Rosella Waters Earthworks, Phase I, Part B
Biological Cleaning, Conservation, Dams, Demonstration Sites, Earth Banks, Education Centers, Food Forests, Gabions, Irrigation, Land, Limonia, Material, Natural Swimming, Plant Systems, Potable Water, Roads, Storm Water, Swales, Water Harvesting — by Kym Kruse January 8, 2010
 The Mushroom Dam overlooking the beach area |
It’s taken a while to find the time to sit down and report on Part B of our earthworks here at Rosella Waters, near Cairns in far North Queensland. Phase I Part A was documented whilst the process was taking place. This latest update however will rely on memory and hurried notes made during the process, together with numerous photos. Large excavations such as the two large dams we constructed in part A are considerably easier to direct and far less time consuming than the finer detail work using smaller machinery as we experienced in putting in Part B.
Comments (0)Rosella Waters – Earthworks Phase 1, Part A
Dams, Demonstration Sites, Land, Material, Swales, Water Harvesting — by Kym Kruse August 8, 2009
After many months of planning and waiting for the earthmovers to have their equipment available, the transformation of our humble 6 acres has begun.
As with any major event in one’s life, there was an air of excited anticipation and a slightly sick feeling in our stomachs. Just like the one you can get when you go travelling in far-flung places. You feel as ready as you’ll ever be but not 100% sure how things will pan out. Since doing our PDCs at the PRI over 2 years ago, these are our first major earthworks and time to put all that theory into practice!
Comments (2)Organic Waste Matters
Compost, Rehabilitation, Soil Erosion & Contamination, Water Contamination — by Kym Kruse May 14, 2009
by Kym Kruse, of Free Range Permaculture
Next time you go to throw that banana peel in the bin, stop and think about the environmental impact that action has. As with most things these days, we are quickly running out of landfill space. More than 50% of all household waste, from vegetable scraps to garden waste, can be recycled or composted. By doing this you can not only help your own bank account, but also help the environment by reducing landfill contamination and greenhouse gases.
When organic matter in landfill breaks down it does so anaerobically, meaning without oxygen. This occurs because landfill is compressed, which squeezes out all the oxygen. Anaerobic decomposition produces acids which when mixed with items such as plastic creates a toxic mix called leachate. This poison then leaches into the ground water and from there it’s a short trip to our waterways. Harmful greenhouse gasses such as methane and carbon dioxide are also produced, which contribute to our climate change problems. All of that, just for throwing a banana peel in the bin? The answer is yes, but the other question is “What do we do about it?” The answer to that is simple.
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