Wood Ash as a natural cleaning material An economical and ecological solution for cleaning
Wood ash and natural lye have been widely used in villages for centuries as a cleaning material in the form of soaps by being mixed with natural oils in certain amounts. Wood ash can be directly used in its dry form for cleaning by scrubbing as well as in the form of lye through mixing it with water. How to prepare lye? Preferably oak or olive wood is used. Chemically processed wood ash should be avoided. Natural ash can be obtained from the bread ovens in your neighbourhood. After the ash … Read more
Window Farming Grow food on your window
Window Farms are a simple, do-it-at-home hydroponic growing systems. It is relatively small-scale, easy to assemble and using simple, accessible, recycled materials. Window farms were developed by an American woman named Britta Reily, who also coined the term 'R &D. I. Y' which means Research and Development - Do It Yourself. The idea is to experiment together on an open source basis, in order to enhance the development of the Window Farms. You can hear more about the idea on Britta's TED talk … Read more
Wind Turbine How to build a wind turbine
This instruction describes the process of building your own wind turbine without having to spend a lot of money. The wind turbine would then allow you to produce your own energy. … Read more
Wildlife-alert per sms saving lives From conflicts to coexistence
Mobile phones are being increasingly used in one of India's southern states to reduce conflict between Asian elephants and the humans who live near their habitat. Ananda Kumar of the Nature Conservation Foundation (NCF) is leading this technological revolution to bring down the number of human casualties from these encounters by sending out mass text alerts to those in the rural areas, where mobile phones are fairly common these days. … Read more
Wicking Beds An easy way to grow food at home, save water and offset some carbon
The wicking bed is a highly productive growing system which not only produces more food from limited water, but also recycles waste organic material to provide plant nutrient and capture carbon. The essence is to form an underground reservoir of water or pond contained by a waterproof container or liner below the surface. Problems would arise if the underground pond was routinely filled by applying water from the surface. The water percolating down through the soil would absorb nutrients which … Read more
What is Dragon Dreaming? Dragon Dreaming definitions
Description: THE SHORTEST DEFINITION Dragon Dreaming – is love in action THE ONE LINE DEFINITION Dragon Dreaming – a way of making 100% of your dreams come true. USED IN WORKSHOPS Dragon Dreaming – a living systems approach to building successful organisations and projects for the Great Turning. CREATED AT A WORKSHOP Dragon Dreaming – an integral design philosophy that takes sustainability into account in every aspect of our lives. AN ENHANCED VERSION FROM WORKSHOPS … Read more
What is an Ecovillage? Definition by the Global Ecovillage Network
An ecovillage is an intentional or traditional community using local participatory processes to holistically integrate ecological, economic, social, and cultural dimensions of sustainability in order to regenerate social and natural environments. … Read more
Water Retention Spaces Creating jobs in rural areas
Better standards of life in rural areas by providing meaningful work that also improves local infrastructure … Read more
Water Harvesting: Swale / Sagia Water Harvesting in Drylands
Water is very precious especially in arid and semi arid regions. Every single drop of rain must therefore be saved and not wasted, evaporation should be decreased, and fertile topsoil should be prevented from running off with the rain, therefore loosing nutrients and causing soil erosion. To prevent this, Sagias or Swales can be implemented to slow down water after a rain and to hold it for the longest period possible for it to sink in slowly and hydrate the landscape. Swales are ditches dug … Read more
Vision Quest Rite of passage and and ritual for initiation
A Vision quest has its origins in the Tradition of the northern american Indians and was part of the culture of most ingigenous People. The Vision Quest, as it is perfomed more and more these days in our culture, was developped by Steven Foster and Meredith Little in the 1970ies. It's not an simple imitation of an indian ritual. Foster and Little took three important elements of the indigenous practice and created a new form of Vision Quest from it: 1.The Methods fasting, being alone in the … Read more
Village Council/Council of Elders Decision-making in rural villages
Village Council/Council of Elders is the decision-making, executive, juridical and supervising body of the village governance. In the village council there are both elected and natural members. Elected members are determined according to universal majority votes for a five year period. Number of members vary from 8 to 10 according to the village population. Anyone who is literate can be a nominee. The village headman is also the head of village council.The headteacher of the village school and … Read more
Vertical Garden Build a vertical veggie patch or flowerbed from recycled materials
Using 2 simple wooden pallets, you can build a vertical garden, to use space more efficiently. The vertical garden is both useful and aesthetic. To build the vertical garden, find two wooden pallets that haven't been treated against pests. One will serve as a construction and the other one, you will dismantle and use to build the planting spaces. The planting spaces are simply triangles with a 45 degree angle. They will be lined with a geotechnical fabric, which allows the water to drip … Read more
