What's a planting day like at EcoSwell?

It's planting day at the EcoSwell house! The team wakes up bright and early at 6 am ready for a day of physical labor in the hot Peruvian sun. There are a few tasks at hand which get separated amongst the group. One team is tasked with creating a new irrigation system for the house garden. The idea is to install a piping system where the runoff from the sink gets evenly distributed around the front garden of the house.

Diego, one of our directors, leads this group in cutting piping to funnel the water into different sections of the garden. The second team is on planting duty. They are transplanting vetiver and aloe vera that will set the perimeter of the EcoSwell house. Both of these plants are integral to survival in the EcoSwell house, the vetiver is used to filter wastewater, prevent soil erosion, make mulch, and to make tea; the aloe vera is used to treat sunburns(which are very common) and to make smoothies(it's extremely good for you).

The third team is set to trim the already existing vetiver and other healthy plants. Trimming promotes better growth and development of the plants, while also providing mulch and compost from the clippings, which get reused for various jobs around the house. We can also obtain excess biomass for producing biochar later. Overall, the day was a success, all of the tasks were completed with gusto and passion from each team member... and the garden looks beautiful. Especially now that the rainy season is starting, it is perfect timing to have the plants ready to make the most of the rains while they also help in capturing and retaining water plus preventing soil loss from runoff and potential flooding.

Video made by Ezra Kraus

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@EcoSwell is a for-impact, sustainable development organization based in Lobitos, Peru. Since 2014, we have been working everyday to help coastal communities thrive in unison with nature. If you would like to learn more, please visit our Facebook, website, and follow us on SteemIt!