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Casa Cosmica

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Commenced:	01/10/2011
Submitted:	17/11/2011
Last updated:	07/10/2015
Location:	Las Malvinas, Buenos Aires, AR
Climate zone:	Warm Temperate

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Casa Cosmica

Las Malvinas, AR

Ananda Aiken MultiEspacio PermaCultural

Grumbein, AR

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Pond implementation

Project: Casa Cosmica

Posted by Juan Manuel Burgos about 13 years ago

Making a pond as a biodiversity generator

I've just heard Bill Mollison say in the DVD he's teaching with Geoff Lawton that if we manage to catch as much of the energy flow as possible, we'll doing efficient systems. Of course with time, that will lead us to good designers. A pond is one of the options we have when it comes to store rainwater, or generating an habitat for biodiversity to thrive.

In this case, the chosen place in located nearby the vegetable garden, so as to attract insects, predators and also to make climate buffering effect, absorbing heat and releasing it during night, therefore stabilizing the extreme temperature changes.

The size of this pond is about 4mts long and 3 mts wide, with a depth of 1mt in the center. As it can be seen by the pictures, there are several levels that will let different plant species to root there and start living. The shape has been designed in order to use the border effect as it's maximum, generating a variety of micro-climates that will allow this species to thrive and find themselves at home. Also, the intention is to add some fishes that will lead with the mosquito trouble ponds can have if you do not fullfill all the levels of life interactions. The cycle it's not complete until you complete all the food chain associated with an acquatic system.

To finish this, we come to the issue of sealing the pond...so far i've been thinking on using a gley method (http://www.permies.com/forums/posts/watch/40/3409) to avoid having to buy a big and expensive piece of plastic (with all that it involves...). After doing some research i fell that i can work perfectly, as everything it's just a matter of experimenting and seeing what it happens. Of course, any opinion or recommendation on natural ways of sealing a pond are more than welcome, in fact i'd really love it! :)

I'm actually collecting some plants for it, and as soon as it's sealed, we'll see what happens :)

Comments (5)

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Sven Horner : Do you know something about amphibians in your area? In Germany we have 15 different batrachians (frog like amphibians), half of them are on the red list, some even short before extinction (surprise, surprise). Fish would make it nearly impossible for any kind of amphibian (incl. newts) to reproduce. Fish eat their spawn. Im sure there is other ways to keep the mosquito population low. Why not do some recherche, which native species eat mosquito? If it gets to bad even so you can still use Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bacillus_thuringiensis_israelensis). Amphibians often help reduce slugs. Tell me what you think!

Posted about 13 years ago

Juan Manuel Burgos : Heya Sven! first of all, sorry for taking SO much to answer! were i was staying there wasn't any internet connection so i could not keep a track on updates and comments. Thanks for your opinion, it's a fact that fish would reduce the possibilities of amphibians to develop. I still have to do some research looking for native species that would eat mosquitos, luckyly we had no problem with them in a small pond placed near the vegetable garden where some plant species where growing in order to be the placed in the large pond. on the other hand, the large pond it's still to be finished. i tried to use some polyethilene liner to seal it, but it was leaking and all the water was gone into the earth. I guess on my next visit i'll work on this. Didn't know about the bacillus, how do you inoculate it?

Thanks a lot bro, and we'll keep in touch

Posted almost 13 years ago

Sven Horner : did you pick all the spiky stones, etc. before laying the liner in? I used fleece between the pond liner and earth as well. the bacillus you just disperse well, e.g. 1,5ml/1000 liters.

Posted almost 13 years ago

Sven Horner : oh yes then there also is the possibility to use loam or clay to seal the pond.. would be much more desirable.. And much cheaper -! if you have a source of it on you land.. maybe somewhere 2 meters below ground.. you could try to find out something about the layer composition.

Posted almost 13 years ago

Sven Horner : http://www.buildyourownpond.biz/garden-pond-construction/clay-pond.html

Posted almost 13 years ago

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