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