View allAll Photos Tagged Compostable
a charming little wood mouse stocking up on seeds from our compost heap - note I'm using the 100mm macro lens - I was about 2-3 feet away, and it wasn't concerned at all. More to follow ;D
Our garden, Hamworthy, Poole, Dorset, UK
wheelbase: 2015mm/79.5"
It's long. I switched the tires out for fatter ones, added a steering dampener to help with unloaded riding, and found a matching set of XT topmount shifters from the 90's at the Bike Church.
a wild palestinian tortoise (Testudo graeca - not sure of subspecies, for those interested check www.tortoisetrust.org/articles/newfloweri.html ), on our project site land. our old palestinian farmhouse in the background - bethlehem, west bank. if anyone is interested in visiting, volunteering on our permaculture farm, or donating - please contact me. for project brief see below...
BUSTAN QARAAQA
The Project:
Bustan Qaraaqa (the Tortoise Garden) is a permaculture initiative in the Palestinian West Bank, near to the city of Bethlehem. Working closely with our neighbours, we are creating a model permaculture farm and carrying out environmental education activities with the local community, youth, and farmers.
The aims of the project are fourfold:
•To address and combat the degradation of the Palestinian environment, and to actively pursue the conservation of native Palestinian species.
•To provide a space for experimentation and demonstration of easily replicable Permaculture methods for sustainable living systems, and to nurture an ongoing interest in these methods within the local community.
•To carry out environmental education activities with Palestinian youth groups, fostering the knowledge and skills to appreciate human impact on the environment and to take action for positive change in the way we interact with it.
•To encourage volunteers from all over the world to visit Palestine, and learn skills for sustainable living, whilst also learning about the situation in the Palestinian Territories, and the reality of life under military occupation.
The Site:
Bustan Qaraaqa takes its name from the numerous tortoises found roaming the site. The ancient farmhouse that is at the heart of the project is nestled in a beautiful wadi (valley) between the verdant mountains of Bethlehem and the spectacular Judean desert. The site includes twelve dunums (4 acres) of terraces and valley floor, as well as a large rooftop space, outbuildings and a number of caves.
We have room to house 8 short-term visitors in dormitory rooms in the oldest part of the house, which consists of beautiful caves carved into the side of the hill, in addition to three private rooms for long-term volunteers. There is also plentiful space on the roof for those who wish to sleep under the stars, or for camping in the caves that are spread throughout the site.
The prices include breakfast and are as follows:
Accomodation in the house – 60 shekels per night (1-14 days)
–50 shekels per night (> 14 days)
–1200 shekels per month (> 1 month)
–1000 shekels per month (> 2 months)
Sleeping on the roof – 25 shekels per night (150 shekels per week)
Camping in the caves – 25 shekels per night (150 shekels per week)
The Context:
The Palestinian environment and the Palestinian people face a unique set of challenges as a result of the ongoing Israeli military occupation and colonization of the Palestinian Territories. The Palestinian environment is degrading rapidly as a result of the combined pressures of population growth, industrialization and climate change. As an arid to semi-arid area, the Palestinian Territories faces problems with water scarcity and desertification which are likely to escalate as a result of global climate change. Overlaying these problems is the structure of the Israeli military occupation and the restrictions it imposes on Palestinian access to resources and the ability of Palestinians to manage and control their environment and their impact on it. Further complication is added by the network of Israeli settlements across the West Bank with their associated effects of land confiscation, movement restriction and monopolization of resources. These serious factors further compound on an already dire environmental situation which directly affects Palestinian lives; the very people who have no control over the land in which they live.
Over 60% of the land area of the West Bank is designated as Area C, which means that Israel retains full military and civil control over it. Palestinians cannot carry out development projects in Area C, such as the construction of sanitary landfills or sewage treatment plants, without first getting a permit from the Israeli authorities, a process that often takes years. The areas over which the Palestinian authorities do have control mainly comprise towns and villages which are densely populated and not suitable locations for such projects. Thus pollution of soil, air and groundwater as a result of almost non-existent waste management facilities is a serious and widespread problem.
Palestinian access to water is restricted and the Palestinian Territories are in the midst of an ongoing and worsening water crisis. Over 200 000 Palestinians are not connected to the public water network and are reliant on delivery of water by tankers which are often obstructed from reaching their destinations by road blocks, curfews and closures. The water supply to the population who are connected to the network is unreliable, with frequent cut-offs being experienced, particularly during summer months. 40% of the population receive an average of less than 50 litres of water per person per day, which is half the amount recommended by the World Health Organization to maintain a decent standard of living. Lack of access to water and high water prices limit the ability of Palestinians to grow their own food.
On top of all this, the Palestinian people are becoming increasingly urbanised and disconnected from the environment as a result of the construction of the Separation Wall (which will annex approximately 10% of the land area of the West Bank to Israel) and the ongoing expansion of Israeli settlements. In the Bethlehem area alone, over 18 000 acres of land are being cut off by the Wall, devastating the local farming economy and ghettoizing the population. As a result of this and of the general economic crisis in the Palestinian Territories, the food security of Palestinians is threatened, and Palestinian children are growing up in crumbling ghettoes under conflict conditions, disconnected from their natural heritage and facing daily hardships as environmental and economic conditions worsen.
Finding ways to live sustainably under such circumstances is an enormous challenge, and one that will require innovative thinking and determination. However, the difficulty of the problem is equalled by its urgency. Palestinians are struggling for their very existence in the midst of political, economic and environmental crises that threaten to destroy all quality of life, while resolution of the conflict with Israel at a political level seems as far away as ever. Therefore, work at a grassroots level which empowers people to take control of their lives and their environment is crucial.
Why Permaculture?
Permaculture is an integrated approach to the care of the earth and its people. It is about creating sustainable human habitats by following nature's patterns, using the stability and resilience of natural ecosystems to provide a framework and guidance for people to develop their own sustainable solutions to the problems facing their world. Permaculture seeks to foster the skills, confidence and imagination to enable people to become self-reliant, and to seek creative solutions to problems on a global or local scale.
Permaculture techniques can help restore and improve degraded soils, encourage species diversity, harvest and recycle water, maximize efficiency of water use throughout the system, and minimize harmful impacts on the environment from human activities through composting, creatively reusing materials and good waste management practice. Permaculture techniques are highly adaptable, cheap and easy to implement.
We believe that the application of Permaculture design and ethics to the Palestinian context can help ameliorate some of the problems faced by Palestinians. Restoration of robust natural ecosystems that also provide goods and services to the population can help to counteract environmental degradation, conserve species, provide food and materials to people suffering from economic crisis, and restore a sense of independence and dignity to people suffering under brutal military occupation.
Current Activities:
We are currently in the process of renovating the farmhouse to turn it into a functioning permaculture centre and guesthouse. The guesthouse is expected to open in May, when work will begin on laying the foundations of the permaculture farm: building rainwater harvesting systems, laying the graywater system, building greenhouses and propagating seeds. The construction of each of these components will be used as the framework for open workshops on permaculture techniques, when we will invite local youth groups to join us in learning about environmental problems, and ways of taking action to improve the situation.
In addition, we are partnering with Paidia (www.pidev.org) to hold a series of environmental awareness workshops with groups of Palestinian youth, focussing on the theme of environmental responsibility and solid waste management. The central activity of these workshops is to build a picnic area close to Paidia’s adventure playground out of discarded tyres and rubbish collected from the surrounding area.
We are also working on creating a community garden together with Lighting Candles (www.lightingcandles.org), a local Palestinian NGO working to support women and children whose lives are being adversely affected by the conflict. We are holding a series of workshops on Permaculture themes as we work together with the children to create a beautiful space for people to enjoy.
Upcoming Events:
We plan to hold a week long Permaculture course in July this year consisting of a series of workshops and lectures, with tuition from locally renowned Permaculturalists. The course will be open to both Palestinians and international participants, and will also incorporate lectures on the Palestinian environmental situation from representatives of local NGOs. The week’s activities will also serve as an opportunity to open our doors to the local community and share with them our vision as well as beginning an ongoing dialogue about ways in which we can support each other in creating positive change on the ground.
Funding:
We have so far successfully raised €8500 from donors based in the Netherlands for renovation of the farmhouse, and a further £1300 from UK sources to help with the ongoing material expenses of the project.
The running costs of the project each month including the rent for the site, utility bills, salaries for part-time Palestinian staff and pocket money for long-term international volunteers total £865. Ultimately we hope to be able to defray these costs from revenues raised from the guesthouse. However, we are still seeking small grants to help us secure the rent for the site, pay for set-up costs of the farm (including plants and building materials), support us in holding environmental education workshops with local youth groups, and to support the salaries of Palestinian project staff.
Long-term Vision
We have secured a renewable 5 year lease contract with the owners of the site, in which time we will aim to turn Bustan Qaraaqa into a fully functioning model Permaculture farm. During this time we also intend to create links and build trust within the local community, helping to propagate many permaculture initiatives with local partners and reaching out to many Palestinian youths. By the end of the first five years, it is our objective to have handed over decision making power and control over project activities to Palestinians. At this stage we will renegotiate the terms of the lease with the landowners, with the objective of securing a stable, long-term agreement to continue our work of building a grassroots Permaculture movement in the Palestinian Territories.
www.greenintifada.blogspot.com
for details about Bustan Qaraaqa guest house including rates and photos of rooms see: www.flickr.com/people/bustanqaraaqa/
20191011_1377_7D2-50 Compost Bins
At the start of this day the bin on the right did not exist. The bin on the left was my old bin #3, built about six months ago (in autumn/fall) and was full to 1m high.
We have decided to put a 3m x 3m garden shed behind the garage (to store some of my son's stuff) and therefore the old compost bins 1 and 2 (built about a year ago) have to be moved, as well as the 1,000 litre water tank that collects rainwater from the garage roof. It will go in part of the space vacated by old bin #2.
Therefore old bin #3 (on the left) is now new bin #1, there is a new bin #2 (now with the contents of old #3/new #1) and the third bin is yet to be built.
Each bin is approximately 1.2m wide x 1m deep and up to 1m high, so today I built bin #2 and shifted 1.2 cubic metres of compost, as well as looking after the two grand kids for the last day of the school holidays. Term 4 starts on Monday!
#11191
When the worm compost turned 6 months we celebrated with this! under is a mousse of soy cream cheese, soy vanilla pudding and chocolate, the "top soil" is chocolate and crushed cookies... And finally the worms are made from agar agar, water and raspberry jam, poured into straws. After a few hours in the fridge... voila'! WORMS.
A Base Aérea N.º 11 - BA11 situa-se nas proximidades da cidade de Beja, tendo sido criada em 1964 pela Portaria n.º 20856 de 21 de outubro, data que passou a ser considerada como o "Dia da Unidade". A Base ocupa uma área de cerca de 800 hectares e foi construÃda com a finalidade de corresponder aos acordos bilaterais entre Portugal e a República Federal da Alemanha, no sentido de proporcionar facilidades de treino operacional à Força Aérea Alemã.
Igualmente pertencente à Base e sob administração direta do Comando, mas integrada na urbanização da parte Sudoeste da Cidade de Beja, está implantada uma zona residencial composta de arruamentos, parques, zonas verdes e 330 habitações, complementadas por outras instalações de apoio social.
A constituição do Comando da Unidade e respetivos serviços teve lugar em 1967, mantendo-se no entanto a construção das infraestruturas que vieram a terminar em 1968. A Unidade começou a ser utilizada pela Força Aérea Alemã a partir de 1970, ano em que os aviões F-104 iniciaram a atividade operacional na Base, constituindo um Grupo de duas esquadras, que acabaram por ser retiradas para a Alemanha em 1973, devido a alterações no seu dispositivo militar. A partir daÃ, a BA11 funcionou como aeródromo de apoio a aviões militares quer da Força Aérea Portuguesa quer da Força Aérea Alemã e, ainda, a aviões comerciais da Lufthansa e TAP, para voos de treino. A assinatura do Acordo Luso-Alemão sobre a utilização da Base, em 16 de agosto de 1979, deu origem a um desenvolvimento significativo da atividade aérea, com a instalação de uma Esquadra de aviões Alpha-Jet, da Força Aérea Alemã, para cumprimento de missões de treino operacional, incluindo tiro no Campo de Tiro em Alcochete.
Em 1987 a Esquadra 103, da BA5 (Monte Real), foi transferida para a BA11 dando inÃcio a uma nova fase da vida desta Unidade, com aeronaves nacionais estacionadas em permanência, e que seria enriquecida em 1993 com a atribuição de mais três unidades aéreas, nomeadamente, a Esquadra 101, equipada com aeronaves EPSILON, a Esquadra 301, que operava os ALPHA-JET e a Esquadra 552, que opera os helicópteros ALOUETTE III.
Em 1993, a não renovação do Acordo Luso-Alemão sobre a utilização da Base, determinou o fim da atividade da Força Aérea Alemã.
Em 2005, a Esquadra 301 foi transferida para a BA5, passando a operar a aeronave F16.
Em 2008, a Esquadra 601 foi transferida da BA6 (Montijo) para a BA11. Esta Esquadra encontra-se equipada com aviões Lockheed P-3C CUP+ e tem como missão executar operações em ambiente marÃtimo.
Em 2009, a Esquadra 101 foi transferida para a BA1, em Sintra. Além das Unidades Aéreas sediadas em permanência e já referidas, a Base é utilizada por diversos tipos de meios aéreos, quer da FAP, quer de outras Forças Aéreas estrangeiras para fins de treino e exercÃcios, beneficiando das excelentes caracterÃsticas das infraestruturas aeronáuticas existentes.
Em maio de 2007, a BA11 foi agraciada com a Medalha de Honra do MunicÃpio, atribuÃda pela Câmara Municipal de Beja, por se ter destacado por serviços distintos e altamente meritórios prestados ao MunicÃpio e cujo nome está intrinsecamente ligado a Beja.
Yard compost angles around the shed. There are three sections and each year each section gets rotated to a new section or used in the garden.
Well, that weekend flew by. We were djing at the Isle of Wight festival for Pootopia and now it's back down to earth with a bump. Pootopia provide toilets at festivals and they have hundreds of compostable toilets and are beautifying them with artwork on boards which fit into the toilet doors. Which is where we came in. We managed to get 32 finished over a weekend, which is eight shy of our self imposed target of forty but pretty good all the same. It was good to finally see some of our boards in situ although i'm pretty sure we failed to get any pictures - which is a bit rubbish but not entirely surprising.
Here's the not very shy and retiring original grace. Well, almost original grace....
Cheers
id-iom
I've been saving vegetable and fruit scraps all week to bring to my friends' house to put in their compost pile. I'm not always so good about that, but somehow having to pinch my pennies makes me much more cognizant of getting the most out of the food.
The Flickr Lounge-Container(s)
I put all the recyclable kitchen food items in this and it gets dumped into our large compost pile in the backyard by the Hoop House.
I find compost very pretty: the colours, the stratification, the juxtaposition of food stuffs. It's like a dietary diary (except the grass, that's from the rabbits).
Glorious earthworms! There were literally hundreds of these wriggly dudes in the compost bin. Great for the soil. :)
Screened a windrow and put the compost in the shed. Should help to keep it a lot drier than just sitting out on the mud.