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Communication and Education

Last October we hosted Circle Permaculture’s, permaculture design course(PDC). I was lucky enough to be a participant in the course. The course was two weeks long and gave a thorough introduction to permaculture. Throughout the two weeks we learnt the twelve Holmgren principles of permaculture. These are twelve guiding principles to creating a strong permaculture design.

As we were learning these principles, I couldn’t help think about how I could apply them to situations outside of permaculture. So, I have picked my top 5 of the Holmgren principles and will explain how they can be applied to life in general.

1. Observe & Interact

In permaculture it is important to first observe the area you will be working on. This step can last from a few days to a few years. We observe an area to understand the natural patterns and flow. It is imperative we take this time before making any big changes to ensure we are working in the most effective way. We must also interact to learn how an area/environment reacts.

The majority of us live such fast paced lives that we barely have time for this observation and interaction phase. A lot of us will jump straight into action without taking the time to step back and observe how a system works. We are bombarded with information and stimulus so we are compelled to act quickly without taking time to understand our actions.

Let’s slow down and observe and appreciate our surroundings. Let’s slow down and interact with others, in real life, not through technology.

2. Obtain a yield

To obtain a yield in permaculture this means designing a system that produces something that can be used. This is most commonly thought of as food but can also be many other things such as shade, protection, balance etc. Effective permaculture will produce the most yeild from an area using resources in the most efficient way. It is up to us the designers to understand the needs of an environment. We can then use this knowledge to optimise the rewards.

In life, we can work to obtain these rewards. The rewards can be either intrinsic or extrinsic, these rewards need not be strictly financial. Perhaps the reward is making a customers day a bit better or making your coworker’s day a little bit easier.

Whatever the reward, we should strive to obtain a yield from as many situations as possible. Rewards are not solely positive, sometimes we get the greatest yield from a negative outcome.

3. Self regulate & accept feedback

In any situation it is important to accept feedback and especially in permaculture. We must adapt to this feedback by self regulation. This may be as simple as not planting a bush because we have seen the affect it has on other areas, or it might be complex like removing a tree that further down the line will become invasive and take over the area.

Self-regulation or self-control allows us to be accountable and it empowers us. It is a life long skill to practice and is aplicable to almost all areas of life. Feedback should be seen as a gift, it helps us see things we may not have seen before. This new vision helps us improve our ability to perform.

We need to practice the skill of self regulation and accepting feedback. This will help us become life long learners and improve exponentially over time.

4. Integrate rather than segregate

Modern agriculture is built on segregation. Just take a drive in the countryside and you will see monocrop fields as far as the eye can see. We have isolated certain crops and need to artificially add what nature provides in an integrated environment.

By integrating and creating diverse environments we can become more sustainable and resilient , as well as more productive and efficient.

This principle translates perfectly in how we should all live in harmony with each other by integrating everyone into our communities and valuing diversity.

5. Use small and slow solutions

It is very easy to speed through decisions, sometimes we need to slow down and think about what we have to do. It is also very tempting to jump right into a big challenge, sometimes it is best to start off small and build to that big challenge.

Permaculture uses small and slow solutions because they are easier to manage than bigger solutions and they allow for the use of local resources leading to more sustainable outcomes. While this may not always be feasible, sometimes we need big and fast solutions to solve some of society’s greatest problems.

I hope you enjoyed my top 5 principles. I also hope you have learnt something about permaculture and how you can apply Holmgrens principles to your own life.

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Courses and Events

What is Social Permaculture?

Permaculture originated as an ecological method for designing sustainable settlements and more recently it has intertwined with more social contexts. Social Permaculture aims to design social systems that favour beneficial patterns of human behaviour. It looks at ways to organise, communicate and cooperate more effectively to create fair relationships

In this one week course, we will dive deep into Social Permaculture and its tools, inspired by Rosemary Marrow’s work. It will provide the participants with not only information about activism, CSA’s, food sovereignty, alternative economies, community living and ecovillages but also practical tools and examples on how to start using them straight away. It creates the space for networking with people who are interested in setting up permaculture projects, self reflection, learning and unlearning pathways, as well as the time to co-design with the guidance of experienced facilitators. If you want to know more and learn to develop tools for creating regenerative livelihoods join us on this course in which we imagine and design a different society

The Site

Sunseed Desert Technology will be the stage for this course. It is based in an ancient Andalusian village, Los Molinos de Rio Aguas, with a long historical and geological background. The village is populated with around 50 inhabitants and has been a place of different creative projects like Sunseed, Pita Escuela, el Mirador, Casa de la Realidad and Cultura de la Tierra. 
Sunseeds vision is to discover how to live a healthy and ecologically responsible life, working in harmony with nature and other beings alike. Through receiving volunteers, students, interns and hosting a variety of courses, Sunseed aims to realise, educate, demonstrate and communicate appropriate and low technology solutions that support a low impact lifestyle. It is an excellent example of a non-formal educational project, a living and breathing centre for change and experimentation.

Facilitators

Christos Karystinos is passionate environmental and political activist, particularly interested in non-hierarchical structures, seed sovereignty and communal living. In 2018 he got his Permaculture training by his first PDC,certified by Geoff Lewton and a Permaculture Teachers Training inspired by Rosemary Morrow’s work and taught by Alfred Decker and Guiseppe Sanicandro. He is currently the Appropriate Technology coordinator in Sunseed Desert Technology and enjoys experimenting applications of solar technology and educating people about sustainability.

Since a young age Liselotte Wuite has been exposed to many different cultures and landscapes. This opened up fascination and deep respect for the living and breathing world around her. She finished her studies in Anthropology and Ecology at the University College Utrecht in 2013, and set off to Costa Rica to conduct research for her thesis. This is where she fell in love with a simple way of living, in balance with nature, combining more recent expertise with ancestral knowledge. In 2016 she sat the PDC course in Sunseed where she subsequently ended up coordinating the Sustainable Living department for a year. Seeing the transformation in people, their habits, and their way of living, inspired her to keep sharing knowledge and the importance of raising consciousness, using Permaculture as a tool to move forward.
Living in various homesteads, farms, communities and educational projects throughout South America, Netherlands and Spain, all led to a desire to share this vision of a more sustainable way of life. Currently she lives and works in a community in the Alpujarras, Baile en el Aire, hosting courses, workshops and living off the land. More recently she started to work with Circle Permaculture, co-facilitating Permaculture Design courses and is enrolled in the International Permaculture Diploma with Gaia University, with the intention to expand global networks and create diverse, holistic, eco-social alternatives to living.
Apart from the wonders and expansive world of Permaculture, she is an animal lover, passionate baker, loves to forage, practices yoga and meditation and is moved by the art of dance!

Dates

The 1st-8th of March, 2020

Price

€250: ‘I want to cover the expenses of the facilitators and hosts’
€270: ‘I want to support the course in order to happen again in the future’
(€150 food+accommodation + €100+ facilitators fee)

Limited number of participants

If you are interested in participating, fill out the form and apply

Language

The language of the course is going to be in English. Spanish speaking participants are welcome, yet they are required to be able to communicate and understand English. Both facilitators speak Spanish.

Contact

For any clarification questions, please contact us:
karystxr@gmail.com
liselotte.wuite@gmail.com

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Sunseed Stories, Volunteer Stories
Sign welcoming new arrivals.

Arriving at Sunseed is an amazing experience filled with excitement at the opportunities that the project offers. The landscape is breath taking in its dryness but the valley of Rio Aguas is a green oasis. People are friendly and welcoming and there is so much going on and so much to see and learn.
Arrival can also be a little overwhelming. The other people seem to know exactly how everything works, and often they are already close friends, with a history of their time at Sunseed together. There is a lot to take in, most of it is incredibly positive and exciting, but it’s also normal to feel unsure or uncomfortable for a little while. There are things that will take more time to get used to, maybe it’s the compost loo, or sharing space with many other people, or the work hours and intensity.

Due to the nature of the project there is a continuous stream of people arriving, this means that there are hundreds of people who share this experience. We’ve all been in the same position of arriving at Sunseed, we all know how great it is and we have all had to adjust to the Sunseed way of life, we all know how intense Sunseed can be, especially in the beginning.

The street through Los Molinos Del Rio Aguas to Sunseed Desert Technology

First weeks at Sunseed will vary and each experience is unique. For instance, Peter, our Communications Coordinator, helped to collect drinking water before he had even arrived at Sunseed. After the bus ride from Almeria to Sorbas, he was picked up on the way to collect water. An extra drive and then filling the huge bottles with fresh water at the beautiful spring in a nearby village, and eventually carrying them from the carpark down Los Molinos main street to Sunseed, is a pretty unique way to arrive. Peter says that he got to know the people who had picked him up, he’d had a chance to ask them all of his questions about Sunseed while they filled the bottles and he felt that spending one on one time with them helped him feel like he was a part of the community. As did the Wednesday general tour of the property, which gave him an overview of the layout and departments.

Leon, Sustainable Living and Tech Team Assistant, came for a week in 2018. It was an incredibly busy week, he was working in all of the departments and got involved in workshops and skill exchanges, as well as helping out on some bigger projects, like installing a new water system and working up in the Drylands. He left with a knowledge of the many different ways that one can get a blister, including burning bare feet on hot desert roads. However, he came back this year, committed to be here for a longer time. He says that taking part in a sharing circle a few days into his stay helped him feel more comfortable and he really connected with the people in the circle with him.

For others the change of pace can be really confusing. Working at Sunseed is not like working in a city job. While the work can be really physical and exciting, the pace might seem much slower than a different job. As Sylvia, Education and Gardens Assistant, says that it can take a bit of getting used to. She also found all of the information that is available at Sunseed was sometimes hard to process, but exploring the land and swimming in the poza helped her feel at home in the project.  She now splits her time comfortably between the gardens and the office.

There are things that all of the arrivals will experience during their first week at Sunseed. Things like the welcome tour, where you will be shown the main parts of Sunseed. There are practical things, like getting to know the daily schedule, and putting yourself into the rota (preferably with someone who knows what they are doing and can help you). But there are also those illusive elements that make you feel at home, like meeting people that you connect with, or having something to contribute in the morning circle, or getting to know the land and the poza. Sunseed is an amazing place to arrive and though it might be overwhelming at first there are so many things that make the experience work for everyone.

The beautiful Poza.

Every experience of arrival at Sunseed is different with people finding some parts challenging, and others easier. However, there is a common thread that connects all arrivals and all people living at Sunseed; the community we are building, one person at a time. It is the connections made to the people who are already here when we arrive and those that arrive after us. It is working together for a common goal, it is in the land and learning to live closer to it. The threads that connect all experiences of Sunseed also spread out while we are here when we meet with local people and once we leave the project, to all the people we connect with.

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Courses and Events

Join us to discover ethics and principles of permaculture, natural systems, aquaculture, sustainable design methods, patterns in nature, land restoration, water harvesting, grey water recycling, food forests and guilds, energy conservation, appropriate technology, renewable energy, urban permaculture and invisible structures.
Read More

Continue Reading
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Research

The following project is being conducted  by Doctor Richard Banham, external Tutor for Leeds University,and bird ringer “experto” ,a member of MILVUS G.O.ES ringing group in S.W.Spain. This exciting project can be a great experience for university students especially from the fields of ecology, environmental science or biology to assist Dr.Banham, but it can also be suitable for everyone with strong passion for birds!

The program involves colour ringing of Passer domesticus in a semi-desert area at Urra Scientific Field Station near Sorbas and at an oasis called Los Molinos de Rio Aguas in the province of Almeria with the assistance of Sunseed. The project  started at the beginning of 2018 and was incorporated into the field study course for students from the ecology department at Leeds university from March 18th till March 28th.,and continuing thereon.

Dr.Banham is conducting the program  throughout the year with a number of visits to Urra and Sunseed. Each year the project will be incorporated into the university field course,at Urra,always under his supervision.,and in future incorporating visits to the site at Los Molinos de Rio Aguas

C:\Users\User\Pictures\Latest Pictures from Mobile to Sort\20180124_120903.jpg
Male house sparrow

Brief description about the project

This species has been chosen because it is the commonest local breeding bird in the area. The House Sparrow is very easy to recognise as there are no other common local species with which it could be confused.

For most of the year males have a grey crown and cheek area separated by chestnut brown eye stripe.The back is brown also but heavily streaked black.The bill is stout and blackish,with a black chin ,throat and upper breast.In winter period much of the black area on upper breast and throat disappears.

Females never possess the black  chin,throat and upper breast.The back colour is very much more subdued but is still streaked black.The cheeks are still grey ,there is no chestnut brown eye stripe and she has a broad light buff supercilium.Plumage remains the same throughtout the year.

Juveniles have the same plumage characteristics as females.

This species can be observed most commonly on the ground where they normally forage but can also occur on buildings and in the trees and surrounding vegetation.

Sufficient data will be collected by the participating Leeds University students to give them a viable project for the short time they have available at the field centre. However with the participation of Sunseed, much more valuable long term data can be amassed.

Methodology

When the birds are trapped they are fitted on the left leg with the normal metal ring on top of which is fitted a colour ring. Each year the colour of this ring is changed to note a new year.On the right leg is  fitted with 2 colour rings, one to denote the period of ringing and the other the age of the bird.All rings are fitted on the tarsus.

Color ring sequences on the right leg are different for Urra and Los Molinos so that the 2 sites can be distinguished

At Urra,and at Los Molinos it is noted at which net the birds are trapped (each net has a special habitat code), and then studied using binoculars or telescope in an attempt  to track the limit of each birds territory and to follow its foraging distance if outside the breeding territory. With a continuous colour ringing and observation program together with the trapping of controls, it will be possible to estimate the year on year survival rate of each sex of this species

It will be possible to track the birds outside of the Urra field station and Los Molinos itself as netting is also carried on along and beside the Rio Aguas rambla and in the future at another ringing site which will be set up in the rio at La Herrerdia.

http://www.sunseed.org.uk/projectpack/files/2018/01/DSC_0475.jpg
Figure 1 Section of Rio Aguas

In 2017, four water scrapes were constructed to try to attract both migrant/wintering and resident birds to drink. Mist nets were erected by these scrapes in order to trap and ring them. In March 2018 each scrape was observed by the students/volunteers to see if any of these colour-ringed birds came to drink and to note if this was outside their breeding or foraging territories.

At this moment in time these artificial scrapes are being replaced with more permanent materials as the pond liners used soon became very brittle in the Spanish sun and easily cracked losing all the water.

C:\Users\User\Pictures\Urra 2017\DSCN0683.JPG
Figure 2 Artificial Scrape

During the first ringing sessions in Spring 2017 with Leeds university students, the results showed that 52% of all the birds trapped were at these scrapes.

The colour rings for this project were available early February 2018. Having completed the first ringing session at Urra in February 2018, Dr.Banham visited Sunseed to provide all the necessary details for the project.

Importance of the project

The field station is in an extremely dry area of Almeria province and a further study is being carried out to plot the change in rainfall patterns since 1997. With less and less rain in this area, the presence of permanent small water scrapes could become more and more important to the survival of these local birds,and especially so in late spring through to early autumn when it can be extremely hot and dry. It is important to continue this project for a number of years in order to track any changes in the populations  of this species and to observe movements outside the boundaries of the station along the wide dry rambla of the Rio Aguas both towards Sorbas and in the other direction up to Los Molino de Rio Aguas and even beyond down the valley

A few kilometres down the river bed there is an important water source for the Rio Aguas in the form of an aquifer which results in a large permanent pool below  the village of Los Molinos de Rio Aguas. This natural water supply and the more lush vegetation, in the past has attracted a large number of birds ,some species of which do not appear at the field station.With permanent artificial water now available at Urra it will be interesting to see if there are any changes in the number and survival rates of local House Sparrows ,compared to Los Molinos.

It is quite likely with the presence of the permanent water body at Los Molinos that birds ringed at Urra field station will also visit this site to drink especially in the hot dry summer. It will provide interesting data as to how far local birds are prepared to travel to obtain water.

Post-juvenile dispersal may also reveal some interesting movements.

If the birds are found at Los Molinos other than at the lagoon, it again should be noted where and their activities e.g.feeding. This species is omnivorous so the population should survive during difficult periods.

N.B.The population dynamics for House Sparrows (e.g.increase or decrease of population totals year on year, numbers of breeding males and females,numbers of juveniles,survival rates) can be followed in relation to the variation in rainfall and the considerable increase in underground water extraction for growing new large olive tree plantations in the area.

How can you get involved in the project?

For those interested, all that is necessary for them to do, is to make a note of,the sequence of colour rings on both legs, the sex of the bird,the date and place of observation. Colour pictures and a field guide are provided to assist identification. A pair of simple binoculars is needed to observe the birds.

Please note that Dr.Banham has provided Sunseed with a bird identification guide to assist whoever is taking part in the color ringing program

If you are interested in this project…

Get in touch with us to join Sunseed for a regular mid-term or long-term volunteering or through a funded University placement. For your involvement in the project we will put you in direct contact with Dr. Banham for further details and information.

For further questions you may contact Dr.Banham at: dr.r.j.banham@gmail.com

BREAKING NEWS:

The bird color ringing project at Urra Field Station and Los Molinos de Rio Aguas has now been accepted by EURING,which gives special permissions for all bird color ringing projects in Europe.Our project is one of some 5,200 in Europe.

The project for this bird color ringing program can be found on the following link

Passer domesticus / House Sparrow : http://www.cr-birding.org/node/5173

Combination of :
∙         c-ring over metal (on left leg).
∙         2 c-rings (on right leg)

0

Research

The following project is being conducted  by Doctor Richard Banham, external Tutor for Leeds University,and bird ringer “experto” ,a member of MILVUS G.O.ES ringing group in S.W.Spain. This exciting project can be a great experience for university students especially from the fields of ecology, environmental science or biology to assist Dr.Banham, but it can also be suitable for everyone with strong passion for birds!

The program involves colour ringing of Sylvia melanocephala in a semi-desert area at Urra Scientific Field Station near Sorbas and at an oasis called Los Molinos de Rio Aguas in the province of Almeria with the assistance of Sunseed. The project  started at the beginning of 2018 and was incorporated into the field study course for students from the ecology department at Leeds university from March 18th till March 28th.,and continuing thereon.

Dr.Banham is conducting the program  throughout the year with a number of visits to Urra and Sunseed. Each year the project will be incorporated into the university field course, at Urra, always under his supervision, and in future incorporating visits to the site at Los Molinos de Rio Aguas.

C:\Users\User\Pictures\Latest Pictures from Mobile to Sort\20180117_104406.jpg
Figure 2 Female Sardinian warbler

Species information

This species has been chosen because it is the commonest resident scrub warbler in the area  and the birds perch quite prominently in the Spring as they are holding breeding territories. This warbler is very easy to recognise as there are no other local species with which it could be confused.

Both male and female possess long dark narrow tails with varying amounts of white or off white at the feather tips.Adult males have a jet black head a white chin and throat plus grey wings and back .Females also possess a white chin and throat,but have a grey head with a brown back.Both possess prominent red brown eye rings.

Juveniles look similar to females but possess a brown head.

Immature males have a mixture of brown and black on the head

Sufficient data will be collected by the participating Leeds University students during their Spring visit  to give them a viable project for the short time they have available at the field centre. However with participation of Sunseed, much more valuable long term data can be amassed.

Methodology

When the birds are trapped they are fitted on the left leg with the normal metal ring on top of which is fitted a colour ring. Each year the colour of this ring is changed to note a new year.On the right leg is  fitted with 2 colour rings, one to denote the period of ringing and the other the age of the bird.All rings are fitted on the tarsus.

Color ring sequences on the right leg are different for Urra and Los Molinos so that the 2 sites can be distinguished

At Urra,and at Los Molinos it is noted at which net the birds are trapped (each net has a special habitat code), and then studied using binoculars or telescope in an attempt  to track the limit of each birds territory and to follow its foraging distance if outside the breeding territory. With a continuous colour ringing and observation program together with the trapping of controls, it will be possible to estimate the year on year survival rate of each sex of this species

It will be possible to track the birds outside of the Urra field station and Los Molinos itself as netting is also carried on along and beside the Rio Aguas rambla and in the future at another ringing site which will be set up in the rio at La Herrerdia.

http://www.sunseed.org.uk/projectpack/files/2018/01/DSC_0475.jpg

Figure 3 Section of Rio Aguas

In January 2017 at Urra ,four water scrapes were constructed to try to attract both migrants /wintering and resident birds to drink. Mist nets were erected by these scrapes in order to trap and ring them. In  March 2018 each scrape was observed by the students/volunteers to see if any of these colours ringed birds came to drink and to note if this was outside their breeding or foraging territories.

At this moment in time these artificial scrapes are being replaced with more permanent materials as the pond liners used soon became very brittle in the Spanish sun and easily cracked losing all the water.

C:\Users\User\Pictures\Latest Pictured to be sorted 2017\20171008_173235.jpg

Figure 4 Artificial Scrape

During the first ringing sessions in Spring 2017 with Leeds university students, the results showed that 52% of all the birds trapped were at these scrapes

The colour rings for this project were available early February 2018. Having completed the first ringing session at Urra in February 2018, Dr.Banham  visited Sunseed to provide all the necessary details for the project.

Importance of the project

The field station is in an extremely dry area of Almeria province and a further study is being carried out to plot the change in rainfall patterns since 1997. With less and less rain in this area, the presence of permanent small water scrapes could become more and more important to the survival of these local birds , and especially so in late spring through to early autumn when it can be extremely hot and dry. It is important to continue this project for a number of years in order to track any changes in the  populations of this species and to observe movements outside the boundaries of the station along the wide dry rambla of the Rio Aguas both towards Sorbas and in the other direction up to Los Molinos de Rio Aguas and even beyond down the valley to where the rio enters the Med.

A few kilometres down the river bed there is an important water source for the Rio Aguas in the form of an aquifer which results in a large permanent pool below the village of Los Molinos de Rio Aguas. This natural water supply and the more lush vegetation, in the past has attracted a large number of birds ,some species of which do not appear at the field station. With permanent artificial water now available at Urra it will be interesting to see if there are any changes in the numbers  and survival rates of local Sardinian warblers,compared to Los Molinos.

It is possible with the presence of the permanent water body at Los Molinos that birds ringed at Urra field station may visit this site also to drink especially in the hot dry summer. It will provide interesting data as to how far local birds are prepared to travel to obtain water throughout the year

Post-juvenile dispersal may also reveal some interesting movements.

If the birds are found at Los Molinos other than at the lagoon, it again should be noted where and their activities  e.g.feeding. This species is mainly insectivorous but at certain times of the year ,Winter and Spring,supplements the diet with pollen/nectar from suitable flowering plants.This can be shown by the presence of yellow or orange on the chin/throat area plus a sticky forehead which should again be very useful to note.

If trapped feather samples of this part of the bird will be taken and sent for analysis to determine from which plant the pollen/nectar was taken..

N.B The population dynamics for Sardinian warblers (e.g.increase or decrease of population totals year on year,numbers of breeding males and females, numbers of juveniles,survival rates) can be followed in relation to the variation in rainfall and the considerable increase in underground water extraction for growing new large olive tree plantations in the area.

How can you get involved in the project?

For those interested, all that is necessary for them to do, is to make a note of,the sequence of colour rings on both legs, the sex of the bird ,the date and place of observation. Colour pictures and a field guide are provided  by Dr.Banham to assist identification. A pair of simple binoculars is needed to observe the birds.

If you are interested in this project…

Get in touch with us to join Sunseed for a regular mid-term or long-term volunteering or through a funded University placement. For your involvement in the project we will put you in direct contact with Dr. Banham for further details and information.

For further questions you may contact Dr.Banham at: dr.r.j.banham@gmail.com

BREAKING NEWS:

The bird color ringing project at Urra Field Station and Los Molinos de Rio Aguas has now been accepted by EURING,which gives special permissions for all bird color ringing projects in Europe.Our project is one of some 5,200 in Europe.

The project for this bird color ringing program can be found on the following link

Sylvia melanocephala / Sardinian Warbler : http://www.cr-birding.org/node/5172

Combination of :
∙         c-ring over metal (on left leg).
∙         2 c-rings (on right leg)


0

Research

The following project is being conducted  by Doctor Richard Banham, external Tutor for Leeds University,and bird ringer “experto”, a member of MILVUS G.O.ES ringing group in S.W.Spain. This exciting project can be a great experience for university students especially from the fields of ecology, environmental science or biology to assist Dr.Banham, but it can also be suitable for everyone with strong passion for birds!

The program involves colour ringing of Sylvia atricapilla and Erithacus rubecula in a semi-desert area at Urra Scientific Field Station near Sorbas and at an oasis called Los Molinos de Rio Aguas in the province of Almeria with the assistance of Sunseed. The project  started at the beginning of 2018 and was incorporated into the field study course for students from the ecology department at Leeds university from March 18th till March 28th.,and continuing thereon.

Dr.Banham is conducting the program  throughout the year with a number of visits to Urra and Sunseed. Each year the project will be incorporated into the university field course,at Urra,always under his supervision.,and in future incorporating visits to the site at Los Molinos de Rio Aguas

Male Blackcap
Male Blackcap
C:\Users\User\Pictures\Latest Pictures from Mobile to Sort\20180112_092707.jpg
Female blackcap

Brief description about the project

These species have been chosen because they are the commonest wintering/migrant birds in the area of the field station, the surrounding areas towards Sorbas and in and around Los Molinos. The Blackcaps and Robins are very easy to recognise as there are no other common species with which they could be confused.

Adult Blackcap males have a black cap.The back is greyish and the wings are greyish olive with no striking visible markings.The tail is long with no white.The chin and throat are white.

Immature male Blackcaps sometimes have a mixture of brown and black on the crown. Females possess a red-brown crown.The back colour is more subdued than the male and the wing is more ochraceous with no striking visible markings. The tail chin and throat are as the male. N.B. Blackcaps only very rarely feed or are observed  on the ground.

The Robin too is easy to recognise with the bright red chin throat and breast.Males and females look exactly the same.They almost exclusively are seen and feed at ground level.

Sufficient data will be collected by the participating Leeds University students to give them a viable project for the short time they have available at the field centre. However,with the participation of Sunseed, much more valuable long term data can be amassed.

Methodology

When the birds are trapped they are fitted on the left leg with the normal metal ring on top of which is fitted a colour ring. Each year the colour of this ring is changed to note a new year.On the right leg is  fitted with 2 colour rings, one to denote the period of ringing and the other the age of the bird.All rings are fitted on the tarsus.

Color ring sequences on the right leg are different for Urra and Los Molinos so that the 2 sites can be distinguished

At Urra,and at Los Molinos it is noted at which net the birds are trapped (each net has a special habitat code), and then studied using binoculars or telescope in an attempt  to track the limit of each birds territory and to follow its foraging distance if outside the breeding territory. With a continuous colour ringing and observation program together with the trapping of controls, it will be possible to estimate the year on year survival rate of each sex of this species

It will be possible to track the birds outside of the Urra field station and Los Molinos itself as netting is also carried on along and beside the Rio Aguas rambla and in the future at another ringing site which will be set up in the rio at La Herrerdia.

Rio Aguas
Section of Rio Aguas

In January 2017 at Urra, four water scrapes were constructed to try to attract both migrant/wintering and resident birds to drink. Mist nets were erected by these scrapes in order to trap and ring them. In March 2018 each scrape was observed by the students/volunteers to see if any of these colour-ringed birds come to drink and to estimate how long they may be present in the area.

At this moment in time these artificial scrapes are being replaced with more permanent materials as the pond liners used soon became very brittle in the Spanish sun and easily cracked losing all the water.

Artificial Scrape
Artificial Scrape

During the first ringing sessions in Spring 2017 with Leeds university students, the results showed that 52% of all the birds trapped were at these scrapes

The colour rings for this project were available early February 2018. Having completed the first ringing session at Urra in February 2018, Dr.Banham visited  Sunseed to provide all the necessary details for the project.

Importance of the project

The field station is in an extremely dry area of Almeria province and a further study is being carried out to plot the change in rainfall patterns since 1997. With less and less rain in this area, the presence of permanent small water scrapes become more and more important to the survival of passage/wintering birds as a stopover site in the area, and especially so in late spring and early autumn when it can still extremely hot and dry here. It is important to continue this project for a number of years in order to track any changes in the migratory/wintering populations of these species and to observe movements outside the boundaries of the station along the wide dry rambla of the Rio Aguas both towards Sorbas and in the other direction up to Los Molinos de Rio Aguas and even beyond down the valley to where the rio enters the Med.

A few kilometres down the river bed there is an important water source for the Rio Aguas in the form of an aquifer which results in a large permanent pool below the village of Los Molinos de Rio Aguas. This is a highly attractive, easy to observe site for a large number of birds that may or may not pass through the field  station due to its lack of water. With permanent water now available at Urra as well it will be interesting to see if there are any changes in the number of these particular migratory/wintering birds and to see if there is any reaction between the 2 sites.

It is possible with the presence of the permanent water body at Los Molinos that birds ringed at Urra field station will also visit this site to drink. It will provide interesting data as to how far these migratory/wintering birds are prepared to travel to obtain water.,and if they are using the Rio Aguas valley as a specific migratory route.

If the birds are found at Los Molinos other than at the water body it again should be noted where and their activities e.g.feeding. These species are mainly insectivorous but at certain times of the year,Winter and Spring,the Blackcaps supplement their diet with pollen/nectar from suitable flowering plants.This can be shown by the presence of yellow or orange on the chin/throat area plus a sticky forehead which should again be very useful to note.

If trapped feather samples of this part of the bird will be taken and sent for analysis to determine from which plant the pollen/nectar was taken.

 N.B The population dynamics for Robins and Blackcaps (e.g.increase or decrease of migratory/wintering birds year on year, numbers and proportions of males and females, and percentage of returning birds) can be followed in relation to the variation in rainfall and the considerable increase in underground water extraction for growing large olive tree plantations in the area.

How can you get involved in the project?

For those interested, all that is necessary for them to do, is to make a note of the sequence of the colour rings on both legs, the sex of the bird,the date and place of observation. Colour pictures and a field guide are provided by Dr.Banham to assist identification of both species. A pair of simple binoculars is needed to observe the birds. Please use our contact form to get in touch!

For further questions you may contact Dr.Banham at: dr.r.j.banham@gmail.com

BREAKING NEWS:

The bird color ringing project at Urra Field Station and Los Molinos de Rio Aguas has now been accepted by EURING,which gives special permissions for all bird color ringing projects in Europe.Our project is one of some 5,200 in Europe.

The projects for this bird color ringing program can be found on the following link

Sylvia atricapilla  / Blackcap : http://www.cr-birding.org/node/5171

Erithacus rubecula / European Robin : http://www.cr-birding.org/node/5174


Combination of :
∙         c-ring over metal (on left leg).
∙         2 c-rings (on right leg)

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Uncategorized-en

Getting out of Sunseed for a few days has been the perfect opportunity for me to realize how much I miss the mountain and the green of the trees. The energy of the Pyrenees is unique and in a perfect contrast with the desert of Andalusia. It also made me realized, once again, how the outside society is so unaware of the emergency of the world situation. Our small community, based on permaculture and developing an alternative way of life with a non chemical policy is a drop in the ocean compared to the rest of the world.

I feel disconnected. To me, most of what seems to be a society’s priority is fake, superficial and doesn’t make sense. On the contrary, the environment, which is an emergency, is degraded as an option for most of us. It’s getting harder and harder to connect with people who still believe in capitalism. I feel like being on a train which is about to hit the mountain. No one is realizing we have been victim on the biggest lie ever: There is no tunnel, just the mountain. Most of the passengers are asleep but me and a few others are fully awake and aware of the situation. We are desperately trying to wake everyone up but the soft music and fake smiles of the hostesses keep them deep in their sweet dreams.

I feel useless, angry and frustrated, especially when the driver is speeding the train up. He has been told that faster he will go, better pay he will get. I wonder if he knows there is no final destination. Yesterday my frustration was even stronger. The driver, as usual, didn’t put attention at one of the thousand emergency speed’s limit. He failed, again. Yesterday, in France, the government rejected a law in favor of a sustainable and ethic agriculture. The government refused to: put camera in abattoirs, to stop the massacre of baby chicken which are crushed alive, to prohibit the castration of baby pigs without anesthesia or to develop free caged chicken eggs. They refused to protect our kids by offering veggies meals option in schools or to prevent obesity by controlling advertisements or the composition of sweets and candies.

They even refused to inscribe in the law the prohibition of the glyphosate in France. Last November, after the decision of the European Union to give to Mosanto a free access to Europe (or I should say, to officially give to Mosanto the right to kill us) Macron had promised us that the biggest pesticide ever would never enter to France. It must be exhausting to constantly lie. However, it’s so much more exciting to deal with the devil. Let’s go a bit faster! After all, who has never dreamt of a huge fictive number on a bank account? Plus, the hostesses just gave us some warm blankets and pillows so no need to panic.

At the same time, one of te person for whom I have the most admiration is going on a trial for the 3rd time. The reason why: healing people with natural and sustainable resources. The French Medical Council must feel very frighted to accuse a 80 years old man who is just, in an ethical way, saving people life’s from the diseases created by our society. I swear I tried to understand how this world function but my brain doesn’t have this capacity. I feel stuck, trapped.

I can’t go back to sleep, neither escape from this train. All I can do is accepting the situation and finding a way to protect myself from the big crash. I won’t stop that train but maybe, with the others awaken, we can put our energies together to build, now, an emergency exit. It will still be painful to jump from a full speed train but it seems to be our only option. For the others sleepers, I hope sending them our full compassion will help them to wake up before hitting the big roc

e person for whom I have the most admiration is going on a trial for the 3rd time. The reason why: healing people with natural and sustainable resources. The French Medical Council must feel very frighted to accuse a 80 years old man who is just, in an ethical way, saving people life’s from the diseases created by our society. I swear I tried to understand how this world function but my brain doesn’t have this capacity.

I feel stuck, trapped. I can’t go back to sleep, neither escape from this train. All I can do is accepting the situation and finding a way to protect myself from the big crash. I won’t stop that train but maybe, with the others awaken, we can put our energies together to build, now, an emergency exit. It will still be painful to jump from a full speed train but it seems to be our only option. For the others sleepers, I hope sending them our full compassion will help them to wake up before hitting the big roc

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Volunteer Stories

Why I came to Sunseed:

I arrived in Sunseed to do an internship. Last October I got my degree in business economics and I wanted to acquire practical skills and make experiences.

I was scrolling down in the list of possible partnership and suddenly the name “sunseed desert technology” fashinated me.

When I first had a look at the web site I said: that’s my place!

The vegetarian diet, the goals of the project and the ethic beyond it really suited with my vision of life.

I didn’t like to study economics, I found it outdated boarding and greed, and sunseed looked like an alternative place where people were trying to create something different, sustainable and beautiful. So I came to experience all of it.

Expectations:

I doesn’t like to create expectation so I tried to do it the less.

But I was sure sunseed was gonna be a challenge.

Just the simple fact that I couldn’t use my hairdryer or my hair straightener for 5 months was something that was gonna push me outside my comfort zone.

As I was already on the path for a more sustainable, conscious lifestyle, I expected that sunseed would speed this process and would open me new perspectives and gave inspiration.

Expectation VS reality. What I learnt:

After 5 months I can say that my expectations are more than satisfied.

I feel that this experience nourished me completely under different levels: practical, social, comunitarian and personal.

I was mostly involved in sustainable living department and here I learnt:

  • First of all the art of bread making. I just love to make bread and explore this world with all its secret and tricks.

I consider it an art as it embodies my mind, my body and my soul. The sensation of using my hands to work the loaf, the exploration of different techniques and tastes, the satisfaction of creating something for the benefit of all the community was priceless.

  • I learnt how to make natural cosmetics and I introduced this new consciousness in my life. As before I wasn’t very keen with the kind of products I was using. Here I realized that the skin is our most extensive organ and as we take of our stomach by selecting an organic food, the same work has to be done with cosmetics because it has a big impact on us and on the environment.
  • I have deepened my knowledge in the production of ferments and I tried to motivate people to introduce them in their diet.
  • I immersed myself in the wide world of medicinal plants. I studied their properties and use, I took care of them in the medicinal garden and I admired the miracolo us effect of water and love on plants.

Then I did something more releted with my course of study and so I worked in the office and here I learnt how to register purchase and sale invoices, how to calculate stipends and how to relate a report for the Trustees.

On the social level I learnt how to work in team, collaborate in harmony and to appreciate the value of sharing; knowledge, informations and emotions.

A crucial role of my experience was held by the people I met.

People from all over the world, with different age and background.

Incredible, unique, inspiring (and bit crazy ) human being.

Every single one has a place in my heart. I am grateful about your teaching, your support, your example.

The community life teach me that we all are one.

We all are in the middle of a continuous flow and we have to learn how to move on the wave.

You may need balance while you’re keeping the focus. But things could g   wrong when you live with other 20 people (at least).

A good amount of patient helped me in this case. Release the control, let things go. Everything is gonna be fine.

In stressful moments I used the power of yoga to reestablish the balance, or a walk, or simply sitting by my own listening the nature was useful.

I feel sunseed will teach me a lot more, that’s why I will come back in October.

I would like to develop a research about alimentation and experiment new things.

And also, of course, come back to my second family ❤️

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