White Sands, NM

This is not the beach. This is the desert. This is a radiated playland.

Most Commonly Said in New Mexico: "THIS IS SO BEAUTIFUL", "See any rattlesnakes?

Journey From East to West

HERES SOME CONTEXT: A month after I graduated college, I bought and modified a "weekender" camper van. As you can see, it is beautiful! Anna and I have been living in it since mid-July, winding our way from the east coast of Virginia, through Tennessee, Arkansas, and Texas. The van sat there for a while and I went to get my share of winter on a big family reunion cruise in Alaska. By that time, I had some sense of how campgrounds are used in this country and a sense of who lives in the south, what they do, and how they respond to people with Virginia liscense plates. When I came back from Alaska, I made that drive to Texas from Virginia again, but this time in 24 hours along the freeways of Georgia, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas. After some time in east texas, we moved on to Houston, Austin, and then through the no-where lands of West Texas where 6 hour drives between gas stations seemed pretty normal. Marfa, TX was a great respite where we finally saw some Obama signs and some public art. Crossing the border patrol checkpoints and narcotics checkpoints in Southwest TX snuggling the border of Mexico, we finally made it to New Mexico which was the first place we considered settling to make some money and stretch out in something a little bigger than the van. Greeted by a rainbow in Las Cruses which was much more sprawling than I anticipated. The desert was also much higher than I expected. From there to the AMAZING white sands, to the sweet town of Roswell, to Albuquerque, and Santa Fe. We spent another while in Santa Fe and Albuquerque in a friendly house for a while and camped out in the driveway of some friends. Tired yet? So was I. My sister's wedding in Virginia crept up on us and we left the van in the Albuquerque airport parking lot and got on a jet. After the wedding festivities, we took a Greyhound bus (missing the van very much) to NYC to reunite with our friends. It got cold. Really cold. I spent some time in the blistering winds on fire escapes. I got ready for the low desert of California.

Phoenix - - Best Of - BEST PLACE TO SEE INSTALLATION ART - The Icehouse (2007) - Phoenix New Times

Phoenix - - Best Of - BEST PLACE TO SEE INSTALLATION ART - The Icehouse (2007) - Phoenix New Times

Earth Art Installations - Driving Destinations - Progressive Auto Insurance Articles & Blogs

Earth Art Installations - Driving Destinations - Progressive Auto Insurance Articles & Blogs

LAND ART New Mexico

LAND ART New Mexico

Buttons and Base Map

Project Updates

This table was made out of an extra triangle of insulation board. There is a wood support in the middle. It cannot hold much weight, but is a great design for the interior of the yurt because it maximizes table space without obscuring the wall space which will be covered shortly in drawings, typed posters of the future scenario, and image collages/montages.

These are developing Lion's Main mushrooms. THe moisture kept in the yurt creates an ideal growing condition for mushrooms. Once the first generation of mushrooms is harvested, the mycelium left in the bag will be used to remove toxins from soil used in the terrariums. What I am describing is a potentially closed-loop system of maintaining a toxin-free home environment. The worm compost creates soil which is treated by the mycelium (which produce consumeable mushrooms for food), the rainwater is collected in gutters made out of plastic-lined cardboard edges I salvaged from dumpsters that were once used as a packing material for photocopy machines, the rainwater is treated and detoxified by the aquatic and wetland plants, the water in turn is used on the mushrooms and terrarium plants, and the plant terrariums feed on this remediated soil and water---a process that perpetually and sustainably filter toxins out of the air. All of these steps are important parts of the environmental maintanance systems that improve environmental and human health today and are necessary for survival in the scenario for 2150.

Interior Construction and Live-In

mushroom incoulation for bioremediation

In order to inoculate mushrooms it seems you have to have a very clean environment for them. The spores that we used are warm-weather button mushrooms. After we have the inoculated cakes from the first part of the process we will use the spoil produced from the worm compost project. The mushrooms will remove toxins from the soil and will be a good source of food.

Part 1:

Materials

-12 1/2 pint jars

-8 cups of vermiculite

- 2 2/3 cups of brown rice flour

- 2 2/3 cups water

-perlite

-mushroom spores

Process:

1) mix the vermiculite, brown rice flour first, then add the water and stir the mixture (note: for more nutrients add a teaspoon or two of honey to boiling water)

2) in the bottom of each jar put a thin layer of perlite for drainage

3) fill the rest of the jar with the mixture that will be come the cakes out of which the mushrooms will grow

4) seal each of the jars and boil then for about an hour

5) after they have cooled, punch a hole in the lid of the jar on to sides and add the spores on the side of the mixture

6) secure a coffee filter on top of the jars and KEEP MOIST

7) cover the jars with a plastic bag to keep in moisture

Worm bin for compost

Yesterday we finally got the worms for our much anticipated worm compost system. In constructing the bin we used a rubbermaid bin we had lying around. To makes this we:

1) burnt holes in the very bottom of opposite sides of the bin and attached rubber tubing to drain the tea that the worms will eventually produce

2) Duct taped a fine mesh (fine enough to keep the worms out) about 4 inches above the bottom of the bin which allows for more oxygen to reach the composting material as well as creates an area for the tea to be collected (it is good for plants)

3) tore up thin strps of newspaper (enough to cover the mesh)

4) added enough coconut substrate to cover the newspaper

5) added compostable materials (mainly coffee grounds and tea bags so far) and the worms

Spider plant

The spider plant is really the main plant in our experiments. This is because they are generally very good at filtering the air of toxins and transpire quite a bit, but mostly because it is so easy to grow the clippings a mature spider plant grows off of it.
The spider plant targets formaldehyde especially but also filters other indoor air pollutants. Plants take these toxins and break them down in the soil, making them into nutrients the plant needs to survive.

Terrarium #4 (a bute)

Our most recent terrarium is especially beautiful. We were lucky enough to come upon two circular glass containers (via our friend Meghan, Thanks!), one of them on a stem and the other a flat bottom container. In this Terrarium there is:
- bottom jar
1) 4" of gravel
2) 2" coconut substrate
3) 2" composted topsoil
4) moss layer
5) heart leaf philadondron
-top jar
1) 1" gravel
2) 2" coconut substrate
3) 2" composted topsoil
4) moss layer
5) croton plant
6) spider plant clippings (on their way, not pictured)

This terrarium works especially well because the bottom glass container is totally enclosed with the top one resting on it, making getting the clean air out a matter only of lifting the top jar off for a moment. And it still allows the plants to water and maintain themselves. The top glass container is opened but the croton we chose to go into it has leaves that create an almost perfect seal, leaving only the area around its stem for air to move out.

Greywater system

Today we built a greywater system. It is not yet filtering wastewater because we don't have the aquatic plants yet but it will be soon. The system is comprised of 3 plastic tub containers sitting on top of one another with the support of a metal frame (but you could use other methods to still benefit from gravity pulling the water down).
Our materials were:
-for the main project
1) 1/2" rubber tube about 12' long
2) three 50 quart plastic tubs
3) a steel frame and two wire hanging baskets
4) a submersible pump running 263 gallons per hour
5) gravel (enough to cover 3" inches in the top and middle containers)
6) coconut substrate (only used on the highest container, enough for about 3" of coverage)
7) epoxy steel putty
-for the extra water filter (We decided to use a hanging filter that would truckle water down from the top container to the middle one. We did this because the activated carbon was too expensive to put a sufficient amount in the top tub. The hanging basket filter is also nice because the sound of the water falling down is beautiful.)
1) an old plastic plant holder
2) a coat hanger
3) activated carbon
4) gravel
5) polyester fiber

Constructing the greywater system:
1) Since our system is stacked we did not have to worry about pumping water through them all but only to the top, so we only had to make two holes in the plastic containers. The first hole we drilled rather high up on the container. (We found that for this one it is important to have the hose running out to the hanging filter at the height you want the water to stay at because th pump is less powerful than gravity.) The second hole we had to burn because we had to give the drill back. Its not the best option health/environment wise, but it certainly was easier than drilling the hole.
2) Once we got the holes in the containers, we attached the hanging filter basket with a wire coat hanger under the top container and over the middle one. The filter basket has:
- first a layer of polyester (or cotton)
- a layer of charcoal
- another layer of polyester
- a layer of pebbles
3) We connected the tube from the top container to the basket. I guess we didn't connect it so much as place the tube that is taking water from the top tub in the filter-basket. As far as the outtake tube is concerned, if you didn't manage to get it perfect, we sealed it with epoxy steel putty.












4) Then we worked on the contents of the top container:
- three inches of pebbles
- three inches of coconut substrate
- one inches of rocks (to keep the substrate down)
The nice thing about this way of doing it is that the filter basket supplies what you would be getting if you also added a level of cotton on the bottom followed by a layer of charcoal. The plants that are in this container right now are plants we collected from a bog. Among them are: cattails, water lettuce, and some kind of reed. We also have some spider plant clippings in there just to see how they do.
5) The second container just has 3" of pebbles for exclusively submersible, aquatic plants. The output from this is much lower but doesn't have the same unequal time effects as the first tub so it holds water higher than its output. For this hole we also used the epoxy steel putty. We just let this tube lay into the bottom tub. So far all we have is some bamboo growing in there.
6) The final step was to put the pump in and snake a pipe up the steel frame into the the top tub.

Two Terrarium Projects and lighting

Terrarium #2:




Yesterday we built an opened terrarium out of an old refrigerator drawer. In this terrarium we put one inch of gravel in the bottom (split layer: on the bottom 1/2 inch of small gravel and on top 1/2 inch of large gravel). Then there is 2 inches of coconut substrate, 4 inches of composted topsoil, then a layer of moss. In the terrarium we planted:
1) rubber plant
2) 2 tulip bulbs
3) Gerber daisy
Finally, we watered it and misted the plants but it is better to water the plants before the moss layer.

A note on the moss layer:
The moss takes the best if you water the bottom of the moss and the topsoil thoroughly before placing the moss on the topsoil.

Terrarium #3:



Today we bought two metal hanging planters to make an open terrarium, maybe it will be converted to a closed terrarium soon. The bottom layer is rocks, about one inch thick, then an inch of coconut substrate. In this design we added a sprinkled layer of charcoal and 3 inches of soil. We put water into this one before the moss as we have learned we should always do. In the terrarium we planted:
1) 2 spider plant cuttings
2) peace Lilly
3) Mum flower plant
4) 4 tulip bubs
Once we hung it up we attached a 14 watt fluorescent bulb (equivalent to a 60 watt incandescent bub) that hangs about 8" above the plants.

Project 2: lights



The easiest and cheapest way to get lamp cords is by taking them out of trashed lamps, but we didn't have enough time for this so we bought an AC lamp cord and a light bulb connector and assembled them. To connect the two you:
1) put the bottom fitting on the cord with the cardboard
2) tie a underwriter's knot with the cord (make it small enough to fit in the casing)
3) connect the ribbed cord (the neutral cord) to the silver screw
4) connect the smooth cord to the bass screw
5) fit the top to the cap

Just having the bulb attached to a cord makes for versatile lighting solutions and allows many options for the terrarium container.

Air Filtration Terrarium: Model 1

Last week I bought many of the plants that are able to not just produce oxygen but break down toxic chemicals like formaldehyde and benzene which are commonly found indoors especially in urban environments and emit purified air. Many of the plants I used in the air-filtration terrarium model 1 also have high transpiration rates and therefore have the ability to keep a healthy level of humidity in the personal breathing zone they serve.

Terrarium #1:

Terrarium Model 1 is a completely enclosed bio-sphere. It is made in a green-tinted clear plastic Rubbermaid tub.

1) The first layer is 1" of 1/2 to 1" rocks (rough/not-smoothed, raw/not-coated or painted)

2) The second layer is 1" of smaller pebbles

3) The third layer is 2" coconut fiber substrate

4) The fourth layer is 3" composted soil

5) The fifth layer is collected sheets of moss planted around the air-filtration plants

6) The plants used in this model are:

- Spider plant

- Heart-Shaped Philodendron
- Tulips

- Croton

High transpiration rates are achieved with the use of a 14 watt florescent bulb that hangs 8 inches over the container 12 hours a day. After the initial watering and misting of the plant leaves, the terrarium is kept completely enclosed. When the plants transpire the moisture collects on the sides and lid of the container, condenses, and falls back onto the plant roots and moss layer. One week after the initial setup a fan (80 mm PC fan that can be salvaged from computer bases) is installed on one side of the terrarium and an air output valve is installed on the other side (made from 1 foot long pieces (2x) of PVC pipe (3/8" piece with holes drilled into it and capped on one end and a 1.5" piece to fit over the piece with the holes). This way, the amount of clean air outflow can be controlled by the inhabitant of the personal breathing zone the terrarium serves. The fan used in this model has 3 speeds and is powered by a 12 volt battery (re-chargeable is preferred). The maximum speed is 2600 RPM with 34 CFM outflow at that speed. When the breathing space is known to be highly toxic, the fan can be put on high and the air output pipe can be opened fully. After the fresh air has been emitted, the system must be enclosed again with a sheet of plastic over the fan opening and by covering the holes in the air output pipe to keep the system working. This model should be effective in removing toxins, especially formaldehyde and benzene, with little maintenance except occasional misting with a spray bottle if it dries out from using the filtered air.

After 1 week we added this fan as well as the PVC pipe, images below: