by Jona Aal, visiting ex AT coordinator with children Cala, 8 and Nancy, 6.

Yesterday 46 children from Instituto las Norias, a school in El Ejido came to visit Sunseed and find out some of the things that are happening here. They were given a tour of the Project, including where to find drinking water, and very importantly how to use the composting toilets.

Four groups each named after one of the many plants adapted to the arid environment of the South-East of Spain, the Pita, Chumba, Olivo and Retama. Each went with two volunteers to guide them around the valley, on a tour that included activities in each of the four main departments: Appropriate Technology, Sustainable Living, Drylands Management and Organic Gardens.

Our group was the Pita, named after the Agave Americana source of ropes for shipping in the age before oil, and the ingredient of Tequila. Our first Workshops was with Ana, the Sustainable living coordinator making toothpaste with herb teas and clay from the river.

Next was up to the Appropriate Technology Workshops at Isabela’s where Paco had a cookstove using pyrolosys to boil water efficiently and cleanly, the only waste being charcoal or biochar which is inerte and so can be added to soil to lock carbon away. The fuel is the local caña which is plentiful and fast growing.

After a break, we headed down to the Organic Gardens where David and Fred showed us some of the techniques they use like composting kitchen waste in a trench, companion planting of different crops to deter insects and the different traditional flood and modern drip irrigation methods.

The last activity was looking at the plants that inhabit the area with the Drylands coordinator Eugenio. He described the adaptations that plants have made to the environment like storing water in they leaves, or growing with long roots to reach water far below the surface.

The children and teachers seemed to have a great time, enjoying the activities and the time out of their classroom, and said they would love to come back again for a repeat visit.

It was a great day for all volunteers and staff at Sunseed. We could share what we do at Sunseed with kids from the area and experience a beautiful team working day. The kids were also very inspired to meet the volunteers from so many places in the world like Irina from Russia and Tiffanys from Hong Kong!

Another task was started today: The refurbishing of a mesh filter that prohibits small parts from entering the water system of Sunseed which is supplied by the Ram-Pump. In the picture below you can see Magued, our current intern in the AT department as well as Dicken, a short term volunteer. They are working together with Paco on a mesh filter renovation to keep the water supply of Sunseed working properly.

Volunteers and staff members waiting for the start of the presentation.

Magued in traditional Arabic clothes.

Thank you Magued!

This video shows the process of construction and final tests, a social presentation in Los Molinos del Río Aguas (our little town), and a real trial preparing a dinner. Mmmmm.

Next step is start the design of the future cookstoves for Sunseed’s kitchen. This project is going to be develop during this summer. All you are invited.

Watch the video in:

Biomass Gasification cookstoves Kaña!!!

Cheers!

Pako, AT coordinator.

External links:

Energy monitoring project at Sunseed.

The new in the Guadatech web site.

From Sunseed AT Mayo 2013

We can’t wait to taste them!

Here Rosi, also an assistant in organic gardens is turning and adding moisture to another compost pile. After a while the organic matter can be added into the garden beds together with goat manure and to enrich the soil.

We are in the process of deciding a slogan for Sunseed and we want our friends to participate! For this we would like to ask you to think of a slogan for Sunseed ( English and Spanish) and share it with us. Then we will select here at Sunseed what are the best slogans and offer them to everyone to vote. Out of the 3 slogans with more votes Sunseed team will choose one! Would you like to participate?

Put your slogan in our Facebook wall, twitter page or send us an email to sunseed@sunseed.org.uk with subject: slogan 1013!

Thanks Evo Village Development  for the pictures!

At the Ramp pump!

The swimming pool!

Visiting the gardens! Diego I irrigated with traditional methods with the water from the acequia.

The Hydroponic irrigation with our grey waters!

The Solar cookers and the solar pannels! Clara, the Communication and Education Coordinator, guiding the tour.

Recipe 2:
10 bitter oranges
1 lemon
1/2 kg sugar
cinamon
ginger (1 small, fresh)
menth

40 minutes boiling before adding the sugar, 20 boiling after adding it.

For more information: visit Course Page!

Facebook event

After watching the video, we had an interesting and reflective debate about Sunseed as a place for self-development, where all volunteers leave their comfort zones to jump into the experiential, and sometimes uncertain, learning challenge that we offer.

Being aware of the fears that stop us thinking about a better future may support us in this journey. We talked about how we have fears not because we are weak or unskilled, but simply because we are humans; and how we aim and wish to be aware of this to take responsibility for our life.

Here there is the link of the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HhFxQlDPjaY

Enjoy it and keep dreaming!