Solar Library in Las Cuchillas!!

Greetings Bona Fide friends and supporters,


This last week saw the the installation of a super efficient LED solar electric light system up in the Las Cuchillas cloud forest village, which is w/o electricity. The library is not only used for study but also cultural events and community meetings. Walker Brown, Kate Bolton, Jeremy and yours truly participated and the apprectices flexed their new solar knowledge muscles in the name of learning and outreach. Watering and dry season work continues, bio-char creation continues, and seed collection for the Haiti trip for nursery establishment looms as thousands of seeds are collected.

Best,

Chris Shanks
C0-Director Project Bona Fide

Permaculture course 2010

Photo above: Making Bio-char with bona fide timber produced in renewable timber systems based on coppice and pollard system type management. Thanks to Shad for his help with our first charcoal making episode.
Above pictured: Fran and Guillermo with a 40 pounds Jaquero/Jackfruit!!!

Same jackfruit pictured with a plantain bunch and our first significant harvest of canistel or Pouteria campechiana. A tree crops candidate.

Permaculture students and botanical ninjas of peace hard at work on a vaulted locally fired brick oven with a cob insulating layer mix. Design courtesy of Michael Judd and cob goddess Rachel.


Greetings Bona Fide friends and supporters,

WOW! February felt even shorter than its 28 days. The month blew past whilst we held our 7th annual Permaculture design course. We hosted 18 people and had folks from: Canada, USA, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Germany. Thanks to all who attended, contributed, taught, shared, cooked, led work projects, and coordinated. This year saw the return of Reed Aubin to the Ometepe PDC scene. Reed brought 4 years of experience since his last visit to the course and to the translation experience whilst Tiny Man and Reed together provided a dynamic duo of new ideas, teaching and mirth. After 15 days we were quite exhausted and a few days of relaxation were called for. A trip to the Rio San Juan was in order and was made. The Rio San Juan is a must see for all folks who have the time to make it out to this percious SE corner of Nicaragua.

Many Thanks to all and more frequent updates to come.

Best,

Chris Shanks