diy aquaponics raft system | Healing the Grasslands Rangelands and Savannas of the World We need a brown revolution Allan Savory

diy aquaponics raft system

Allan Savory pursued an early career as a research biologist, game ranger, soldier, politician and international consultant in Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe). Exiled in 1979, he co-founded the non-profit Center for Holistic Management in 1984 and in 2009 the Savory Institute with his wife Jody Butterfield and colleagues in the United States. In 1992, they formed a second non-profit (social welfare) organisation, the Africa Centre for Holistic Management, near Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, donating a ranch that would serve as a learning site for people all over Africa.

In 2003, Savory was awarded the Banksia International Award for the person doing the most for the environment on a global scale. His current work in Africa is receiving much praise and recognition and the Africa Centre for Holistic Management won the 2010 Buckminster Fuller Challenge for the organisation providing the most comprehensive solution to a pressing global problem.

Savory gave the keynote speech at this year’s UNCCD Land Day in Bonn on 11 June, where he spoke with UNCCD News editor Susanne Reiff.

Food security: the top issue is biodiversity

Today, we are producing more eroding soil than food. I think that is probably the most frightening statistic in the world. When we destroy soil, a vast amount of carbon is released into the atmosphere. Food security is impossible while this problem exists.

To achieve food security and human security, we need to focus on the degradation taking place in all environments. Every environment in the world is now degrading to some extent. Fish stocks have been destroyed and coral reefs are being destroyed, but we can find solutions to these problems through our conventional thinking. If these environments rest, they will recover. If overfishing stops, even if the world’s entire cod stocks have been depleted, the sea will recover, given time. The same applies to the world’s humid environments. But in areas of the world with only seasonal rain and in arid regions, biodiversity loss needs to be stopped as a matter of urgency, and current thinking changed. Biodiversity is not only about charismatic species. It is about humble soil-covering litter, soil microorganisms and many other factors. For food security, biodiversity is the top issue. 

When addressing food security, most people limit their view to the croplands. However, we also need to focus on stabilising all the catchment areas. Rainfall has to be effective – it needs to soak in the soil and stay there, rather than evaporate or run off. We cannot rely on irrigation or agroforestry alone for sustainability. They create oases in an expanding desert. 

Read on.........

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diy aquaponics cannabis | Aquaponics Fish as an Efficient Source of Protein

diy aquaponics cannabis

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota

I’ve been doing several radio interviews a week for the past few weeks to promote my new book, Aquaponic Gardening.  Radio interviews are usually fun because they are essentially conversations with very personable people about my favorite subject!  Most of the hosts have read the book and they generally ask thought-provoking questions, especially around the global impact and environmental benefits of aquaponics.

A question that consistently comes up is about my assertion in the book that fish are the most “efficient” source of living animal protein available to us.  What do I mean by this?  If you hypothetically consider a kernel of corn as a complete unit of food, then it takes far fewer kernels of corn to grow a pound of fish (1.5 lbs of feed for every pound of fish) than it does to grow a pound of cattle (8 – 10 lbs of feed for every pound of meat).  We are increasingly more limited in how many units of food we can produce on our planet to feed our ever-growing population.  The most direct, or efficient, use of these “units” would be to feed people with them.  The next most efficient would be to use them in fish feed, and, in this scenario, the least most efficient is to feed them to cattle.

Why is this so?  There are really two reasons why fish convert their feed into flesh so readily.

(from Wikipedia)

As warm blooded creatures, or “endotherms”, most of the calories that mammals expend go into maintaining core body temperature.  The harder we need to work to maintain our body temperature, the more calories we expend.  Fish are cold-blooded creatures, or “ectotherms”, and their internal body temperature is completely reliant on the temperature of their external environment, e.g. the water in which they live.  As the chart (Wikipedia) above shows, cold-blooded animals like lizards expend far less energy (joules) pound for pound than do warm blooded animals like mice, and they can live in a broader temperature range just by slowing down their metabolisms when the temperature is not optimized for their species (in this example, too cold).

The second reason why fish are so efficient is because they float lazily in water all day.  Think about how little energy you expended the last time you floated in a swimming pool.  Unless you were playing Marco Polo with the kids, you probably used more energy on your walk to the pool than you spent in it.  One of my favorite explanations of this came from the book “Just Food” by James McWilliams (p 155):

“The ability to float effortlessly negates the need to undertake such energy –hogging endeavors as standing, walking and running.  All these forms of mobility are internal energy sinks for terrestrial creatures, but not for fish.  A fish is ecologically honed to translate the majority of its caloric intake into ample flesh that’s edible, usually tasty, rich in protein, and flush with heart-healthy oil.  This streamlined translation, if responsibly managed and harnessed by humans, has the potential to improve the environment while generating more protein with fewer resources”.

So the next time you are standing in your grocery store considering a choice between meat and fish for dinner, send your gaze over to the produce aisle and imagine the eight to ten pounds of corn that probably went into that pound of hamburger.  That’s a lot of corn.

Enjoyed this post? Here are some others you might like:

Aquaponic Fish are Not Garbage DisposalsStarting Up (Cycling) an Aquaponics System Using FishCan Aquaponics Gardeners Actually Rescue a Fish?The Aquaponic Source, Inc. is BornAquaponics, Safe Food, and Public Perception

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diy ibc aquaponics system | Aquaponics and the evolution of fresh

diy ibc aquaponics system

The farmers market is a central human tradition by a large part of our history. Farmers and traders to bring their products and were to the city market square on market day serve their neighbors, food for currency exchange. In the middle of the last century the green revolution, the flight to suburbia and our new national love affair with packaged and frozen foods causes of farmers markets to fade in picturesque darkness, along with most of the family farms that fed them.

Fortunately, recent decades have seen a strong revival of farmers markets in urban centres all over the world. We have realized that freshly picked, organic products from local farmers which lets you to know and support a Community asset is to be valued and treasured. Here in Boulder, CO we are fortunate enough to be one of the biggest, most active farmers markets in the country, and of opening day in early April by closing in late fall, the market is without doubt of this city where per community gathering.

So how can Farmers markets, along with the concept of freshness, with which they are so intertwined, evolve? Aquaponics! I have some very interesting ideas about the past week that offer an exciting glimpse into the future of "fresh".

1. life of food

Fresh produce begins its vitamin content, especially vitamin C, loses, once it is picked. Products found at a farmers market is generally harvested that morning, or the day before, so it is much fresher than anything on your supermarket, which is probably a long exploration has before arriving in your shopping cart.

But we can even fresher.

Green Acre Organics

Aquaponically produce grown is not anchored in the soil, so that it lends itself to grown in systems that are designed to be easily transported to the market. And the products will stay alive and grow even while on the market.

This is particularly true for easy NET based aquaponics where the pots are inserted into the holes in the raft can be easily removed and in a storage container for transport on the market while still fully connected with their root balls. Here is how the ladies running a commercial aquaponics business in Florida called Greenacre Organics describe how their per trip to the farmers market: "We have big bins we have isolated on the sides with 1/2 Dow blue plate. In the bottom is a piece of "2" Dow blue plate with approximately 80 holes to fit just 2 jars (the plants are packaged in very tight). We fill the tote with about 2 of water and have a large 6? medium pore air stone in the soil under the foam raft. We deliver than air through a small aquarium pump. We either running off an inverter in our vehicle as near power if available or last resort, we use a small lawn mower battery with a DC inverter. Aeration is certainly a necessary part to keep the plants looking beautiful and healthy with so much in such a small container. When we have to make a sale, we pull the plant, cut off from the roots and net pot and bag of the products. For lettuce, we dunk them right then in ice water to help them clear for the ride home and our customers love it! "

ZipGrow Tower

Another way for a company aquaponics to live products on the market of the farmer is with vertical towers. The towers ZipGrow by Bright Agrotech can easily unhooked from their hanging position in the Conservatory, slipped in the back of a van with racks and displayed on a farmers market. Harvesting may be delayed until the time that the customer has made their selection, and the plant remains in its freshest, life is as long as possible.

2. Mobile markets

(image provided by Phillip Katz-Project Development LLC.)

So how can you improve on the freshness of your own harvests produce at the last possible moment at the farmers market? Well, what if the farmers market came to your neighborhood or workplace? This week I saw that a new concept in messages called a culture along the way. It is a self-contained market orientation that fits on a custom trailer which can be towed by a vehicle with a trailer hitch. It is powered by solar panels. Now rather than waiting for market day you can buy and sell fresh produce, even life, where-ever and when-ever the customers are. Think of it as an Ice Cream Truck for fresh produce.

(for more information on the State of the culture along the way contact Phillip Katz Project Development LLC, c: 414. 467.5442 o: 262. 240.9806 e: designbuild@phillipkatz.com)

3. In-Store agriculture

The latest development in fresh produce marketing that I will highlight is an idea that is still very much in its infancy, but because of aquaponics has a chance to explode in an exciting new trend: In-Store agriculture. Yes, health food stores have grown sprouts and wheatgrass in-store for decades, but Im talking about a full-on cultivation of highly perishable products right in the shop.

One of my favorite examples is the farm: shop in England where Charlie price of Aquaponics UK has worked with a team that has an old neighborhood shop converted into a full company, with chickens on the roof, pigs in the backyard, and a commercial aquaponics setup humming away in the basement. The results of all this growing can be enjoyed in the restaurant on the main level. Now that is locally produced food!

ZipGrow Green grocer

Another great example is again by Bright Agrotech. They have a very attractive Gallery which features their ZipGrow towers that can be used as a display in a supermarket. They are currently testing in some natural food stores and plan on rolling out soon expanded.

(for more information contact Nate Storey on nate@brightagrotech.com)

Why aquaponics lends itself particularly well to this kind of display?

It is less soil, so that there is no dirt or grime-worn insect in the shop.It is easier to maintain than a hydroponics system would because there are no nutrients to adjust and no solution to pumping out nutrient reservoir and replace.The fish are fun and unique differentiation for storage.

While many concerns regarding the future of our food supply, we also have a lot to look forward to. "fresh" and of the farmer market continues to reinvent itself in new and exciting ways, and I believe that commercial aquaponics will be the lead.

Enjoyed this post? Here are some others you might like:

Commercial Aquaponics: 10 things to consider before the PlungeCommercial Aquaponics TrainingAquaponics and the bacteria FarmerIs Aquaponics better than certified organic?Aquaponics and the ultimate durability

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diy deep water culture aquaponics | We are but a bunch of numbers

diy deep water culture aquaponics

You can hear it in the blogosphere. People moaning and some jumping for joy after Google made a major PR update.

Are we just worth a number from 1-10 ? Is Google PR overrated ? Lots of experienced bloggers advice the same thing :

Dont make such a big fuss out of Google PR.

However, everybody is giving it attention. Even those who tell us not to give it any attention :)

This blog is still only PR2. Thats not a surprise as I rarely update it. Still, since everybody is in the numbers game, Ive added two buttons on the left sidebar to show both Google and Alexa rankings.

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diy aquaponics filter | Volunteers pay urban garden of Gary to Black Friday of Earth Chicago Sun Times

diy aquaponics filter

Aquaponics feeds the community - International Business Times» volunteers paid urban garden of Gary Friday black earth "-Chicago Sun-Timesposted 28 November 2011 |» By ccarlson@post-trib.com By Carole Carlson 25 November 2011 16: 03

Project physical education instructor Sandra Rodriguez, (from left) Derek Rawls of Chicago, as well as Melvin Ward of Gary trowel mulch as they have the above route of walking around the fringe of the Stewart House farm & urban orchard-gardens during 15, as well as in Massachusetts in Gary, Indiana Wednesday, November 23, 2011. | Stephanie Dowell ~ Sun-Times Media

If youre going

What: Urban farm in the House of Stewart as a fundraiser for gardens

When: 1 to 4 p.m. Dec. 3

Where: Christ United Methodist Church, 201 w. Ridge Road

Donation: $10

Last update: November 26, 2011 1: 59

GARY: Small plateau of donated mulch had dotted the landscape Friday as volunteers rebuilding roads during the urban farm in the House of Stewart, as well as gardens. Workers jokingly called "Black earth". on Friday

Volunteers designed to turn the mitad-acre plant grass patch in a the area of the village covered in this ancestral site for 15, as well as Washington Street.

The area was once home to the House of John Stewart Memorial formed during 1501 settlement Massachusetts St. Sirvió as a guide to blacks who migrated to Gary during the 1920s. Established in 1924 by the Rev. Frank Delaney as well as Trinity Methodist Episcopal Church, the allocation residence non-stop in 1925, as well as it was declared after John Stewart, the Wyandot Indian black companion in Northern Ohio.

The residence award is although supporters, along with the instructor of physical education plan Sandra Rodriguez, made the grassed superfluous area with fruit, as well as the later summer of vegetables. "You investigate to find out what grows in this land," said Rodriguez.

On Friday, the generalized paths of volunteers of mulch donated by county line in Hobart orchard. The Reverend Katurah w. Johnson of the Methodist Church United in Christ, which owns the property, helped with the work.

Johnson pronounced common cultivation of the process of Stewart House as well as technical with the families of displaced canned black. "When it became visible not configured it, you still to comply with the agreement of Stewart," said.

Rodriguez delivered there is a possibility of fundraising that arrive from 1 to 16 on December 3 in the Church of Christ, 201 w. Ridge Road Methodist.

Gardener Earl Ward, of Merrillville, suggest the seminar on aquaponics, the process of area tolerable grassed who grow fish such as plants. Fish such as tilapia, have risen so as only to markets internally, as well as fish waste is recycled as well as used as fertilizer healthy grassed area.

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diy aquaponics pump | Videos of Rocket Mass Heater and Bell Siphon

diy aquaponics pump

Here are a couple of videos I finally got around to putting together this weekend. The first shows a small bell siphon system I put together for a science fair last February. I used a bin I got at Ikea a few years ago, that happened to fit perfectly on top of a 10 gallon fish tank.

Over time a glass bell will start to grow an algae film, which rather defeats the purpose of having a clear bell. But its fun for a science fair or classroom.


Small system I put together for a Feb 2012 science fair

That month I also put together my final rocket mass heater configuration, using cinder block and bricks with the 55-gallon steel drum.


My Rocket Mass Heater in Feb 2012

I like using the cinder blocks in the place of the insulated section of chimney because it is far less expensive. In addition, four stacked blocks are the perfect height inside a standard 55 gallon steel drum, leaving 1.5-2 inches of space for the gases to escape at the top.

Within minutes of me posting the cinder block rocket mass heater video, someone warned me that cinder blocks explode in fire. I have had no problem with this in the fires Ive burnt in this system over the past six months. But I checked it out.

Allegedly moist cinder blocks can be a problem in fires - the water rapidly evaporates and the expanding gas can cause the blocks to shatter. My blocks arent getting wet since they are covered by the steel drum. If they were to shatter, the flying bits would be contained inside the steel drum.

While Ive read too many accounts to completely discount the danger of exploding cinder blocks, a search for exploding cinder blocks only yields videos of young men blowing up gunpowder inside a pile of cinderblocks (a really, really bad idea, by the way).

This fall Im planning to reconfigure my greenhouse so the rocket mass heater is inside the enclosure itself. That way Ill capture the radiant heat off the heater itself, not just the heat traveling through the exhaust ducting running under my grow bed. Ill also be playing with solar heating. Fun times!

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diy aquaponics inc | Want to Win 82 8 of Your Trades

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Over the last few days, thousands of people have watched the "Profit Zone" Strategy videos and downloaded the new Indicators for no cost!

These are the same strategies that helped the traders at Traders Elite net 10,316 Pips with 82.8% accuracy over the last 35 months...

And the great news - Theyre reopening their doors to new members, this week only!!

Check it out here;

You can benefit by copying all the Traders Elite signals directly into your account anad take the same trades the professionals are taking.

A warning however... membership spots are filling up fast so if you want to join in the action, then you need to act quickly.

PS - These spots will not last. Join today.

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diy aquaponics materials | Take advantage of whipsaw markets

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I just saw a really cool strategy that has proved successful regardless of whether the market is moving up, down, or sideways.

In fact, the whole strategy is designed to take advantage of when the market is about to "FLIP" in the opposite direction!

Check it out here!

This is not a lagging indicator or some complex system where everything needs to be in perfect alignment... and right now, you can watch the strategy AND download the Indicator for no charge!!

Yep, the good folks at Traders Elite have decided to give away the actual Indicator they use to celebrate the relaunching of their popular forex signals service.

Download it here before they change their minds about giving it away.

ps - This system WILL be sold later this year for $299 but for a very limited time, you can grab it at this special link for no charge.

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diy 10 gallon aquaponics | Open this to see how you can save a ton of time when creating content

diy 10 gallon aquaponics

Ive been using WordPress for a long time and to be honest, I always thought it was the best tool for the job. But today, I saw something that changed my mind (although Im still using WordPress)

After seeing what this new plugin does, I dont think I can ever go back to the "normal" WordPress editor. I didnt even know it was possible to have this kind of a completely visual editor, but there it is (check the link for a demo video).

Before now, I never realized just how much time I was spending waiting for page reloads, while creating content in WordPress. You can save massive amounts of time with a "live" editor like this.

And what I love about this tool is that it doesnt just replace the boring and clumsy old WordPress editor, its also a whole sales-page-building suite! If you build marketing pages and landing pages, this thing is brilliant!

Check it out here!

As I understand it, the offer for this plugin is only available for a couple of days, so make sure you get in before its too late.

Thank me later! :)

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diy aquaponics grow media | How to sell services to local businesses without actually doing any of the work

diy aquaponics grow media

Yesterday I emailed you about my friend’s new course and I wanted to make sure you had a chance to check it out.

I actually received a lot of emails from people who got access to it yesterday and their responses were overwhelming! I received a ton of thank you messages for recommending it.

Here’s the link if you haven’t checked it out yet.

This new course is very easy to follow and it shows you how to sell services to local businesses without actually doing any of the work and without even picking up the phone.

You have to check it out now.

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diy aquaponics kit uk | Develop roots in Aquaponics Mini Garden in October update of week III started on 6 October

diy aquaponics kit uk

Starting with a bed of perlite in my system of mini aquaponics rather with many of pepper seedlings now with his second set of leaves and a Court of taken Mint is now 3 weeks a little having already developed a system of root. In my Mini Garden, all in containers, many seedlings, but they have now formed additional leaves finally in plants of tomato, bell peppers, seedlings of flowering plants, all the cuts of Basil have grown considerably, green onions, waiting for their seeds. The height of 3 feet along the Basil plant support has been cut already. Update of the plants of honeydew is seen in the second 1 video and also not seen here is my basket of grass where the baby mints have now all grown larger and denser and I added a species of plant of thin celery in the basket of grass (does not appear because of problems of camera). Also shown are not plants of bean, new seedlings mustard plants, new outbreaks of peas and cilantro with his driving. Temperatures in the 70s, lots of shade, not Sun really shining in my small patio Cabinet shortly here. Without rain, not snow.
Videos rating: 4 / 5

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diy water pump in aquaponics system | Guide to breeding of tilapia

diy water pump in aquaponics system

Guide to breeding of tilapia
The only complete and up-to-date guide of its kind unlock the secrets of wealth on the Tilapia explosion industry. Amazing extras for the guide of make this a complete package with unsurpassed. Tools for affiliates and very generous commissions.
Guide to breeding of tilapia

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diy aquaponics raft system | Principles of Aquaculture

diy aquaponics raft system

Based upon a author’s prior work, Principles of Warmwater Aquaculture, this content updates as well as expands upon a simple beliefs of aquaculture. Encompasses a wider farrago of nautical animals together with coldwater fishes. Focuses upon a unsentimental aspects of H2O quality, stuff oneself as well as nutrition, reproduction, breeding, diseases as well as operations. Deals with a environmental, amicable as well as mercantile aspects of aquaculture. Many of a examples underline class of both competition as well as blurb interest.

List Price: $ 284.50

Price: $ 70.00

Related posts:

Aquaculture: Farming Aquatic Animals and Plants (Fishing News Books) ReviewsAquaculture EngineeringRecirculating AquacultureAquaponics in Australia: The Integration of Aquaculture and HydroponicsAquaponics-integration of hydroponics with aquaculture (Horticulture systems guide)

View the original article here

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diy aquaponics grow beds | Rehabilitation of Degraded Community Grazing Lands in Laikipia Kenya

diy aquaponics grow beds

Land degradation is a serious problem in semi-arid rangeland in Africa, threatening wildlife habitats, grazing lands and pastoral livelihoods. Range rehabilitation was carried out in degraded grazing areas in four community ranches in Laikipia. The aim was to alleviate pasture scarcity, improve ecosystem resilience and create alternative income generating activities for the pastoralist group ranch communities. As part of an implementation program of the natural resource management programmes developed by the respective group ranches communities’ African Wildlife Foundation started facilitating rehabilitation of degraded lands with support from various donors e.g. GEF. The communities showed great interest in restoring the degraded areas within their ranches as an important strategy of implementing the plans. Rehabilitation was also deemed necessary for the sustainability of the community conservation initiatives, combating land degradation, and resource-based conflicts and improvement of the pastoral livelihoods. Besides ecotourism, rehabilitated areas can be a resource for various income generating activities (IGAs) for the community, such as bee-keeping, harvesting grass seed for sale, and fattening of stock for sale among others. So far. More than 500 Ha of severely degraded rangeland has been successfully rehabilitated in the four group ranches. 

See a project showcase in SER website here and read a policy brief here.

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diy aquaponics pdf | 12 Year old Kenyan boy honoured at the UN International Day of Peace

diy aquaponics pdf

Stephen Njoroge is sipping a mango juice, dressed in a blue school uniform like any other boy his age. Mango trees are his favourite — but as an environmentalist, Njoroge loves trees of all varieties. And at just 12 years, he has planted over 10,000 of them — and made it to the UN history books. Last Friday, his efforts to create a sustainable future for Kenya were honoured at the UN International Day of Peace. Kenya’s most eminent conservationist, the late Prof. Wangari Maathai, once said tree planting was “her little thing”.  Three years ago, Njoroge decided to make it his big thing — and has been working to keep Kenya’s forests healthy ever since.  Not surprisingly, Maathai’s legacy has influenced the young boy, but he says his organisation, We Care Club, was a family operation from the start. 

"Our family loves the environment” Stephen Njoroge. Photo/SARA MOJTEHEDZADEH  NATION MEDIA GROUP

Start a club

“Our whole family has had this love for the environment so I decided to start a club to show how we really care.” Thanks to his uncle who grew seedlings, Njoroge and his school friends had a ready supply of young trees to plant — first in their backyard, and then in public forests like Karura. And thanks to Njoroge’s father, they were never short on inspiration either. “My dad worked for the United Nations and he really loved the environment” remembers Njoroge. “We always used to go for trips with him checking the climate of places and the kind of trees that grow there.” The elder Njoroge has since passed away, but his son is keeping his legacy alive at the UN.

“He is a young person who has made a mark, and we want to recognise him, especially because he is working for peace,” said Irene Mwakesi of the United Nations Information Centre.  But planting 10,000 trees requires no small amount of teamwork, so Njoroge insisted that his entire class at Mariki School in Nairobi accompany him to the UN celebration in Nairobi. “I had to bring the whole army!” he maintains.

The We Care Club is a veritable army now. It has grown from just 100 members to over 5,000. “A fact that I’ve learned is not everybody is a tree hugger,” says Njoroge. “So we try and find what they are interested in. For example a number of people in the club like playing football. So we plant trees and find a place where we can play football together. “Since we are kids, we don’t like all these official things. So we are trying to make it a bit more fun.”

That is a relief for Njoroge’s mother, Mercy Njoroge, who says: “It’s a big responsibility he’s taken on his shoulders. So to protect the fact that he’s a child is important to me.” And Stephen, for his part, credits his mother with helping him balance his environmentalism and school work, a gargantuan task for a boy who has planted the equivalent of a small forest. “She’s the one who gives me the repeated inspiration. When I’m feeling down and feeling like I can’t handle all the pressure, she’s the one who usually helps me out, tells me how to set my goals and take them one by one.”

Stephen certainly has ambition in abundance: he has already served as an ambassador for Kenya at the 2011 United Nations environmental summit in Indonesia, has travelled to five continents, and hasn’t ruled out a running for President. His political career may have to wait for some years, but Njoroge sees his youth as an asset rather than an obstacle. “I noticed that its only older people who are inspiring children. Now I’m trying to make children inspire older people.”

To that end, he has started a campaign to enlist the help of public figures in Kenya for his tree planting projects. Last week, he officially launched the We Care Club, an event attended by the Ministry of the Environment and the Kenya Forestry Service officials.  But Njoroge has another invitation to extend — to the President Kibaki. “President Kibaki’s birthday is coming up and we want to do something special for him since this is going to be his last year as the President. “We can do something he likes. Like go play golf, or something like that.”

Source: Daily Nation;  Story By SARA MOJTEHEDZADEH 

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diy venturi aquaponics | IMPACT OF COMMUNITY CONSERVATION MANAGEMENT ON HERBACEOUS LAYER AND SOIL NUTRIENTS IN A KENYAN SEMI ARID SAVANNAH

diy venturi aquaponics

ABSTRACT

The impact of community conservation management on a semi-arid savannah herbaceous vegetation and soil nutrient status was studied in the conservation and grazing zones of two community ranches in Laikipia County, Kenya. Land zoning was carried out in 1999 using participatory approaches to demarcate conservation areas excluded from livestock grazing, buffer areas for grazing and high-intensity use zones for both grazing and settlement. Collected data included cover, grass species composition, standing grass biomass and topsoil chemical characteristics using line transect and quadrant methods. The conservation zones had significantly higher herbaceous diversity, species richness and relative abundance of both annual and perennial grasses, basal cover and herbage and a lower percentage of bare ground compared with the continuously grazed zones. The conservation zones also had higher total organic carbon, organic nitrogen and exchangeable basic cations content, indicating improved soil nutrient status. The grazing zones exhibited loss of vegetation cover and reduction of forage production, with a decline in rangeland condition, whereas the conservation zones showed recovery and improvement of the rangeland condition. Long-term implementation of Natural resource management programme in community wildlife conservancies seems to drive the semi-arid savannahs to exist in two steady states and transitions under the influence of grazing. We recommend long-term monitoring of the impact of the community conservation model on the rangeland and timely incorporation of remedial measures such as shifting bomas (cattle corrals) across the grazing zones, aggressive rangeland rehabilitation of severely degraded areas through reseeding and random grass seed broadcast along stock routes. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Keywords:

• conservation management;
• herbaceous vegetation;
• land zoning;
• livestock–wildlife interface
• rangeland condition

Cite as: Mureithi S. M., Verdoodt A., Njoka J. T., Gachene C. KK., Warinwa F. and Van Ranst E., (2014), IMPACT OF COMMUNITY CONSERVATION MANAGEMENT ON HERBACEOUS LAYER AND SOIL NUTRIENTS IN A KENYAN SEMI-ARID SAVANNAH, Land Degrad. Develop., doi: 10.1002/ldr.2315

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DIY Aquaponics | Effects of enclosures and land zoning on the restoration of degraded semi arid rangeland in Kenya

DIY Aquaponics

Below is a summary of my PhD thesis, defended successfully on 29th November, 2012 at Ghent University, Belgium.

In response to the increasing land degradation in arid and semi-arid environments in Sub-Saharan Africa, numerous approaches to their restoration have been developed. Very few of these have been successful beyond the project implementation period. In some parts of Eastern Africa however, rangeland enclosures and community-based conservation are increasingly being adopted in pastoral areas under transition and in the livestock-wildlife interface, respectively. The two approaches represent restoration initiatives at site (enclosure) to landscape (conservancy) levels. However, their impact on the semi-arid ecosystem health is still not well understood. This study aimed to assess and describe the impact of enclosures and community conservation management on the restoration of degraded semi-arid rangeland in Kenya. 

The specific objectives were to (a) assess the impact of enclosures under private and communal management on ecosystem health using the key biotic (herbaceous vegetation) and abiotic (soil properties) indicators; (b) quantify the tangible benefits derived from rehabilitating a degraded semi-arid rangeland in communal enclosures; (c) assess the impact of community conservation management on a semi-arid savannah; and (d) determine the effects of range rehabilitation through reseeding on large herbivore dynamics. The study was conducted on the Njemps Flats in the Lake Baringo basin (Baringo County), and in a number of group ranches in the neighbouring Laikipia County. 

Enclosure establishment and active management has led to recovery of herbaceous vegetation, especially grasses and standing crop biomass, compared to the adjacent degraded rangeland. Enclosures were also effective in restoring soil quality. The tangible benefits realised from the restored areas are one of the incentives driving rangeland enclosure establishment in the Lake Baringo basin. Positive correlations between enclosure total incomes with time demonstrate increase in the enclosure income. The improvement of the soil quality, general rangeland condition, and economic return show that creating rangeland enclosures is a potential avenue for combating land degradation and poverty in the drylands where pastoralism is in transition from extensive to sedentary and hybrid systems. 

The adoption of community-based conservation (CBC) by the pastoral communities in northern Kenya has leveraged more land for conservation of wildlife, habitats and grazing lands. It has also secured the community land from sub-division and erection of fences which impede wildlife migration and pastoralism. Thirdly, CBC offers a great opportunity for the communities to benefit from wildlife and other natural resources existing on their land through profit-sharing from eco-tourism initiatives using the payment of environmental service (PES) arrangements. However, CBC and its natural resource management programme have also created new challenges such as a declining and improving rangeland condition in the grazing and settlement, and conservation zones, respectively. The challenges of planning and budgeting the utilisation of key land resources, especially pasture, remains a serious threat to the success of CBCs. This thesis highlights a number of pragmatic suggestions on how the situation can be managed, in order to abate further decline in range condition in the grazing zones. These would increase the resilience of the rangeland ecosystem in the long term and increase the potential of community conservation management to restore degraded grazing lands and habitats, conserve biodiversity, and alleviate poverty in the Kenyan livestock-wildlife interface areas.

Citation: Mureithi, S.M. 2012. Effects of enclosures and land zoning on the restoration of degraded semi-arid rangeland in Kenya. PhD thesis. Ghent University Press. pp. 210. ISBN 978-9-4619708-4-8

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diy aquaponics forum | A great alternative to the cultivation of potted cucumbers

diy aquaponics forum

A great alternative to the cultivation of potted cucumbers

Cultivation of potted cucumbers is possible, but can be a little tricky. Pot, more care must be taken to ensure that maintain adequate soil moisture levels, that plants in pots tend to dry out more quickly so it would on Earth. With cucumbers, swings wide of moist to dry ground can cause cucumbers being bitter. There is an alternative to the cultivation in pots that produces excellent results with cucumbers and many other vegetables. And a fun is also more shape of garden.

Cultivation of vegetables in pots can be a great way to take advantage of the space that does not have enough ground as a patio or even indoors. But there are limitations to what you can get from a boat, depending on the amount of land that can be placed in them. There is a way of gardening that has recently begun to detect that can produce more healthy plants in less space than pots or even planting in the ground.

This method may sound complicated at first but is really simple and has less maintenance growing in pots, because there is no water, fertilize or treat of potting soil at all. Most plants really dont need soil, which grows only on the ground because that is what is available on Earth. It is the water and nutrients that are placed on the floor need.

Hydroponics came as a way of growing plants in water without soil, but is really too much work for most people. Maintain levels of nutrients in the water can be complicated and has much control and adjustment. Aquaponics is a form of gardening free of soil that is taking the gardening world by storm. Aquaponics eliminates problems of hydroponics and is all organic. And above all, a fun more way to grow plants.

With aquaponics use natural processes to give your plants all that you need for maximum growth. Rather than take care of them, using fish to take charge of them. Rather than make them grow in the soil, it allows its roots grow directly in water that is constantly loading with organic nutrients for fish in the water. At the same time, the roots of the plants are a natural filter to maintain clean water for the fish.

You might think that adding fish creates a new work for you, but how plants and fish work together, really makes less work for you. Instead of irrigation, fertilization, pulling weeds and struggling with slugs, snails, gophers and other soil pests, gardening is about as difficult as giving the fish food every day. And if thats too much work, there are automatic feeders that will do it for you.

Aquaponics can be as simple as a tank or tank with a floating raft for plants that grow in the upper part, or a separate tank and grow bed with a pump that circulates water between the two. You can use fish as the Goldfish or other aquarium fish only to look at, or even grow food fish such as tilapia. In this case her garden produce organic vegetables, and fish all at the same time and with less work than just vegetable cultivation.

This method is ideal for the cultivation of cucumber and many other vegetables. Always receiving a steady supply of water and never go dry. This may produce better cucumbers which do not have much problem to be bitter. Climbing cucumbers are also great because you can sow in water aquaponics and can grow out of its own address. This type of plants can take space away leaving more room in the bed of grow growing other plants at the same time.

Learn how to configure your own simple aquaponics with this aquaponics system how to guide.

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diy aquaponics flood and drain | Going Going Gone Case of Kenyan highlands Springs and Streams

diy aquaponics flood and drain

I have been wondering, what is happening to our Springs and Streams! This question is prompted by my real life experiences and observations I have witnessed. In this post I take the case of Gakui stream, the one that I grew up knowing, playing with and taking my father’s cows to water. The stream emanates from Gakui spring at the end of Kiawambigo village, and empties its waters into Rathithi River. Rathithi River has its source in upstream springs and streams in tea growing areas, and is dammed into Ragati Dam before proceeding downwards to confluence with Gakui stream (Google Earth imagery for this region not clear!). Rathithi River empties its waters into Tana River (locally known as Sagana).

In the eighties, our parents could not allow us to go near Gakui stream after the rains (especially March – May long rains) fearing that we could be carried off and drown. In just less than twenty years, Gakui stream now flows for a few days after heavy rains then dries up. The stream is now dry.

Most middle-aged people in the rural areas in Kenya can attest that the environment around them and the climate has changed significantly, from the time they were young children about 25 – 30 years ago. It is obvious that older people can attest to more changes that have occurred in their lifetime. In the recent past, farmers could know when to prepare the land for planting as the rains were predictable, seasonal and reliable. The springs and local streams flowed with water, varying in volumes depending on the season, and were never dry. The valley bottoms were rich in riparian biodiversity. The stream waters were crystal clear, except during the rains, and the aquatic animals like fish (mainly Tilapia species), frogs (and their chained eggs and tadpoles), water beetles and an array of water birds thrived. On the other hand, it was not uncommon to sight land-based animals like snakes, black and green mambas, hares, gazelles among others.

Needless to say, farmers nowadays do not know exactly when to do which farm management practice as they cannot foretell when the rains are coming. They are a confused lot; a complete departs from what used to happen before. There is increased variability and unreliability of rainfall, and confusing seasonality of rainfall events. In addition, the seasonal streams and rivers are now dry, and sustain reduced flows for a shorter period after the rains than before, or do not flow at all. Main reason could be that the water table has lowered significantly, and it has to be adequately recharged for the springs to start flowing again. The major perennial rivers in Kenya like Tana, Athi River, and others have now reduced volumes even during ‘normal’ long rains seasons. Volumes in big dams and lakes too, have not been spared, as it is the case of Ndaka-ini dam and Lake Naivasha.

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diy aquaponics design | Description Of Species

diy aquaponics design

FLOWERING SHRUBS

This book is created for a pledge gardener who might not be good capable with a vast series of technical conditions as good as who might not instruct to have a worry of wading by a mass of notation records for a elementary report he or she needs upon such counts as what a plant looks like, when it blooms, how to grow it as good as how to shear it. It is hoped that a illustrations will be found useful, quite by those who have not seen a shrubs before.

DESCRIPTION OF SPECIES

Acalypha hispida

Origin as good as Distribution. A local of East Indies as good as a adjacent domain of New Guinea, Acalypha hispida is during large distributed in many pleasant tools of a universe as good as finds itself utterly during home underneath a conditions prevalent in this country.

General Description. This plant is conspicuous not so most for a beauty as for a novel coming of a inflorescences, that yield a desirable difference to a usual form of a flowers. The notation flowering plants have been many-sided in to catkins similar to those of a mulberry plant. These pendulous, deep-red-colored tassel-like spikes of flowering plants comment for a usual name Red-Hot Cat-Tail. The red inflorescence is additionally rather suggestive of a Amaranthus species. The plant grows to a tallness of 1 to 1.5 meter, and, densely lonesome with leaves as good as flowers, it presents a fuzzy appearance. The leaves have been thin, soothing as good as broadly ovate, splendid immature in color, relating good with a flowers. The plant flowering plants by a larger prejudiced of a year though some-more openly during Feb to July. It can be grown with good value as a dwarf or middle plant in a thicket or as a pot plant for verandah decoration. It can additionally be used as a leaflet plant in a greenhouse, for bedding as good as for hedges.

The plant is ordinarily propagated by seeds, that it sets in good abundance, as good as additionally by cuttings. The seedlings have been Planted during a stormy season. The plant prefers prejudiced shade for full of health growth.

OTHER SPECIES

A. wilkesiana is additionally ordinarily artistic for a beauty of a foliage. The leaves have been 10 to twenty cm prolonged as good as smooth, solely upon a veins as good as leaf-stalks They have been coppery immature with blotches as good as splashes of red as good as flush color.

Author of this essay does not concede we to republish/reprint this essay but created consent.

Published during Aquaponics DIY http://www.sooperarticles.com

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