like for example a natural forest sustains itself.

“Governments and international agencies urgently need to boost ecological farming techniques to increase food production and save the climate,” said UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food, Olivier De Schutter, in BRUSSELS (22 June 2010) – while presenting the findings at an international meeting on agroecology held in Brussels on the 21st and 22nd June.

Therefore, in order for farming to be sustainable, it will need to assess its current impacts, and reverse these by alternative systems mentioned above. However; such a feat will involve a spectrum of stake holders including consumers who need to be aware of the products they demand, consume and recycle. Sustainable farming practices are an evolutionary process which will bring in massive ethical behavior changes to our civilization in the face of climate change.

(By Peppi)

Agro-Food Product Quality

2010-08-02T07:11:00.000-07:00

Agriculture today is facing multi faceted challenges. The energy crisis known as peak-oil is hard hitting all areas of modern civilization and agriculture is at no mercy. Furthermore the changes in land-use bring even harder challenges with controversies such as; urban sprawl, bio-fuels and GMO’s.

When we talk about the quality of a product we are not just talking about how good that product looks, how it has been packed or how well it’s doing in the market. Agricultural products are much more than that. They encompass living materials which are directly linked to our well being, however, on the broader picture our well being is also dependant on the well being of our planet.

Agricultural product quality in our modern world needs to be evaluated against a genuine measure based on the points below:

Concern for the soil it has been grown in and its living micro-nutrients
Least impact on the immediate environment and biodiversity
Fair share of water uses which are not damaging or degrading to the eco-system
Integrated in the local informed market demand rather than competed for a global market. ( Local Farmers markets are generally more sustainable than imported foods)
Minimal energy inputs, maximum efficiency and low food miles
Care of the environment and animal welfare
Freshness and nutrient value
Fair traded and preferably grown organically

These points allow us to have a broader picture as to what product quality needs to address in our changing climate scenario. Like other products, agriculture needs to address climate challenges while dealing with food issues.

Food is an essential element for the survival of all living beings and the issues that have to do with food security need to be assessed when one talks about agro-food product quality.

Food security is the ability for a culture to support its citizen’s with a sustainable amount of nutritious food, and as the topic suggests, it needs to be of a good quality. Deeper in the subject, one learns to evaluate what are the nutrients from food that one needs to keep healthy and how do we get these from seed to product. Thus diet is an essential part of the subject. A nutritionist will tell you that you need a balanced diet of protein, carbohydrates, etc for a healthy diet. Studies have also shown that not only a balanced diet is good for you, but it also is the only way forward for our planet to be able to supply us sustainably. There are big debates on plant based diets being more sustainable than meat diets. This brings our subject to another level.

Do we grow food locally and sustainably from seed to product to consumer? Or do we grow seed to product, to transport to other parts of the world, to feed industrial bred animals, which are later transported to slaughter houses and further transported to be packed and frozen until they finally reach the consumer? Not only involving a much bigger quantity of energy, but also inefficient conversions of seed, water and photosynthesis to protein and nutrients which can be provided much better, easier, with less demand of land, increase in bio-diversity, less industrial farmed animals and a healthier, safer product thus ensuring a better agro-food product quality all-round.

This is mainly done by growing a nutrient, protein and vitamin rich selection of grains and crops which are used directly as human feed rather than animal fodder and thus reducing the food chain process and its impacts on the ecology.

In a nut shell, agro-food product quality needs to encompass a magnitude of challenges. Consumer behavior has a role to play, and thus an aware consumer understands more what he or she is looking for in a product in order to make an ethical choice. Demand and supply will only stand as long as a healthy planet can support them. Keeping this in mind, we need to demand what is ethical and appropriate for the long term sustainable cycles of our civilization and not what is a quick profit driven economy fix. Thus we all have a role to play, let us be informed.

(By Peppi)

Mapped, Featured and Enriched

2010-04-05T05:52:00.000-07:00

Mapped with other Permacultural sites

After being engaged by an independent initiative to create a map of Permaculture projects around the world we submitted our details and mapped ourselves on the 'Permaculture Map'.

Its a very positive initiative which aims at making the best use of the internet as we know it. A very simple Google Earth layer showing all submitted sites related to permaculture. This creates numerous opportunities for isolated projects and even the large scale ones from responsible tourism to simply exchanging experiences on how it works in different environments.

To join the network in this ongoing project one can easily do it through this link: http://www.permaculturemap.com/

Facing the Nature Crunch - Permaculturalist style

We would also link to thank Mahira for organizing a very successful event which featured 3 permaculturalists including Peppi Gauci from Bahrija Oasis at 'Facing the Nature Crunch'.

New species at the site - the growing biodiversity

Thats it for now,

To close this blog post here are 2 new residents at the Bahrija Oasis.

A Chameleon visiting Peppi

First generation frog in the pond area found on site

PermaCulture, Thank You!

2010-02-26T02:27:00.000-08:00

If somebody asked me why bother with permaculture. What would I reply?

The best way explain is by giving the account of my personal experience
And later with the use of testimonials

Experiencing permaculture.
There is something exquisite in practising permaculture on a regular basis. I have been lucky to get on board the Permaculture Research Foundation project funded through the YiA. This way I have guaranteed myself a front seat to an experience which is at least a year long. Though after this project finishes I am sure we will manage to build the community which any permacultural design requires.
I go in for this expereince, for the fun of it, for the curiousity and much more on those lines... But, certainly not for the belief! I was and most probably still am the sceptic of holistic living. Being a student of economics I had many reservations to how I percieved permaculture as a concpet.
Everything turned around the moment I went into the design and started hearing the wealth of knowledge being gathered through this project and seeing the social value created in the project and hearing of other similar local projects. Things are starting to tie up in my mind over the loose strands which once characterised permaculture in my mind.
Right now I can say permaculture has thought me how to appreciate. In the future I can't tell what I will say with regards to the permacultural experience on the island of Malta. But, certainly permaculture has become a reference point to my self-development.

Reviewing Testimonals
I would also like to bring together the testimonials of all the people in the past invovled in permaculture at the Bahrija Oasis. Hoepfully in a more tangible manner then as I did with my account. This is critical as community building is at the centre of any permacultural design and the Bahrija Oasis is no short of that.
For this blog I extracted a video made by Tobias a German friend whom I met in a Green Drinks Malta permacultural woprkshop at the Bahrija Oasis. Enjoy his video make over a weekend workshop.

Living Roof.Why not?

2010-02-14T08:03:00.001-08:00

The idea of a living roof is pretty simple. Basically using the roof area as a growing medium for plants. Simple.

A living roof provides a colorful alternative to the grey urban landscape where the drab concrete is replaced by the ever changing mixes of greens. Flowers provide additional splashes of colors ,brightening up our grey boxes.

But apart from the aesthetic value a green roof provides other advantages. One can grow a small kitchen garden and herbs ( some would do quite well in our climate) There is nothing like eating fresh vegetables you grew your self. Also a green roof provides excellent insulation against cold winters and the backing hot summer sun. In fact green roofs have been used for centuries in northern countries.

Here is a few ideas abroad. Imagine looking from ones roof on a sea of green roof tops. Think about the cleaner air we would be breathing.

So way don't we see them here? The implementation is not so difficult. One could start with a small patch, a few pots with plants. So , go on. Have a go.

Ian

Relevance of Desertification for Small States

2009-12-17T05:44:00.000-08:00

One third of the earth’s surface (4 billion hectares) is threatened by desertification, and over 250 million people are directly affected by desertification. 24 billion tons of fertile soil disappear annually. From 1991 to 2000 alone, droughts have been responsible for over 280,000 deaths; they accounted for 11% of the total water-related disasters.

Deserts in the interior continents are expanding (Sahara, Gobi, Central Asian, Mexico, North eastern Brazil) They all tend to expand. And as ice is melting and sea level rises we have the oceans encroaching from the exterior. Civilisation is slowly squeezed between expanding deserts and rising seas. It’s a little difficult to archeologically separate land degradation and desertification but two of the things that are common to the earlier civilizations that collapsed primarily for environmental reasons are deforestation and soil erosion ( Gerald Diamond writes about it in his recent book ‘collapse’ )

Apart from the geographic factor, one needs to keep in mind the standard of living of the people who are experiencing desertification in their area regardless if they’re situated in a big continent or a small island. In the small islands one is usually more careful how to manage the land, as to keep a balance. In most of the cases it is necessary for these islands to be independent and to be able sustain themselves. When compared to large continents and countries it can be said that it’s more possible for the people to migrate though it may cause trouble as well when tribes have to move to other places. Whereas with small islands it’s a different story, they are cut off from other places.

In a session held in May 2008 by the U.N. the issue of land was addressed. Concerns about land competition, drought, degradation, limited resources, and desertification, warning that development capacities are necessary to strengthen land management, otherwise the result will be a food crisis. He asserted that we must “strive to raise the voice of Small Island Developing State” because they have the least means in responding to these complex problems that threaten their existence.

Subsequent to this presentation, the Security-General’s report was introduced. The report stated that land resources are becoming more limited because rising populations create a greater demand. While many populations depend on agriculture for income, the agricultural industry has been declining for two decades. The report also found SIDS to suffer from closed economies, limited capacities, inadequate physical structures, a lack of financial resources, susceptibility to natural disasters and insufficient access to information technology.

Island-scale adaptation to prevent and reverse desertification

2009-12-05T05:40:00.000-08:00

The prevention of desertification in small islands is direly important because of its small land area. Thus measures to combat the turning of arable of productive land into arid and non-productive are a no-no especially for small islands. Each parcel of land is especially important and must be safeguarded.

An important premise upon which this notion is based is prevention. The ‘prevention is better than cure’ catch-phrase applies most significantly in this case. Combating desertification must be an ongoing effort bringing together all stakeholders but especially the inhabitants of deserted areas and policy makers. By working with science and through the populations of the area, much can be achieved to prevent this ecological disaster from occurring.

A key method to prevent desertification, not less in small islands, is the integrated management of land and water especially those which protect soils from erosion and salinization- which are practically the prime causes of desertification. Thus, land practices which prevent overgrazing (such as using grazing species which only consumes the top part of the grass and preventing livestock from grazing the same area repeatedly so as it has time to recover), overexploitation of plants and trampling of soils. A very important aspect of preventing desertification is a sustainable use of water use in agricultural irrigation.

Unsustainable irrigation practices can exacerbate water resources, depleting the aquifers of their water and thus turning the surrounding land into a biological desert because of a lack of water. This will be especially pronounced with the onset of climate change and its subsequent extreme weather conditions which will accentuate drought.

Some important solutions include transhumance of rangelands and well sites which involves the rotational use of these important resources, the rate of stock extracted be less than the carrying capacity of the ecosystem and diverse species composition.

The management of water is also of utmost importance and this can include traditional water-harvesting techniques, water storage and efficient water conservation measures. The latter can be especially applied during intensive rainfall episodes in preventing the water from being lost as surface run-off which also carries away the thin, fertile, moisture-holding topsoil.

Protecting the vegetative cover is also instrumental since vegetation protects soil from wind and water erosion. A loss of vegetation can also lead to reduced rainfall.

Other measures can include:

Mixed farming practices combining livestock rearing and cropping so as to ensure a more efficient recycling of nutrients. For example, fodder can be sowed and thus prevent the pressure of livestock on the land.
Applying traditional technology to work with ecosystems since traditional knowledge was more in sync with natural processes.
Turning to alternative livelihoods that are not as demanding on the land such as dryland aquaculture and tourism.

Can we rehabilitate a deserted and arid land?

The main challenge of rehabilitation is to restore ecosystem services that have been lost. Thus one seeks to repair damages sectors of the ex-native ecosystem so that it will then have multiple benefits. This involves the efforts of a multi-tier system from the government and policy makers to the inhabitants of this area. This interlinking is vital as the process is complex and involves, amongst others, seed banks, restocking of soil organic matter and organisms that promote higher plant establishment and growth and the reintroduction of selected species.

Other rehabilitation practices include:

Terracing to counter soil erosion;
Control of invasive species which can be more hardy and extract more water;
Nutrient replenishment;
Reforestation

Policies that create incentives for rehabilitation include capacity building, capital investment and supportive institutions. It is very important, as discussed above, that the community is involved throughout the whole process.

This blog is the result of a workshop held in Bahrija Oasis between the volunteers of the Youth in Action Project 'Go with the Flow'.

Growing desertification and its evils.

2009-11-25T05:25:00.000-08:00

What is desertification, which are its main impacts and at what rate do we risk facing these increasing pressures?

Desertification is increasingly becoming an issue which attracts the attention of the international community as it realises the interconnectedness of the environmental objectives and development ones mainly for economically poor communities. Desertification is the gradual degradation of land based ecosystems. From the point of view of agriculture the land simply stops from producing the livelihood necessary to sustain the local community.

The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment views ecosystems as environments supporting ecology, providing natural resources, regulating the micro environment and facilitating cultural traits of local communities. All of these in turn produce all the constituents of what forms wellbeing in a community, namely security, satisfying basic needs, health and good social relations, leading to an environment of free choice and action.

Problems arise when desertification progresses due to manmade actions over the ecosystem on which life is sustained. Main causes of desertification have been found as caused by man made activities such as:

Over grazing of a land,
Over consumption of scarce water resources leading some areas without water facilities and in worse cases the table water turns saline as sea water infiltrates the water table,
& Intensive use of arable land.

Nevertheless, the urban sprawl which affect most cities around the world are also causing increased pressures on the surrounding ecosystems which are expected to cope with the dense population of urban areas. Furthermore, large-scale developments which are sought to harness the resources of the natural environment have been found to cause considerable side effects. In one extreme case, what was once a land locked (Aral)Sea in Central Asia ranging 68 thousand square kilometre of sea was reduced to 17 thousand square kilometre in 40 years. The exposed land which was once the seabed turned into a salt crust which damage extends beyond the old-sea area as winds carry the salt to nearby agricultural fields leading to the collapse of the regions ecosystem and the local fishing and agricultural communities.

Nowadays, desertification is referred to as the ‘Silent Killer’ of arid rural communities. With cross border phenomena on the increase and climate change increasing the pressures on water security the main regions suffering from or at risk of desertification are the Sahel belt, the Horn of Africa and South East Asia.

Undoubtedly the main impact of the collapse of a self-sustaining ecosystem from desertification is the growing number of human migrants due to economic and environmental reasons. In fact a term which is growing in prominence in humanitarian academics and activists is the notion of an environmental migrant. With forecasts set at 2 billion people potentially victims of desertification and 50 million at risk of severe displacement over the next 10 years, one realises the interconnectedness of development to the natural environment.

Desertification is only one example where a healthy yet possibly weak ecosystem is brought to its knees by the pressures of population growth and the desire for solely economic pursuits. An integrated fashion to development which takes into consideration the limits of the surrounding natural environment is the only manner in which desertification prone regions must look at their development. Otherwise failure not only in development but failure in conserving the natural environment will inevitably take place and life in region would halt from being.

This blog is the result of a workshop held in Bahrija Oasis between the volunteers of the Youth in Action Project 'Go with the Flow'.

Urban Organic Farming

2009-11-22T09:10:00.000-08:00

Found this interesting clip on Treehugger showing a family not only managing to grow organic food smack in the middle of urbanised California but are on the road to being fully self sustained.
Clip

Why Permaculture ?

2009-08-30T23:19:00.000-07:00

For thousands of years humans have adapted to their environments through the process of design. Weaving local materials to meet their needs and interwining nature's patterns with their lives, indigenous communities live within the limits of their local ecosystem. Nature, technology and culture maintain a dynamic balance.

However, our modern day industrialized world has developed systems that can only function beyond the limits of local ecosystems. This means that someone else in some other part of the world is being exploited in order for us to live in this synthetic and unfair system. It is a sad situation that the majority of humanity are still unaware of these consequences. Today our global tecnologies are depleting the earth's resources, darkening the skies and waters with waste while endangering life's bounties and diversity.

The question than is; Can we invent a more comprehensive way of designing which will integrate the built world with the natural environment ? Can we find a way of life which will create harmony between nature, technology, and humanity ?

The answer is yes. Through collective efforts of communities that strive to live off a more balanced way of life, less profit driven lifestyles and more altruistic approaches, comes a philosophy and design science called Applied Permaculture. This umbrella term gathers a simple answer solution to many questions and problems that have been raised before and that have been applied by many ecological communities in many parts of the world.

In reality, living a more simplistic, earthy and holistic way that can do more with less while appreciating local resources to their maximum benefit. Permaculture shows us to a great depth, the relations between humans and their environments the path to syncronicity. From design and waste management, to growing of food, forest management, rainwater harvesting, ecological design and choice of safe materials for construction. It is a philosophy and a path that if taken seriously will open many doors to a happier and more tranquil way of life.

I would like to finish this blog with a guiding verse from Goethe....'Whatever you can do, or dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it.' Enjoy the earth with love.

2 interesting projests to make.

2009-07-16T10:24:00.001-07:00

One of my favorite site is Instructables.com , a site dedicated to diy projects. Users post there projects with detailed how-to instructions on how they did their projects( hence the name).
Browsing through the latest posts I came across two prjects which were quite interesting and relevant to the permacultural ideal
The first is a "portable" shelter inspired by the mongolian yurt. It rather simple to build and given our climate i can see many worth while applications.
The second are a few ideas you can use to grow your own organic fruit and veg. There is nothing more sadisfying than eating something you have grown yourself.

I hope you find these links interesting :)
Ian

Lost words of wisdom.

2009-04-30T03:02:00.000-07:00

Browsing around the net I can across this collection of WW2 posters. They're great , simple effective . It makes you wonder why we seem to need a do or die situation to do the right thing. In them days words like conservation , being frugal, saving were considered a virtue while today these are considered anathema! Media tells us to "buy", "shop till you drop" ,"travel more" , "what you had yesterday is not enough today".
Do we need WW3 to start doing the right thing again?

Interesting Site

2009-04-19T04:07:00.001-07:00

Wild Plants of Malta is an interesting site with a large and comprehensive guide to the flora of the Malese islands.
Packed with tons of reference images and interesting facts, is in my opinion the best guide to our natural heritage and a worth while visit.
Great work , Stephen.

Sping in full Bloom.

2009-04-19T02:47:00.000-07:00

Thou the weather begs to differ, we are in Spring and at Bahrija plants are in their full Glory!The parse Garigues vegitation is green with new growth and flowers are everywhere buzzing with bees getting on with their job. The are is charged with the sents of flowers and fennel.

Gladiolus byzantinus

Commonly known as Habb il-Qamh

Convolvulus arvensis

Field Blindweed or Leblieba tar-Raba . One of several species of Blindweeds

Antirrhinum tortuosum

Greater Snapdragon known locally as Papocci Homor

Glebionis coronaria
Lellux

Papaver rhoeas ,

Red Poppy

Iris foetidissima

Iris

Anethum graveolens

Dill

Malus domestica

Tuffieh Selvagg

some interesting facts

2009-02-23T08:41:00.000-08:00

Did you know.....

1 ream of paper = 6% of a tree and 5.4kg CO2 in the atmosphere.
3 sheets of A4 paper = 1 litre of water.
by recycling one aluminium can you save enough energy to run a television set for three hours.
by recycling one tonne of paper you save 13 trees, 2.5 barrels of oil, 4100kWh of electricity, 4 cubic metres of landfill and 31,780 litres of water.

Youth Initiative in Permaculture in Malta

2009-02-09T10:10:00.000-08:00

An increasing interest on the subject is currently building momentum. A number of youths are interested in getting a deeper understanding of this design science and how it can be implemented in daily life to bring on positive changes.

I am therefore working together with a few of their ideas. These ideas will lead to a number of workshops and also an intesive 'Introduction to Permaculture course' which will include viewing interesting documentaries and voluntary work on Bahrija oasis project. The course will be a three day camp based event and will also have the potential to bring a few like minded individuals who have a common interest. So far there is no stipulated date, however we will have the first activity round April 09. Anyone who is interested in being part of this upcoming event can write to bahrijaoasis@gmail.com and state why you are interested, what you expect from the experience, and what you will contribute to the group.

Unfortunately, there is only a number of youths that can fit in a group that can be accomodated comfortably, so if you are seriously interested, please email as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.

Nitrogen fixing trees and legumes

2009-01-07T10:41:00.001-08:00

We are currently researching nitrogen fixing trees for arid regions.
These trees work in a symbiotic relationship with various fungi such as mychorrozium and or rhizobium. In a simplified way, one can say that these trees absorb nitrogen from the air and transport it to their roots while the fungi and bacteria does the rest of the work at the root nodules.

We are looking for a variety of these trees that are capable of producing different resources such as ; fodder, mulch, food, flowers (for bees and other beneficial insects), shade and shelter from the winds. An important aspect that most of these trees must have, is the ability to withstand salty winds.
Since we are working in an arid and windy area, our challenge is to combine the right trees and incorporate them in the permaculture design to re-generate food forests, while protecting nature and revitalise the soil and its microbacteria. By doing all this, one will start to notice that nature starts to take its circular integral form again in the sence that systems support each other and thus there will be less need for human intervention as time succeeds. The right trees shall also function in order to attract the right balance of insects and other fauna in order to achieve a natural pest control system and therefore avoid any use of artificial insecticides and fertilizers.
This is the way forward if we truly want to see a future in permanent agriculture that can afford food security, bio-diversity and edible landscapes.

If you are interested in volunteering on the project or getting to know more, please email Peppi on peppizen@yahoo.co.uk.

Green Drinks goes Permaculture - 29th November 2008

2008-11-23T12:39:00.000-08:00

We will be meeting on Saturday 29th November at 7pm at L'Isle Adam Band Club in Rabat. We will have a short introduction about Permaculture in Malta by Peppi Gauci and then we will show the film around 7.30pm.

The Film
The excellent film called 'The Power of Community' tells the story of how Cuba survived the peak oil crisis. Basically the film/doc is 53 mins and documents how during a synthetic peak oil crisis, Cuba has managed to survive through reducing its energy uses and implementing Permaculture techniques.

Socialising
After the film, we will spend some time together at the Band Club which is an architectural jewel and you can experience the kazin culture. Drinks are at reasonable prices and Jonathan also promised us that he will have some lovely home made food to sell.

Join Us!
If you would like to apply for this event, kindly send an email to greendrinksmalta@gmail.com with your name, surname, telephone number and email address. As we have limited seating for the film, we encourage you to apply asap!

This is a free event.

Love and peace
The Green Drinks Team
http://blog.greendrinksmalta.org

Permaculture Institute supports Bahrija Oasis

2008-10-13T12:45:00.000-07:00

International Permaculture Institute is supporting our local project. For more information visit their site.

What is Permaculture ?

2008-09-23T14:26:00.000-07:00

"Permaculture is a philosophy of working with, rather than against nature; of protracted & thoughtful observation rather than protracted & thoughtless labour; of looking at plants & animals in all their functions, rather than treating any area as a single-product system."
Bill Mollison (from the permaculture.net website)
In Permaculture ,rather than exploiting the resources and landscape around us , damaging the delicate balance between different parts of the ecosystem, we work with what we have already available ,using nature as an example . By observing how nature solves its problems, how it conserves energy and recycles it's waste, we are able to get the most of our land without damaging our environment.
The subject is vast so for more information visit-link

Permaculture in local press.

2008-09-23T12:51:00.001-07:00

An article about PermaCulture and the Bahrija Oasis project was published in the Times of Malta on Sunday 14th of September.
Go to the link for the whole article.