water Archives - Our Permaculture Life

27,000 Trees A Day to Wipe Bottoms – What’s Your Wipe of Choice?

Morag Gamble — Fri, 14 Oct 2016 15:03:00 +0000

Toilet paper. We don’t talk about this much, but I reckon we should. We all need it and use it – well a great proportion of people in developed countries anyway, and global consumption is rising. What’s your wipe of choice? I’m shifting from recycled paper to tree-free.

27,000 trees a day to wipe bottoms.

Worldwide, around 270,000 trees are either flushed or dumped in landfills every day. About 10 percent of this is toilet paper. Also the production of each toilet paper roll uses about 140 litres of water.

Only 5% recycled toilet paper used.

Most toilet paper is made from virgin paper. In Australia, only 5% of our toilet paper comes from recycled paper.

According to the Australian Conservation Foundation every tonne of paper recycled saves:

13 trees
2.5 barrels of oil (average car would use this in 2-3 months)
4100 kilowatts of electricity (average household use per year)
four cubic metres of landfill
31,380 litres of water (roughly a household’s annual water use)

That’s significant.

But if you are choosing recycled loo paper, be sure to pick one that doesn’t use chlorine bleach. Before being pulped and processed, recycled paper is de-inked. Chlorine can be used for this. Chlorine-based chemicals however can react with paper fibres and create toxic compounds such as dioxin and organochlorines.

What toilet paper should I use then?

More and more sources of eco-loo paper are becoming available. New small ethical subscriber-based companies are starting up supplying homes with bulk orders of toilet paper made from non-chlorine bleached recycled paper or bamboo and sugarcane paper (the softer option for sensitive bottoms). Bamboo grows so much faster than trees!

There’s also people exploring fibre crops, such as hemp, and abundant agricultural and industrial byproducts ranging from wheat straw to garment scraps, sunflower stalks, and rags – all logical sources of tree-free pulp.

How many trees are there in the world?

As an aside, while I was writing this, I came across a research paper that showed the planet has 3.04 trillion trees – or approximately 422 trees per person. This information was published last year in the journal Nature and based on research conducted at Yale. The research also says that 15.3 billion trees are chopped down every year – with the highest losses in the tropics where some of the oldest and biggest trees live. It also estimates that almost half of the world’s trees have been cleared already. This has significant implications for the planet in terms of climate change, biodiversity, and therefore also human well-being.

Let’s think before we wipe and go tree-free! If you don’t already use it why not give the paper made from sustainable, renewable resources a go.

Here’s some of the sites I visited while writing this tonight.

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Did You Know That Large Parts of the Great Barrier Reef Died This Year?

Morag Gamble — Sat, 24 Sep 2016 05:33:00 +0000

Did you know that the iconic Great Barrier Reef had a huge set-back this year with massive coral bleaching – the largest bleaching event on record which affected almost 1000kms of reef? The Great Barrier Reef is in trouble – over 90% was affected this year. Actually reefs around the world have been devastated by human-induced global warming.

Living simply can help make a difference. If global warming, pollution, silting are some of the key things to blame, we need to ..

reduce energy use
reduce consumption
reduce waste – compost, cut back on plastics, recycle
eat local sustainably produced food
educate as many as possible about the issue and ways to live more simply

Industrial practices must of course also change, but rather than wait till they change, we can start immediately with what we can do, raise our awareness, raise awareness of those around us. This all helps. Speak out for the reef – use your voice for the reef and help bring about a positive change.

Global coral bleaching events are an alarming new phenomenon caused by ocean warming (more than 90% of climate change heat is absorbed by the ocean). Corals cannot withstand prolonged peaks in temperature.

Diver checking the bleached coral at Heron Island on the Great Barrier Reef – image from XL Catlin Seaview Survey.

Over one quarter of the Great Barrier Reef has been severely damaged and overall 93% of the reef has been impacted by coral bleaching this year. This is disastrous for the diversity of life which depends on the reef.

Coral bleaching at Lizard Island, Great Barrier Reef: Image: May 2016 from XL Catlin Seaview Survey.

The Great Barrier Reef is Earth’s most extensive coral reef – a World Heritage Site that we have committed to protecting. Healthy coral reefs are the most ecologically diverse habitats on earth and they also protect coasts from storms and waves. Although reefs are less than 0.1% of the world’s ocean floor, they help support around 25% of all marine species.

Please take a look at what’s happening. Dr Tim Flannery says that this is a result of what we are doing to the climate, and that we need to wean ourselves off coal very rapidly.

Read More: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-09-20/great-barrier-reef-coral-bleaching-dead-damaged-survey-finds/7859544

What can we do to help:
http://www.reefteach.com.au/about-the-reef/what-can-i-do-to-help-the-reef/
http://www.coolaustralia.org/challenges-and-solutions-for-the-great-barrier-reef/

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Re-wilding: deepening our connection with self, place and indigenous culture through local plants

Morag Gamble — Thu, 21 Apr 2016 16:23:00 +0000

My garden is filled with native bush tucker plants – edible plants that are from this place. Understanding more about these plants is so important for creating a resilient food system, and living sustainably in Australia.

Red ash, or soap tree, is used in fishing, as soap, to treat conjunctivitis, sties and mouth ulcers, and to make a ligament

Becoming familiar with these plants has been an integral part of my re-wilding journey. Rewilding, is a growing movement about reconnecting with nature – returning to a more natural state of being in the world. It is as much about rewilding our selves as it is rewilding the landscapes we have altered.

Since I moved to this part of Australia in 1993 from Victoria, I have been trying to learn as much as I can about the native plants of this region. I have realised that by getting to know these plants, their stories too, it has helped me to feel at home here – to find a sense of belonging. Wherever we are, getting to know the local plants and animals is a way of connecting to place and culture, and understanding the web of life.

I believe if we begin to understand how things work in nature (ecoliteracy), we will be far more able to work with nature and live in a way that nourishes the interconnected web of life.

My knowledge of local plants was deepened today as I walked through the Maroochy Botanic Gardens with Aunty Bev Hand, a well known Gubbi Gubbi woman who lives locally. She was sharing stories about indigenous plants with participants of the Australian Association of Environmental Educators expo.

As we walked and talked she pointed out so many of the common plants around the region and told us about how they were used, how their names have become place names – Mudjimbah (place of midyims), and how they were important in traditional culture. She also told us how each indigenous Australian is connected to a plant or an animal as custodians of that species. The symbolism in traditional culture meant that people were always connected to flora and fauna – they could not exist apart from it.

Midyim – a great little plant that has delicious berries around December.

What is written below is a little snapshot of the wisdom she shared today. I have tried my best to share on what she said correctly….

COMPANION PLANTS
We stopped first at a Bracken Fern along the side of the path which she said indicated ants – they like being around this plant – biting ants. She usually stayed away from this plant, but told us that in case someone did get bitten it’s good to know that the bracken is the remedy. Break off a stem and use some of the sap from the base to rub into the bite.

Squeezing out the juice from the base of the bracken – used to treat ant bites.

This type of ‘companion planting’ often is found in nature – where remedies are close. I remember learning long ago that if you get scratched by a Bunya pine while you are harvesting one of the enormous cones for a feast, grab a leaf of the bleeding heart tree which usually grows nearby, and rub that into the scratches to ease the discomfort.

ROPE MAKING PLANTS
The name Aunty Bev calls the local native grass, Lomandra, is dilly. I had always heard of dilly bags for carrying things – now it makes sense! Lomandra was often used for weaving and making rope. As we walked, Bev tried to teach a few of us how to make lomandra rope. She made it look easy, but my fingers just felt clumsy. Even more so when she told us that 5 year old children were expected to know how to do this. I have lots of Lomandra at home, I will practice and practice!

Aunty Bev Hand splitting stems of Lomandra to make rope.

Apparently, all Hibiscus plants are good for rope making too. I recently learnt that even the little rosella plant in my veggie garden is a great plant for rope making. Aunty Bev stopped at a native hibiscus plant and told us that it’s good for more than rope making. You can use it to sooth stomach upsets too – eat the young leaf and fresh new flowering buds.

MOSQUITO REPELLING PLANT
I was so glad she told us about the mosquito dance where men slap tea tree branches (Leptospermum petersonii) on their back to release the scent. It was late afternoon and the mozzies were starting to come out. I grabbed a handful and rubbed it into my legs – a fabulous repellent.

Tea tree leaves have a strong citronella scent.

SPEAR MAKING
If you’re looking to catch some fish, knowing about the Macaranga (Macaranga tanarius) is useful. Macaranga is a pioneer species that grows quickly and provides shade and protection for other slower species. It’s branches are light, straight and flexible. The Macaranga leaves are used for wrapping fish, and the long branches are used to make straight and lightweight spears that are good for fishing. The wood is so light that it floats together with your catch. The Macaranga is also commonly used as the bottom piece of wood in firelighting.

Large leafed Macaranga has many uses and is a great pioneer in regenerating landscapes.

SOAP MAKING
Aunty Bev grabbed a handful of soap tree (Aphitonia excelsa) leaves and mixed it with a little water to bring up a good lather. We used to do this a Northey Street City Farm before we had taps and sinks fitted – really effective. I knew about it’s use in fishing too, but I was fascinated to learn that it is used to treat mouth ulcers as a gargle and a leaf heated on a hot rock was used to treat conjunctivitis and sties. The liquid extracted from the bark is great for making ligaments for aching muscles and sore joints – especially if blended with emu oil.

The back of the leaf is distinctly silvery and soft while the front is shiny green. Easy to pick in the bush.

EMERGENCY WATER
Cissus vines are water holders. If a stream has run dry, cut the cissus vine and hold a cup under it. Water drains from the vine – a very useful piece of information to know. There are grape looking fruits on the vine, but they are very bitter.

The water vine.

INDICATOR PLANTS
By getting to know plants you start to understand more about everything else around you – the soil, the microclimate, the seasons, the wildlife. Bev showed us a native ginger plant that had little chomp-like indentations out of the side of one of the leaves. This she said was an indicator that a type of solitary native bee lives within 500 metres – the bees come and collect the plant materials for their floors and doors.

The notches on this native ginger were made by bees to make their doors and floors. A good sign that local bees are closeby.

All plants and animals are part of the web of life, and are in a constant interplay with the earth. Although sometimes we forget, we are also inextricably linked. Getting to know our plants helps us to know our place and our selves – to connect or reconnect.

My deep gratitude to you for sharing Aunty Bev. I learnt so much today.

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Planting our new season lunches – creating garden niches amongst abundant permaculture perennials

Morag Gamble — Mon, 21 Mar 2016 16:41:00 +0000

The abundance of subtropical permaculture gardens is so clearly evident at this time of year. I am now trimming back areas to create little niches amongst this diversity to plant new season’s crops (our lunches and dinners). Tucked away, they are protected from winter frosts – and wallabies.

We trim back some of the wonderful edible perennials that form the structure of the garden, and create niches for lettuce, beetroot, broccoli, beans, peas, rocket, coriander, silver beet, mustard greens and so on… The trimmings all get returned to the soil either by chop and drop, or through one of the many compost systems.

Brazilian Spinach

Some plants, like Brazilian Spinach, just seem to flourish most of the year providing a constant supply of leafy greens for everyone – including the chooks and guinea pigs.

Zone 1 in my permaculture garden – can you see red hibiscus spinach, mexican tarragon, society garlic, yacon, turmeric, sweet potato, taro, madagascar bean, chia, red salvia…

The lovely young Japanese WWOOFer staying with us at the moment has been top-dressing the garden niches amongst the perennials. We first forked and fed the soil, and replenished the food supply in the worm tower.

She’s also been teaching our homeschooled kids Japanese language and culture. She has a very interesting story to tell about her life. She comes from a town not far from Fukishima. She was just 15 when the tsunami hit and was of course heavily impacted by it’s aftermath. The chronic food shortages that resulted inspired to study agriculture and explore sustainable food systems. She is in second year of her degree and leads a youth club that rescues food. They cook it up and sell it in a little cafe in their town. I love having such interesting guests and WWOOFers visit us here – we learn so much and the children are exposed to such worldly issues in a direct way.

Maia was out in the garden working with Rin from Japan and took this photo and the others of her included here. I am looking forward to these mandarins ripening.

The colour and contrast of the Red (purple) Hibiscus Spinach is such a wonderful addition to the garden, here with Red Salvia. I pluck the lemony flavoured leaves for just about every meal – in salad and in stir-fries, pasta sauces, soups….

Watering from the rain and hand-watering – my main ways of watering the garden.

I have designed my garden so that mostly the rain is enough – I divert water from paths into keyholes, I build soil organic matter, I much thickly, I plant hardy and seasonally appropriate plants. Every now and then during the hot dry times, I get out the hose and move it to where it is needed. I also like to give things a good soak when I prepare the soil for a new garden niche. I had re-forked this area and added compost and mulch. I had been prepared as a no-dig garden with paper last season. The weeks and grasses are so week, I have decided to not add more paper this time around.

Keyhole Path

I took a picture before we added mulch so you can see how I have reformed the keyhole pathway to give me access to the garden niche. It comes off my main contour pathway which collects rain and distributes it to these little keyholes, and is wide enough for a barrow. These little pathways need only be big enough to squat and step in. Small paths mean more garden area.

Bamboo teepee Trellis cubby

The teepee trellis cubby near the swings is screened by a yacon, pelargonium, salvia and turmeric hedge while the beans are starting to form over the structure. A great little hangout space – our garden is an edible playground.

Herbs hanging over the walls of the terraces soften the edges. I give them a good trim every now and then, give away many cuttings and spread them around the garden. Soon we will get in with our scissors and secateurs to give haircuts to the oregano, thyme, weeping rosemary, vietnamese mint, menthol mint. That’s going to be a wonderful sensory overload!

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Hardy summer plants

Morag Gamble — Sun, 24 Jan 2016 00:31:00 +0000

Since the start of January we have been away from our garden – at the Woodford Festival and visiting family interstate. Considering that over that time, the garden has not been watered and there has not been much rain, I am so impressed at how so many of the plants are just thriving.

The plants are thriving – my first job will be to manage that abundance. My first attempt was trimming back some plants over the pathways – these cuttings I took to the children’s workshop on Saturday.

Before I went on holidays, I added extra mulch and opened the soil a bit with a garden fork to allow moisture to percolate more easily. In a previous post, Holiday Garden, I talked about how I prepared the garden. It worked.

I had hoped of course for a little bit more summer rain to help the salad seedlings to thrive – some have some haven’t. Enough survived.

What also worked was the weed suppressing ability of my no-dig gardens. I have very little weeding work to do after a month – mostly a bit of trimming around the paths and edges. It’s great! Not having to weed saves a lot of time in the garden. Of course there’s the odd weed that comes through, but these seem weakened and easy to pull out. If you want to give it a try, I posted the instructions earlier this month – My Simple and Successful No-Dig Garden Method

Eggplant in the new no-dig garden area – hooray, no weeds!

Here are just some of the plants that are looking great after a month of no care and no watering. Building soil fertility, integrating water harvesting features, mulching very well and choosing hardy plants really do make a difference.

The spectacular flowering amaranth – very drought tolerant.

The structure of Brazilian Spinach prevents wilt.

The incredibly hardy Society Garlic growing here amongst the Brazilian Spinach.

Japanese Mint is thriving under the shade of the Navel Orange

The Lemonbalm is flourishing too in the semi-shaded positions.

The Lemon Myrtle has grown so well it needs a haircut.
I like to keep the new growth low where I can easily harvest it

Madagascar Bean – an immature pod. I wait until these are brown and dry, then harvest the lovely purple spotted dry bean inside the pod and use it like a lima bean.

The vine of the Madagascar Bean – so abundant it grew too heavy for the trellis. This needs attention!

New pumpkins are emerging. That’s good – I recently finished eating the last crop. These self seed. The vines are offering some nice young green leaves and flowers for dinner too (but not these female flowers).

Welsh Onion is such a hardy plant. It almost always is upstanding! This Welsh Onion plant I first started growing 23 years ago. I keep dividing and spreading it. I have it all over the garden and have given away so many. In this spot, it is surrounded by parsley.

Pelargonium in the really really dry spot – I appreciate it’s ability to grow in such harsh conditions.

Pigeon pea flourishes in the dry spots too. It has after all grown in India for over 3000 years and providing a dried pea that is used in dahl.

Red hibiscus spinach is starting to bush out nicely. I enjoyed this thoroughly in a stir fry tonight.

The Rosella bushes are coming along too – also a drought-hardy hibiscus. I am looking forward to making some rosella tea.

The Mexican tarragon is thriving. A lot of this will be going to a daylong herb workshop I am doing at Northey Street City Farm in a couple of weeks.

I am so impressed by this tuscan kale – it is perfect! It’s roots were covered with a lot of mulch. Another kale in spot that was too dry and had less mulch is almost all bug eaten.

The hardy Peruvian ground apple – Yacon. The young leaves are edible while we wait for the root to form. In winter, the top will die back and we can harvest the sweet roots.

I am so keen to get in and start work, but I think it’s really important first – before getting in with a flurry of activity – to stay in observation mode for a little while longer. I am assessing where the garden is – how all the plants are doing, how the system has evolved, what gaps are there, what problems are happening, what are the priority tasks, what new structures are needed, where could I put in my new herb crops, what needs changing, where will the children’s new gardens go, where can they build their treehouse…

I love the process of keeping the design alive – evolving and adapting to the changing conditions and needs.

Happy gardening everyone!

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Simple pleasures of sailing

Morag Gamble — Sat, 16 Jan 2016 14:12:00 +0000

There is something so magical about being on the water sailing. I’ve been sailing since I was a little girl. We used to spend weeks sailing around the Gippsland Lakes on a trailer sailer, and my brother and I had a lovely little red and blue Flying Ant dinghy.

Later as a teenager, sailboarding took over and I still absolutely love this. It’s so exhilarating when I’m hooked into my harness, the sail catches the wind and the board just flies across the top of the water. You have to be so fully present and ‘in the moment’ – going with the everchanging flow of the waves and the wind.

The yacht was slower and calmer. I remember the wind gently carrying us across lake with just the sound of the waves lapping at the hull, and the occasional flapping of the sail. Slow travel. Low impact. Connected. Every now and then dolphins would come and swim along with us. My brother and I would hang off the bow and watch them.

I loved the music that the wire stays made on the mast during windy evenings and the feeling of being rocked to sleep by the gentle waves.

Late at night when everything was quiet, I could hear the waves from Bass Strait roaring onto shore along the Ninety Mile Beach just over the dunes. When we went back to Melbourne, I would imagine the sound of the traffic in the distance was actually those waves and I felt better – so much more at peace.

I really want our kids to grow up loving the water and sailing too. Our old dinghy has long gone, but Dad found another from an old friend on the Island so we can teach them how to sail. The yacht, an 18 ft trailer sailer has been hiding in the shed for about 25 years. We have talked about getting it back in the water for ages. This summer we are finally getting it ready to be launched again.

Maia is so excited to finally meet our old boat – she is super excited to get it out on the water.

We keep the Mirror dinghy, sailboard and kayaks on the beach, and if the wind is right we sail and paddle each day.

My dad built this trailer sailer in the early 70’s – an Ultimate 18. He bought the wooden hull and the top and put it all together in our carport during evenings and weekends, with the help of my carpenter grandfather. Now we are learning how to rig and restore it. That’s four generations of our family invovled with this boat – passing on knowledge and skills.

Dad and Maia happy to see the boat emerge from decades in the shed.

For years we towed the trailer sailer down to the Gippsland Lakes behind our old DS Citroen and sailed from beach to inlet to coastal village – mooring wherever looked safe for the evening. All four of us slept comfortably on it. My bed turned into the kitchen table and the centre plate casing became a seat. There was even a little toilet under the double bed in the bow.

Over the past week, we’ve made it our project to get the boat ready to sail again. Dad cleaned out the accummulated ‘stuff’ from around the boat – furniture, old generator – and has given that away. Evan has been hosing and scrubbing the outside. They polished up the boom and mast. Maia has cleaned up the cushions for inside.

The possums in the shed had certainly mad a bit of a mess!

Today we hooked up the trailer and towed it out into the sunlight. Mum, Maia and I stood and watched. It was such an exciting moment. Our kids had no idea what was under the big black plastic mound in the dark shed. We all stood back and admired this lovely little yacht with it’s shiny wooden hull, imagining ourselves out sailing on the lake next time we visit.

All scrubbed up and ready to go.

I think we were all relieved that the trailer still held together as it was towed out into daylight.

Inside it’s a bit of a time capsule. My drawing pencils are still in my pocket – I always had activity books on the go. All the orange plastic plates, cups and bowls are still on the shelf. I remember stopping at the old Paynesville bakery to get a fresh loaf of hightop bread, and Mum would make us cheese and vegemite sandwiches served up on these plates. The old kettle is sitting on the kero stove, and the suncreen is in the pocket by the door.

Tomorrow we start the cleanup inside.

Since we are in boat mode, we’ve been checking out other boats while we’ve been out and about riding our bikes. It’s amazing – this size of boat was a pretty standard thirty to forty years ago, but now I can imagine it will look quite dwarfed beside the contemporary yachts and cruisers out on the lake – many of them twice it’s size. It’s more than enough for us though. I can’t wait to the boating adventures start again – and the kids are so excited as well. In the meantime, we are practicing in the little Mirror dinghy. Hugh is becoming quite the skipper and Maia loves looking after the jib.

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Maintaining a rainwater tank

Morag Gamble — Mon, 28 Dec 2015 14:18:00 +0000

We rely on tank water as our source of drinking water, so it is important to have a regular schedule of maintenance and care for this critical element in the design of our permaculture home system. We drink, cook and shower in this clean unfiltered rain water.

For laundry and gardening we have an allocation of water from the ecovillage’s reticulated system drawn from two tributaries of the Mary River. We live in the very upper reaches of this river system.

I aim to use as little of this river water as possible because I want to impact as least as possible on the natural ecological system. There are playtpus, the vulnerable Lungfish, the endangered Mary River Turtle and Australia’s most endangered fish species, the Mary River Cod, living in these waters.

Kilcoy Creek bounds Crystal Waters and is a tributary of the Mary River. This is the source of half of the ecovillage’s reticulated water. Everyone is expected to provide their own potable water from rainwaters tanks.

We have managed to reduce our household consumption of river water to about 10% of the standard use in the ecovillage – particularly through having a dry composting toilet and designing our edible garden to be less water dependent. Our main use currently is in the laundry.

I select species for my edible garden that I know can withstand dry spells, and I focus on building my soil’s capacity to catch and store water.

We have three large tanks to collect as much water as we can – one on each of our main structures. Our capacity is around 50,000 litres. The highest tank is used by guests and WWOOFers (willing workers on organic farms), the middle tank is emergency water and for gravity feeding to the lower tank should we need it (never have yet!).

Having several tanks also builds resilience into our system. The permaculture principle of multiple elements encourages us to incorporate several design elements to meet our basic needs (water is of course one of these). In our system for example, if one tank becomes contaminated, we still have ample fresh water to drink and implementing the permaculture principle of energy planning we have stored much water high up on the property so we could gravity feed to replenish the main tank.

Although we have had a few storms here in subtropical Queensland lately, the wet season has not really started. Usually by now we have had rain events that have filled our three large tanks to overflowing. Before the rains start it’s really important to check that your tank system is in good order.

Evan and Hugh checked up on our tanks the other day. Firstly they cleared off fallen leaves from the tank top and mesh sieve. They checked and cleared the gutters, leaf guards and downpipes of leaves. This is really important to do before a big rain, otherwise the downpipes can become clogged and all that lovely water cannot reach the tank.

Evan and Hugh check the water level of the main tank for our house.

I was impressed, even after a considerable dry time, our main house tank is still two thirds full, the top tank the same and the middle tank is untouched. You can feel where the level is without having to look into the tank. Simply by running your hand down the side of the tank you can feel the temperature change, or you can tap and listen for the change in sound from solid to echoing.

A few good rains now is all it will take to refill our water supplies and keep us going for several more months. Part of our resilience strategy is to use as little as possible in the house, but also to clean what we use through our reedbed system and return it to the land.

I’ll write more about our reedbed system another day. I love it. It is so simple and effective yet so cheap, but also approved through the local council.

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