Sunday, February 19, 2012

Blog Entry #5


ECHO I would certainly say was a unique and knowledge filled field trip. Our tour guide definitely had a knack for people who agreed or said “yes” to what he was telling us. Every part or mostly every section of ECHO’s land was edible. Some of the other plants could be used for other necessities as well such as the Neem tree. The Neem tree is traditionally called the “toothbrush tree”. Neem bark helps to brighten teeth and maintain good oral health as well as provide aid for skin, nails, and hair. We also learned about ways to filter water by using the moringa seeds. Just one moringa seed filters bacteria out one water bottle, all you have to do in put the seed in a plastic water bottle (do not use glass) and let it sit under the sun to filter through and the bacteria will clump together.  Moringa has a lot of nutritional benefits; it has a significant source of beta carotene, Vitamin C, protein, iron, and potassium.
      There was so much to learn about living a sustainable life, we learned about using blessing or “poopies” from animals and other green manures to fertilize the land. Something interesting that I learned is that the banana plant is technically considered an herb. The banana plant does not have a wooden trunk and grows back from scratch over and over again at the end of the season. We also learned techniques on how to build water pumps that could be efficient for different cultures. All you really need is a PVC pipe which comes in handy a lot.  There was so much information and details that went into this field trip that really was truly amazing.  Even if you do not have land, there is a way to garden such as urban gardening. There are many ways you can get out there and live a sustainable life, you just need to ask questions and do research. 

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