The Xerces Society

www.xerces.org

From their website:
The Xerces Society is a nonprofit organization that protects wildlife through the conservation of invertebrates and their habitat. Established in 1971, the Society is at the forefront of invertebrate protection worldwide, harnessing the knowledge of scientists and the enthusiasm of citizens to implement conservation programs.


Butterflies, dragonflies, beetles, worms, starfish, mussels, and crabs are but a few of the millions of invertebrates at the heart of a healthy environment. Invertebrates build the stunning coral reefs of our oceans; they are essential to the reproduction of most flowering plants, including many fruits, vegetables, and nuts; and they are food for birds, fish, and other animals. Yet invertebrate populations are often imperiled by human activities and rarely accounted for in mainstream conservation.


The Society uses advocacy, education, and applied research to defend invertebrates.


Over the past three decades, we have protected endangered species and their habitats, produced ground-breaking publications on insect conservation, trained thousands of farmers and land managers to protect and manage habitat, and raised awareness about the invertebrates of forests, prairies, deserts, and oceans.

One of the programs that they offer (I am hoping to take one of these days) is their Pollinator Conservation Course.  Many of these day-long courses are offered for free or for minimal cost (around $30).  They are offered in many places around the U.S. and they were just approved through a grant by the SARE to do a tour through the southeastern United States.  Their Pollinator Conservation page is here.  Their extensive Pollination Conservation Resource Center page is here.  Their listing of upcoming Pollinator Conservation Courses is here.

Take some time to check out this website, their resources, and find out what they may be doing near you.

Book Review: The Sibley Guide to Birds

 

  The Sibley Guide to Birds

Identification guides are an important component of your library if you plan to have anything to do with nature.  From hiking to gardening to living in the country, identifying what you see can make the difference between just seeing nature and truly understanding it.

I have read literally dozens of bird identifications books since I was a kid.  I have often liked one or two aspects of them, but none of them have been anywhere close to the level of The Sibley Guide to Birds.  The big issue with most bird identification guides is that while they may show a photo, it is usually a single photo, of one bird, of questionable quality, in one season, in unique lighting.  If you happen to see a bird in that same time of year in the same conditions, then you have a reasonably good mode of identification.

Sample pages from The Sibley Guide to Birds.

Left: Golden Eagle; Right: Bald Eagle

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The Sibley Guide is all illustrated with paintings done by David Sibley.  Many of the birds have multiple illustrations showing immature, mature, regional, and other variations.  As you can see from the pages above, the Golden Eagle has twelve illustrations for identification... 12!  That is amazing!  While each individual illustration is good, they may not be the absolute best artistically - meaning they may not look as good as some amazing painters recreate life.  But what Sibley excels at is capturing the unique characteristics of each bird.  It's almost like how a caricature artist captures the two to three unique features of a face and portrays the image so anyone can identify that person.  Sibley's paintings are more realistic than that of a caricature artist, but he is so talented at capturing the unique points to identify each species of bird.

Overall, this is the best bird identification book I have ever seen and used... and I have used it often.  I highly recommend this book be added to your bookshelf.

Permaculture Principles: Principle Ten - Use and Value Diversity

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Holmgren's Twelve Principles of Permaculture

1.  Observe and Interact

2.  Catch and Store Energy

3.  Obtain a Yield

4.  Apply Self Regulation and Accept Feedback

5.  Use and Value Renewable Resources and Services

6.  Produce No Waste

7.  Design from Patterns to Details

8.  Integrate Rather than Segregate

9.  Use Small and Slow Solutions

10. Use and Value Diversity

11. Use the Edges and Value the Margin

12. Creatively Use and Respond to Change

http://permacultureprinciples.com/principle_10.php

Principle Ten: Use and Value Diversity
Holmgren's Proverb for this Principle:  Don't put all your eggs in one basket.

Variety is the spice of life!  It is also the key to sustainability.  Nowhere in nature do you see just one thing, one plant, one environment.  Our Permaculture Design should be no different.

Our plants should be diverse - this allows more variety in our diets which is healthy, more redundancy in our harvest which is prudent, less monoculture which is great for pest confusion, healthier soil, and creates habitats and microclimates which in turn lead to increased diversity of insects, birds, mammals, fungi, and all life in general.  One way to utilize diversity in plants as a design element is with the concept of Permaculture Guilds.

Our plant species themselves should be diverse - besides diversity in flavors, different varieties also provide diversity in pest and disease resistance.  Early season, mid season, and late season varieties also provides much needed and desired redundancy.  It helps ensure a crop regardless of late frosts, droughts, pests, or any other unforeseen calamity that strikes at the perfect, or worst possible, time.

Our systems should be diverse - again this also allows for greater redundancy, which again provides more stability in our total system.  Water harvesting is one of the most important systems that need to have diversification.

Finally, this diversity can also apply to many things non-agricultural: investing, skills, education, transportation, communication, communities, etc.

"Don't put all your eggs in one basket" reminds us that when we rely on only one method or system, if that system fails, then we have guaranteed failure instead of success and sustainability.

Diversity reduces vulnerability to a variety of threats and takes advantage of the unique nature of the environment in which it resides.

- David Holmgren

RainSaucers

www.rainsaucers.com

I was going to start this post by saying how much I hate it when I come up with a great idea only to find out that someone else has already beat me to it.  But in reality, I don't care that much.  It makes be feel good that I had an idea that works!

My idea was to have a large circular sail that could open up flat (horizontal) when it rained.  It would have a very large surface area of at least 1,000 square feet (300 square meters).  This would be used for rain water collection, mainly for livestock tank filling, but also for human consumption as well.

The simple, yet elegant, RainSaucer.

Then, just a few days ago, I heard an interview with Tom Spargo on The Survival Podcast.  This gentleman created a scaled down version of my idea... okay, so it was his idea! :)

The RainSaucer can easily be connected to many different systems.

The RainSaucer is a rain harvesting tool.  It is portable.  It is durable.  It can be connected to many different collection systems (buckets, barrels, troughs, etc.)  It is also not that expensive at only $55.  He has completed many field trials in Guatemala providing locals with inexpensive ways to obtain clean drinking water.

RainSaucers incorporated into a trellis on a sustainable garden.  Love it!

No, I don't own stock in this company (I doubt they actually have stock), but I see a great product here. This is one that will be incorporated into my Permaculture System in the future.  Here is a link to the only place the currently sells the RainSaucer online, but I think that will change quickly as this company continues to grow.  And here is a video on installing the RainSaucer.  It shows how simple this system is, and typically all great ideas are simple but brilliant.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4mUMQ4Dzq_0

Check out these other Water Harvesting posts:

Dew Ponds
Gabions for Creek Restoration
Hugelkultur
Rain Harvesting from Your Roof
Swales

Permaculture Plants: The Medlar Tree

The Common Medlar

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Common Name: Medlar
Scientific Name: Mespilus germanica
Family: Rosaceae

Ripe or "bletted" Medlars ready to eat

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Description:
The Medlar is a small tree or a large shrub native to southwest Asia (Turkey and Iran) and southeast Europe that was one of the most common fruits in Western Civilization, yet is almost unknown today.  The name of the tree is also the name of the fruit.  It has large dark leaves that turn yellow or red in the fall.  The fruit are 0.5-1.5 inches (2-3 cm) in diameter and are brown when ripe.  People either love or hate the fruit.  The hard fruit only become edible after bletting (see trivia below).  When ripe, the fruit has a flavor and consistency of "spiced applesauce with wine undertones".  People who dislike the flavor of the fresh fruit state that it tastes like rotten apples. This is yet another great-tasting fruit that few people know of because it doesn't ship or store well and is therefore not available in stores.  It has almost no pests or disease and requires almost no maintenance.  This is one of the great trees for an Edible Forest Garden.

Medlar Trees, Cagnes by Pierre-Auguste Renoir, 1908

http://www.wikipaintings.org/en/pierre-auguste-renoir/medlar-trees-cagnes-1908

History:
Native to the Black Sea coasts of Turkey and the Caspian Sea coasts of Iran, the Medlar has likely been cultivated for over 3,000 years.  Introduced to Greece aroun 700 BC and to Rome around 200 BC.  It was a common Middle Ages fruit that spread through much of Europe and Britain.  It became less and less popular as apples and pears become more common, and their fruits store and ship much better.  The Medlar was often stored in stacks of hay in the barn and enjoyed through the winter, very uncommon for a fruit.  It is believed to have been brought to North America by Jesuit priests in the 1800's and to South Africa in the 17th Century.

Trivia:

• Fruit must be bletted before eaten.  Typically this is done by picking the fruit after the first frost and storing it in a cool place.  The fruit must be stored calyx-end down.  The fruit will sofen, the skin will darken, and the skin will slightly wrinkle.  Bletting can take from one to three weeks.  Fruit can be allowed to ripen on the tree, but this may result in more dry-tasting fruit; however, some people prefer this.
• There is a Stoneless variety that has no seeds, but lacks good flavor.
• The only other Mespilus species, M. canescens or Stern's Medlar, was found in Arkansas, United States in 1990.  Only 25 existing plants are known.
• Popular in European Literature: Chaucer calls it the "open-arse fruit"; Shakespeare makes frequent mention of the medlar that is "rotten before it is ripe" and used as a symbol of premature destitution; Dekker states that women are like medlars, "no sooner ripe but rotten".

Harvesting Medlars

Photo from the Root Simple website.

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USING THIS PLANT
Primary Uses:

• Fresh Eating - Halve the fruit and scoop out the pulp, avoid or spit out the seeds
• Jams and Jellies - naturally high in pectin
• Tarts 
• Pies and Desserts
• Fruit Leather
• Folded with cream
• Wine
• "Medlar Cheese" - made with fruit pulp, eggs, and butter (similar to lemon curd)
• Traditional dessert - roasting Medlars with butter and cloves

Secondary Uses:

• General insect (especially bees) nectar source
• Specimen tree (elbowed branches, big leaves, interesting flowers, beautiful fall color, fruit stays on after leaf drop, great tasting fruit, tree that is low-maintenance)
• Very hard wood, but does not get large and the branches are not very straight; therefore, it has been used for spear points, hunting and warfare clubs, fighting sticks, and in windmill parts.  The Basque people use the Medlar to make their traditional Makhila (walking stick and weapon)

Yield: 20 lbs per tree
Harvesting: Mid-Autumn (October-November); Typically harvested after the first frost or when the leaves are starting to drop.  Handle the hard fruits gently for best bletting (see Trivia above).
Storage: Once ripe, they will only last a few days.

The central Medlar blossom at the end of the stem with elliptical leaves.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2d/Medlar_blossom.JPG

DESIGNING WITH THIS PLANT
USDA Hardiness Zone: 5-8
AHS Heat Zone: 9-4
Chill Requirement: not described

Plant Type: Tree
Leaf Type: Deciduous
Forest Garden Use: Sub-Canopy Tree or Canopy for a small Forest Garden
Cultivars/Varieties: A few are available, but the difference is either in the size of the fruit or the shape of the tree (weeping, bushy, open tree).  The fruit flavor is not much different between

Pollination: Self-pollinating (Self-fruitful) - only one plant is needed to produce fruit

Flowering: May-June
Life Span: Information for this ranges from "30-50 years" to "very long-lived tree"
Years to Begin Bearing: 3-5 years

Medlar Tree in an English backyard

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dhedwards/4971270733/sizes/m/in/photostream/

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THIS PLANT
Size: 10-20 feet (3-6 m) tall and wide
Roots: not described
Growth Rate: Medium

Bark of the Medlar Tree

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c5/Mespilus_germanica_007.jpg

GROWING CONDITIONS FOR THIS PLANT
Light: Full Sun
Shade: Tolerates moderate shade, but still needs a little direct sun per day to fruit.  More sun = larger yields
Moisture: Medium
pH: 5.5-7.5

Special Considerations for Growing: Plant new trees between November and March.

Propagation:
Typically grafted on to hawthorn rootstock (which can grow in a variety of conditions), but also on pear and quince rootstock.

Maintenance:
None once established.  Does not need pruning and does not have any significant pests or disease.
An occasional pruning in let in light or too remove dead branches could be needed.

Concerns:
Fruit must be bletted, which some lazy people find too time consuming.
Some people do not like the flavor of the fresh fruit.  If you have limited space, try to taste one before you plant the tree.

Medlar in mid autumn

http://www.wolfson.cam.ac.uk/gardens/autumn_2010/2010_autumn_8.jpg

Medlar in early winter

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Medlar in mid winter

http://www.ediblelandscaping.com/images/site/medlar%20fruit%20winter%20DSC_02340304.jpg

Rocket Mass Heater

A Rocket Mass Heater

http://www.jocelynsevents.com/images/rocket_heater_dana_annex.jpg

I have been intrigued by Rocket Mass Heaters ever since I heard of them about a year ago.  So what exactly is a Rocket Mass Heater?  Well, it is a variation of a Rocket Stove (don't worry if you haven't heard of that either) combined with the concept of a Masonry Stove.

The concept is simple and brilliant.  Wood is burned in a uniquely shaped "combustion chamber" that burns wood very efficiently.  The heat produced from the burning wood heats up a large thermal mass (usually some form of bench).  By the time the exhaust exits the room, it is only about 90 degrees F (32 C).  The exhaust is mostly water and carbon dioxide. 

Let me show you an illustration of a Rocket Mass Heater for better understanding:

Illustration of a Rocket Mass Heater

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What are the benefits of a Rocket Mass Heater?

• Use a lot less wood for heating.  The amount depends on where you live, but you can expect about one fourth to one sixth of what a very efficient fireplace or woodburning stove uses to heat a room/home.
• Almost no pollution.  The fire burns so hot and intense, that only water vapor and carbon dioxide is released.  And for you "Carbon Footprint" Nazi's out there, it is "carbon neutral".  Clippings from branches in the yard or from branches fallen out of trees or even from coppiced trees is all that is needed in most cases.  All that is left in the combustion chamber is a little bit of white ash.
• Better at keeping and sustaining heat.  Almost 90% of the heat produced stays within the home instead of being lost out the chimney.  The thermal mass can keep radiating heat for 12-48 hrs after the fire is out. 
• Needs less tending.  As the heat is radiating long after the fire is out, there is no need to tend the fire or watch for spitting embers.

What are the downsides to a Rocket Mass Heater?

• You need to build it yourself.  There is no commercial version available now.
• It is heavy!  The thermal mass being made mostly of clay/adobe is weighs a lot.  You can't just install these anywhere.
• It uses clay/adobe.  For some, this is great.  For others, well, let's just say a Rocket Mass Heater doesn't blend will with a New World Colonial Design.  (I actually have no idea if that is a design style or not, but it sounds pretty good!)
• They take a while to warm up.  A big thermal mass can take up to 4 hours to heat up (but then it will retain heat for a long longer as well).
• Building codes don't really know what to make of this yet.  It is a relatively new concept (2004 as I can best tell from researching it).
• You can get some "smoke back" when initially lighting the wood or if the Rocket Mass Heater is not designed well.

WARNING: Sloppy hippy alert.  As is often the case, it is the more eccentric individuals who are the first to attempt/try new innovative projects like a Rocket Mass Heater.  These individuals are usually hippies.  These hippies are usually very messy or sloppy individuals who leave piles of junk all over the place.  Unfortunately, it is hard for many people to see past this chaos and find the gem underneath.  In my opinion, a Rocket Mass Heater has an amazing potential for energy savings.  I think they need to be made a lot more attractive before they will be adopted on a more widespread scale, but what an amazing concept!

Here is a pretty good video that highlights a number of Rocket Mass Heaters (with the aforementioned sloppy hippies).  It was done by Paul Wheaton of Permies.com.

This is just an introduction to the concept of Rocket Mass Heaters.  I plan on providing more detailed information in the future. Stay tuned!

Book Review: Wilderness Medicine

 

Wilderness Medicine, 5th Edition

As a physician and a Fellow in the Academy of Wilderness Medicine, I have to admit that I am a bit biased about this book.  It is the "bible" of Wilderness Medicine.  Let me be up front about it, this is a medical textbook.  This is a book written for physicians by physicians and Ph.D.'s.  It is not light reading.  It is over 2,300 pages without references - those were put on a disk in the back flap of the book!  I am not saying that this book cannot be read by a non-physician.  Please!  Physicians are just people.  They have studied for years to speak "medical", but it is not an entirely different language.  Besides, this book is written in a bit more laid back style than traditional medical textbooks.  There are tons of great photos and illustrations as well!

The book covers in great detail just about any topic dealing with medicine for the outdoors.  For example, and in no means all-inclusive, here are some topics: splints and slings, animal bites, plant induced skin rashes, high-altitude medical issues, underwater medical issues, travelling overseas, care for the elderly and very young in the wilderness, combat medicine, head injuries, broken bones, pain management, psychiatric issues in the wilderness, living off the land, cold-exposure injuries, heat-exposure injuries, and the list goes on and on and on.  While it is geared for the "wilderness", if you can imagine an injury or medical issue that could arise on a farm, then there is probably a chapter covering it in great depth.

Dr. Paul Auerbach, one of the co-founders of the Wilderness Medicine Society, besides being a great and approachable guy, has amassed a large collection of chapter writers who are experts in their fields.  I have been very fortunate to meet many of them, hear their lectures in person, discuss medical topics with them, and become friends with a few.  I really don't think you can get better information anywhere else.

If you are interested in living in a more rural area (or very isolated), or you visit these places, or you are just interested in having a great medical textbook on hand "just in case", and you have the ability and/or desire to work your way through a chapter that is not written at a fourth-grade reading level, then I highly recommend this book.