Did you know that simply digging a slight ditch can completely change the health of a landscape?

In modern landscaping, any sort of hole or ditch is considered a “dangerous tripping hazard,” “unsightly,” or “a waste of space,” so everything is smoothed out. If you go to most cities and farms, the only non-flat places are designed to carry water away from cities, rather than hold onto it.

This thought process can not only increase overland flooding and wash away topsoil, but it also gives water no place to sit and be absorbed into the soil. Without any water capture gradually trickling into the soil and creating an underground reservoir, the landscape becomes less drought resistant and more susceptible to wildfires.

The permaculture techniques to correct this have many names and methods, including:

• Demi-lunes / Half - moons / Semi-circular bunds
• Eyebrow terraces / banquettes
• Negarim
• Contour bunds
• Micro basins
• Planting pits / Zai pits / Chololo pits
• Swales

They might be different shapes and use slightly different methods, but they all do all work the same on a basic level. The idea is to dig or build a shape that will slowdown and/or catch some of the movement of water. This can make the soil more absorbent (dry and hardened soil does not absorb water as easily) which promotes healthy microbiome of the soil.

Even if the water dries out visibly during the dry season, underground, they could be making a huge difference.

It is not new science, but instead something many cultures around the world have a long history with, but many modern farming practices(mostly to make it farming machine friendly) and development flatten everything out. If people changed this point of view, it could change our landscapes.

In cities, they look like a slight ditch in front of a house, or a creek in a greenspace.

(Image Sources: Image 1 | Image 2)

For other landscapes, it could be just slight indents in un-farmable areas, or ditches dug around farm perimeters.

They do not have to be very deep, and often do not need any fancy equipment to dig(most just take a shovel), but they can do amazing things.

In the process of reversing landscape desertification, it is proving drastically helpful. As the underground water reserves build, so does the vegetation.

(Image Source: Just Dig It. An example of demi-lunes / half-moons)

More Info:

• https://youtu.be/RPJ9T4yAEGs
• https://youtu.be/CG4-u1q1x3Y

Greenery on walls can reduce a buildings heat loss by 30%, improve air quality, help absorb sounds, and can even reduce a cities temperature, so it is no wonder so many places are considering them.

Here are two options I think are interesting:

Vertical Meadows:

There is a bit of a terminology game here. Verticals gardens are sometimes found in wealthy office buildings, but they do nothing for local eco-systems and are often non-local tropical varieties of plants. Even for those found outside, the plants are often picked for appearance alone, instead of what would help local biodiversity.

In comparison, vertical meadows have a different goal. Vertical meadows (started in London, England) are outdoor vertical greenery walls that uses locally-grown native and seasonal plants, ensuring year-round options for wildlife like pollinators and birds.

The main problem with these setups is that they tend to require watering systems, which (even if rainwater collection is installed) can be rather costly.

More Info:

• https://youtu.be/Qyi_7HCVoPM
• https://youtu.be/OXUYZdfqq1Q

Moss Walls:

Companies like Respyre use upcycled bioreceptive concrete and a moss coating encourage moss-growth on any vertical surface without risk of damaging the buildings. Other companies(such as Green City Solutions) grow panels of moss, which can then be installed like tiles.

Due to moss being so inexpensive to incorporate, it is becoming a popular option.

For added benefits, moss is drought tolerant, and can absorb 6x more C02 than other plants. Moss is basically a living filter, and can even filter arsenic out of water.

More info:

• https://youtu.be/cE02cQIVSAs
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7tYG3MepUu0
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7tYG3MepUu0

However, moss can be hard to grow commercially(mostly due to the fact that they release spores instead of seeds), so many of the mosses people buy, especially those used for craft supplies, are illegally poached from the wild. If a little is left behind, moss typically can regenerate, but many harvesters simply roll up huge blankets of moss, leaving nothing behind. It is estimated that the mosses can take 10-20 years to grow back.

So, please research where the moss is sourced if you plan on buying any. If the company does not grow it themselves or does not mention where they source it, do not buy any.

Vergenoegd Winery(South Africa) is handling pests using a unique solution; ducks. These ducks enable the winery to be pesticide-free.

Video: https://youtu.be/H6Ehoxu9QY8

The reason for this is that ducks love to eat all sorts of garden pests: including slugs, snails, mosquitoes, ants, and more.

"You may also be wondering: Why ducks and not chickens? While it’s true that chickens can help to keep bugs at a low in your garden, they also have a habit of being a little less delicate around garden plants than ducks do. Chickens love fresh greenery and will be more than happy to eat your homegrown lettuce, whereas ducks will focus less on your hard work and more on the bugs in your yard." | The Spruce

Similarly to the winery, ducks are also often employed to help with rice paddies. The ducks not only help with pests and fertilization, but their paddling helps both aerate the water and kick up mud(the increased oxygen and decreased light can cut down on algae or weed growth).

As an added benefit, the eggs and/or meat can be eaten. I know that will upset many of you but the added financial benefit of that is further incentivizing farmers to switch from herbicides and pesticides, to ducks.

"Another study done by Practical Action2 concluded that the duck-rice farming technology led to several socio-economic and environmental benefits. The ducks were introduced into the rice fields 10-20 days after rice was planted until the flowering stages. The study also found out that this form of farming was better in rice production than others as it led to decreased production costs, high yields achievement, had benefits for the environment and led to increased income. Further, it’s stated that 20% higher yields can be achieved with the use of this system, 50% increase in income can be achieved as well as enhanced food security through the consumption of duck meat." | Permaculture Research Institute

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0ISdo-b7Lk

(Image Source)

RIGHT TO REPAIR

A big fight is happening world-wide to push governments to ensure people can repair the products they own.

“The right to repair refers to proposed government legislation to forbid manufacturers from imposing barriers that deny consumers the ability to repair and modify their own consumer products.” | Wikipedia

This is happening because of:

• Planned Obsolescence: companies are purposely building their products to break faster, so you have to pay to replace them sooner.
• Unfixable Products: some products will have their components soldered, glued, or riveted, to stop people from being able to repair.
• Brand-Specific Parts: These parts may cost more than buying a new product. As well as that, some companies refuse to let independent repair technicians purchase their parts to try and force costumers to only use the product company for repairs.
• Restrictive Programing. For these, the programs refuse to let you fix your own products (a large example of this happens to farm equipment, where farmers have to hack their own equipment if they want to repair on their own).

More Info:

• https://youtu.be/NWQ8y3TksrQ
• https://youtu.be/wzWU7D0S9_8?feature=shared

REPAIR CAFES

Repair cafes are typically community-run events where volunteers gather to fix the broken items of strangers for free. My town started doing it a long time ago, and it was so popular that it now happens several times a year.

People bring in stand mixers, vacuums, computers, items that need sewing repairs, and more. Often, the person is very willing to explain the repairs as they do them.

In other places, repair cafes have become more permanent. For example, in Austria, the government started paying those who repair.

Repair cafes not only save people money, but they also can greatly reduce the amount of waste produced by saving those repaired items from the landfill.

More Info on Repair Cafes:

• https://youtu.be/6ZrnVobXWFQ

(Image Source)

For food forests, you do what you can to use edible plant life to mimic the ecosystems of a wild forest.

“A food forest, also called a forest garden, is a diverse planting of edible plants that attempts to mimic the ecosystems and patterns found in nature.” | Project Food Forest

If done right, this system will…

• Promote a healthy soil microbiome
• Increase carbon-capture (no-till)
• Prevent erosion
• Retain water

And more.

Personally, I suggest using as many perennials to your area as you can so you don't have to replant everything every year.

Here are some perennial examples that are for my specific area:

(⚠ means you may want to container garden them to prevent spread)

• 🥬Lovage (celery alternative)
• 🥗 Bloody Dock (chard alternative)
• 🥗 Good King Henry (spinach alternative)
• 🥔 Jerusalem Artichoke (root vegetable)
• 🥗 Sea Kale
• 🧅 Chives ⚠
• 🥝Hardi-Kiwi
• 🍓Wild strawberries
• Raspberries ⚠
• Wild blueberries
• Red or Black Currants
• Haskap/Honeyberries
• 🍇Valiant or Bluebell Grapes
• Rhubarb
• Saskatoons
• Pembina Plums
• 🍒Evans (sour) cherries
• Manchurian Apricots
• 🍎 Hardi-Mac Apples

More Info on Food Forests:

• https://youtu.be/Q_m_0UPOzuI
• https://youtu.be/6GJFL0MD9fc
• https://youtu.be/mdi_9o92XcU

Years ago, I took an online course on mountains, and one fact that stuck with me from it was about how people in the USA accidentally polluted the water in New York City by cutting down trees.

It was the 1800s, and the trees in the Catskill Mountains were cut down to accommodate growing populations, and as a result, the water quality for New Yorkers deteriorated rapidly. Yes, the agriculture pollution and sewage did play a part, but the trees were decided to be such a big problem, that they decided something had to be done.

So, they purchased land, and planted 18000 trees to restore the natural ecosystem.

How does this water-cleaning work? With watersheds.

“Watershed: an area of high ground from which water flows down to a river” | Cambridge Dictionary

Imagine it is raining in a forest. Droplets hit the ground, and —thanks to the vegetation which slows runoff — it is absorbed into the soil like a sponge. As the water moves through the soil, microbes are actively removing harmful pollutants, silt is filtered, and plants removing fertilizers.

Some of the water will end up in our lakes and streams, but will be much cleaner than when it started.

"The ability of forests to aid in the filtration of water doesn’t only provide benefits to our health and the health of an ecosystem, but also to our pocketbooks. Forest cover has been directly linked to drinking water treatment costs, so the more forest in a source water watershed, the lower the cost to treat that water. Forests provide these benefits by filtering sediments and other pollutants from the water in the soil before it reaches a water source, such as a stream, lake or river." | American Forests

Since this intake and outtake of water is gradual, removal of these forests can even to lead to a higher chance of both droughts and floods.

More Info:

• https://youtu.be/QOrVotzBNto
• https://youtu.be/OfqOOqz0RhU

Have you ever wondered why so many large chain stores have two sets of doors? No, it is not just to store shopping carts.

Where I live, any home that is around 100 years old (that hasn't seen any renovations) will very likely have two front doors. Putting it simply, you open one door, step into a small space, and there will be another door in front of you.

(Image Sources: Image 1 | Image 2)

The space goes by many names, including: arctic entry, mud room, breeze room, vestibule, airlock, foyer, and more. For sake of simplicity, I am going to call them "entry vestibules."

Entry vestibules create a buffer between the outside and the inside of the building, preventing drafts. This can help greatly with temperature regulation in both the winter cold and summer heat. I can't find number details on energy saving, but the fact that large chains still build them may hint of their importance for money-saving.

In homes, this space also typically serves as the mud room ( a place for shoes and jackets).

In the name of "first impressions," and open concept designs, vestibules are often the first thing to go during renovations, and I think that's a real shame.

Have you heard of the beautiful living root bridges in Meghalaya, India? Their construction is a lesson in patience as the roots are gradually encouraged to grow in the supportive shape. They need regular care, but grow stronger with age.

“Once a bamboo structure has been stretched across the river, the roots of the tree, usually the rubber tree (Ficus elastica), are teased and manipulated to become entwined with the bamboo until it becomes a strong mesh. The roots are allowed to grow gradually and strengthen over time. In the initial stages, only about 15-20 people can cross the bridge in a day. Much later, it can be as many as 50 or more, although it can take up to two decades for a living roots bridge to be finished.” | The Guardian

Once done, the bridges can have a lifespan of several hundred years; far outliving the original creators of them.

It is unknown when this tradition started, but they were written about in 1844, so it would be far earlier than that.

I just thought people on here might find this tradition as fascinating as I do.

More Info:

• https://youtu.be/1H0qTm7wNjk

Here in Canada, beavers are often not thought of in a kind light. Yes, tourist shops sell beaver merchandise, and one of our coins even has a beaver on it, but among locals, they do not have the best reputation.

Beavers to many are considered a pest. They clog storm drains, cut down forests, and flood farmland.

To make them seem even more frightening, sometimes their work on building dams goes for generations. The worlds biggest beaver dam (in Wood Buffalo National Park, Alberta, Canada) is so large, it can even be seen from space.

However, they don’t really deserve the bad reputation they are getting. Here are just some of the reasons why to love beavers.

1. They help local wildlife

When a beaver builds a dam, it does restrict the flow of water, but it does not stop the flow completely. This creates havens for fish and other wildlife.

“The study found that in the pools created by beaver dams there were 37 percent more fish than in comparable stretches of the river where there were no dams.” | BBC from this article

2. They can help with flooding

The common perception is that beavers cause flooding, and in a way, that is true. They create a dam, and that dam waterlogs habitats on a small scale. However, on a larger scale, those dams can help slow the flow of water in a network of channels, which reduces the chance of damage for people living down stream during floods.

The dams have slowed the flow of floodwater through the village, reducing “peak flows” during flood events. | The Guardian

3. They can help with droughts

Thanks to the holding of water, they can create reserves of water that can last even after every other source in the area goes dry. As well as that, slowing down the water gives the surrounding soil a better chance at absorbing the water.

“Beaver can help lessen the effects of drought because they cause water to be stored on the surface and absorbed into the sub-surface of the land due to the impoundment of water by their dams. This can increase stream flow during drought periods and make ecosystems less vulnerable during dry periods." | Parks Canada

4. They improve water quality

Thanks to "beaver fever," it is commonly thought that beavers dirty the water and make it undrinkable. Beaver fever is a parasitic infection of the digestive system that you can get from drinking contaminated water, eating raw meat, or even changing diapers.

So, no, it is not only restricted to beavers, but it ended up being called that here after some hikers made the poor decision of drinking from a contaminated stream in Banff National Park(Alberta, Canada).

Yes, drinking untreated stream water is never a good idea, but no, beavers are not all to blame for making water less drinkable. In fact, they help remove some harmful pollutants.

“Beaver dams and pools reduce soil erosion and retain sediment, which absorb and filter pollutants such as heavy metals, pesticides, and fertilizers. This improves the quality of water downstream used by humans and other species.” | Parks Canada

5. They help limit the impacts of forest fires

When a beaver makes a dam, it is not just the pool that sees the benefit, but also all the earth around it. While the water does trickle down stream, it also enters the earth in an underground network, moistening the area. This creates a lush green environment that is more protected from fires.

When a fire ignites, that green vegetation near the beaver ponds will be more difficult to burn than other nearby dry vegetation. The fire will often take the path of least resistance and burn through the dry vegetation away from beaver ponds instead of smoldering through the wet vegetation near beaver ponds. | Emily Fairfax, PH.D

Figure from Fairfax, E. and Whittle, A. (2020),

More Info:

• https://youtu.be/sdkZH3uM1BI
• https://youtu.be/FR-5F9x-fmo
• https://youtu.be/RAHvrLNe5K4