A couple of years ago the Tashipark Project was born, trying to give to Tashigar Norte the needed tools to consolidate our self-sustaining through the intelligent use of resources possessed in the land. The project had two aspects: one relating to the development of necessary skills among residents of Tashigar Norte to achieve this goal and the other on an educational program aimed at school children on the island of Margarita that allow us to generate temporary financial resources to finance the Permaculture design of the space and contribute to the annual budget of the Gar. The latter was channeled through offering guided tours whose pillars were Permaculture (sustainable design and ecology workshops) and Integral Wellbeing (yoga sets and interaction with nature).
Today the Tashipark project has been redefined as an educational project focused primarily on Integral Wellbeing and has oriented its goal to generate financial resources for the Gar. Carlos Garcia has taken the lead and restructuring of the project as Project Manager.
As a result, the aspect relating to the Permaculture design of Tashigar Norte (which is different from the community gardens Project in the urbanization) has gained autonomy in relation to the Tashipark Project. From 2014 each project will have an independent accounting cost for the Gar. This year we received some funds to restart the design project from some private donations and a contribution from the owners of the village through PCTN that get together with the funds that we had generated from the Tashipark Project during 2013.
The swales
Last January during a meeting with Tashigar Norte`s Gakyil an intervention of approximately 2 acres of the land that was the aloe field was approved. With the funds that we received we were able to hire two days of a backhoe to start digging the “swales” in the assigned area. The intention is to create a forest with various fruit species that can survive without the need of constant watering. Part of the swales are designed to use rainwater that is collected through the village`s drain system (cunetas) that up to now have been wasted and not used. At the moment we are preparing and protecting land in anticipation of the next rainy season when we will plant the new trees.
Also we have traced a system of channels that uses our treated water from our waste water treatment plant, that was previously just discarded without any use. Around these channels we will planting 30 to 40 coconuts that we have produced in our own nursery. Over the coming months our focus will be on the production of the trees that we will plant in the prepared area. We will organize expeditions to the adjacent mountains of the Gar to bring local little trees.
Another achievement of the project, which included the massive participation of all residents of Tashigar Norte, is the culmination of our first dry toilet. It’s been fun to work on it, and we are happy with the outcome. It is missing small details but this week it will already be operative. In its construction we use a foundation of recycled tires, the walls were raised with clay extracted from Tashigar Norte soil, posts are neem trunks from within the Gar, there was a first attempt at a roof made from coconut palm leaves, also from the Gar; and so like this we are learning how to use the resources that we have at hand with a small investment of money. This first experience in bio building has given us the confidence to propose the Gakyil to intervene in the abandoned retreat cabin in the mountains using this technology. If the proposal is approved, in September or October this work will start.
At the level of local integration, we are expecting the approval of an agreement for recycling the cardboard generated in SIGO supermarkets that is useful to us to protect the system of swales.
If you want to learn more about the project or collaborate with it visit: http://permacultureglobal.com/projects/1113-tashigar-norte-permacultural-project or write to [email protected]
