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Working With Nature: Seeing the food forest for the trees

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Second taster workshop permaculture on Statia

Being Creative With Local Resources

With the kind co-operation of Joshua Spanner & STENAPA, Aardwerk is proud to present a second taster workshop on permaculture. Showcasing the creative work of Joshua Spanner at Congo Preserve. Inspiring uncommon sense solutions to Statia’s challenges and rediscovering the wealth and independence our natural environment provides.

Programme for the workshop

  • Forest as model for food production
  • Energy free from the sun
  • Fresh water free from the sky
  • Food Forest Clinic with Leo Bakx (Aardwerk)
  • Participants are invited to bring a homemade dish (or juice) to share for lunch

Congo Preserve

Its mission is to create and maintain a green zone in the middle of urban development, where folks can come to a peacefull place enjoy nature and learn organic farming.

Congo preserve is a 13 acre compound with 380 fruit trees with 38 types of tropical fruit.
Also in the mix of this is the campgrounds with kitchen, showers in- and outdoor toilets.
The main pavilion has a majestic view of Mazinga, the peak of the Quill volcano – with 601m the second highest point in The Netherlands.

Congo Preserve is powered by the sun for lighting refrigeration and any other electric needs. Joshua developed his own control circuits, using minimal and available parts suitable for this small-scale solution for our tropical climate.

Rainwater is collected, stored and pressurised through an ingenious system developed by Joshua from standard equipment.

Food Forest

In permaculture ‘Food Forest’ is the concept of mimicking one of nature’s most productive ecosystems. A food forest is a multi-story multi-functional ecosystem that, once established, requires very little input from humans other then harvesting the natural abundance. Trees are the basis for such a system. They are complimented with understory smaller trees, shrubs, herbaceous plants, root crops and climbing species.

By ‘stacking‘ the different types of plants, that also have roots to different depth, a very compact is created that will produce more then a single crop species on the same area.

Species should be selected that have multiple functions, like windbreak, nitrogen fixing, food for people and pest controlling birds and predatory insects, utility wood, fibre for textiles of paper, medicinal and cosmetic products, etcetera.

A food forest can be as small scale as a backyard garden or even a couple of container plants to complete large scale landscapes.

  • When: Sunday 20 May 2012
  • Where: Congo Preserve
, Mansion Road
  • Time: 09:30 – 12:30h
  • Other: Registration advised – limited places available.
    This is a free workshop but donations are welcome.

To register please call +599 318 5724 or email: leo@aardwerk.org

A third and final free taster workshop:
end of June @ GreenBlend with Lois & Laurens Duiveman.

First Earth Day Workshop Success

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The first Earth Day permaculture workshop at the STENAPA Botanical Gardens on Statia was a great success. We think so anyway ;-)

About 14 people in total showed up for their first introduction to permaculture. Amongst them the head of the Statia Health Department Ms Carol Jack, the Senior Policy Advisor of the State Representative’s office Ms Rita van der Zee and a cameo appearance of the new acting Governor Mr Kenneth Lopez.

Permaculture is working with Nature instead of against it. So to see ‘how Nature does it’ we first went on a brief hike to the unmanaged part of the Miriam Schmidt Botanical Gardens. There we saw that Nature always keeps her soil covered, with living plants, stones, dry leaves, dead wood and whatever else is locally available. Plants and other organisms live in communities that support each other. Each producing something that is of use to its neighbours and using what the others produce. The trees ‘recycle’ themselves in place. They don’t pull up their roots to go shopping for food. They turn their leaves to the sun to make biofuel to grow and reproduce, while recycling dead leaves with the help of soil creatures into useable organic building materials they can absorb via their roots. The soil is moist, springy and smells delicious. Lizards rustle through the leaves, birds sing and there is a wonderful energy in the air.

Then we did a walk in the private veggie patch of the garden. Here we looked at some of the design principles of permaculture, like ‘chop & drop mulching’, ‘companion planting’ and ‘working on contour’.

Then we did some soil testing, comparing acidity (pH) of forest soil, bare garden soil and potting soil. All were a bit acidic, with the bare soil the most acidic. Then we planted some kholrabi and pak soi seedlings out in a bed covered in sheet mulch (cardboard with a mulch of leaves on top).

We finished off with delightful refreshments prepared by Park Ranger Claire Blair. All participants received a certificate of attendance, a resource list and a packet of free seeds to start their own veggie patch at home.

One of the participants was interested in following up with a school project and all left with a positive feeling about growing some of their own food.

Earth Day Permaculture Workshop

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STENAPA and Aardwerk offers free ½ day Permaculture workshop at Miriam C Schmidt Botanical Gardens St Eustatius.

STENAPA has announced that they will be holding a free workshop with guest speaker Leo Bakx, permaculture course leader, as a taster for the 3 week course that Aardwerk will be offering in July.

The workshop will be held at the Miriam C Schmidt Botanical gardens on the 22nd April as part of World Earth day, celebrated on this date every year.

There will be demonstrations in permaculture principles and practical tips and tricks on how to grow your own food in a low-maintenance and eco-friendly way. Participants will receive a small pack of seeds in order to start their own vegetable gardens at home.

Leo says, “Permaculture is a toolkit for the best possible prosperity for people and planet. Permaculture recognizes that everything is connected in our world.” John Button, one of the course leaders for July says that permaculte “is a marriage between people and place”

It teaches participants how to work with nature instead of working against it and Leo says that it will change the way you view your world forever. The 3 week long course in July will be held on St Eustatius between the Botanical Garden and at the Congo Preserve managed by Joshua Spanner. Participants are expected to attend this course from all over the world and will be able to enjoy the peace and tranquillity of the island as well as reconnect with the world around them through the course material and exercises.

Places are very limited for the free workshop on the 22nd and interested parties should contact the STENAPA office on +599 318 2884. Those interested in taking part in the 3 week course should contact Leo Bakx at Aardwerk at the website http://aardwerk.org.

Bamboo

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I’ve adopted a bamboo clump on Statia.

The garden interns, Lexie & Sadie, told me about a clump of bamboo along the Botan Road. I went to explore and found a mighty clump of (probably) Bambusa balcoa at a site previously intended as the site for a new prison. It looked rather neglected but salvageable.

Later I spoke with Roberto Hensen of LVV (the agriculture department) about the site and the bamboo. He said that historically it used to be a nursery run by Chinese people, going back to the 1800′s. He asked for us to propagate the bamboo at the botanical gardens. At the suggestion that I adopt the bamboo to rejuvenate the clump and make it productive again, he kindly approved.

So this is going to be my personal project for the coming months…

PDC in the Dutch Caribbean: The view from a distance

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There’s nothing like going far away to get a better view of your own situation. Getting away from the everyday routing liberates the senses and opens you up to new experiences. Returning home then allows you to see your familiar world from a completely fresh perspective. Permaculture encourages careful observation from different perspective and developing creative and responsive solutions to common challenges in life.

The Dutch Caribbean islands of Bonaire, St. Eustatius (Statia) and Saba are the latest and furthers removed parts of the Netherlands. You can’t get much further away and still be technically in the Netherlands (or Europe). Doing our permaculture course allows this unique view from a distance while being able to recognize familiar Western issues of environment, resources, economy and community.

Leveraging Nature’s genius

Permaculture taps into the genius of place and people. John Button, one of our co-teachers of the course, calls it “a marriage of people and place”.
For more than 30 years since its originators David Holmgren and his mentor Bill Mollison launched the concept in Australia, PDC courses have been life-changing events for students around the world. Participants learn to see and experience the limits of our physical world as opportunities to generate ‘unlimited’ prosperity. Leveraging local resources, both in terms of material resources, human talents and captured energy, permaculture can create resilient economic systems that benefit communities, organisations and enterprises in the dynamic world we live in.

Benefits

Permaculture’s aim is to provide everyone with more enjoyment and fulfillment, leveraging the limited resources of our physical world. Permaculture is the language of prosperity and abundance in this world of physical boundaries, building a world of limitless opportunities for self-realisation. Permaculture goes well beyond bare survival and simple sustainability of the economy of scarcity that is propped up by the idea of unlimited growth. Permaculture is about relationship John Button wonderfully expresses with his “marriage of people and place”. It goes beyond self-sufficiency: co-sufficiency, communities and enterprises that find their “power” in being able to take care of their collective selves. From that position of strength they are able to lift up their head, see further, widen their horizon, welcome strangers as new friends and approach the world with a sense of confidence and wonder of the unexpected.

In Permaculture “growth” is about increasing connections, complexity, folding of “edge”, creating more interface and interaction. In ecological terms: its about creating and occupying more diverse niches for prosperity. It’s about regenerating the place where we live, enriching our life and the life of our world.

As leaders or professionals in a local community, enterprise or organisation interested in sustainable development, energy / water & food security and sovereignty, New Economy, biodiversity, ‘Green’ responsible enterprise or community development participants will be able to analyse challenges, effectively survey their local assets and design resilient systems for optimal productivity and prosperity. E.g. identify sources of easily available energy, harvest and store it and apply that energy with more efficiency than using conventional approaches. Identify and develop multiple uses for readily available material and human resources. Diversify and provide essential (ecosystem) services through multiple local elements. Connect with local and regional communities and resources.

Benefits to Statia: participants will contribute substantially to the development of local co-sufficiency, the roll-out of the local reforestation project and stimulate the local economy with their extended visit. They will also enrich and be enriched by the cultural exchange with this island’s friendly population.

Golden Rock Experience

Our three-week format in a tropical location provides you with in-depth learning an a unique holiday experience.
In the Golden Age of economic growth in Europe, Africa and the America’s, Statia was known as the Golden Rock. It played a pivotal role in the Dutch West Indian Company’s triangle trade route between Europe (manufactured goods), Africa (slave labour) and the America’s (raw materials). As such it was a first attempt at globalisation and the birth of the Multinational Company. At that time between 1525 and 1867 Statia grew to a co-sufficient Dutch colony of 20.000 inhabitants, most of them slaves and former slaves that settled here. Currently Statia is home to about 3,500 residents. Our course venue, Congo Preserve, is situated at the location of a village of freed slaves. In 2007 archeological remains were found on the property and owner Joshua Spanner intends to restore some of the original buildings as part of his educational horticulture project.

Budget standard and Luxury options

For those on a small budget we offer the standard of free camping at the Congo Preserve site. Participants may want to bring your own tent.
For others we will be happy to assist with booking more luxurious accommodations in one of the charming Statian hotels, B&B or lodges (at extra costs).
The course format allows for plenty of free time, so participants can explore the island and surrounding ocean at their leisure or simply enjoy a cold beer and good company on the beach.
We expect excellent tropical weather, with temperatures between 26°C at night and 32°C during the day, mild cooling breezes and occasional light rain.
Perfect for snorkeling, diving, fishing or hiking in your free time. Participants may also like to join the archeological work of SECAR that is ongoing and a great way to get hands-on experience with the island’s history.
We will also be happy to assist with any pre- or post-course holiday arrangements. Like the Dutch Caribbean hiking arrangement of SNP travel agency, day trips to neighbouring Saba, St. Kitts or St. Barts.
There are also options to stay on or arrive early for volunteer work at Congo Preserve, Botanical Gardens and GreenBlend – our project partners.

July session

Our PDC course will be from 10 through 31 July. We recommend that participants arrive on Statia one or a few days before the course starts, so they can acclimatise to the tropical weather and the time difference.

International Teaching Team

We are pleased to work with an enthusiastic, inspiring an capable team of teachers like Fransje de Waard (author of the first Dutch book on permaculture “Tuinen van Overvloed’), John Button (Australian living in Italy, who has taught and ran projects in Europe, Asia and Australia), Claudio Madaune (Chilean living in Norway, who has been teaching in Europe, the America’s and Africa and is involved with community projects there) and others. We also welcome our local partners from Statia like Joshua Spanner of Congo Preserve, Claire Blair of the STENAPA Botanical Gardens and Laurens Duiveman of GreenBlend.

Audience

This PDC is especially of interest to deciders, managers, owners and community leaders. The course will provide participants with practical skills, tools and insights to immediately start improving the daily practices of their business, community or organisation towards lasting prosperity and wellbeing in a changing world.

Registration

To register for the course, please visit our registration page.

Statia!

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Back in Statia! Thanks to the wonderful people of STENAPA, interns and voluntueers I’m settling in nicely at the Miriam Schmidt Botanical Gardens.

We’ve started planting seeds and seedlings to produce food for both the usual residents of the garden as well as the participants of the upcoming PDC course in July. Of the Three Sisters companion planting patch, the beans (‘Cherokee Trail of Tears’) has germinated after just 3 days under a ground cover of simple leaf litter. It took about a week for the Jerusalem Artichoke to sprout, followed shortly after by the capucin peas.

Other crops we’ve sowed are Jute, Purslaine and Amaranth. More to follow.

Winter Weer Gilze

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Workshops 2012 -2013

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Vooraankondiging

In het nieuwe schooljaar 2012-2013 gaat Aardwerk een programma van workshops organiseren bedoeld voor zowel Nederlandse als internationale deelnemers. De voertaal zal Engels zijn, tenzij anders vermeld. Deels zullen de cursussen in Caribisch Nederland (Statia) plaats vinden en deels in Europees Nederland (Boxtel, Tilburg, Eindhoven).

Dit is een programma onder voorbehoud. Data, locaties en inhoud kunnen aangepast worden. Prijzen zijn ter indicatie. U kunt alvast aangeven waar u belangstelling voor heeft en in uw agenda tijd reserveren. Belangstellenden kunnen zich nu vrijblijvend melden. Continue reading →

Heuvelbed á la Sepp Holzer

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De onvolprezen Paul Wheaton publiceerde al weer een tijdje geleden een prachtig artikel over Heuvelbed-cultuur. Een simpele techniek die de “wereld kan redden” of er toch minstens een goede bijdrage aan kan leveren.

Heuvelbed-cultuur of Hügelkultur is bedacht door Sepp Holzer, de al even eigenzinnige als inspirerende alternatieve boer uit Oostenrijk.

Het idee is simpel: bouw een verhoogd plantbed met boomstammen, takken en twijgen als opvulling. Het hout vergaat op den duur en levert meerdere jaren organische voedingsstoffen en houdt veel water vast. Hierdoor is er nauwelijks behoefte aan het regelmatig aanvullen van voedingsstoffen en hoeft er nauwelijks water bij gegeven te worden.

Niet alle boomsoorten zijn even geschikt voor Heuvelbed-cultuur. Bijvoorbeeld: wilg, populier, eik, els zijn wel geschikt maar naaldbomen, fruitbomen en Robinia soorten juist niet vanwege het hoge gehalte aan harsen en andere natuurlijke antibiotische stoffen in het hout. Om het proces op te starten is het raadzaam een rijke stikstofbron toe te voegen zoals compost of brandnetelresten. Een combinatie van vers gekapt hout met paddestoelenbroed van oesterzwam, Shiitake of Stropharia is helemaal mooi, want dan kan je er ook nog eens lekker paddestoelen van eten (wanneer die ‘in seizoen’ zijn).

Binnenkort kunnen we waarschijnlijk een workshop/meewerkdag houden met Heuvelbed-cultuur als onderwerp. We houden je op de hoogte.

July Session Statia PDC 2012 Available

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Aardwerk organises a second session of the International Permaculture Design course on the Dutch Caribbean Island Sint Eustatius (Statia). Hosted by Congo Preserve and in co-operatiton with local experts from STENAPA and GreenBlend, the same international team of permaculture teachers invite you to participate. We have a relaxed tropical course format that will enable you to learn about permaculture while enjoying an exotic holiday experience.

Professionals in New Economy & Community Regeneration

The course will bring together participants from Europe and the rest of the world. All professionals and other people passionate about “Planet, People & Prosperity“, looking to permaculture for the skills and insights we need for practical ways to meet the challenges of our modern world, like climate change; financial and business infrastructure; biodiversity and natural resource management; food, water & energy security. It’s a great opportunity to network. Make new connections between community, enterprise and government. Discover the regenerative potential of yourself and your everyday environment.

Grundtvig Application Deadline

For those who rely on Grundtvig funding, please be advised that the deadline for funding applications for BOTH the May and July sessions in 2012 close on 16 January 2012, less then three weeks from now. Please REGISTER NOW and we will be happy to assist you with your funding application.

PDC 2012 Registration Open

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Registration for the international PDC 2012 on Statia, from 1-22 May 2012 is now open.

Participants may qualify for a Grundtvig grant. Our course is now in the Comenius – Grundtvig Training Database under reference number NL-2012-273-002.

For more information see our Course pages.

Feestje dat we niet meer willen vieren

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7 Miljard Mensen


(film van National Geographic via YouTube – met excuus voor de hinderlijke reclame)

De Verenigde Naties laat weten dat we vanaf vandaag – naar hun officiële schatting – met 7 miljard mensen zijn. In 1987 (5 miljard mensen) en 1999 (6 miljard mensen) werd dat nog als een mijlpaal van verdienste geroemd, nu is het een feestje dat we niet meer willen vieren.

2050: Krimp

De aanwas was het snelst tussen 1987 en 1999. Toen duurde het maar 12 jaar tot de volgende miljard. Van 1999 tot 2011 duurde het ook 12 jaar. Vanaf nu verwacht/hoopt men dat het volgende miljard (8) pas over 15 jaar bereikt zal worden. Een periode van minder groei dus.

Vanaf 2050 verwacht de VN dat de bevolking van de wereld zal AFNEMEN. De groei is al aan het vertragen, maar met de verwachtte 9,6 miljard in 2050 zal het maximum bereikt zijn.

Aangezien mensenarbeid de ultieme beperkende (eigenlijk: enige) factor is in ons moderne financiële systeem, betekent dit automatisch en onvermijdelijk dat daarmee ook het einde van de “economische” groei in zicht komt. Minder mensen is minder arbeid en minder markt. Dit is de grens van de “economische” groei.

Gezien de gigantische leningen (=toekomstige arbeid) die we nu al niet meer kunnen terug betalen, ligt het logische wijs voor de hand dat de hamer al ruim voor 2050 zal vallen.

Aardpeeroogst

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In een klein hoekje van de FLOT schooltuin hebben we afgelopen jaar een stuk of 15 biologische aardpeertjes op minder dan 2 m² geplant. Ongeveer 0,5 kg.

De aardperen groeiden tot meer dan 2 meter hoog en hebben enthousiast gebloeid deze zomer. Gisteren hebben de knollen geoogst. Eigenlijk met als doel het perkje aardperen te verplaatsen naar ons demonstratie-perceel naast de schooltuin.

De oogst is zo overvloedig, makkelijk 20kg, dat we de meeste knollen kunnen opeten en uitdelen aan anderen. Kijk dát is nog eens Return on Investment. De natuur verveelvoudigde onze investering met een factor 40. Daar kan de European Financial Stability Facility nog een puntje aan zuigen ;-) Dit is economie waar je van kan eten.

Goed gezelschap

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Het mooie van een klein tropisch eiland als Statia, ongeveer 32 km2, is dat natuur en cultuur zo dicht bij elkaar liggen. Land- en tuinbouw velden liggen op een paar kilometer afstand van min of meer oorspronkelijk tropische savanne en oerwoud.

Gemeenschap

In het natuurlijke oerwoud is goed te zien dat vele planten, dieren en andere organismen een hechte gemeenschap vormen. Ze ondersteunen elkaar, beschermen elkaar, voeden elkaar. Een levende gemeenschap die onderling ecosysteemdiensten uitwisselt.

Isolatie

Land- en tuinbouw selecteert en isoleert één soort uit het geheel die als commercieel gewas (cash crop) worden verbouwd. De natuurlijke ecosysteemdiensten, zoals bescherming tegen plagen en ziektes of voorzien in de kringloop van voedingsstoffen, moeten in een dergelijk systeem worden overgenomen door de boer. Anders stort het systeem in elkaar.

Combinatieteelt

Combinatieteelt is een methode die in permacultuur graag toegepast wordt. Traditioneel hebben we het dan over enkele gewassen die elkaar ondersteunen. Maar hoe dichter de natuurlijke situatie wordt benaderd hoe minder energie en middelen de boer hoeft te besteden aan het instandhouden van een veerkrachtig en ‘stabiel’ productiesysteem.

Integraal productiesysteem

Een duurzaam productiesysteem bevat organismen uit alle domeinen van Leven: planten, dieren en microorganismen. Deze vormen een hechte gemeenschap, net zoals het natuurlijke voorbeeld. Het verschil is dat het bewust ontworpen is door de mens, speciaal aangepast aan de plaatselijke omstandigheden. Een integraal systeem dat zich ontwikkeld in de loop van de tijd. Waarbij de economische groei zit in de toename van biodiversiteit en de veelzijdigheid van nuttige opbrengsten.