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Rio+20 Rio+Green. Introduction to permaculture and agroforestry systems workshops at the "Complexo do AlemÆo" community.
The project Rio+20 Rio +Green of the Botanical Garden of Bras¡lia will be held this Sunday at the "Complexo do AlemÆo" community.
The proposal is to teach people how the Botanical Gardens can inspire practical and also economical
production processes based on protecting the environment and on the rational use of natural resources.
This project was born from a partnership between the Ministry of Defense and the Botanical Garden of Brasilia;
it was built with the community of "Complexo do AlemÆo" and resulted in the permaculture workshops,
which was a demand from the community.
So, for example, if we were able to combine the orchard with a Food forest throughout here,
and a community kitchen, we have already created a productive model
involving several generations and different groups of people.
During this week we had an introduction to permaculture course, in which we discussed the basic principles of permaculture,
as well as an introduction to urban permaculture, for example, how you can handle your organic waste, by composting it at home.
So permaculture rescues culture, rescues ancient knowledge. For instance the growing of local foods, a culture that is rapidly vanishing.
But it also combines elements of modern technologies, such as solar energy...
So this here is the famous solar oven, or not so famous, I guess. We basically need two cardboard boxes,
a big one and smaller one. In this smaller one we will place a pan.
I am somehow very happy to be participating in this course here in this part of town (Ol ria), because I was born and raised here.
We are developing various technologies and projects here in "Complexo do AlemÆo" community.
I'm here to learn and to represent "MB", Brazilian women of the State government.
In the next three days, we had a workshop focusing on an evapo-transpiration basin,
which is exactly the system we have here. It is a system for the ecological treatment of sewage, which turns a problem into a solution.
The local situation, is where there is water running down the hill, and we do not know if it's sewage or spring water, it is probably a little bit of both.
Because there where many rocks in the soil, and it would be very hard to dig them out, we built this dam, which is a dam made of tires,
so we are using a recycled materials already.
The big advantage here is that we will reuse various materials; we will be creating a nice landscape here,
which is greener and will also produce food.
Here we will harvest bananas, taro, here you will be able to harvest any fruit that it will be free from contamination.
The purpose of this ecological sewage basin, is to treat sewage,
the toilet water will come in to this watertight tank.
This tank has a filtering system, and on top of it, we have fertile soil and plants,
mainly bananas, but also ornamental plants such as: heliconias and lilies.
The plants absorb the nutrients from the water, and then they transpire the water into the atmosphere.
So it really is a fantastic technology that can be applied not only here in Rio de Janeiro slums, but everywhere in Brazil.
I leave this community happy because we managed to bring this benefit to the community, treating sewage producing food and creating a pleasant landscape.
The sewage basin is of great value to the community because it retained a lot of black waters.
When you come to our community, and see it, it is so dirty because of all this black water leaking,
and so I'd rather have it in the Basin so it accumulates there and will stay there.
I am an environmental agent of the municipal secretary of environment.
I work right here in this community, I am from here actually.
I'm finding the course interesting because what was just sewage before, and had no use,
now has another use and it will help the community for sure.
I grew up in a place where sewage and drinking water would end up somewhat mixed,
so imagine how contaminated it was. So I think this work is super cool.
How cool, a sunflower seed...
One of the solutions, we presented at these workshops was the low cost solar heating of water (ASBC).
I am a monitor of the "sun society" the NGOs that has developed the low cost solar heating of water (ASBC).
Here we have a water tank and a solar collector. The tank will store the water and the collector will heat it.
This Collector is made from a corrugated PVC panel; we will paint it black so it absorbs more heat.
When filling the system, and we will fill it up in a few minutes, the water gets stuck here,
then it comes down through this ***, then through the pipe it comes down here. So it gets stuck, then it goes through these channels.
When it gets to this pipe and finds it closed, the water has no choice except going up, because of the pressure caused by the water coming down.
So it ends up back here in the tank. So I'm creating a Communicating vessels system.
When the sun is lower, which is in the winter, we have critical conditions, and it is also when we need the most hot water.
So we scale and orient the panels/solar collectors according to the worst possible condition, which is winter.
I think the course the community has shown the most interest in, was the Low Cost Solar Heating,
because they have perceived how quick it is to assemble it.
And this is one issue they will feel directly in their pockets, now that electricity companies are coming in and starting to charge them for energy.
And if every citizen, every family in this community had 50 reais more in their pockets at the end of the month,
that would be money that could help move the economy of this entire region generating wealth and jobs.
I did not expect that with such inexpensive materials, you could build a system that worked this well.
When we heat water with solar energy, which is clean energy, free, inexhaustible,
if we think of our lifecycle on this planet as a species, this is energy until the end of time.
And as we are inserted in this reality, we are trying to develop actions, and discussing environmental issues within slums.
And in our strategic vision we see the slum as a space of great opportunities to think about a new society.
And in the last three days, we had a Food forest/ Agroforestry workshop.
This is a system for production of organic food,
based on the acceleration of the natural succession of species.
It is a poly-culture system in which wet have both native species and food producing species.
So we can have a plant producing 3, 4 times more biomass, (leafs and wood), by pruning it then if we would, if did not prune it.
So we are taking 70% of the branches of this tree down.
In a year from now, you can come back here and take a picture and send it to me.
At least 70% of this branches will have grown back; and grown with much more strength.
If we where to lay down this large tree here and make a circle; around its perimeter, it would have an influence on other plants,
and not only with its shadow but also with its energy.
So with this pruning we have done, we are doing the contrary this old stagnant tree has been doing.
Because this tree will re-sprout. When you prune a branch it re-sprouts, correct?
When this tree re-sprouts, it tells all other plants around it, that they have to sprout as well. That means it is sending new strong energy to the entire system.
Every three meters we have a repetition of beds, with fruits.
Each bed will have, every 2 feet an orange, or a "biriba", or a "jabuticaba" or a hog plum or a banana tree.
This bed has been fluffed out and fertilized with worm hummus.
The Agroforests are systems that are always producing diverse food: In the first 6 weeks you will have vegetables.
After 8 weeks we have grasses, corn and different types of plants that produce organic matter.
These are grown in-between the beds, and will be used to cover them and become an organic fertilizer.
Then in the first 2 years we start having yams, cassava, pineapples.
After, 3, 4, 5 years, we get the fruit trees.
Within 5 years we can harvest different kinds of wood.
It is a system that produces food, retains water in the soil, generates fertile soil, (because of this accumulation organic matter),
and captures CO2 from the atmosphere and helps to prevent erosion. So it is technique that is very appropriate for hillsides.
What part did you like best? It was the planting, seriously. It really was the planting.
Well, working with permaculture and agro ecology are strategies that are very interesting and have a positive impact in the community.
I was very surprised with the receptivity of the community. There was a sense of solidarity that developed there.
I think this kind of initiative can really bring a little more dignity to these peoples lives.
Because you can produce food to feed your stomach, but with this method you are proposing here, it nourishes your soul as well.
Healthy organic food without poison, without pesticides.
It's one thing to eat lettuce and force kids to eat it. Another thing is to have kids plant it and have this direct contact.
This experience is very important, transformative really.
I think we will see a very big change here, I think we already have this change
if we compare it with what we had here before. I think this change is already happening.
Because of what happened here in our community, my life changed so much.
I really enjoyed this, and today I am no longer that same kid I was. Before I just thought of drug traffic and theft.
Nowadays I try to do the best for nature. What happened here is wonderful.
I hope it expands, and that we can plant this entire hill here.
And this is not just for me but also for my children and my grandchildren, you know.