The document summarizes a community service project where students at The Island School in the Bahamas constructed a permaculture pond and garden to address the problem that 92% of the school's food was imported. The students researched suitable crops, planned and dug a 42ft pond, planted a variety of water-loving and drought-resistant crops around it, and added mosquito-eating fish to control mosquitoes. The project aims to increase local food sources and provide a gathering space for the campus community.
2. In the Spring of 2012…
•I was studying at The
Island School in Cape
Eleuthera, Bahamas
•Taking academic classes
while learning about the
culture around me
•One of my classes was
Human Ecology, the study
of how humans relate with
nature, and at the end of
the semester we had a
final project
5. Reasons for Problem
•Lack of readily available
fresh water
•Poor soil
•There weren’t enough
local farms to supply our
demand
6. Our Solution
•Plant a variety of crops in order to
have local food all year around
•After going through many ideas we
decided that constructing a pond
would be the best solution
•With prior knowledge we knew
that there was a fresh water lens 6
feet below the surface
•We planned to construct an area
42ft in diameter and in the center a
body of water 6ft in diameter
•We planned to plant water-loving
crops closest to the water and
crops that didn’t need as much
water further out
8. Research
•Research permaculture
techniques and suitable
crops to include
•Phone conference with a
permaculture expert
•Look at what plants
already grow on the island
•Research available local
crops
9. Planning
•Layout for where
everything would be
planted
•Went to nursery to find
the plants we needed
•Site chosen for pond in
the orchard
•The pond was outlined in
preparation for digging
•Pond was dug with a
backhoe (with a grant of
$300)
10.
11. Planting
•Dug holes that were the
right size for the plants
•Added compost/ash and
mixed it with water from
the pond
•Planted sapodilla, banana,
coconut palm, cherries,
Indian almond, lima beans,
watermelon, pumpkin,
cantaloupe, meringue,
green beans, avocado,
mango, sugarcane, etc.
•Within 2 days we saw
crops sprouting
12. Additions
•Standing water means…
more mosquitoes
•We went to a local farm to
get mosquito eating fish
•Put 90 in the pond
•Added more crops than
we had planned
•Added a pathway
14. Future
•Attract animals that will
have a symbiotic
relationship with the pond
•Future semesters to plant
what they find necessary
•Build benches to act as a
common place for the
campus
