Perma-Aquaculture at Terra Alta, Sintra, Portugal, May 2015

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Perma-Aquaculture at Terra Alta, Sintra, Portugal, May 2015

May 8th-10th : Weekend Perma-Aquaculture course with a focus on aquatic ecology and tank and swimming pool upgrades

Aquaculture, 4-20 times more productive than land based systems, learn more about them here!

Dates: May 8th-10th (Friday night open lecture), 2015

Location: Terra Alta, Sintra, Portugal

Facilitators: Doug Crouch and Karsten Hinrichs

Language Used: English with translation

the tank at terra alta from 2012, a hands on planting opportunity

Course Fee: 60 Euro

****includes catered organic meals on Saturday and Sunday; delicious, and homemade****

For more information and to register contact the following:

terraalta.sintra@gmail.com

 

THE COURSE: Format and Content

In this two-day course, plus Friday evening open lecture, we will be focused on theory and hands on work geared towards this highly productive form of aquatic management. To integrate the knowledge we will be establishing new and expanding existing aquaculture systems at Terra Alta, small-scale-intensive educational center in coastal Portugal. The unique existing systems are due for a next phase of implementation so we will be improving them and doing dynamic expansion for biodiversity in our hands-on sessions. Our main efforts will be at the tank and the the stream for water quality improvements while we will also hear from co-teacher and long running TreeYo facilitator, Karsten Hinrichs, on his innovative swimming pool conversion into a natural element.

Aquaculture, a storied tradition of growing food in water, helped to build extremely complex societies like the Egyptian, Aztecs, and Chinese from the abundance that these systems yield. All were different because of the cultural context but relied on the polyculture system that aquaculture inherently facilitates. Consequently, in this course we will be examining the aquatic ecology behind these systems so that a full understanding of water as a medium for growth can be realized. From fish to ducks, from water chestnut to water spinach, we will be examining many life forms and the bountiful yields that aquauculture systems produce.

Aquatic systems can and should be creating multifunctional outputs and we will be examining the correct management tools to realize this form of growth potential. Mollison, the co-founder of the Permaculture movement, said that aquaculture system are 4-20 times more productive than adjoining land based systems. Thus we will be looking at how to set the right conditions for this abundance as skill is needed much more than just hard labour. From garden ponds to converted swimming pools, to tanks and earthen ponds, we will look at a range of ways to bring these systems into your landscapes.

Thus the course will be a mix of theory, hands on and demonstration. We will be creating garden ponds with a liner as well as evaluating already created tanks and augmenting them for greater diversity and yields. We will also be learning the aquatic ecology behind it all so you can do work on swimming pools, tanks and other earthen or lined ponds and local streams.

our biomass producing tank and life giving asset, our main activity for redesign and hands on

On Swimming Pool Conversion:

Natural Swimming Ponds respect both, the environment and your health, being specifically designed so you can swim in pure, clear water with no chemicals. Their Design can range from natural, to productive, formal or anything in between, giving special enfasis to multifunctionality. Converting your conventional swimming pool into one of the above through permaculture practices brings health back into your life, environment and pocket.

Hands-on will include the following:

• aquatic vegetation planting to promote biodiversity and filtration
• small-scale earthworks and gab ions to create more stream edge
• pond lining demonstration and planting
• plant propagation for low cost site development

And the theory will look at depth in the following topics:

• History and traditional examples
• Aquatic ecology and the abundance in yields
• Growing system types
• Water Filtration
• Habitat enhancement
• Water quality improvements
• Systems management

TEACHERS and HOSTS

Doug Crouch: Trained as both a Permaculture Designer and Fish and Wildlife Manager, Doug has extensive
knowledge surrounding landscape planning and food production systems. This regenerative design and implementation work spans the globe ranging in contexts and climates including tropical agro-forestry, Mediterranean organic gardening, and temperate suburban edible landscaping. To facilitate this work he founded TreeYo Permaculture thus building off his other formal training in small business management. Incorporating this knowledge and experience into sustainability educational programming has now become Doug’s main focus as he continues his ecological design and holistic development in various ecosystems.

He holds a Diploma in Permaculture Education which demonstrates his commitment to crafting his creative facilitation style.TreeYo facilitation style and process. To view the aquaculture presentation you can expect during the course via PowerPoint, please visit Doug’s slideshare account at the following: www.slideshare.net/DougeCrouch

and his online Permaculture Handbook, a work in progress but a useful aid to students before and after the course:

TreeYo EDU: https://treeyopermacultureedu.wordpress.com

Doug and Karsten talking plant propagation underneath the terra alta tank. Photo credit Alice Smeets:http://www.alicesmeets.com

Karsten Hinrichs: Karstens multifunctional approach to permaculture translates bringing a flair of creativity and exacting detail to design, project implementation, and site development. This has translated into becoming a permaculture facilitator thus allowing him to combine and translate his years of experience and extensive plant knowledge. He still brings the inquisitiveness of his childhood and his relationship with nature as he explores deeper into the realms of patterns and water landscapes. This passion for water represents his adaptiveness in projects from small scale intensive food forests, roof top gardens, aquaculture and swimming pool conversion, and development of polycutures around innovative guilds. This combines practical skills such as worm composting and plant propagation but also leads into the underlying essence of realizing plants full potential from medicinal to shamanic.

Terra Alta: Inspiring off the grid model for holistic education

Terra Alta, the host site, is the next evolution and extension of the Escola da Terra project where we started as a collective in 2009. It’s located in between Almoçageme and Ulgeria, two quaint villages

just above the sea and situated for easy access to the amazing beaches called Praia da Adraga and Ursa. Terra alta offers a great location in this course because of the source and its tank as well as the stream that runs through the property. Terra Alta offers a wonderful example of small-scale intensive systems and is flourishing through biodiversity which this course will add to for sure. Because the site has had several years of Permaculture management, it is easy for students to immerse themselves in the principles of design and how sites evolve. The following Permaculture elements beyond aquaculture are on display amongst others:

• Numerous Earthworks to capitalize on impervious surface runoff
• Extensive Food Forest of subtropical, temperate, and Mediterraneanspecies corresponding with the earthworks
• Hot & Cold Composting (Vermiculture) systems for boosting soil life, picking up on waste streams, and cycling nutrients
• Food Preservation and supporting local economy of food production
• Small Intentional Community focused on adult education through Permaculture courses but more importantly holistic, Waldorf and Permaculture inspired education for the children of the local area
• Natural Building techniques utilized for dwellings and other infrastructure including the cob oven
• Appropriate technology measures to get us off the grid in terms of electricity including a large solar array

The REGIONAL CONTEXT and MICROCLIMATE

 

One of the many beautiful trees at the Palace which we will visit in this unique three week course

Almoçageme is a unique village in that it has an urban feel at its smallcompact center but is surrounded by field and forest making nature only a short walk away. Sintra means “Mountains of the Moon” due to its lushly forested rising topography. These mountains are a wondrous sight to behold but they are also an excellent example of how forests create a unique micro-climate when combined with topography. The difference in temperature between Sintra and the capital, the concrete jungle of Lisbon, is remarkable.

Meanwhile Sintra summers are cooler and mild in comparison because the vast forest draws in the humidity from the nearby ocean and offsets the drying hot sun. This area of Portugal is a very special place that allows for diverse planting due to the topographically affected climate. Citrus to medlars, pears to white sapote and plums to pineapple guava all thrive in the undulating landscape in and around Almoçageme.

The village of Almocageme is easily accessible from Lisbon via the magical, historic town and forest of Sintra. A 45-minute train ride takes you from the center of Lisbon to Sintra, where you take a bus for half an hour that drops you off directly in Almocageme. The site super accessible with public transportation, so there is not much hassle to get here if you are coming from abroad!

 

Pure magic this beach!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Two beautiful beaches are in walking distance!

Many Reasons to Come Join Us! The Escola da Terra project and Terra Alta offer a great location and context for learning Perma-Aquaculture!

• Come and be part of a community that is dedicated to giving children a true education. Get a feeling of living in an intentional community with other permies!
• The site is extremely accessible to the city as well as amazing beaches and places to visit!
• The forest at Sintra, intermixed with a palace and castle, is something all should see in this lifetime!
• The water that pours from the mountain is delicious and some say even the fountain of youth! Natural springs are one of those gifts covered in the course that are fundamental to the objectives of Permaculture!

 

 

Mais informação em www.treeyopermaculture.com