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Courses and Events, Drylands Management, Organic Gardening

Greening the desert, regenerating ourselves

With Sunseed Desert Technology

Learn about Permaculture and how to design sustainable communities and regenerative ecosystems  in the desert!

Why

More and more people are starting to realize that living in a more sustainable way is the best next move they can make going forward. Permaculture is a way to obtain practical skills to achieve this goal, as well as teaching us how to communicate in a non-violent way. Some people have found that a Permaculture Design Course represents a pivotal moment in their life, and marks a transition towards a healthier relationship both with ourselves and everyone and everything that surrounds us. 

Where

Los Molinos del Río Aguas, Almería, Southern Spain  – an off-grid village, located in the “last oasis” of Southern Spain.   

When

October 4th – 20th, 2024

Language

English

Price

€580 until July (early bird discount) or €630 from July until end of September (includes 3 meals per day + supper on the arrival day and breakfast on departure day), as well as 90+ hours of permaculture classes (theory and practical). Classes will be given by several passionate permaculturists, 3 main facilitators plus invited experts, who will be sharing their years of experience obtained in different parts of the world. Participants also receive a certificate that they have completed a recognised PDC at the end of the course.

Book now

Register your interest by filling in the inscription form

Important note: Places can only be reserved once a EUR 200 non-refundable deposit has been made.


Course location

Ecovillage “Los Molinos del Río Aguas” Sorbas, Almería

Los Molinos del Río Aguas is an ancient Andalusian village with a rich historical background tied to the abundance of water and the presence of numerous mills for producing flour and olive oil. Nestled in Europe’s “last oasis” and protected by the Natura 2000 network as well as being designated a natural park, the Los Molinos del Río Aguas valley forms part of a Karst landscape reserve, characterized by gypsum rocks. This unique ecosystem is home to various endemic species of flora and fauna.

All the houses in the village are self-sustaining: water is sourced from an ancient irrigation system and pumped into the houses using a hydraulic ram pump, while electricity is generated through solar panels. This setup offers a serene and responsible lifestyle independent of government utilities. Once nearly abandoned by the locals, the village is now home to a cosmopolitan group of approximately 30 residents, with a steady flow of volunteers and visitors enriching its vibrant community throughout the year. 

There are several hiking trails along the river, and natural swimming pools for bathing. The valley lies 30 km from the coastal natural reserve, Cabo de Gata, known for its stunning, pristine beaches. The nearest city, Almeria, is 60 km away.

Sunseed Desert Technology

Sunseed is a non-formal education project, housed in Los Molinos del Río Aguas. The project has over 35 years of experience researching, learning, and experimenting with the regeneration of ecosystems, including research into the symbiotic relationships between mycorrhizal fungi and plant roots – fundamental to soil restoration.

Over the years, Sunseed has gradually evolved into an experiential education centre with visitors and volunteers working to support the ongoing tasks of the project, whilst simultaneously learning how to live in a low-impact way. Sunseed grows much of its food in the community kitchen garden, and they are currently in the process of establishing a food forest.

Course Description 

Permaculture aims to create systems that create harmonious connections between humans and the planet. The Australians Bill Mollison and David Holmgren coined the term in the 70’s, a combination of the words “permanent” and “agriculture. Permaculture ethics, principles, and design techniques were first used to develop sustainable agricultural systems as an alternative to the growth of agro-industry and the consumer economy. From these beginnings, the concept of Permaculture has expanded and diversified to cover nearly all types of human-based systems.

Permaculture design courses (PDCs) have been developed as an introduction to this way of thinking and teach the tools and techniques needed for participants to design their sustainable systems. These courses are taught through both theory and practice and weave in both ancestral knowledge and recent discoveries.  At Sunseed we showcase many examples of Permaculture in practice.

In this two-week PDC, we use the basic curriculum as set out by the UK Permaculture Association and supported by the Southeastern Spanish Permaculture Network (REPESEI).

The course will take place in a real context, in which the participants have the opportunity to gain first-hand knowledge of how, at Los Molinos, we harvest water, regenerate soil, plant trees and grow vegetables in a desert environment following Permaculture principles. During the course, we will also address aspects of social Permaculture, where we will focus on self-care, community living, equitable participation, and effective decision-making models. 


Course content

We will follow the course curriculum as set out by the UK Permaculture Association and supported by the Southeastern Spanish Permaculture Network (REPESEI).

In addition to the theory, we will do many practical exercises in order to learn by doing, as well as a group final design. This will be done by participants using a Permaculture design framework, as well as all the theoretical knowledge gained during the course, and the knowledge and experience each person brings.  



Main subjects covered:

  1. A short history of Permaculture, ethics and principles (Mollison y Holmgren)
  2. The design process itself: survey – analysis – design – implementation – maintenance – evaluation – tweaking.
  3. Designing for climate emergency: food independence, communities
  4. Soil structure and the soil ecosystem: fertility, sampling and analysis, management, regeneration (especially in arid environments). 
  5. Water: the water cycle, water availability, capture and storage, retention in the landscape.
  6. Plants/trees:  basic botany, the ecology of a forest, forest management, types of forests.
  7. Sustainable farming systems, including regenerative agriculture, natural farming, and syntropic agriculture
  8. Wellbeing and self-care: symbiotic nutrition, integrative medicine
  9. Natural building 
  10. Appropriate technology
  11. Social Permaculture: social and organizational structures, group facilitation, participatory decision making, transition economics.

Practicals 

  1. Reading the landscape + observation techniques; forest bathing
  2. Basic mapping: aspect, scale, how to mark out contour lines, trilateralization
  3. Contour line measuring
  4. Water retention systems
  5. Soil analysis 
  6. Soil regeneration techniques
  7. Regenerative agriculture systems
  8. Natural building 
  9. Design time


Who we are


Frances Osborn (teacher)

Frances is an ecologist with a degree in Environmental Sciences from Southampton University, UK, and a PhD in Insect Ecology from the Simón Bolívar University, Venezuela. In 2014, after 10 years working as a research scientist at the Eastern University, Venezuela, she returned to Europe where she did her first PDC in Brighton, UK. She has been studying and practicing permaculture ever since, and graduated with a Diploma in Applied Permaculture in March 2021. She has been teaching PDCs since 2019 at different venues, including Proyecto Rucula in Murcia and the Suryalila Yoga Retreat in Cadiz.  Frances has extensive experience in garden and agricultural systems, gained from her many volunteering placements, including two years at the first Ecosystem Restoration Camp in the dry highlands to the northeast of the Murcia region in southern Spain. She is currently helping to restore an old stone cottage near Calasparra, Murcia  using natural building techniques. Frances is currently secretary for Urban Street Forest, an association based in Holland and Spain that seeks to reforest degraded drylands, and is an active member of the Permaculture Network in south-eastern Spain. Frances has made volunteering her main lifestyle choice, a path which has led her to minimize her costs rather than maximize her income, and gives her the freedom to take up opportunities as they appear. Travel plays an important role in her life and the bicycle is her preferred mode of transport, as this enables her to slow down, appreciate the scenery, and enjoy the journey. 

Luis Simada (teacher)

Luis is a permaculture advisor, designer and teacher and also network facilitator. He is trained as a designer, group facilitator, permaculture teacher, fermenter and project coordinator. He also participates and actively contributes in different social, activist and alternative movements like the Iberian Southeast Permaculture Network (REPESEI), La Espiral del Sureste Ibérico, the Iberia Ecovillage Network (RIE), and the Cauac Editorial Nativa or Social Permaculture Movements. He is coordinating the Ecosystem Restoration Department at Sunseed. He has also been teaching different courses about Symbiotic Nutrition, Regenerative and Natural Agriculture or Appropriate Technologies. Luis  really appreciates discovering new ways to create resilience and communities, that’s why he is also Simada, traveling around Iberia supporting and designing alternative projects while continue to learn from each one of them. He loves listening, expressing his emotions, creating new ferments and healthy recipes, doing experiments, designing social solutions, playing, wild nature, ancient trees, ancestral traditions and live music.

Juanma Pinar (teacher)

Juanma is an Andalusian biologist mostly focused on botany and agro-ecology (University of Seville, SP) with a Masters in winemaking & viti-vinicole environment (University of Bordeaux, FR). After a few years of working/traveling around the world in diverse kinds of vineyards and making different styles of wines, he started to worry about the big impact this huge industry has on the environment (such as waste of water, death of soils, harmful pesticides, elitist markets, and so on) so he came back home and deeply started to melt into permaculture philosophy. 

He obtained his PDC in early 2020 in “Centro Extremeño de Permacultura La Caraba” (Cáceres), and a following “introduction to bioconstruction” course in Alcañiz (Erasmus+, Teruel), plus a certificate of “nature activities instructor -educational and social potential-” from Andalucía GDR (Development Rural Group). Then he started to collaborate with a community garden integrated in a natural park in his town (Ecohuerto Los Toruños, Cadiz) and joined climate justice movements such as Extinction Rebellion and “Ecologistas en Acción”. In parallel he was working as environmental educator for different local enterprises (Ecoherencia, Caucenatura) mostly centered on agro-ecology, nature hiking and other active learning services for public schools. 

At the moment he is leading the gardens’ team in Sunseed, which includes work such as: fixing and redesigning the irrigation systems, restoring poor soils with -animal/green manure, compost and mulching- refreshing the old seedbank, replacing losts with new plants adapted to drought, researching on edible and medicinal wild-plants-based preparations, improving associations/rotations of crops, and a long etcetera of learn-by-doing processes.

Marco De Angelis (assistant teacher)

My journey began in Rome, where I was born 33 years ago with a deep love for nature. Growing up, I pursued my passion by studying Forestry Sciences and Nature Conservation, which took me on exchanges to Slovenia, Portugal, and Germany, broadening my understanding of sustainable resource management.

Completing my studies with a doctoral program in wood technologies and composite materials at the University of Hamburg, I discovered the potential of recycled materials for social housing, leading to collaborations with Ethiopia and South Africa.

Feeling a stronger connection to nature, I moved to Spain, settling in Los Molinos de Rio Aguas, an off-grid village. Here, I immersed myself in local projects and started cultivating food in our garden, finding fulfillment in sustainable living.

Now, I’m thrilled to share my journey and passion for permaculture in this course, eager to learn and collaborate for a more sustainable future.


Ricardo Riquelme (invited expert)

Ricardo is a permaculture designer, farmer specialized in successional agroforestry systems, efficient water management, biological pest control and zero tillage. Creator of the permaculture project  “Mano Verde”, based in El Bosque (Pilar de la Horadada, Alicante) where they cultivate and regenerate the environment based on syntrophic agriculture. Apart from offering seasonal products, they recover old seeds, offer consulting and design of farms and also training for farmers and individuals.

Mónica Adán

Mónica Adán is office coordinator at Sunseed Project, managing the administration, education and communication departments. She also collaborates in the Yes to Sustainability network where she is in charge of the administration and management of European youth projects and has gained experience in planning, writing, coordinating and executing grant projects. She has visited numerous ecovillages and ecoprojects all over Europe to learn more about the different living alternatives that can be created. She collaborates with projects that can help young people to discover their passions and empower them by developing their own projects.

Ashley Sheets

Ashley Sheets is a degrowth and environmental labour activist who works as project manager and sustainable living coordinator for Proyecto Sunseed, a non-formal education project. Her work is centred on environmental stewardship and social change, working to make more sustainable forms of living accessible and intersectional in the day to day. Her background is in degrowth, political ecology and environmental justice, and specifically focuses on the intersections where environmental movements and labour activism meet. She also collaborates with the International Degrowth Network, the Feminisms and Degrowth Alliance, and is a founding member of the Working Class Climate Alliance.

Our certifying Association

REPESEI, the Southeastern Spanish Permaculture Network.

Towards the end of the 1980s the seeds of the REPESEI (Red de Permacultura del Sureste Ibérico) were sown by a small group of locals and travelers. 

This small group organized gatherings, workshops and courses, during which ideas of alternative ways of understanding life began to germinate and grow, answering the questions and needs of the individuals and groups that attended them.

In 1996, Rosa Mejuto along with a women’s group, and inspired by Permaculture Movements and Natural Agriculture, founded the REPESEI.  The number of gatherings and Permaculture Projects increased, from which a network started to spread – and is still growing.

Since then there have been a large diversity of workshops and courses given and promoted by the network, among which we can highlight those by Jairo Restrepo (Columbia) and Nacho Simón (Mexico), that have taught us new ways to care for life in the soil under our feet, improving its fertility, and harmonizing the relationships between it and the plants we cultivate. Many of us now make our own bio-preparations. 

Furthermore, there have been many Permaculture gatherings held at many sites from Alicante to Málaga. Currently there are 4 gatherings yearly in Winter, Spring, Summer and Autumn, as well as a mutual support network (TAM – Tragozando Apoyo Mutuo) that support projects throughout south-eastern Spain. 

Dates

October 4th to 20th, 2024

You should arrive on Friday, October 4th in the afternoon / evening. Classes will start on Saturday, October 5th in the morning.

The course will end with the design presentations on Saturday, October 19th and an evening celebration. Participants should leave on Sunday, October 20th before 1:00 pm.  There will be one free day mid-course. Classes will start daily at 9:00 am after breakfast and end at 8:00 pm before supper. We always start the day with a morning circle to check in with each other, and inform about the day’s programme and any logistics

Pricing 

The cost for the PDC will be EUR 580 until July (early bird discount) or €630 from July until end of September + accommodation costs and includes:

  • Teaching (theory and practice)  by a diverse group of passionate permaculturists all of whom bring their own knowledge and experience in the different permaculture fields (or Permaculture Petals).
  • An officially recognised certificate at the end of the course. 
  • All meals and non-alcoholic beverages
  • We provide warm and cold showers and there is room to do collective laundry.
  • At Los Molinos there is lots of space to be on your own or to walk through the beautiful valley and ravine. 
  • Telephone coverage and Wifi 

Food and Beverages

All food and (non alcoholic) drinks will be provided during the whole course. We serve vegan/vegetarian food at Sunseed, but please talk to us about special wishes for food or allergies.

Coffee, herbal teas, and drinking water will be available throughout the course. You can also bring private snacks and treats for your well-being with you.

Accommodation (separate cost)

There is a choice of a mixed dorm (sleeps 6), triple, or double rooms (limited availability). All rooms with shared bathroom. There are also some spots available for tents. Please contact Juanma (contact details below) for details.

Booking and cancellations: Register your interest by filling in the inscription form here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1K_pmH3l6wRhchOWQ2TWxg6-RbAHTyk1LyH3RjdFQ_Eo/edit?ts=66262a1a

Important note: Places can only be reserved once a EUR 200 non-refundable deposit has been made.

What if my plans change: A full refund minus the deposit can be made up to one month (September 4th) before the start of the course. This will be reduced to a 50% refund (minus the deposit) two weeks (September 20th) before the start of the course, and a 25% refund (minus the deposit) two days (October 2nd) before the start of the course. This applies to the cost of the course only.

How to get here

Los Molinos del Río Aguas is a small village located in Sorbas, in the southeast of Spain, 45 minutes by car from Almería, the closest city.

Since Sorbas is a small town, we will organize a pick-up in order to let you all arrive safely at the placement. Therefore, the best connection will be to get to Almería bus station, and from there take the public transport to Sorbas. We will pick you up there and take you to Los Molinos.

If your idea is to fly to Spain, the nearest airport is Almería Airport (LEI). You can usually fly cheaper, though, if you go to Málaga Airport (AGP) or Alicante (ALC)


  • From Málaga Airport to Almería, take a bus to Almería. The journey takes approximately 3 hours and 30 minutes and costs 22 EURO (one way).: Check bus timetables AGP-Almería here!
  • From Almería Estación Autobús. There are several buses per day to Sorbas. The schedule varies depending on the day:
    • – Mondays to Fridays: 8:30, 11:00, and 15:30.
    • – Saturdays: 11:00.
    • – Sundays: 8:30 and 11:00.

  • From Alicante to Almería you can take a bus to Murcia which has daily direct connections, and from there take a transfer to Vera.  Then from Vera, there is the connection to Sorbas by bus. Check here the bus timetables Vera-Sorbas.

Make sure to check the bus timetables and availability in advance, especially for connections from Málaga and Alicante.

Please note that activities will start on Saturday, the 5th of October at 8:30 am, so please organize yourself in order to be able to arrive on Friday evening.  

Activities will end on the evening of Saturday, the 19th of October, so you can plan your trip back to your country starting from Sunday morning (20/10/2024).

Book now

Register your interest by filling in the inscription form 

Contact details

cursos@permaculturasureste.org

Juanma Pinar: +34 605 125 477

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Nettles are delicious!

Our sourdough starter has now been alive for 6 months! Sebastian, our Dutch volunteer who split his time between Organic Gardens and time with fermentation projects with Sustainable Living (and his own), began the starter and we have been experimenting ever since. The last bake was on Sunday with Alder who has a little experience of sourdough although she has experience with regular breadmaking (using instant yeast).

In brief, cultivating a wild yeast for the bread will enable us to have delicious and wholesome bread…without reliance on nipping to the supermarket for yeast. I came to Sunseed with a little experience of using sourdough starters but with an enthusiasm for practising. After all, practise makes permanent! So, I’m still adding a little instant yeast to the recipe (1 tbsp per 25 cups of flour) until I gain more confidence to go fully wild.

Health Benefits

Studies show the fermenting and souring the wheat in bread pre-digests the tough grain and allows it to be much more easily digested by us…even 100% wholewheat, which many people find difficult on the stomach. What’s more, the wild yeasts that fermentation cultivates are reputed to have highly beneficial effects on the health of the beneficial flora in the intestines.

Slow Baking

One obvious reason that sourdough went out of fashion for a while is because the industrialised process of breadmaking is super fast, allowing us to munch on fresh bread within less then a couple of hours of making it. Sourdough bread, on the other hand, even though is much less labour-intensive, requires consistent care over the day. While this is inconvenient if you live alone or have a small working family, for a community like Sunseed who get through more than 25 loaves a week, the whole process if perfect!

Variety

We make 2 types of bread – an 85% rye and a 50/50, which is 50% wholewheat, 50% semi-wholewheat. We avoid white flour for health reasons because it is incredibly energy intensive for industry and any food product that we consume which is devoid of its wholeness robs from the body what it lacks. This can lead to vitamin or mineral deficiencies. So, if we can make a delicious loaf that taste great, lasts a bit longer and also is a tonic for the digestive tract, why would we do anything else?

Nettles are delicious!

¡Nuestra masa fermentada lleva viva ya 6 meses! Sebastian, nuestro voluntario holandés que divide su tiempo entre Huertas Orgánicas y Vida Sostenible (y la suya propia) comenzó la masa y hemos estado experimentando desde entonces. La última en hornear el domingo fue Alder: tiene poca experiencia usando masa madre pero tiene experiencia en pan habitual (usando levadura instantánea).

En breve, el cultivo de una levadura silvestre para el pan, nos permitirá tener pan delicioso y saludable… sin depender de visitar el supermercado para la levadura. Vine a Sunseed con un poco de experiencia en el uso masa fermentada y con el objetivo de practicar. Después de todo, ¡siempre estamos practicando! Así, todavía estoy añadiendo un poco de levadura a la receta (1 cucharada por cada 25 tazas de harina) hasta que gane más confianza para ir totalmente salvaje.

Beneficios para la salud

Hay estudios que muestran que la fermentación y agriar el trigo pre-digiere el grano duro y permite que sea digerido más fácilmente por nosotros… incluso usando el 100% de trigo integral, con el que muchas personas encuentran dificultades en el estómago. Es más, las levaduras salvajes tienen fama de tener efectos muy beneficiosos sobre la salud de la flora intestinal.

Horneo lento

Una razón obvia de que la masa madre pasara de moda durante un tiempo, es porque el proceso de elaboración industrial del pan es súper rápido, y nos permite comer pan fresco en menos de un par de horas. El pan de masa fermentada es diferente, a pesar de que requiere menos mano de obra, necesita atención constante a lo largo del día. Si bien esto es un inconveniente si se vive solo o en un grupo pequeño, para una comunidad como Sunseed que usa más de 25 panes en una semana, ¡el proceso es perfecto!

Variedad

Hacemos dos tipos de pan de centeno – uno que es 85% y otro 50/50, que es 50% de trigo integral, 50% semi-integral. Evitamos la harina blanca por motivos de salud y porque requiere mucha energía para ser producida a escala industrial. Por lo tanto, si podemos hacer un delicioso pan que sabe bien, dura un poco más y además es un tónico para el tracto digestivo, ¿por qué vamos a hacer otra cosa?

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Volunteer Stories

DSC00241Hello future sunseeders,

My name is Dimitra and I’m from Athens, Greece. My experience here has been life-changing, so I wanted to write it down to remember. And then I thought what the heck… I might as well make it public, I can get credit for inspiring a couple of people…

Having visited a community in my island of origin in Greece (who themselves gave a good feedback of this place) I was expecting to go somewhere the same. So, when I arrived in a way I was disappointed. I thought I had more extreme ideas than everyone here and therefore, arrogantly believed there wasn’t much this place could teach me, other than practicalities.

But the reality of staying for six months on location proved to be very different than my initial impressions and taught me many unexpectedly new things as well as provided me with an environment to discover many surprises about myself.

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As far as my belief system is concerned, since my environmental ethics were already as strong as it gets, it was more of a personal development gain. I got initiated into the world of female empowerment through learning how we physically function by nature and recognising socially and economically constructed false images about our bodies. This had a huge impact on me. I started seeing my body with its cycle and its needs more as a gift than a burden and became less and less affected by pressures of how I should look, dress, speak and behave. When I arrived I found having to work and live by schedule, really hard and by the time I left, I had not only gotten used to it but consider it a very valuable tool that I implement in my life now even without having to.

I interacted with the most inspirational people of diverse background that its one of them opened my mind to a new view of life. The circumstances gave me time to get to know myself better by observing what does and what doesn’t make me happy and recognise, accept and face problematic patterns within myself and my relationship with others. For example for the first time in my life I realised that being around people all the time is not the ideal for me and I rather prefer a balance between this and spending time by myself reflecting. I had also the space which allowed my creativity to flourish (I am referring to learning how to knit, of course, my latest passion as most people who met me would remember hahahhaha).

Now, concerning the actual low-impact living education… I grew up in an environment where all these kind of alternative happenings seemed as far and foreign as following the plot of your favourite tv series. (Ironically I was even watching a web series about ecovillages named Living in the future.) So, it felt like I was finally at the center of all the action and could see with my own eyes what my ideas practically entail. For sure I had my struggles with the lack of comforts (certain I found unnecessary and others made me proud of getting used to) but no matter my complaints, I believe it was a living far more luxurious than what I’m used to in a capital city. Definitely the community has many defaults and is itself a learning experiment. After all it is created by people and as part it for however long you feel your very own contribution to its shape.

What I most importantly left from there with is the confirmation to myself that this way of life is what makes me happy and the confidence that it can be my reality in the near future. I’m highly motivated now not to let this remain a distant fantasy and to pursue it in similar places all over the world (and possibly Sunseed itself again someday…<3)

DSC00346Dimitra did her internship at Sunseed with the Erasmus placement grant for 6 months between October 2013 and April 2014.

DSC00241Hola futuros residentes de Sunseed,

Me llamo Dimitra y soy de Atenas, Grecia. Mi experiencia aqui me ha cambiado la vida, por lo que quiero escribirla para recordarla. I luego llegué a la conclusion de que podría hacerla publica y a lo mejor inspirar a unas cuantas personas.

Habiendo visitado una comunidad en mi isla de origen en Grecia (que habló bien de este sitio) me esperaba ir a un sitio parecido. Por lo que al llegar estaba un poco decepcionada. Pensé que mis ideas eran mas radicales que las de la gente aquí, por lo que de forma arrogante pensaba que no había mucho que este sitio pudiese enseñarme, aparte de algunos aspectos prácticos.

Pero tras seis meses aquí me di cuenta de era muy diferente de las impresiones iniciales y me enseño muchas cosas nuevas e inesperadas, ademas de darme un sitio en el que me di cuenta de muchas cosas de mi misma que me sorprendieron.

DSC00234

Mi ética medioambiental ya era lo más radical posible, por lo que fue más una experiencia de enriquecimiento personal. Me metí en el mundo del poder femenino a través de aprender sobre como funcionamos físicamente por natura y reconociendo falsas imágenes sociales y económicas del cuerpo. Esto me impactó mucho. Empece a ver los ciclos y necesidades de mi cuerpo mas como un regalo que como un tarea y me empezó a afectarme menos la presión de como debería vestir, hablar y actuar. Al llegar me pareció que trabajar y vivir siguiendo un horario muy difícil, y al irme no solo me había acostumbrado a ello, sino que lo consideraba una herramienta muy útil que me utilizaba ahora en mi día a día aunque no fuese necesario.

Me relacioné con muchas personas increíblemente interesantes y diversas, y una de ellas me abrió los ojos a una nueva forma de ver la vida. Las circunstancias me dieron tiempo para conocerme mejor a mí misma a través de observar que y que no me hace feliz, y reconocer y aceptar formas de actuar problemáticas dentro de mí y en mi relación con otras personas. Por ejemplo por primera vez en mi vida me he di cuenta que estar siempre con otras personas no es lo ideal para mí y prefiero un equilibrio entre pasar tiempo con otra gente y tener algo de tiempo para reflexionar yo sola. Tuve tiempo para ver florecer a mi imaginación (me estoy refiriendo, evidentemente, a hacer punto, mi pasión mas reciente y por lo que la mayoría de la gente que me conoció me recordará).

Relacionado con la educación y forma de vida de bajo impacto, crecí en un sitio en el que todo este tipo de cosas alternativas eran muy comunes. Por lo que me sentí como si estuviese en el centro de la acción y podía ver con mis propios ojos la implicaciones de mis ideas. Aun así tuve problemas con la falta de comodidades, pero independientemente de mis quejas, lo consideraba mas lujoso que la forma de vida a la que estaba acostumbra en la ciudad. La comunidad tiene fallos y es un proyecto en desarrollo. Después de todo es creado por personas e independientemente del tiempo que pases en la comunidad te sientes como que contribuyes a hacerlo lo que es.

Después de la experiencia, me fui con la conclusión de que esta es la forma de vida que me hace feliz y con la sensación de que es una realidad posible en el futuro cercano. Me voy con la motivación de no dejar esto como una fantasía sino como una realidad y en busca de sitios simulares a lo largo del mundo (y posiblemente Sunseed de nuevo en el futuro <3).

DSC00346

Dimitria hizo sus practicas en Sunseed con el programa de Erasmus durante seis meses, desde Octubre de 2013 hasta Abril de 2014

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This month we planted medicinal plants in the Arboretum. For that, we previously made a trench to irrigate and we covered the soil around each plant with biomass to avoid evaporation. Stones were set along the trench to keep moisture and let the water go through them. plantation 2 Then, we made some small signs including the latin name of the plant, the family, and the common name in English and Spanish. Hierba Luisa 200kb These plants have several benefits for health. For example, Aloe Vera is very famous in cosmetic. Sunseed had recently an Aloe Vera workshop ran by Aloe de Sorbas. There volunteers learned how to use it and how protects from radiation and sun burns. Also appears that drinking Aloe Vera provides vitamins, minerals and amino acids that your body need for keeping good health. It is interesting to notice – specially for the “vegetarian community” – that Aloe Vera is a  B12 vitamin precursor. It also helps eliminate toxic minerals and neutralizes free radicals. YarrowOther interesting example is the plant known by Yarrow. Says the myth that Achillis used Achillea millefolium for his soldiers as it stops the bleeding quickly and it has strong healing properties. Medicinal plant books that we recommend for you to learn about the healing power of the plants; Thomas Bartram’s book “Bartram’s Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine” and “Pio Font Quer book “Dioscórides”. In the following table you will find the medicinal plants we planted. This table  provides some information about the properties, uses, pars of the plant to use and the habitats of these plants.
Scientific name Common name Properties Uses Part of the plant Habitat
Lavandula dentata L. Lavender Antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, anxiolytic and antispasmodic. Ornamental, medicinal, culinary, fragrance, soil erosion control. flowers Rocky mountainous areas
Rosmarinus officinalis Rosemary Antispasmodic, antibacterial, antidepressant , antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, neurological protection. ornamental, medicinal , culinary, fragrance, soil erosion control. leaves Mediterraneo, calcarium soil
Achillea millefolium Yarrow Diaphoretic, astringent, anti-inflammatory and tonic. medicinal, soil erosion control. leaves Temperate regions
Cymbopogon citritus Lemongrass Anti-inflammatory, anxiolytic, antifungal and anti-congestion. Culinary, medicinal, pesticide, preservative, insect repellent. leaves Tropical grasslands
A. barbadensis Mill. Aloe Vera Antibiotic, demulcent, coagolant, astringent, vitamin B12, growth stimulator and free radical neutralizer. For protection  against radiantion and sunburn squeeze the gel in the skin/ the afected area. Drink combined with fruits.  leaves Rockeries and other low water-use gardens
Aloysia triphylla Lemon verbena Antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and  antioxidant. medicinal, culinary, fragrance. All the plant Tropical climes,  frost-free areas

Este mes hemos estado plantando plantas medicinales en el Arboretum. Para ello, se ha preparado el suelo haciendo una pequeña zanja de irrigación alrededor de las plantas que hemos plantado. Cubrimos el suelo con biomasa para así evitar la evaporación y utilizamos piedras para rellenar la zanja y permitir mantener la humedad y dejar que el agua pase a través.
plantation 2

Las plantas se ha acompañado de un cartel que incluye el nombre científico, la familia y el nombre común.

Hierba Luisa 200kb

Estas plantas medicinales poseen varios beneficios para la salud. Por ejemplo, el Aloe Vera es muy famoso en cosmética. De hecho, Sunseed tuvo recientemente un taller a cerca el aprovechamiento del Aloe Vera impartido por “Aloe de Sorbas”. El Aloe protege de las quemaduras y de la radiación solar. A su vez, el consumo de Aloe Vera proporciona vitaminas, minerales y aminoácidos que nuestro cuerpo necesita para mantenerse sano. Es un precursor de la vitamina B12, también ayuda a eliminar minerales tóxicos y neutraliza los radicales libres.

YarrowOtro ejemplo interesante, es la planta conocida por la Milenrama. Dice el mito, que Aquiles utilizaba esta planta para que sus soldados pudieran tratar sus heridas en batalla. Es una planta que detiene hemorragias y tiene fuertes propiedades curativas.

Recomendamos los siguientes libros para aprender sobre el poder curativo de las plantas; “Bartram’s Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine” (Thomas Bartram) y “Dioscórides” (Pio Font Quer).

En la siguiente tabla se encuentran las plantas medicinales que plantamos. Se incluye información sobre las propiedades, usos, partes de la planta a utilizar y su distribución y entorno.

Scientific name Common name Properties Uses Part of the plant Habitat
Lavandula dentata L. Lavanda Antiséptico, anti-inflamatorio, anxiolytico, antiespasmódico. Ornamental, medicinal, culinario, fragancia, control de la erosión del suelo. Flores Zonas rocosas montañosas.
Rosmarinus officinalis Romero Antiespasmódico, antibacterial, antidepresivo, antioxidante, anti-inflammatorio y protector neurológico. Ornamentales, medicinales, culinarias, la fragancia, el control de la erosión del suelo. Hojas Mediterráneo, suelos calcáreos.
Achillea millefolium Milenrama Diaforético, astringente, anti-inflamatorio y tónico. Medicinal, control de la erosión del suelo. Hojas Regiones templadas.
Cymbopogon citratus Cañita de Limón Anti-inflamatorio, anxiolytico, antifúngico y anti-congestión. Culinary, medicinales, pesticidas, conservantes, repelente de insectos. Hojas Prados tropicales.
A. barbadensis Mill. Aloe Vera Antibiotico, demulcente, coagolante, astringente, vitamin B12, estimulante de crecimiento y neutralizante de radicales libres. Para la protección contra las quemaduras solares y radiantion exprimir el gel en la piel / el área de lado afecto. Beba combinado con frutas.  Hojas Roquedos y regiones de secano.
 Aloysia triphylla Hierba luisa Antibacteriano, anti-inflamatorio y   antioxidante. Medicinal, culinario y fragancia. Toda la planta Climas tropicales.

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