The Wild Center's Green Roof Demo Sept. 15
 
Learn what it takes to plan, install and maintain a green roof in the northern Adirondack climate. At The Wild Center's Flammer Theater - a session on green roof principles presented by two experts in the field.
 

Permaculture in the Adirondacks
Permaculture is ecological design for food production, housing, and land use, in the simplest terms. It is very much biomimicry, as is highlighted this year in The Wild Center's "Mother of Invention" exhibit. It is a word comprised originally from "permanent" and "agriculture," then infused with the human need for "culture" and collapsed into one word reflecting all three.
 
 
What is the Connection between Agriculture and Carbon in soils?
-          We could capture all post-industrial carbon simply by increasing organic matter in the world’s arable lands by 1.6 percent, according to Abe Collins, a farmer presenting on Vermont Public Television’s “Regeneration” series. Keyline farming systems, he notes, create an inch or two of topsoil and increased organic matter per year and are fundamental permacultural techniques.
 
-         Keyline systems of water and soil conservation were developed in Australia during the 1950's by P.A. Yeomans as a response to increasing desertification and erosion of the landscape. His book Water For Every Farm is an important resource on farm design. Keyline is a set of principles and techniques based on a whole systems approach that works with natural patterns to restore or increase the depth and fertility of the soil, while increasing its water holding capabilities. Keyline integrates terraces, ponds and cultivation techniques with the natural landscape to infiltrate water into the soil efficiently and hold it on the land as long as possible. In order to truly work with nature, implementing a Keyline system requires careful observation and assessment of a site. Carbon sequestration is also an important by-product of using a Yeomans Keyline Plow.
 
-          Along with improved water management, enhancement of soil fertility is a key goal of Keyline. P.A. Yeomans fundamentally believed that “…soil can be improved beyond its best natural or original fertility and the process is simple, rapid and economical.” The Yeomans plow effectively moves organic matter down through the soil horizon.  
 
The Course Blog:
 
Introduction
From Kara's Notebook - August 16
From Kara's Notes - August 17
From Kara's Notebook - August 18
From Kara's Notebook - August 21
From Kara's Notebook - August 24
From Gail's Journal - August 17
From Gail's Journal - August 18
From Gail's Journal - August 19
From Gail's Journal - August 20
From Gail's Journal - August 21
From Gail's Journal - August 22
From Gail's Journal - August 25
From Gail's Journal - August 27
From Gail's Journal - August 28
Interviews of Participants
Examples of Permaculture in Use
Who in the Adirondacks could Use Permacultural Design
References
 
Introduction
Two members of the ADKCAP Steering Committee are taking an intensive course in Permacultural Design this week and next week.  Gail Brill of the Green Circle in Saranac Lake, and Kara Page of The Wild Center's Development Team and an advisor on ADKCAP, are digging in :) to learn the

The North Country Sustainable Energy Fair Presents 60 Exhibitors
 
Tons of workshops on everything from understanding geothermal to solar. hands on workshops for builders and contractors. This is a major updates event that attracts crowds from all over the northeast and a great place to go to get your hands around a wide variety of topics and options. There's more at the event website.