Positive News US is a free, not for profit newspaper published four times a year in Ithaca, NY. We report on successful projects around the world in the areas of sustainability, social equality, education and happiness, with a clear message that "another world is possible."
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Punta Mona: More Sustainable Living with Beauty |
Photo © Punta Mona
By Becca Harber
Punta Mona is a beautiful seven year old private permaculture project surrounded by primary rainforest off the southern Caribbean shore of Costa Rica. Its goals include spreading awareness of the complex issues and situations facing tropical environments and introducing visitors to practical ways to preserve and sustainably develop rainforests. Permaculture is about how modern humans can live cooperatively with the rest of the web of life on a long-term basis, relying greatly on perennial food-producing plants and participating in, rather than destroying, natural biological systems and cycles. Punta Mona's dedication to ecologically sustainable living is expressed by the beautiful open-air wood buildings made from already fallen trees. These include a spacious kitchen open to the surrounding greenery and ocean breezes, shady porch with hammocks, staff housing and meditation space in the forest.
"We've planted over 120 kinds of fruit trees, like jackfruit, mame zapote, and salak," says staff resident Alida, along with other tropical food-providers like pineapples, ginger and breadfruit. Foods used frequently in meals, like limes, two shrubs with edible leaves and berries (chaya and katuk), and culinary herbs, are planted near the kitchen for convenience. Drinking water comes from collected rainwater filtered several times through barrels of sand and then treated by an ultra-violet unit to destroy any harmful microorganisms. Project participants installed photovoltaics for electricity and a solar roof-top hot water system. Being miles into the jungle by foot or boat from the nearest town, Manzanillo, Punta Mona mostly depends energy-wise on its own resources.
Besides a composting toilet, Punta Mona uses a biodigester to turn human waste into methane which usually fuels a third of their cookstove burners. Much of Punta Mona's work is done by interns. The project has already hosted over 2,000 North American students to experientially learn about the philosophy and practice of permaculture, as well as overnight programs with hundreds of local students. "We also grow many essential oil-containing plants like ylang-ylang," explains Alida, "and we're planning to create an essential oil-distilling operation using our perennial herbs." Just down the beach from Punta Mona is the Gandoca-Manzanillo national wildlife refuge, supposed to contain 2% of the world's biodiversity.
www.puntamona.org
info@puntamona.org
Punta Mona is a beautiful seven year old private permaculture project surrounded by primary rainforest off the southern Caribbean shore of Costa Rica. Its goals include spreading awareness of the complex issues and situations facing tropical environments and introducing visitors to practical ways to preserve and sustainably develop rainforests. Permaculture is about how modern humans can live cooperatively with the rest of the web of life on a long-term basis, relying greatly on perennial food-producing plants and participating in, rather than destroying, natural biological systems and cycles. Punta Mona's dedication to ecologically sustainable living is expressed by the beautiful open-air wood buildings made from already fallen trees. These include a spacious kitchen open to the surrounding greenery and ocean breezes, shady porch with hammocks, staff housing and meditation space in the forest.
"We've planted over 120 kinds of fruit trees, like jackfruit, mame zapote, and salak," says staff resident Alida, along with other tropical food-providers like pineapples, ginger and breadfruit. Foods used frequently in meals, like limes, two shrubs with edible leaves and berries (chaya and katuk), and culinary herbs, are planted near the kitchen for convenience. Drinking water comes from collected rainwater filtered several times through barrels of sand and then treated by an ultra-violet unit to destroy any harmful microorganisms. Project participants installed photovoltaics for electricity and a solar roof-top hot water system. Being miles into the jungle by foot or boat from the nearest town, Manzanillo, Punta Mona mostly depends energy-wise on its own resources.
Besides a composting toilet, Punta Mona uses a biodigester to turn human waste into methane which usually fuels a third of their cookstove burners. Much of Punta Mona's work is done by interns. The project has already hosted over 2,000 North American students to experientially learn about the philosophy and practice of permaculture, as well as overnight programs with hundreds of local students. "We also grow many essential oil-containing plants like ylang-ylang," explains Alida, "and we're planning to create an essential oil-distilling operation using our perennial herbs." Just down the beach from Punta Mona is the Gandoca-Manzanillo national wildlife refuge, supposed to contain 2% of the world's biodiversity.
www.puntamona.org
info@puntamona.org
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