Life's a Beach | Expat Life in Playa del Carmen : Gardening

Go Green with the Kilo Verde Recycling Program

Rob Kinnon — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 11:19:00 GMT

Just a quick reminder to everyone that this Saturday February 16 is the next Kilo Verde recycling opportunity. The kids and I went on our first Kilo Verde "adventure" last month to the installation in the La Guadalupana neighborhood in the north end of Playa. I say adventure as there are no signs on the highway for the turn-off to the fraccionamento and once we found it we drove around for quite awhile trying to find the right park. The local police did not know the location nor did other Solidaridad workers picking up garbage just a few blocks away. *sigh*

Once we arrived, everything was set up and ready to go. We arrived fairly early and unfortunately, they had not yet received their full shipment of plants. We only had a few species to choose from but information about the complete selection of trees, shrubs and flowering plants was carefully prepared and laid out for our reference. It really helped to identify the young plants and to see what we could expect once they matured. There was plenty of staff on hand to register each of us, help sort our recyclable items and weigh electronics and other items not easy sorted. Everyone was super friendly and happy that we had made the effort to participate despite our "adventure". They were very open to the idea of posting a simple map or "croquis" showing the exact location of the recycling center so that people coming from outside the neighborhood would be able to find it more easily.

This week the Kilo Verde Program will be set up in the park in Fracc. Mision de las Flores.

Kilo Verde does not yet have the ability to accept the range of products that the other monthly "Cento de Acopio" can. They do take paper, newspapers, magazines, clean cardboard, plastics #1, #2, #4 and #5, cans, glass bottles and jars and electronics. Everything will be sorted and will be weighed. The center will operate from 9:00 am - 1:00 pm. In order to support the needs of local business people trying to comply with the local government's new recycling regulations, Kilo Verde is able to provide receipts valid for proof of participation.

These are the remaining dates and locations for Kilo Verde 2013:

February 16 – Fracc. Mision de las Flores
March 16 – Col. Luis Donaldo Colosio
April 20 – Fracc. Villamar II
May 18 – Fracc. Mision del Carmen
June 15 – Domo del Ejido
July 20 – Colonia 28 de Julio
August 17 – Fracc. Villas del Sol
September 21 – Colonia Zazil Ha
October 19 - Fracc. Balam Tun
November 16 – Fracc. Las Palmas
December 21 – Colonia Nicte Ha

Gardening on the Riviera Maya - Adventures in Vermiculture

Rob Kinnon — Thu, 20 Sep 2012 00:46:00 GMT

One of the issues we deal with here when planning to garden and landscape is the lack of good, nutrient rich soil. The Yucatan peninsula is an enormous limestone shelf with little or no soil cover at all in many areas. "Black dirt" can be purchased and delivered to your home or gardening project but even that is sadly lacking in essential nutrients and microorganisms to properly support plant growth. As we have been in rentals for the past seven years, making a major commitment to a garden has not been a priority. Now that the plans for our house in the jungle are being finalized and the date approaches for us to break ground, my interest in landscape design and garden planning has been piqued. Although our lot is located in the jungle with a fair amount of humus from centuries of falling leaves and other organic debris, we will still need to supplement the soil if we want to grow fruit trees and vegetables and maintain the lush green (completely inappropriate for the region) lawn my adorable husband is hoping for.

As we will be situated directly above a delicate system of cenotes, we are not planning to introduce any chemicals or synthetic fertilizers in our efforts and will rely completely on biodynamic gardening methods and composting to create and maintain quality soil.The lot we are building on is pretty big so once we are out there we will be able to claim a corner for a traditional compost pile to convert grass clippings, leaves and such but in the meantime, I was looking for a more contained composting method. In June, I attended a vermiculture workshop being held in Puerto Morelos lead by Gerardo Villaneuva and found just the system I was looking for.

Vermiculture is the cultivation of worms and the process of using them in the creation of vermicompost. You contribute organic matter in to feed the worms and out comes "castings" or vermicompost, the world's best fertilizer, clean and easy to use. Worms ingest many kinds of organic waste, pass it through their bodies, converting it into humus rich vermicompost. The vermiculture system designed by Gerardo is a great alternative for those who may not have enough outdoor space for a traditional composting bin or pile. We purchased a system designed to process the amount of waste our four-person family would likely generate but he has smaller systems for singles and couples that could even be placed on an apartment balcony or small patio. Using this system, much of our household garbage will be converted into vermicompost, making good use of our household waste.

My pal and soon-to-be-neighbor Mitch and I both ordered one of these systems but because I knew I would be traveling throughout the summer, I delayed delivery until today! This morning, Gerardo came to show us how and where to set up the system, gave us the basic feeding and harvesting schedule and gave us some ideas about how to best make use of these industrious worms and the garden fertilizer they create. He taught us to feed the worms a combination of "greens" including all fruits and vegetables, vegetable and fruit peels and ends and grass clippings and "browns" which can include coffee grounds and filters, tea bags, grains such as bread, crackers and cereals, eggshells (rinsed and crushed), cardboard, paper and dead dry leaves. No to be introduced to the system: meat, dairy, fats or oils, manure or feces and onions and, of course, no plastics, metals or glass. He also recommended we limit the amount of citrus fruits and peals to maintain a proper PH in the compost. One of things that particularly attracted me to this compost method was that is was clean and did not require too much of my attention. I'm running 24/7 and I didn't want to get into something that I could not easily maintain. I think this system is going to fit the bill perfectly.

If you are interested in installing one of Gerardo's home vermicomposting kits he can easily create one for you to meet your needs. The set-up that we purchased cost 1500 pesos and included the worms and one-on-one instruction to make sure that we were comfortable with the process. You can reach him via email at imixlombricultura[at]gmail.com. Be sure to give him plenty of lead time as he has lots of projects already in the works. Between our two busy schedules it took us several weeks to find a time that worked for us both. He is installing worm systems for Xcaret, the Waldorf school in Puerto Morelos, a boutique hotel in Tulum and various large resorts up and down the Riviera Maya. As the idea of sustainable living is really starting to take off here and more people are looking for ways to live in a way that protects our environment, it is not surprising that he is so busy!

Advantages of Vermicomposting

Vermicompost is an eco-friendly fertilizer created from biodegradable organic waste products and is naturally chemical free!
Vermicompost does not have any adverse effect on soil, plants or the environment.
Vermicompost improves soil aeration and texture thereby reducing soil compaction and promoting better root growth and nutrient absorption.
Vermicompost increases the water retention capacity of soil due to its high content of organic matter.
Vermicompost improves status of macro-nutrients and micro-nutrients in the soil.

More Vermiculture and Vermicomposting Resources

Journey to Forever - Vermicomposting
Treehugger.com - Vermicomposting and Vermiculture: How to get started
RedWormComposting.com - Getting Started
University of Nebraska-Lincoln - Vermicomposting

I moved to Mexico with my family in 2004 with the hope of offering our children a more global education and world view. Since then, we have traveled through Mexico, Belize and Guatemala, gathering friends and life experiences and learning a lot about ourselves along the way. When we are not out and about exploring, Rob and I own and operate BuyPlaya, a Playa del Carmen real estate company and FurnitureMex. "Life's a Beach" is a catch-all blog where you may find anything from restaurant reviews, to recipes, gardening tips, commentary about expat daily life, local events, information about moving to Mexico and educating children in Playa del Carmen. You can also find me on Facebook, Twitter and Google+.

Good Eats - Guanabana (Soursop)

Rob Kinnon — Sat, 07 Jul 2012 19:35:00 GMT

A few days ago, on our drive back from Belize, I spotted these unfortunate looking fruit growing on a large tree in Limones. I immediately recognized the fruit as Guanabana or Soursop has been getting a lot of facetime recently on the internet, touted by many for its possible cancer curing/inhibiting qualities. I'm not sure about all that (and I can only imagine how much of this one would need to eat to see such miraculous results) but I was curious about it and so, when I found them the next day in our local Chedraui, I was quick to find a ripe on to bring home and try. They are not much to look at and even Birdie, an equal opportunity eater, gave me the stink eye when I first pulled it out of my grocery sack.

The Guanabana is a fruit native to Mexico, Cuba, Central America, the Caribbean and northern South America. The speckled skin has a diamond pattern, each diamond surrounding a small soft spine. The skin is dark-green in the immature fruit, becoming slightly yellowish-green as it ripens. Ripe fruit should be soft enough to yield to slight pressure. Having reached this stage, the fruit can be kept refrigerated 2 or 3 days longer. Like a banana, the skin will blacken and become unsightly but inside, the flesh is unspoiled and tasty.

In Mexico, it is a fairly common fruit, often used for dessert or as an "agua fesca". Guanabana ice cream and fruit bars are also very popular. The white interior pulp is studded with many large, smooth seeds, and pockets of soft flesh are bounded by fibrous but edible membranes. The flesh is juicy, almost custardy and sweet tasting. The flesh is an excellent source of Calcium, Folate, Iron, Potassium, Sodium and Vitamins B and C.

To eat Guanabana, I cut the fruit vertically into two halves. Then I cut the two halves into watermelon-like slices. You could also scoop out the soft flesh with a tablespoon. I found the seeds pop out easy either by picking them out by hand or using the "watermelon method"...spitting. Do not eat the skin or seeds.

It was a split decision in our house with the boys both sort of indifferent to the flavor and texture while Birdie and I both enjoyed it a lot. It's not the easiest fruit to eat but, unlike Tuna, Guayaba and Maracuya, the seeds are very easy to manage. I was able to extract about 25 seeds which I cleaned and dried and plan to plant. I am told the tree is fast growing and should bear fruit in 3-5 years. We'll see!

Feliz Como Lombriz? FREE Vermiculture Workshop at Casa Caribe!

Rob Kinnon — Sun, 10 Jun 2012 17:21:00 GMT

Vermiculture is the cultivation of worms and the process of using them in the creation of vermicompost. Vermicompost is the humus rich natural waste created by the worms. Worms ingest many kinds of organic waste, pass it through their bodies, converting it into vermicompost. Vermiculture is a simple process that can easily be managed by the average person in their own home! A vermiculture system is a great alternative for those who may not have enough outdoor space for a traditional composting bin. Much of our household garbage can also be converted into vermicompost in the same manner thus reducing our household waste going to dumps and landfills. Worms not only convert garbage into valuable manure. They also keep the environment healthy!

On Sunday June 17th at 11am, Casa Caribe in Puerto Morelos will present a FREE workshop in vermiculture lead by Gerardo Villaneuva who has developed a very simple vermiculture system for use in your home. You contribute organic matter in to feed the worms and out comes vermicompost, the world's best fertilizer, clean and easy to use. Gerardo will show us how to build and use the boxes and illustrate the many ways to make use of these industrious worms and the garden fertilizer they create. He will also show us what to do with "worm tea"!

Gerardo is currently installing worm systems in Xcaret and supplying local hotels with live sprout boxes. We will be able to sample them (the sprouts that is, not the worms) at Casa Caribe's popular Sunday Brunch. The seminar will be conducted in English and Spanish. Casa Caribe Bed & Breakfast is located at 768 Avenida Rojo Gomez in Puerto Morelos. For more information visit the Facebook event page or contact Catriona Brown via email cat@puertomorelosliving.com.

Advantages of Vermicomposting

Vermicompost is an eco-friendly fertilizer created from biodegradable organic waste products and is naturally chemical free!
Vermicompost does not have any adverse effect on soil, plants or the environment.
Vermicompost improves soil aeration and texture thereby reducing soil compaction and promoting better root growth and nutrient absorption.
Vermicompost increases the water retention capacity of soil due to its high content of organic matter.
Vermicompost improves status of macro-nutrients and micro-nutrients in the soil.

10 Ways to Celebrate Earth Day on the Riviera Maya

Rob Kinnon — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 20:00:00 GMT

Once again, it is time to celebrate Earth Day, a special day set-aside for all of us to appreciate the beauty of the world around us and work toward protecting it for future generations. The first Earth Day was organized in the United States on April 22, 1970 as a nationwide demonstration, urging local and federal government officials to put important environmental issues on the agenda. Much to the surprise of the powers-that-be, over 20 million students, environmental activists, business leaders and impassioned citizens participated in the first Earth Day. An environmental revolution had officially begun.

Earth Day has been celebrated every year since 1970, and 42 years later, its purpose remains the same: to encourage social and political action by drawing attention to the cause. Every year, around the world, the critical state of the environment comes to the forefront of everyone's agenda, and billions of people step up to do their part, if only for a day.

Here in Mexico, we also celebrate Earth Day and here are 10 great ways you can commemorate Earth Day 2012 on the Riviera Maya.

1. Go for a bike ride. Every Sunday, the Municipality closes the Arco Vial from 307 near Centro Maya all the way to Juarez. The lanes are open only to bike traffic and hundreds of families and bike enthusiasts turn up every weekend to enjoy the exercise and fresh air.

2. Plant a tree. Planting trees, bushes or any plant life not only beautifies your living spaces, it also cleans some of the CO2 out the air we breath replacing it with essential oxygen. Not all of us have the place to plant a tree but I think we all have room for a potted plant or two. Maybe this is the time to start some tomato plants on your patio or set out a selection of potted herbs on your windowsill!

3. Make a bird feeder with your kids. Here is a great design for an easy DIY bird feeder made out of cheap household and recycled items!

4. Visit a local recycling center. Parque la Ceiba has a wonderful interactive recycling area where children and adults alike can learn how to reduce-reuse-recycle. They also have small plant nursery, a cafe and recreational areas for all ages.

5. Clean up the beach. If you can find an organized beach-cleaning event, great! If not, take plastic bag to the beach and do your part to clean up what has been washed ashore or left behind by less earth-conscious visitors.

6. Start a compost bin. Composting turns kitchen and garden scraps into nutrient rich soil, perfect for your garden or potted plants. Composting also keeps useful, organic waste out of our dumps. You don't need a fancy expensive set-up to start a compost bin and it can be done easily in a small yard or even on a patio or terrace!

7. Turn off the AC. It's hot here, almost year round. Whether you are staying in a hotel or renting a condo in Playa del Carmen it is tempting to leave on the AC when you leave...especially if you are not paying extra for it. Take the time to turn off all lights, fans and air-conditioning units every time you leave to go out.

8. Prepare an Earth Day meal. Fresh, non-processed foods taste so much better and they certainly are better for you! Spend some time at DAC or in the produce section of any major grocery store and see what inspiration you can find from the all the fresh veggies and fruits available. Here is a favorite recipe of ours to inspire you!

9. Buy a Reusable shopping bag. DAC offers plastic mesh shopping bags in various sizes and every color of the rainbow. These are great as they are waterproof and can do double duty as beach bags. If you are looking for a more fashionable alternative, all the best-dressed ladies in Playa carry these gorgeous WearEarth bags from Tote le Monde.

10. Attend an Earth Day event. This year, there are several Earth Day celebrations being held in Playa del Carmen and Tulum. Check out our Riviera Maya Events Calendar for Earth Day events going on in the area. You might also be interested in the Mimi Kiteboarding World Tour being held at Mamitas Beach or the Oaxacan Fair set up in the Municipal Plaza 28 Julio.

Whether you can dedicate 5 minutes, 5 hours or a lifetime, there is something we can all do to help preserve and protect the Riviera Maya. What are your favorite ways to celebrate Earth Day?

Help Save Iconic Trees in Playa del Carmen!

Rob Kinnon — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 00:05:00 GMT

Every once in awhile I run across a really neat program that I just know is being over looked or is simply undiscovered by the expat community in Playa del Carmen. We all know about the animal rescue groups to help our homeless four legged friends and the medical missions that help the under-served members of our community. I found an organization dedicated to saving the old growth and often iconic trees in Playa del Carmen. No doubt Playa del Carmen has seen astronomic development over the past two decades and much of the jungle that used to blanket the coast in this area has been bulldozed to make way for luxury resorts, golf courses, shopping malls and sprawling housing developments. Still, if you drive, or better yet, walk up and own the streets in downtown Playa, you will find some magnificent trees still thriving amidst all the construction. Even along 5th Avenue and in the area around Calle Corazon, remarkable old trees remain, providing a shady respite for shoppers and site-seers. One can only wonder how long it will be before these old grandfathers of Playa will be razed to make way for a new condo building or night club.

One group in Playa del Carmen has dedicated themselves to insuring the future of these beautiful trees. Moce Yax Cuxtal A.C., a local not for profit group focused on ecological awareness and sustainable living is building a net work of Playa del Carmen citizens dedicated to saving the city old, important trees. Their goals are simple:

Create a "living museum" of ancient urban trees

Stop urban deforestation
Educate the residents of the city on the benefits of trees on public health
Rethink the importance of the urban landscape as a part of our identity and ecologic culture
Create public arboretums in the city
Protect our important trees as part of the national heritage
Save our important urban trees

Imagine DAC without its majestic Ceiba tree. Imagine our city landscape without the beautiful Flamboyans in bloom. Join Moce Yax Cuxtal and help SAVE Playa del Carmen's trees. Contact porlatierramoce@gmail.com to become a member.

A Visit to the School Garden at Ak Lu'um Waldorf School

Rob Kinnon — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 13:29:00 GMT

The teachers and students at Ak Lu'um Waldorf School in Playa del Carmen have been working hard on their bio-dynamic garden beds and are starting to see the fruits of their labors. The heirloom tomatoes are ripening on the vines and the peppers and squash plants are covered with blossoms that will soon transform into bright colorful vegetables.

We have been bone dry for two months and the recent rains have been a godsend to all things green. The sudden rise in moisture in the soil has caused some splitting in the thinner skinned tomatoes but other than that, the plants are thriving. You can almost hear them saying "thank you!". (That's a little anthroposophic humor for you Waldorf folks). The papaya and banana trees that surround the school are all reaching for the sun and laden with fruit.

The garden beds are all raised, a necessary design choice when trying to cultivate anything in this region as chiseling holes into the limestone shelf of the Yucatan is not a reasonable undertaking for any reasonable person. The beds are supported by rocks or bits of lengths of discarded wood and filled with good rich soil "created" at the school with small amounts of dirt mixed with compost and other organic materials. More beds will be made as soil becomes ready. Crops will be rotated so as to not completely deplete the beds of nutrients. Empty beds are easily amended with an influx of compost from the school's kitchen and contributions from parents. The pre-schoolers tend the garden as part of their daily routine, keeping it free of weeds. Plans are in the works for a spiral herb garden filled with culinary and medicinal plants. The local basil which grows here like a bush is already thriving!

As hectic as modern life gets, a nice walk through the jungle paths and a trip to the garden at Ak Lu'um never fails to sooth the soul. How fortunate that our children spend their days here in this oasis of tranquility.

Ak Lu’um International School is a not for profit Waldorf Initiative founded in 2006 in the jungle close to Playa del Carmen. The school’s mission is to educate, promote sustainability, develop ecological awareness and encourage children from 2 to 12 to reconnect with our earth. Students at Ak Lu’um learn with their minds, hearts and hands. The curriculum is academically challenging and meaningful with many opportunities for hands-on learning and artistic development. Ak Lu’um welcomes children with special needs and seeks to integrate them fully, giving all children an opportunity to better know, understand and love their fellow human beings. The community at Ak Lu’um International School is bilingual (English-Spanish) and culturally rich with over 10 nationalities represented by staff and pupils.

Wastewater Garden Specialist Needed in Belize!

Rob Kinnon — Fri, 06 May 2011 03:17:00 GMT

As many "Life's a Beach" readers well know, Rob and I have spent a fair amount of time in Belize. We have explored a vast majority of the mainland and have great pals on Ambergris Caye who we keep in touch with and visit faithfully once or twice a year. On one of my first visits to the island, I reached out and made plans to meet Laurie Norton, better known in the blog-o-sphere as "Tacogirl". We have similar interests and hit it off immediately. During that visit, Laurie brought me to visit Holy Cross Anglican School located north of San Pedro in an area known as San Mateo. Words are really not sufficient to describe the level of poverty in San Mateo. You really need to see it, smell it, walk across the makeshift bridges elevated just inches over a swamp of sewage and waste to take it all in properly. A few years back, I wrote an article for Blog Action Day highlighting the plight of the residents of this "neighborhood". It will give you a good overview of the situation but even the pictures do not tell the whole story. Since that day, Holy Cross School, its administrators, teachers, volunteers and supporters have held a place in my heart.

This week I learned that the ambitious Direct Abundance San Mateo Sanitation Project planned for the school had ground to a halt. The letter below from Founder and Board Member Heather Zwicker details the foundation's immediate need for a specialist in wastewater garden systems. Laurie and I are hoping that within our significant network, we can set "six degrees of separation" into high gear and find someone to assist with this exciting project.

Hi tacogirl!

I hope you are awesome and the beautiful island of Ambergris Caye is keeping everyone healthy and happy.

I just wanted to drop you a line and give you an update on our project for San Mateo. As I have mentioned to you before the challenges and obstacles are always unexpected. As you know, we all are volunteers offering our time and expertise to help the community of San Mateo. Sometimes our own lives get in the way of getting things done in a short timeline, but never fear, we are always taking steps forward, even when no one is looking! And planning for success in a project can slow you down when trying to anticipate complications that you never really if they will or will not come up.

This project has been like putting the pieces of a puzzle together. Every piece is as important as the other, each relying on the togetherness to make it complete. I can see the picture is almost finished however we need some more help.

I have managed to collect all the information on how the system will work and the theories why, I have information of how to build the system, the rough concept drawings are done, someone is working on the education piece for the community as we speak. I have the first recipient ready to begin the build and even a group of volunteers from United Methodist Church of Johnstown collecting donations and willing to help build the first system. Again, I am grateful to you for making the introduction the make this possible. As you recall earlier in the year two volunteer contacted us to help but we were unable to make it possible at that time. Your readers are awesome! They truly love the island you call home. It appears everyone want to do their part!

Here is the missing piece; I need someone who has experience with building wastewater gardens to help do the building plans for the first system. I have an engineer in Belize City who is willing to consult with the project and a few feelers out myself, but so far, no luck. The engineer that we have been working with up to this point is suddenly, due to personal reasons, unable to move the project to completion. This was devastating new for us but he has no problem with me sharing the information he has given me to complete the project. Maybe you know someone who can help with this? Can you ask around for me? I know there are people out there who can come together with their knowledge and experience to change this community for the better! It only takes a moment in time to change a life forever!

As always, With Deepest Gratitude and Warmest Regards,
Heather

If anyone reading this has experience with wastewater gardens or knows someone who might know someone, please pass this letter along. You may contact Laurie or Heather through their websites or email me at michelekinnon[at]gmail.com and I will make the proper introductions.

Ak Lu'um Presented to the Municipal Govt. of Solidaridad as a Featured Eco-Project

Rob Kinnon — Wed, 10 Nov 2010 19:08:00 GMT

On Monday, I was invited to attend a conference with local environmental groups presenting their various projects to the local media and representatives from the Office of Environmental Affairs for the Municipal Government of Solidaridad. Held in the grand auditorium of the Municipal Plaza, six eco initiatives were presented for the consideration of the assembly including Ak Lu'um International School and their 1st annual "Eco-Reto", a challenge for local families to design and build the best eco-friendly toy. Also addressing the group were representatives from the Direccion de Medio Ambiente del H. Ayuntamiente del Municipio de Solidaridad promoting the Riviera Maya's monthly recycling program and a new state of the art landfill project that is now underway (CIMRES), also under the supervision of the Municipality. Other presentations came from the World Wildlife Federation with an ambitious proposal to reduce the carbon footprint of the Riviera Maya travel industry and Moce Yax Cuxtal A.C. with their Living Museum of Ancient Urban Trees. We also heard about an initiative to promote sustainable urban agriculture within the various neighborhoods in the city of Playa del Carmen and the Amigos de Sian Ka'an A.C. spoke about their efforts to save our precious reef system.

I was impressed with the information imparted and the quality of the presentations themselves and hope to receive more information about each of these organizations. Of course, I was in attendance primarily to support Itzel and the Fundacion Ak Lu'um A.C. but I was delighted to see so many other important and viable initiatives in the works!

For more information on what can and is being done to reduce carbon emissions, visit Live the Deal. See what your country has committed to doing to help preserve the environment.

Hacienda Tres Rios Hosts Permaculture Conference

Rob Kinnon — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 16:48:00 GMT

Recently, my pal Mitch and I enrolled in an interesting conference to be held over a weekend at the nearby Hacienda Tres Rios Resort. Having had the good fortune to be a guest at the resort for previous events, I had a feeling that this would be an interesting weekend. Certainly we would be in luxurious accommodations and enjoying fabulous food. Hopefully, we would both come away with some systems for sustainable development and living that we could both apply in the design and building of our new homes in the jungle. As Birdie attends Ak Lu'um International School, the Riviera Maya's only not for profit ecological school, I also hoped that I might bring back some fresh ideas that might be implemented there as well.

We checked into our room early Saturday morning and met the other participants and group leaders who would be accompanying us throughout the conference. First on the agenda, an ice-breaking exercise designed to get us more in tune with our surroundings and ourselves and in the right frame of mind for the events ahead. The Sense Adventure Experience took us, blindfolded, on a tour designed to awaken each of our other senses and break down some of our social defenses. Some people love this tour...others, not so much. Naturally, I have no pictures of this experience but should you find yourself staying at the resort, I would recommend the experience. It takes a few moments to relax and allow yourself to get into the moment but, by the end, you should feel much more alert and aware of everything around you, the perfect state of mind to carry into the conferences ahead.

The weekend was designed to be a grand overview of permaculture, the ideology and the systems. For those participants embarking on a certification process, this weekend builds the foundation on which all other workshops are built and was certified by the Latin American Institute of Permaculture, Ecoaldea Gratitud A.C., and the Ecovillage Network of the Americas. Without a solid understanding of permaculture, past present and future, the various components of the certification will not be as useful or meaningful. The sessions were long and presented in Spanish by Maria Ros, a certified designer for self-sustaining and permaculture human settlements and a representative of the Latin American Ecovillage Bio-Regional Council. Mitch and I, the only non-native Spanish speakers in the room made good use of translation help from Hector Reyes, Maria's partner and founder of Casa Sanarte. The concepts were not terribly complex and having done quite a bit of research on my own, I was pretty familiar with many of the systems already. Still, there was a lot of information to digest. With only nuts, fruits and raisins and herbal tea to hold us over between meals, it was rather exhausting, both mentally and physically. I made good use of my camera, taking pictures of the slides rather than having to copy and translate everything on the spot.

There were almost 20 students in the group, including Mitch and me and it was an interesting mix of people. Each individual had arrived with their own preconceived notions about permaculture and their own unique motivations for attending. We shared the weekend with doctors, teachers, eco-farmers, builders, students and parents. Daniel, at 18 was the youngest and represented the hope of a new generation. At this young age, he is already building his own eco-farm on some land outside of Cancun. I don't know what you were doing when you were 18, but I can tell you the last thing on MY mind was the health of the earth and saving the future of humanity. Vanessa, 23, had completed a bachelors degree in nutrition but became passionate about permaculture and is now traveling around the globe, living and working in villages where she can learn more and put her skills to practical use.

In general, I was struck by the genuine interest and seriousness with which everyone approached the subject at hand and the interesting experiences and questions they brought to the table for discussion. I was not surrounded by tree-hugging long-haired hippy freaks (although I did feel compelled to warn Vanessa of the social stigmas attached to cute blond girls considering dreadlocks). Rather, I looked around the room and saw people not so unlike myself. I was particularly impressed with the depth of experience that Maria was able to share with us and the professional manner in which the information was relayed throughout the sessions. We covered a lot of information including eco-design, bio-construction materials and techniques, sustainable energy resources, heating and cooling systems, composting and organic gardening, the establishment and prerequisites for an eco-village and much, much more. I felt, in the end, that I would be well prepared to pursue more intensive certification workshops in any one of these components of permaculture although my motivation for attending this conference was not the certificate.

During breaks, we were served beautiful and nutritious meals especially designed for our group to have detoxifying effects while nourishing our bodies and minds. During the course, were to be free of all meat, dairy, saturated fats, refined salt and sugar and any chemical preservatives. The meals were vegan and reminded me quickly that my portion control is out of whack. As Rob and I have been giving serious consideration to our diets and lifestyles, it was not a complete shock to my system and I was pleased with most of the meals. I did come to realize how much salt affects my enjoyment of food and will endeavor to decrease my dependence on it as a seasoning and to make use of more sea salt and natural sweeteners in my cooking.

We also were treated to a backstage tour of the Hacienda Tres Rios nursery where the resort horticulturists cultivate many of the indigenous plants that populate the 326 acres of nature park that surround the hotel. When the resort was built great care was taken to not disturb or destroy the mangroves and the hundreds of forms of animal life that call the dense aquatic forest home. Since its inception, Hacienda Tres Rios has been at the forefront of sustainable development and is recognized as a model for eco-tourism both regionally and nationally by Mexican environmental authorities. Current eco-projects include the reforestation of some of the wetlands in Cancun and we were able to see the thousands of small plants ready to be moved to their permanent home. The resort’s nursery has produced more than 80,000 mangrove trees in four years. This year, Hacienda Tres Ríos donated 3,000 mangrove trees to help the Cancun reforestation efforts. This donation represented over 90 percent of the red mangroves planted in the protected areas of the Nichupte Lagoon. Quite impressive.

On the second day of the intensive conference, the group was invited to tour the lush mangroves by kayak. This was a first for many of the participants and navigating the small wobbly crafts through the dense jungle proved to be challenging (and humorous) for some. Once we all got our bearings about us and managed to control our kayaks, the journey through the mangrove proved to be a real highlight of the weekend. With our newly awakened senses, we experienced the mangrove not just with our eyes. I don't think I have ever been anywhere that smelled so ALIVE. We kayaked all the way to the ocean and back and took a break to cool off with a swim and some snorkeling in the natural cenote. Invigorated, we returned to our rooms to quickly change and return to the conference room for the final session of the workshop and the presentation of the diplomas.

Now, after all the notes have been reviewed and the information has been absorbed, do I want to cast off all my worldly belongings and live in an eco-village? Nope. Sorry, I'm not sold on the whole idea of living by consensus. I get it and I understand why for an eco-village to be successful it must be run as such. Still, it is not for me. There is too much U.S. capitalist left in me for that kind of living situation.

So, what did I take away from this weekend that I can apply to my life and our daily activities? Quite a bit actually. While the idea of living in an actual eco-community is not at all appealing, I do see how many of the concepts and systems can be applied to our existing community structures. For example, I think that Ak Lu'um is perfectly poised to incorporate many of the permaculture concepts and systems, not only within its physical facility but in the virtual fabric of the school community. As the sum of our skills and expertise is far greater than that of any individual teacher or parent, why should we not be looking to each other first for support rather than looking outside of the group. If my needs and the needs of our family business can be filled by another Ak Lu'um member, is that not who should receive our patronage first? Can we not make the fibers that connect our community stronger in this way?

The cost for this weekend workshop was 2600 pesos per person which included lodging for one night, the conference, a backstage tour of the plant nurseries, the kayak cenote expedition and all meals. Reasonable by my standards, but still WELL out of reach financially for most people, especially those who would perhaps benefit most from the information provided. It is my hope to develop a relationship with the organizers and in the future identify and/or organize small informal groups that might meet occasionally to learn specific techniques that can be integrated into a family's daily life and routines. Whether it be building a compost bin, starting a small bio-dynamic garden, setting up a rainwater catch system or teaching our children how to recycle we can all do our part to move toward a more sustainable, healthier future.

"Adios y hasta pronto!" from Swiper and Hacienda Tres Rios

Papalote Students Get a Lesson in the 3 "R"s

Rob Kinnon — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 03:56:00 GMT

Recently, several of the Primary classes from the El Papalote School were invited to visit the new and improved Parque la Ceiba. It has been almost a year since I have taken the time to visit the park and I was impressed with the changes. A beautiful new entrance has been created to welcome the families and individuals who come to enjoy the tranquility of the green space, take in a class or workshop, play on the various jungle installations, chat with friends over coffee and pastries in the cafe or drop of their recycling. On this day, the students, including Cole and his 1st grade classmates were treated to a taste of everything the park has to offer our community.

Divided up into teams, the students were expertly guided through the park by the animated and knowledgeable staff of Flora, Fauna y Cultura. The tour culminated in an age appropriate workshop on recycling. The park has a new outdoor classroom with benches and lots of interesting visual aids to help teach the 3 "R"s - Reduce - Reuse - Recycle. As El Papalote School maintains its own recycling center right at the school, one that is WELL used by Papalote families, including our own, our children were all ready well versed in the difference between organic and inorganic waste. They could easily identify materials that could be recycled or composted. The main message that the children (and the grown ups as well) were to take away from this experience was that even though they can identify recyclable items in the trash, if they are not properly separated, they too are garbage.

The group toured the recycling area then looked through the nursery where young plants are cultivated for use in the park and made available for sale to people in the community hoping to make their living spaces more green by integrating indigenous plants into their landscape designs or potted plant patios. Modern compost bins are also set up in this area which utilize the organic remains left over from the cafe, banana peels left by visiting children and trimmings and leaved from the trees and bushes in the park. Of course, bins for recyclables and organic trash are scattered throughout the grounds. Nothing goes to waste!

Finally, the children took a break for lunch and a chance to draw a picture depicting the ways that they can incorporate recycling into their own routines. It was interesting to see what each child took away from the experience. Before leaving, the students were each given a small sapling to plant in a recycled plastic bottle and bring home, a good time to get their hands dirty and the perfect souvenir from their field trip.

It is my understanding that Flora, Fauna y Cultura is inviting groups from all the local schools to come and discover the park and all it has to offer. The hope is that by educating this generation about the importance of reducing our non-biodegradable waste we can begin to reverse the effects of indiscriminate dumping and polluting our water and destroying our environment. It's never too soon to make a change and this program will undoubtedly have a positive effect on the daily lives and habits of many students and their families. If you live in Playa and haven't yet taken the time to visit Parque la Ceiba, I highly recommend that you do. It's a great, safe place for kids to run around and explore. Parents will love the quiet cafe with free internet and fresh baked goods. Maybe you will see us there!

Road Trip 2010 - Day 8 - Na Bolom Museum in San Cristobal Chiapas

Rob Kinnon — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 20:06:00 GMT

It was a beautiful day today and we wanted to make the most of it. We stopped in for a quick breakfast at BioMaya and then set off to visit the Mayan Museum, Na Bolom. I had heard this was a must see but really had no idea what to expect. Located a good distance from our hotel, we chose to cab it, arriving before noon just as the city was starting to warm up.

Cole tries the fresh beet juice. Not a hit.

Na Bolom was founded by Danish archeologist Franz Blom and his wife, Gertrude. Gertrude was an avid painter and photographer and an environmental activist. In 1951, Franz and Gertrude purchased and rebuilt an abandoned seminary in San Cristobal, converting it into their private residence and a research library dedicated to Mayan studies. Here they invited other like minded explorers and scientists to come and stay to study and document the Mayan civilization, past and present. Franz and Gertrude had a particular interest in the Lacandon Maya, a small group located in the south west quadrant of Chiapas. They railed against the deforestation taking place in that region that threatened the traditional lifestyle and the very existence of this culture. To this day, Na Bolom remains one of the best sources for information about the Lacandon Maya. Gertrude's photography is so remarkable...I can only describe it as haunting. You simply cannot fathom that the Mayan people in her pictures were photographed, right here in Chiapas, just 50 years ago. I took no pictures of her work, so you are just going to have to see it for yourself.

Rob and the kids at the entrance of Na Bolom

A flower an herb garden maintained by Na Bolom. It was so strange to see all of our favorites from back home...geraniums, lilies, allium.

The sunny courtyard inside Na Bolom

The formal music room where a young man entertained the visitors with classical piano pieces.

Some of Franz and Gertrude's artifacts

Hundreds of Mayan relics preserved and on display

The kids were fascinated by Franz's typewriter. Birdie kept asking where the screen was!

This is referred to as "the Library Without Walls" and is dedicated to the conservation, development and disbursement of the over 5000 books, articles, maps and other documents collected and preserved by Franz and Gertrude during their studies. The Na Bolom Trustees plan to copy all of this information for the future use of researchers and anthropologists and also to then disburse it to the Mayan communities about whom it was written. In this way, they will be able to keep the stories and the traditions alive for generations of modern Maya to enjoy.

The grand dining room. I can only imagine the tales that have been told over this table. We were told that dinner at Na Bolom was a once in a lifetime experience, an evening to spend at the table with fellow travelers and share travel stories and information. Of course, we jumped at the chance to make a reservation for the nightly seating!

Gertrude's bedroom with all of her things on display. An avid horsewoman, her beautiful tack was all oiled up and ready for one last ride. Her palettes and oils were all set out as if she had just put them down and gone out for a stroll. The jewelry in her collection was so exotic, I could not for the life of me imagine where in the world it came from. Her clothes were all perfectly preserved and hanging in her closet, riding boots and embroidered slippers laid out carefully, side by side. I must have stood in that little room for half an hour taking it all in and imagining what kind of a life, what adventures she must have had. I seriously hope that I will have such a full life.

Behind the museum we found gardens and walking paths that lead to several small out buildings, some built in the traditional clay block manner with palapa roofs. The garden and tree nursery was established by Gertrude in 1973 in order to support reforestation of the lands of the Lacandon Maya and the surrounding rain forests. The Trustees of Na Bolom have continued Gertrude's efforts and hope to develop educational programs for the local children and visiting school groups. Directly behind the museum more land and building materials are being prepared to expand this project.

Birdie and a new friend.

A stunning clay piece from the nearby village of Amatenango del Valle.

When we headed back into the center of town we found the streets abuzz with activity, everyone gearing up for Easter Sunday. We were quite hungry so we stopped in for a quick bite at a lively expat type bar called "Revolucion". The place had a fun revolutionary theme, complete with the requisite pictures of Che Guevara, Pancho Villa and Emilio Zapata and filled with chain smoking backpackers. Fabulous! The food turned out to be surprisingly good and it wasn't long before we struck up a conversation with some fellow travelers.

Yup, it's a saxaphone made out of bamboo. Love it!

Long story short, several beers and tequila shots later, the kids and I left Rob with his new companions and headed back to make our reservation at Na Bolom. When we arrived, the fire was crackling in the hearth, a welcomed treat on this cold evening. I was somewhat surprised to see just four places set at this enormous table. After inquiring with one of the waiters, we learned that we would be the only guests this evening and they were delighted to have us. OK. Not what we were expecting but still quite an amazing experience. We warmed ourselves by the fire and looked at the portraits of our "hosts", both overlooking the room. We imagined all kinds of strange sounds...creaking floor boards...odd bumps and groans...and giggled when the waiter agreed that it was certainly the spirits of Franz and Gertrude coming to make sure we enjoyed our stay.

Birdie giving a very convincing "Blair Witch Project" audition.

Provecho!

Our dinner consisted of a simple braised chicken dish served with a green salad and herbed rice. Nothing fancy, but exactly what one might think the Blom's would enjoy after a long day in the jungle. If you are lucky to find yourself in San Cristobal, I highly recommend you plan a day to visit this amazing home. It is a museum and so much more. It is a testament to two lives well spent. To Gertrude and Franz Blom, we raise our glass.

Gardening in Mexico - Flamboyant Tree

Rob Kinnon — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 12:00:00 GMT

Six years ago, when we arrived in Playa del Carmen for the first time, I was struck by the beauty of a particular tree that seemed to grow prolifically in this tropical region. The Flamboyant Tree or Royal Poinciana is ablaze with fiery red flowers when it blooms, surrounded by delicate fern-like foliage. In the spring, when the leaves and flowers die off and drop, what remains is the skeletal structure covered with hundreds of large (often as long as 24 inches) hard seed pods. The seeds inside are often collected and used inside handmade percussion instruments or strung onto thread for necklaces and bracelets.

Photo Credit: Forest Starr and Kim Starr

Family: Fabaceae
Genus: Delonix
Species: regia
Common Names: Flamboyant Tree, Flame Tree, Peacock Flower
Origin: Madagascar
Category: Tender Perennial, Tropical
Height: 20-40 feet
Hardiness: USDA 9b-11

These are some of my favorite flowering trees and as I will be doing a lot of landscaping over the next few years, I definitely wanted to incorporate these beauties into our plans. Rather than buy the saplings from a nursery, I have decided to try to germinate the seeds myself and start them at home. It seems I am not the only Flamboyant fan out there as there is no shortage of information on the internet. This is the germination process that I am going to try first. Wish me luck.

1. Remove seeds from the hard pod. Select only those that are fully formed and shaped properly.

2. Bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Remove from heat.

3. Put the seeds into the hot water. Allow to soak for 3-5 minutes.

4. Add cold water to the pot to lower the temperature to about 110F.

5. Allow the seeds to soak, undisturbed for 24 hours. The outer skin surrounding the seeds should come off.

6. Place the seeds in moist potting soil and cover loosely with 1 inch of soil.

7. Cover the pot(s) with plastic wrap to preserve moisture

8. When the seedlings appear (5-7 days) remove the plastic wrap

Hopefully my experiment will go well and I can start on some of the other tropical trees that are starting to produce seeds now. We have so many beautiful flowering species whcih I will attempt to identify and propigate over the next year. If any of you locals or Caribbean neighbors have had gardening successes, I hope you will share your tips and techniques with me.

Biointensive Gardening in Playa del Carmen

Rob Kinnon — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 16:55:00 GMT

One Saturday every month, Ak Lu'um International School hosts a workshop called Sustainable Saturdays in which the public is invited to come and get some hands on experience learning about sustainable building and living techniques that can be implemented here on the Riviera Maya. They have dabbled in waddle and daub construction, composting toilets and this last seminar introduced us to Biointensive Gardening. Because the entire Yucatan peninsula is essentially one big limestone shelf, good rich soil is tough to come by. So much so in fact that the only way to create a fertile environment for proper gardening is through composting and utilizing bio intensive gardening techniques. As we will very soon have quite large landscaping/gardening tasks laid before us (more info to come...) my pal Mitch and I decided to attend this workshop in order to glean as much knowledge as possible from local gardeners before we embark on our own projects.

Clearing the bed of rocks and debris

Laying down dried leaves and other organic matter

A final layer of well composted soil

We got our hands dirty preparing a small garden bed located behind the preschool bathroom, an area already home to several lovely papaya trees but otherwise unkempt. We raked through the soil, removing rocks and debris by hand until we had reached the limestone below. Several cenote holes were found which we filled with rocks to prevent anyone from stepping in and breaking an ankle. The ground was then liberally strewn with leaves and other organic matter collected from the surrounding jungle floor, covered with a layer of sascab (coarse construction sand) to promote drainage and then a layer of soil created from the compost bins maintained by the school. This will now be allowed to rest and later planted with vegetables and herbs to support the small school kitchen that feeds the students daily.

Stacy's nursery in an old cooking oil container

Transplanting seedlings into tetrapaks

Our leader, expat, Ak Lu'um parent and owner of BambuSur, Stacy Koeckeritz. lead the workshop, offered up information from her experiences gardening at their homes in Chiapas and brought along a small library of reference books for our perusal. She showed us how to create perfect cultivation boxes out of the tetrapak cartons that are so prevalent in Mexico and how to carefully transfer seedlings. We wandered the jungle surrounding the school grounds admiring the passion fruit vines, the papaya trees, banana, wild cotton and prehistoric tarro. It was amazing to see what can be grown successfully in this region. After several hours of hard work, we finished up the day with a delicious home cooked lunch featuring Stacy's wonderful pan de calabaza.

Pineapples trees being started

Lunch time!!

I can't wait to get moving on my own gardening project and see if any of our favorites from home will adapt to this growing climate. So many exciting ideas ahead of us! We are definitely looking forward to the next installment in the Biointensive Gardening series!

Sustainable Saturdays Continue at Ak Lu'um

Rob Kinnon — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 12:00:00 GMT

Join us on Saturday February 13th 10am - 3pm for the next workshop in the series, "Sustainable Saturdays ' at Ak Lu'um International School. This month, learn the techniques to effective Organic Gardening. The workshops will include: How to make good compost, How to start plants from seed and transplant seedlings, How to create and maintain a "Biointensive" garden bed and more. Everyone is welcome to come and learn how to protect our environment and contribute to a healthy lifestyle!

$250 pesos/adult - $100 pesos/child - Lunch is included

Funds benefit Ak Lu'um International School.