To allow a fulfilling and healthy lifestyle for people integrated with the forest environment we consider all aspects of human life as we collect methods and technologies. All residents, visitors and volunteers are active participants in helping to create and maintain a sustainable environment at the Bosque. We follow no single philosophy, so each visitor brings their own contribution of wisdom and knowledge to the development of our culture and space. We all must raise our awareness of how we affect others and the technological and biological systems around us in order to support sustainability in the Bosque.
Appropriate Technologies
We are a constantly evolving model exploring solutions to human and social needs, while working in partnership with the environment to offer an enhanced quality of life. Cutting edge technologies allow us to live off the grid more comfortably than was possible in the past. Some of our guests are able to telecommute allowing them to earn their living in the mainstream economy while enjoying the benefits of rustic living. We are neither Luddites, who reject human progress nor do we ignore the negative side effects of technological human developments. In order to achieve sustainability we draw upon the wisdom from every age from pre-human to visions of post-human and from every culture around the world. We want to use the best of human thought combined with the wisdom inherent in the evolution of life and its complex systems.
Permaculture
One of the most important methodologies we use in the Bosque is permaculture design. The word permaculture was first coined by Bill Mollison and David Holdgren in 1978 with their book Permaculture One. It was formed from the words permanent agriculture. Our vision of permaculture is to create a food forest which allows more of a hunter-gatherer lifestyle supported by minimal human agricultural effort. As organic farmers, we do not use chemicals to artificially increase production. Because we have no outside water we irrigate almost nothing. We carefully evaluate energy inputs and outputs of all systems, including human systems as described by social permaculture.
Social Permaculture
The human aspect of permaculture, Social Permaculture, is critical to our success. If we cannot improve how humans operate with each other, the actions we take to reduce our impact on the environment will not matter.
We do not claim to be experts in how people should live, but we are interested in concepts relating to radical honesty, conflict resolution, alternative relationship models and non-violence. We are creating social agreements which allow us to live with greater abundance, freedom, intimacy and security. By identifying a groundwork of basic rules we can all agree on, we reduce the scope of conflict as our community grows and evolves. Please read more about how we live on the Bosque Culture page.
Energy use:
Water: Since we have no outside water, we use rain catchment to gather water and use it very conservatively. Our wood-fired sauna helps us stay cleaner and healthier while reducing shower time. Composting toilets save valuable water and remove the need for centralized waste treatment as well as provide fertilizer.
Electric: Solar photovoltaic power provides us with minimal electricity to run computers, use compact fluorescent lights, and watch occasional movies. We use electricity very efficiently so that even with the small amount we have we are able to live very comfortably.
Gas: We use lorena stoves and a solar oven for cooking in order to reduce our dependence on propane. We also have a solar hot water heater so that gas is not needed to take hot showers or wash dishes.
Future plans: Other energy systems we are considering for the future include fuel cells, bio digesters, a solar dehydrator for food preservation, and a large root cellar to extend the life of foods (we don't use refrigeration).
Biosphere and the Food Forest
We are healing and diversifying our forest using permaculture methodology. Every year when the rainy season arrives we plant thousands of seeds and trees throughout the Bosque. We plant tree seedlings - walnut, loquat, pear, peach, quince, avocado, pomegranate, citruses, apple, fig, jacaranda, ash, cedar, and more. We dig and plant gardens to investigate what plants do well in which microclimates. We select plants that will attract bees and birds to create a good habitat for new wildlife. To restore native forest life we propagate native plants such as the epiphytic cactus that loves our oak trees and the native orchids and bromeliads.
We rarely use water for agriculture. Instead it is our belief that the plants that can survive through a dry season will develop strong roots and live well through any future climate change we may experience. Ultimately we are striving to develop a harmonious system which includes the forest, the people, the plants and the animals.
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