Program:
Village Aquaponics Farming Program - San Diego
- Budget:
-
$35,000
- Category:
-
Food, Agriculture & Nutrition, General/Other
- Population Served:
-
Adults
-
Other Named Groups
-
Children and Youth (0 - 19 years)
Program Description:
ECOLIFE Foundation has built two aquaponics models in
southern California to host community workshops and provide fresh greens to
other local nonprofit organizations. Aquaponics is the symbiotic cultivation of
plants and aquatic animals in a re-circulating environment. Aquaponics is the
most water efficient form of agriculture known, using 90 to 99 percent less
water than traditional fish and vegetable farming. The goal is to teach the community about this sustainable form of agriculture to reduce water use.
Program Long-Term Success:
- For individuals that attend and complete the aquaponics community workshops, a minimum of 30% will have built an aquaponics system in their home or community.
Program Short-Term Success:
- Refine current indoor and outdoor aquaponics systems to use as
educational tools to teach the local community about sustainable
agriculture
- To design an outreach program that integrates the science of
aquaponics and practical applications for schools, community centers and
the like.
- To reach a minimum of 500 youth through an aquaponics outreach program.
- Design and pilot traveling aquaponics exhibit with science education materials to be used in schools with youth groups.
- Train a minimum of 50 under-served communities that could benefit form a sustainable food source.
Program Success Monitored by:
- Workshop participants will be surveyed and follow ups will be made every 2 months.
- Ten teachers will be asked to review materials and evaluate traveling exhibit
- Student knowledge before and after aquaponics outreach program will be surveyed to determine success
Program Success Examples:
- In 2011, ECOLIFE has presented numerous workshops to the local community including 100+ students from High Tech High
- Our large-scale aquaponics system is currently producing approximately 20-25 pounds of leafy greens (mixed lettuce and Swiss chard) each month.
-
ECOLIFE Village
Aquaponics Community workshops and website materials have inspired individuals
to build aquaponic systems at their homes, schools or community facilities.
Overall, the evaluations were positive and showed us
that people were leaving with new knowledge, as well as enthusiasm to build
their own systems.
- ECOLIFE continue to donate crops to other local nonprofit organizations
- Water usage remains minimal in the model systems-proving low water usage and high vegetable production, while maintaining healthy fish stock.
Program:
Village Aquaponics Farming Program - Bwindi, Uganda
- Budget:
-
$100,000
- Category:
-
Environment, General/Other
- Population Served:
-
Other Named Groups
-
Adults
-
Children and Youth (0 - 19 years)
Program Description:
The
ECOLIFE Foundation will build three school-based village aquaponics farms in
Bwindi, Uganda. These farms would be modeled after an experimental system that
was built in 2011 by ECOLIFE Foundation at the Conservation Through Public
Health facility in Bwindi, Uganda but would also include a rainwater catchment
device.
The purpose of the Village
Aquaponics Farming project is to address the need for impoverished communities
surrounding the Bwindi
Impenetrable Forest, a UNESCO World Heritage site, by providing a healthy sustainable source of food,
while reducing the problems of overfishing, clean water, malnutrition and
unsustainable use of the forest. The Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is home to nine
globally threatened species, including almost one half of the world’s
population of mountain gorillas. Similarly, the rural communities surrounding
the Impenetrable Forest are also threatened, having the highest human
population density in Africa (200 to 300 people per square kilometer) and known
as one of the poorest populations of people in the world.
Program Long-Term Success:
The intended
impact of this project is to empower 4,000 individuals in the community
surrounding the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest of Uganda to successfully build and
maintain three aquaponics farm and rainwater harvesting systems. These simple
technologies will provide an impoverished community with a sustainable source
of fresh fish protein, vegetables and clean water.
Program Short-Term Success:
The implementation goals for
year one of the program are to: 1) construct three aquaponic farms and
rainwater collection systems with the assistance of school staff; 2) train
school staff to manage the farms and rainwater harvesting; 3) provide clean
water, fish and produce to a minimum of 4,000 community members; 4) empower the
schools’ staff and families with the knowledge to manage an aquaponics farm and
rainwater catchment system; and 5) transition the program from an experimental
model to an applied sustainable food system.
Program Success Monitored by:
ECOLIFE’s evaluator will visit
communities quarterly to measure the success and sustainability of the project.
The project will be based on the level of involvement of the community, as well
as productivity, use and income generated by the rainwater harvesting and aquaponic
farm systems.
Program Success Examples:
Over 130 individuals were trained in
Bwindi, Uganda in aquaponics farming using the first aquaponics system ever
built in Eastern Uganda. Two CTPH staff members have been trained to manage the
aquaponics farm and provide continued education to the community.
Program:
Ejido Communities Fuel-Wood Project - Central Mexico
- Budget:
-
$138,080
- Category:
-
Environment, General/Other
- Population Served:
-
Other Named Groups
-
Hispanics
-
Poor/Economically Disadvantaged, Indigent, General
Program Description:
Ejido Communities Fuel Wood Project is a community-based
conservation project that protects monarch butterfly habitat and directly
improves the quality of life for communities within and surrounding Central
México’s Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve. Since 2006, ECOLIFE Foundation
has been building fuel-efficient stoves and planting trees in and around the
butterfly overwintering sites. To date, over 500 fuel-efficient stoves have
been installed and over 32,000 trees have been planted.
ECOLIFE Foundation has been working directly with key
research-based organizations in Central México for the last five-years. These
organizations have gathered and continue to collect critical scientific data
that support ECOLIFE’s goal of conserving both the health of the local people
and the habitat of the Eastern monarch butterfly. The goal of this project is
to continue building as many fuel efficient stoves as possible and planting as
many Oyamel fir trees as possible to protect the over-wintering habitat of the
monarch butterfly and the quality of life of the people surrounding it.
Program Long-Term Success:
- Annually reduce respiratory ailments of 10,000 individuals living in the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve
- To enhance monarch butterfly habitat by planting 50,000 more trees and reducing tree harvesting by 26,000 trees annually in core zone areas.
- To assess Ejido communities' needs for fuel-efficient stoves and construct 500 additional stoves.
- Implement community workshops about maintaining their fuel-efficient stoves, managing reforested areas and live sustainably in the MBBR region.
Program Short-Term Success:
- Build 500 more fuel-efficient stoves in and around the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve.
- Train ten new stove builders to efficiently place 500 stoves in (4) ejido communities
- Plant an additional 50,000 Oyamel fir trees
Program Success Monitored by:
- GPS coordinates and information for each stove placed will be recorded along with before and after images of families with stoves
- ECOLIFE staff will interview 10% of the families that received stoves and verify stove locations three times during the year
- In-country coordinator will train local community members to transport trees, plant, manage seedlings and continue with sustainable harvesting of forests.
- In-country coordinator will provide maps, GPS data, and reports regarding planting of trees.
- In-country coordinator will conduct quarterly assessments for year following tree planting.
Program Success Examples:
200 Patsari fuel-efficient stoves were
constructed in Ejido homes early in 2011, serving approximately 1,000 children
and their families. 10% of the
families were interviewed three months after using the stoves.
Some of the benefits obtained from the
fuel-efficient stoves and commented by the families include:
•
The children eat better and they are
able to heat their own food.
•
There is no danger of getting burned.
• My family is sick less during the cold
weather period as the fuel-efficient stove also serves as a heater.
•
Saves wood.
•
There is less pollution in the air
from smoke.
•
The food still tastes familiar and
traditional.
•
My family no longer has illnesses in
their eyes, back and lungs.
•
Cooking environment is cleaner.
•
My family has less intestinal
illnesses.
To date, more than 62,000 Oyamel fir trees have been planted on more than 75 acres of land in and around the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve.
Program:
Biogas Research and Development Program - San Diego
- Budget:
-
$75,000
- Category:
-
Environment, General/Other
- Population Served:
-
Other Named Groups
-
Adults
-
Poor/Economically Disadvantaged, Indigent, General
Program Description:
ECOLIFE Foundation is working to research and develop a
biogas generator that will be used as a prototype for fuel projects in east Africa.
ECOLIFE is collaborating with UCSD’s Jacobs School of Engineering graduate
students to design an efficient biogas generator prototype. The biogas
generator will be assessed and experimentally tested based on the following
criteria: best parameters to provide top grade charcoal from agricultural
waste, best techniques and temperatures required to press material into
charcoal briquettes. The information obtained from research and development
will be used to build a biogas generator prototype in east Africa.
Program Long-Term Success:
- ECOLIFE will successfully test a prototype bio-fuel system in east Africa that integrates biogas, agro-charcoal and a fuel-efficient stove.
Program Short-Term Success:
- ECOLIFE Foundation is engaging in research and experimental activities that will result in the development of a biogas generator that will be used as a prototype for fuel projects in east Africa.
- ECOLIFE will collaborate with UCSD's Jacobs School of Engineering to design an efficient biogas generator prototype.
- To determine best sources of agricultural waster to make agro-charcoal in east Africa.
- ECOLIFE will determine the best stove to be coupled with the biogas generator to provide efficient cooking, eliminate indoor smoke and reduce wood use.
Program Success Monitored by:
- Agro-charcoal will be experimentally tested in the US to ensure most sustainable product is being developed
- A minimum of 10% of the pilot community will be asked to use agro-charcoal samples and rate them based on if they would use them in place of their current cooking method
- Parameters for measuring fuel efficiency in stoves will be determined
- Fuel-efficient stoves will be evaluated based on effective food production and sustainability.
- Community will be interviewed to determine how the bio-fuel system is received and any adaptations that are needed.
Program Success Examples:
- A biogas prototype system has been built and is currently being tested
- UCSD Jacobs School of Engineering students are currently in the planning process to test and determine the temperatures and types of materials needed to produce agro-charcoal