Over a decade, Helen, a co-founder of Undercurrents went in search of a sustainable way of life. Along the way she recorded the UK’s most high profile campaigners on low impact living. She charted how Tony Wrench and his partner (see photo below) challenged and radically changed a council’s policy on rural housing. Their unique, inexpensive ecohome made from oak, cobwood and recycled window walls, straw-insulated turf roof, with solar power for electricity, compost toilet and reed beds for grey water is now a proven example of what the Government needs to be providing. Her journey took her to Crystal Waters Permaculture village in Australia, Sunseed Desert Technology centre in Spain, Findhorn spiritual community in Scotland, The Village in Ireland and the low impact settlement, Tinkers Bubble in Somerset England. Her trip also includes the world renowned Centre of Alternative Technology in mid Wales. The main strand of the film follows the story of Lammas- Britains First planned Ecovillage to be developed in England and Wales.
Some photos of a lightening visit to Totnes, Devon the UK a couple of months ago, where I was gracefully given the time to discuss the permaculture worker cooperative research and development with a co-founder of Transition Movement and meet a have a few beers at the train station with the web manager for the network. Also visited the Schumacher College, and spent an afternoon in the library.
Totnes is an English town with a great heritage and an exciting future. The town is well worth a visit. Although the sign at the front of the Transition Towns Totnes entry spells-out, pretty clearly, that for those on a Transition pilgrimage, don’t expect too much. The Transition project has just started, projects are just now being implemented.
The message also made it clear, that Transition is something that only people of their own community can create. There is no formula. No simple framework. What the Transition people do is catalogue some of the ways they and others are trying to make sense of climate change and peak oil, and how that works for them.
I must admit, that I was extremely skeptical of Transition Towns Network, and have published some harsh things. However, I do think its a fascinating and relatively open process and encourage everyone to check it out and get involved.
The Journey is a unique documentary project that delves into environmental, socio-culture and economic issues, with a questioning mind.
The focus of the project is to find and film inspiring ideas and projects over a wide spectrum of individuals and cultures, whilst examining our ability to reform our ideals, and our lifestyle in order to make positive changes for our planet and the human race.
The Journeymen (a person whom travels in order to gain experience, skills and knowledge) go in search of these stories – equipped only with minimal filming gear and personal possessions, they document their experience as they travel to global communities to observe, question and learn.
A Bristol gardener is hoping to “put Easton on the map” by winning a television competition.
Nick Ward, co-ordinator of Eastside Roots gardening project, is one of four people with a chance to become the Community Gardening Champion on The Alan Titchmarsh Show.
There is a prize of £10,000 of gardening vouchers at stake as well as a 10-minute slot on each programme of the next series of the show.
Mr Ward, 37, said he hoped this would be his chance to give the eco-movement in Bristol the attention it deserved, as well as recognising the hard work of all those involved.
Eastside Roots is a not-for-profit workers’ co-operative that evolved from the Bristol Permaculture Group’s idea to provide a gardening hub for Easton and the wider Bristol community.
The term permaculture, which comes from the idea of permanent agriculture, is about making land sustainable by working with nature.
As well as a site in Old Market, where people can grow food and take part in horticultural courses, the group is turning derelict land next to Stapleton Road station into a community park.
Mr Ward said: “We offer lots of training and information-sharing schemes and workshops, everything from keeping bees to timber framing and busting myths about food.
“We want to share information that might be lost if it is not passed down through the generations.”
The idea for Eastside Roots came in 2005 when Mr Ward was studying a permaculture design course and realised Bristol, although renowned for its green credentials, lacked a gardening hub
“Eastside Roots – a gardening Hub for the East side of Bristol. Connecting people and plants”
About Eastside Roots
Eastside Roots is creating a community gardening hub for Easton & the wider Bristol community, by renovating derelict land next to Stapleton Road train station & transforming it into a safe, social, positive, thriving green space & community resource. The green space at Trinity Centre is also being transformed into a flourishing garden with edible & flowering plants.
The aim is to create a forum for the sharing of skills & knowledge, for education, resource hire, as a plant & seed shop, as a demonstration of urban organic & permaculture food production, & a space for holding events & celebrations.
Bristol’s own permaculture guru Mike Feingold leads a tour around his no-dig permaculture allotment
Mike Feingold takes you around ‘planet zog’, his allotment. Mike is one of the tutors on the Permaculture Design Course that I’ve recently completed in Bristol. I’m now distressing my very own boiler suit, so I can be just like Mike.
Eigg Electric – the where, what and how of the Isle of Eigg’s renewable energy scheme, Eigg Electric.
Many thanks to Malcolm Baldwin and Iota Productions.
With no mainland electricity connection, and after decades of using diesel generators, the people of community-owned Isle of Eigg switched on their own renewable electricity supply in February 2008. In a unique system, wind, water and sun provide 24 hour power for the island’s 85 residents. This ten minute film tells you how it happens! See www.islandsgoinggreen.org for more information.
The next major project of the Heritage Trust was to enable the provision of a mains electricity grid, powered from renewable sources. Previously, the island was not served by mains electricity and individual crofthouses had wind, hydro or diesel generators and the aim of the project is to develop an electricity supply that is environmentally and economically sustainable.
The new system incorporates a 9.9 kWp PV system, three hydro generation systems (totalling 112 kW) and a 24 kW wind farm supported by stand-by diesel generation and batteries to guarantee continuous availability of power. A load management system has been installed to provide optimal use of the renewables. This combination of solar, wind and hydro power should provide a network that is self sufficient and powered 98% from renewable sources. The system was switched on, on 1 February2008.[10]
In 1997, the Isle of Eigg made history when residents and their supporters achived their goal of a community buy-out.
Together, 3 partners forming the Isle of Eigg Heritage Trust, the Eigg Residents Association, the Highland Council and the Scottish Wildlife Trust are working to regenerate the island’s social, cultural and natural environment.
The building – An Laimhrig – was the first project completed by the Isle of Eigg Heritage Trust. Open on the first anniversary of the buy-out, it now provides a focus for community development around the pier area.
With 78 inhabitants and 11 children in its Primary School, Eigg has the largest population in the Small Isles.
In the 18th century, 500 people lived in 8 townships scattered around the island. Emigration, famine, clearances and two world wars have contributed to this dramatic reduction in numbers.
Through the security of tenure brought by the 1886 Crofters Act, the crofting way of life has prevented the complete depopulation of the island. Not only does crofting allow people to live on the land through a variety of activities, but its conservatio benefits are now recognised and encouraged. The corncrake is coming back to the hay-meadows, old methods of tillage are reintroduced and cattle are raised in the traditional way.
There are 13 crofts in Cleadale and Cuagach, the crofting townships at the North end of the island. Crofting production consists of cattle, hay, eggs and potatoes.
The island farms also produce sheep and cattle in conservation-friendly way. Grazing management is implemented to help the regeneration of the land and the preservation of the native environment.
Rich Cultural Tradition
A Wealth of Traditions
Music and song where an integral part of island life, alleviating the boredom of repetitive work, entertaining the community at the evening ceilidh.
Ishbel MacLeod was one of several island slingers at the turn of the century. She was recorded by Marjorie Kennedy-Fraser for her “Songs of the Hebrides” in 1902. MEM Donaldson, Scottish Ethnographic Archive
Island lore and genealogy was handed down by gifted tradition bearers, such as Hugh MacKinnon, the “best historian of his generation” or Duncan Fergusonm the islands fiddler.
Photo: Island of Eigg Archive
Feis Eige
Today the community of Eigg plays its part in the Gaelic cultural renaissance: the annual Feis Eige, on the 2nd week-end in July, offers children and adults tuition in traditional music and dance.
Photo: trad dancer Island of Eigg Archive
A Landscape Steeped in History
8000 years of human occupation have left their mark on the islands landscape. Archeological remains abound, from burial mounds and Iron Age forts to ancient stones crosses.
Photo: Iron Age Dun, Eigg Pier RCAHMAS
For 440 years, the island remained in the hand of the MacDonalds of Clandranald and was farmed by tacksmen belonging to that powerful clan. Shieldings in the hills, 18th century farmhouses, runrigs and ancient steadings date back to that period.
Clanrandald Armorial Panel, Kildonnan Chapel
The characteristic undulations of former lazy-beds mark every slope. As an intensive method of tillage, these were very successful in an uncompromising climate: raised beds facilitated drainage, crops were planted on sea-weed and the soil turned over with the Cas Chrom, the Gaelic footplough.
Making Lazy beds, Photo: Scottish Ethnographic Archive
Galmidisdale Farm c1890, Photo RCAHMS
Higher in the hills, old peatbeds can also be outline, which where harvested for fuels for many centuries
A Troubled History
Pictish Saint and Pagan Queen
St Donnan, a Pictish saint, bought Christianity to Eigg in the early 7th century, founding a monastry at Kildonan. He was matryred there with his 52 companions in 617, allegedly by the warrior woman of the pagan Queen of the Moidart, who gave their name to Loch nam Ban Mora, the loch of the Big Woman, beneath the Sgurr.
7th Century Cross, Kildonnan Chapel, RCAHMS
Norse Invaders
Following Viking raiders, Norse invaders settled on Eigg from the 8th century, thriving as piratical farmer-raiders. They gave the island most of its place names and contributed to the foundation of the independent Norse-Irish kingdom in the Hebrides which became the Lordship of the Isles.
Image: Norse Sword-handle from the Viking burial mound at the Kildonnan
Clan Fueds
In the early 16th century, 395 macDonald clansmen – the whole island population – were suffocated to death in the cave of Uamh Fhraing by a party of MacLeods from whose avenging raid they had taken refuge. This was one of the bloodiest episodes of the fued which opposed the two clans in territorial struggles which followed the fall of the Lordship of the Isles.
The island was soon repopulated but the islanders suffered an second massacre in 1588, when MacLean of Duart raided and pillaged the Small Isles with the help of one hundre soldiers from the Spanish Armada.
1745 and its aftermath
The islanders rose in the Jacobite rebellions of 1715 and 1745 and paid a heavy price for it: in 1745, the 38 islanders who had survived Culloden were taken prisoner by the Navy and transported to the West Indies. The destruction of the clan system had started.
The water mill built by the chief of Clanranald represents a first attempt to introduce a cash economy on the island after Culloden. On the chief’s order, the islanders’ quern stones were broken so that they had to bring their oats to be ground at the mill.
Tacksmen’s rents were increased so that they had to export ever larger quantaties of kelp for the chiefs ever greater profit. Kelp, an alkali used in the manufacture of glass, linen and gun-powder, was produced by burning the seaweed harvested by the small tenantry. They were no longer allowed to manure their fields.
Crofts and Clearances
Kelp profits caused massive several island farms to be divided into crofts, strips of land which were too small to allow tenantes to pay their rent without working the kelp. The first crofts were laid in Cleadale in 1810.
When the kelp trade collapsed in the 1820s sheep became the new source of profits, requiring much less manpower.
As more and more land was put under sheep, impoverished crofters were first assisted to emigrate. The came the Clearances: in 1853, 14 families in Upper and Lower Grulin were evicted and sent to Canada.
The Island as a Sporting Estate
In Victorian and Edwardian times, the island was developed as a sporting estate, with forestry planted to shelter game and the crofters of Galmisdale relocated to the North end of the island. Although the threat of eviction was finally removed by the Crofters Act of 1886, the island population never recovered from the mass emigration during that period.
Donald-Archie MacLeod, the Estate game-keeper, 1920, Photo Isle of Eigg Archive
Sir Walter Runciman, shipping magnate and cabinet minister, was the last of the island sporting owners, reputed to have shot 300 woodcocks in one afternoon. The Lodge, set in an exotic garden modellled on Poolewe, was built in the 1920′s as his country retreat.
The Lodge and the Gardens photo
Community Regeneration
In 1995 the islanders started their determined campaign to achieve a community buy-out, following the success of the Assynt crofters. Two years later, the victory of the Isle of Eigg Heritage Trust in the securing the right for the island community to have a say in its own future, was hailed as a victory for all rural communities in Scotland as well as for Land Reform.
Looking to the Future
The Isle of Eigg Heritage Trust is now placing community development as the essential foundation for long-term sustainability on the island. This needs time, understanding and recognition. By making a donation to the Trust or joining Cairdean Eige, the Friends of Eigg, you too can help the Trust in its Task.
Contact: 01687 482486 or http://www.isleofeigg.org
BBC documentary on the precient global farming and food crisis, filmed in the UK.
Featuring Martin Crawford (Agroforestry Research Trust), Fordhall Farm, Richard Heinberg and others.
Topics covered are the influence of oil on the food production, peak-oil, food security, carbon emissions, sustainability and permaculture.
permaculturetv
niccolox
Kirstie Stramler
Eric Toensmeier
calea68
alexmccausland
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