Permaculture: Southern Africa and Maine Featuring Bethel Business and Community Development Centre New Forest Institute Applications in Mid-Coast Maine Andrew Watkins, May 12, 2009

Contents Context Available Resources Connecting the Dots with Permaculture

Themes Water Harvesting Natural Building Technologies Appropriate Technology Food

Year 2000 – 2001: Peace Corps Site: Bethel Business and Community Development Centre School for Rural Development Demonstrations of Permaculture Appropriate Technology Context: Lesotho, S. Africa

Where Are We?

Lesotho: The Mountain Kingdom

Context: Maine - 2008 Brooks, ME New Forest Institute Summer Volunteer Permaculture Certification

Brooks, ME

New Forest Institute

Summer Volunteer

Permaculture Certification

Overview Lesotho – Bethel Business and Community Development Centre (BBCDC)‏

The Bethel Region Heavily eroded Minimal Vegetation Mountainous Note the Plateau

Heavily eroded

Minimal Vegetation

Mountainous

Note the Plateau

BBCDC and Village of Bethel Eucalyptus Grove Scorched earth Aspen Grove Dongas (Gullies)

Eucalyptus Grove

Scorched earth

Aspen Grove

Dongas (Gullies)

Connecting the Dots with Permaculture Permaculture is an ecological design system for sustainability in all aspects of human endeavor www.permaculture.org Permacultural systems tend toward creation of forest ecosystems that sustain humans in a multiplicity of ways

Principles to look at Design elements are put in the right place Each element serves many functions Each function is served by many elements Put often-managed elements near the house Put rarely-managed elements farther away Pay attention to sun, wind, and fire directions Stack plants vertically Use time stacking

Design elements are put in the right place

Each element serves many functions

Each function is served by many elements

Put often-managed elements near the house

Put rarely-managed elements farther away

Pay attention to sun, wind, and fire directions

Stack plants vertically

Use time stacking

Primary Tenets Earth Care – Earth as home – it's the only one we have People Care – Helping each other in a way that develops healthy societies Fair Share – Limit consumption so that others have their share

Earth Care – Earth as home – it's the only one we have

People Care – Helping each other in a way that develops healthy societies

Fair Share – Limit consumption so that others have their share

Resources: Lesotho Water Stone South Africa Sunshine

Water

Stone

South Africa

Sunshine

Home away from Home The Rondavel Northern Exposure Plenty of Daylighting Batch Water Heater Photovoltaics Solar Oven and...

The Rondavel

Northern Exposure

Plenty of Daylighting

Batch Water Heater

Photovoltaics

Solar Oven

and...

...from the South Metal Roof vs. Thatch Quite the View My own Peach Tree (2)‏ Stone Masonry and...

Metal Roof vs. Thatch

Quite the View

My own Peach Tree (2)‏

Stone Masonry

and...

To build the round walls... A BBCDC-designed and built form Lay the stone and concrete inside Similar to Cob Construction

A BBCDC-designed and built form

Lay the stone and concrete inside

Similar to Cob Construction

A closeup of the peach tree ...And to provide it water...

...And to provide it water...

A Swaling System With other water systems such as... (3)‏

With other water systems such as... (3)‏

Spring-Fed Cisterns using... Photovoltaic Systems and A Hydraulic Ram Pump Supplying Water to...

Photovoltaic Systems and

A Hydraulic Ram Pump

Supplying Water to...

Ivan's House with Integrated Cistern Solar Oven Private Garden Mechanics Shop Guest Quarters and...

Integrated Cistern

Solar Oven

Private Garden

Mechanics Shop

Guest Quarters

and...

The Campus Center with Stone work Solar Technology Landscaping Food Production (7)‏

Stone work

Solar Technology

Landscaping

Food Production (7)‏

The Restaurant and Office Complex with Discrete Cisterns PV DC system Thermo-siphoning water heater Solar exhaust vent And seating for 24

Discrete Cisterns

PV DC system

Thermo-siphoning water heater

Solar exhaust vent

And seating for 24

The Machining and Carpentry Workshop with 2003 – PV array added Arc welding powered by generators Furniture building and School kitchen on the right And all these buildings include...

2003 – PV array added

Arc welding powered by generators

Furniture building

and School kitchen on the right

And all these buildings include...

Solar Technology Which also powers... (3)‏

A Commercial Food Dryer Used for drying fruits and vegetables Solar powered using flat-plate technology Air exhausted through the Turbine Ventilator

Used for drying fruits and vegetables

Solar powered using flat-plate technology

Air exhausted through the Turbine Ventilator

A Bread Oven Prototype Using an anodized aluminum shell and having parabolic frame Dual Orientation and 10-loaf capacity

Using an anodized aluminum shell and

having parabolic frame

Dual Orientation and

10-loaf capacity

Commercial Solar Ovens Able to cook enough food for school population Formed with square tube, sheet metal, and anodized aluminum

Able to cook enough food for school population

Formed with square tube, sheet metal, and anodized aluminum

Batch Solar Water Heaters Storage and heating integrated in one unit Will only heat up limited amount of water is simple to construct Not usable in freezing conditions Allowing humans the time to...

Storage and heating integrated in one unit

Will only heat up limited amount of water

is simple to construct

Not usable in freezing conditions

Allowing humans the time to...

Produce Food Sources such as

Seedlings and Saplings for regional farmers Shading Value Added Business

Shading

Value Added Business

For cooking food, Solar-powered Cookers Of Commercial and...

Of Commercial

and...

Household size capable of cooking...

Household size

capable of cooking...

The Following Foodstuffs A Pot of Beans A Thanksgiving Turkey Loaves of Bread Many Potatoes A pan of Lasagna made with food from...

A Pot of Beans

A Thanksgiving Turkey

Loaves of Bread

Many Potatoes

A pan of Lasagna

made with food from...

The market gardens Interspersed around the campus and Growing a wide variety of vegetables And now for a little trip...

Interspersed around the campus and

Growing a wide variety of vegetables

And now for a little trip...

Thank You Resources: Books Introduction to Permaculture; Mollison & Slay Permaculture: A Designers' Manual; Mollison Gaia's Garden...; Hemenway Resources: Magazines Permaculture Activist Permaculture Magazine

Resources: Books

Introduction to Permaculture; Mollison & Slay

Permaculture: A Designers' Manual; Mollison

Gaia's Garden...; Hemenway

Resources: Magazines

Permaculture Activist

Permaculture Magazine