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THE NEW DAWN NEWSLETTER

ECO-GARDENS FOR A HEALTHY PLANET

 Vol. 20, June 2008     English Edition     by  Ed Bernhardt, N.D.

WHAT'S A PERMACULTURE? 

Permaculture is a new word for our vocabulary that was invented back in the 80ís by Bill Mollison, an Australian activist for the environmental movement, who advocated ecological human habitat designs.  In his own terms, permaculture means the harmonious integration of landscape and people providing their food, energy, shelter, and other material and non-material needs in a sustainable way.  

Gardeners, organic farmers and landscaping designers began to pick up early on permaculture designs for improving the eco-friendliness in their work with Nature.  I fondly remember the nights I spent reading over Mollisonís classic work, Permaculture- A Designerís Manual, and writing about in the Tico Times in 1982.  Today, permacultureís importance is being recognized widely, as we understand the need to re-design our habitats for sustainable development.  

This past month of March, we hosted a permaculture designerís course on our herb farm in San Isidro del General.  The course was taught by Desiree Wells, a Permaculture Institute teacher whoís been around the world studying and teaching on the subject.  The course covered hands on skills for natural soil fertility and erosion prevention, tropical gardening and natural building, as well as methods for activating communities to design with permaculture in mind.  I particularly enjoyed Wellsí feminine perspective and philosophy, which places equal importance on voluntary simplicity, community and the land. 

Permaculture really starts right at home.  Redesigning and retrofitting our homes so they are harmonious with Nature and energy efficient or even independent by using alternative energy solutions.  Solar hot water heaters, ovens and food dryers are just a few examples.  The next step in permaculture design centers on whatís often been coined as ìedible landscapingî.   Urban homes can utilize recycled containers, roof tops, and hydroponics systems to produce food at home.  Suburban home landscapes with high maintenance lawns and ornamentals can be transformed into orchards and home gardens. 

Farms particularly benefit from permaculture planning.  They can be re-designed to protect the soil and water resources, while improving the diversity of trees ,plants and animals.  The secret in permaculture relies on finding the right plants that serve many purposesÖtake the lemon tree as an example.  The tree is providing shade and absorbing CO2 from the atmosphere, while producing fruit high in Vitamin C for drinks and salad dressings.  The juicy lemon husk can be used as a great underarm deodorant or cooked in water to provide the best natural kitchen and wood cleaner solution.  The young leaves and flowers also make a relaxing tea. 

For those readers who are ready to grab the gardening tools and get to workÖIíd suggest you first read Earth Userís Guide to Permaculture by Rosemary Morrow, Kangaroo Press, 1993.  This reasonably priced how-to-do-it text covers the subject well in a way that everyone can understand permaculture.

Here are a few key phrases of permaculture principles.

Work with, not against nature.

Care for the earth, care for people, and care for the community.

Distribute the surplus, limit consumption and population.

Everything gardens: everything has an effect on its environment.

Every living thing has intrinsic worth.

Turn problems into solutions: everything is a positive resource.

Make the greatest change for the least effort: work where it counts.

For more information on permaculture classes and eco-garden and farm designs contact me at:

thenewdawncenter@yahoo.com

Seeds from New Dawn

      Inside Costa Rica: 600 colones/packet, postage paid
      Outside Costa Rica: US$3.00/packet, postage paid

Books from New Dawn THE COSTA RICAN ORGANIC HOME GARDENING GUIDE Our latest comprehensive, revised and up-dated edition. Large format with more than 150 photos and drawings.   Review an excerpt from page 30.       Inside Costa Rica: $20 (or the equivalent in colones) / mailing included       Outside Costa Rica: $25 / mailing included

HUERTAS NATURALES PARA COSTA RICA Our latest comprehensive, revised and up-dated edition. Spanish. 150 pages, 40 photos. Covers more than 100 plants, herbs and trees for the home garden. A great gift for your neighbors or an easy way to learn the Spanish gardening vocabulary. This paperback edition has been a best seller for many years in Costa Rica.               Inside Costa Rica: $20 (or the equivalent in colones) / mailing included       Outside Costa Rica: $25 / mailing included

MEDICINAL PLANTS OF COSTA RICA New publication for 2008! A truly useful guide to tropical medicinal plants. Learn how you can use over 100 tropical plants for your health - naturally. Over 140 pages with color photos. Extraordinary new plant friends await you.              Inside Costa Rica: $14 (or the equivalent in colones) / mailing included        Outside Costa Rica: $17 / copy / mailing included

NATURAL HEALTH CARE FOR TROPICAL LIVING New publication for 2005! A truly useful guide to holistic natural health care. Learn how to care for your health - naturally - with herbs, diet, massage and hydrotherapy, yoga and mind-spirit work. Over 165 pages with illustrations by the author.              Inside Costa Rica: $20 (or the equivalent in colones) / mailing included       Outside Costa Rica: $25 / mailing included

The majestic Pau d'Arco tree, sacred medicine of the Maya

Other Products from New Dawn Pau d'Arco Botanical Formula - An ideal tonic tea for the immune system made from the bark of the famous Pau d'Arco tree, the famous medicine tree of the Incas and Maya. Boosts your natural defenses of the immune system to heal many chronic illnesses, fights infections, eliminates parasites and purifies the blood. Ground Ginger - Excellent for Chinese cooking and with herbal tea and honey. Jamaican Curry - A hot and spicy seasoning for many dishes.       Inside Costa Rica: 1200 colones/30 gm packet, postage paid.       Outside Costa Rica: $4.00 each 30 gm packet, postage paid.

NEW DAWN GARDENER'S NETWORK

Do you have seeds, trees or plants you'd like to sell or trade?  Or do you simply  want to  get in touch with other gardeners in Costa Rica?  Network here in our newsletter.  We'll offer 3 lines per person.

Rare and Exotic Tropical Fruit Trees - Brian Trentham offers more than 40 types  of trees and plants from around the world.  Free listing upon request.  A.P. 2-8000,   San Isidro, P.Z., C.R.
 
Finca El Lago - Experimental Organic Farm     Jack Perella runs organic production gardens in Coronado.  Active in networking farmers, gardeners with organic movement. A.P. 663-2200, S. Isidro Coronado, tel: 292-1516, fax: 229-9868, jperella@racsa.co.cr

THE NEW DAWN TREE LOVERS COMMUNITY PROJECT

Over the past decade we've been planning to create a community of people here in  Costa  Rica who are dedicated to planting and caring for tropical trees.  By joining together in a common cause, we can accomplish much more than attempting such a  project alone as  individuals.  We are searching for a dozen founding persons to    purchase a large tract of land in Costa Rica for the purpose of planting thousands of tropical trees and the planning  of an eco-village amidst the trees. We envision a democratic, egalitarian, naturalist community where the land will be dedicated to a land stewardship trust fund, providing a permanent dwelling for its  members and the trees we plant.
In this age of rapid degradation of the environment, new community models are needed to  show the way toward sustainable living for the new millennium.  If you are one who shares the same vision of creating a new lifestyle in harmony with Nature in the tropics, we invited you to contact us at:  thenewdawncenter@yahoo.com

For the trees

Ed Bernhardt,N.D.

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