Meet Abla, the former school teacher who bought a small piece of property in the desert. After nine months on the property, she met her neighbours Geoff and Nadia, and she took our permaculture design certificate course here at the Greening the Desert project. She then began to transition her own property, which had been mostly rocks and barren soil, into a green desert site as well. Having left the city unhealthy, she has felt renewed with a permaculture lifestyle, caring for plants and … [Read more...]
Jordanians on the frontline of climate change, turn to permaculture
Olive, lemon and palm trees provide shade over the small garden where Abu ElHajj recently started growing carrots, tomatoes, beans and herbs.Surrounded by arid cliffs and a harsh desert landscape, it seems an unlikely place to start cultivating food. 'Geoff taught us how to work with nature, not against it'- Abu ElHajj Facing drought and rising temperatures, Jordan is on the frontline of climate change. Overgrazing and inappropriate cultivation practices have contributed to increasing … [Read more...]
Celebrating 10-Years at the Greening the Desert Project, Jordan.
The Greening the Desert Project started with the purchase of land about ten years ago, and it expanded slowly until that mounted into exponential growth. Things started at the top, literally, with a large water tank that feeds a shower/toilet block just downhill. The toilets are dry composting, supplying fertilizer for plants on site, and the greywater from the showers and sinks goes to a nearby reed bed. The reed bed, still high in the landscape, is then able to send gravity-fed irrigation to … [Read more...]
Onsite in Jordan at “The greening of the Desert, The Sequel”
I am facilitating a Permaculture Design Certificate course over the next two weeks. We have eleven students that have come from or have lived in more than 20 countries which is amazing and of course having a big multicultural vibe. We have just finished day 2. Yesterday at the end of the day we put together an 18 day hot compost which we will be able to monitor as we go through the course. We are working our way through the first three chapters of the Bill Mollison book “Permaculture A … [Read more...]
Energy Globe Award
National ENERGY GLOBE Award Jordan 2015 Has been won by Geoff Lawton and The Permaculture Research Institute for the Permaculture sites featured inGreening/Re-Greening the Desert "To be honored with this award is a great recognition of our work for a better environment and motivates us to continue our endeavors in the future" Geoff Lawton, National Energy Globe Winner JordanAbout the AWARD With more than 170 participating countries and over 1500 project submissions annually the Energy Globe … [Read more...]
Supporting SOILS on International Permaculture Day with Geoff Lawton
https://vimeo.com/168714775 Geoff Lawton talks "What you can do with Soil in a Desert", supporting the Soil theme on this upcoming International Permaculture Day from The Greening the Desert Sequel Site in the Jordan Valley (PRI Jordan). Join us worldwide on Sunday 3rd May for International Permaculture Day: In Support of Soil! … [Read more...]
Support Species for a Dryland Food Forest, a Practical Example
Greening the Desert II, Dead Sea Valley, Jordan Photos: Rawan RisheqOctober-November 2014, at the end of a long dry summer before the winter rains.You can also download the whole pdf here From its very inception, a natural system is involved in a continuous evolution, an ongoing succession of different stages toward increasing diversity and complexity, toward increasing stability, fertility and productivity until, eventually, the system reaches its climax – a final stage of relative stability … [Read more...]