What's up with Earth week?

Hey there,
     It's almost Earth day! Pretty exciting. We have a few events planned throughout the week. On Tuesday the 22nd, we are screening Thin Ice at 7 PM in Kessler. It tells human stories about people who study or are impacted by climate change. This screening is offered to signers of the American College & University Presidents' Climate Commitment (ACUPCC). 
     We're screening Bag It on Thursday at 7 PM in Upper Gage. It's about plastic bags. We're also planning a plastic bag and aluminum can drive for the day after Flunk Day. 
     There is going to be a game night on Wednesday. We're planting a new garden on Sunday! I spoke to Susan Woolverton recently and she said plants are arriving at her house. Should be a great week.

Coe Bikes

     One of my favorite parts of e-club, the Coe bikes are free to rent for students. They are red, single-gear, pedal-backward-to-break cruisers. Then get a bit beat up from time to time, so today (54 and sunny) is the perfect day to fix the bikes up and go for a ride.
     The most interesting problem: a wobbly seat. Luckily, it was an easy fix, just tighten a bolt under the seat. The best thing about single-speed bikes is easy repair.
     One chain had come off, and while putting it back on, I cut my finger (oops). Another good thing about Coe bikes: they're kept close to health services. After a band-aid, I was back to putting the chain on.
     With the fleet of five fixed up, I think it's time to try one for a spin around town.
-Peter

Looking Forward

     It's starting to feel more like spring every day. That means it's getting closer to ordering and planting plants. I peeked under the mulch the other day, and the cardboard is decomposing well. The grass is all gone, and the cardboard is still there, but it is very soggy and thin. Surely any big root could push right through it.
     We have not decided on a planting date yet. The frost date in our area is May 1st, the penultimate day of classes. Finals starts on Saturday the 4th and continue on Monday, until they end on Wednesday.
     Maybe planting a garden is the best finals study break imaginable; maybe people will be too buried in exams and papers to bury roots. The weekend before finals is a solid option, too. In any event, we will be planting a garden before the academic year ends; how close to the end remains to be decided.
     The final, President Phifer approved, plan is looking great. The high points are two dwarf pear trees. They should get anywhere from 10-15 feet tall. We will plant either moonglow or seckel pears. They bear fruit in mid-August or mid-September, respectively. Perfect time for students to enjoy fresh pears.
   

Crow College

   
     Each spring, Coe is inundated by crows. Murders everywhere squawking, rustling, and pooping. Definitely something that makes some students uncomfortable. The groundskeepers aren't especially fond of them either. They had hung a fake dead crow on a tree near Kohwak Village to hopefully scare some crows away.
     One of our member walked past it every day and got the creeps (more so than from regular crows) and wanted it to go away. She brought it up to Environmental Club at a Monday meeting. We started talking to our friends and neighbors and found that they didn't like the crow either.
     On Tuesday, I got an email from a Coe staff member saying that the fake dead crow was gone. Coe is still full of real crows, but no more scary, fake crows.

New Blog, Same Idea

Hello,

We're moving the blog here to cover a broader range of topics that Environmental Club is interested in. Of course the permaculture garden is still important, but there's a lot more going on. Some of the plans for the rest of the semester: a recycling table outside of the café with bottle toss; a series of films during Earth Week; a spring clean up day; bike repair day; and much more!

Peter

Design!

This is what our preliminary design looks like! Here is a link to the full design. There is a prominent bench, an abundance of trees and bushes, and all sorts of cool plants. As is often the case with first drafts it may need tweaked, but we're off to a good start!

Buried in Snow

     It snowed last night. The most snow we've had this winter. I walked by the garden and snapped this picture on my phone--it's not spectacular photography, but it is fun to see what mulch buried in snow looks like. Turns out it looks like snow.

Stay warm, 

Peter

Rain, Rescheduling, and Rattlesnakes

     Today was scheduled to be the design jam for our garden. But, due to freezing rain and frozen roads, Fred, the session leader and garden planner, was stranded in Iowa City. I almost slipped three times walking across campus, so a half hour drive does not seem like the best idea today. We are going to reschedule and hope that it doesn't rain or snow or blizzard on the rain date. 

     I know I'm a little bummed, but there are a few advantages. It hasn't rained or snowed in a while, so it's nice to have some of that again (even if it means slipping on the sidewalks). We will also have more time to advertise the event. Plus I can stay inside, enjoy coffee, read for class and be warm today.

    I also have more time to read Shirley's Tallgrass Prairie. Being over six feet tall, I'm attracted to taller plants. Rattlesnake master grows two to three feet high and has a great name. It was used (and could still be used) to treat rattlesnake bites. It grows in a wide range of soils and in full to partial sunlight. Rattlesnake master has a funky flower; it looks like a prickly ball that is white when young but acquires a blue or purple tinge as the plant ages. I don't own any pictures of them, but this one shows two plants vertically and this one shows a clump. This in a nice close-up of a flower. 

     The garden has southern exposure but Murray Hall blocks light around noon, so a plant that doesn't need sunlight all day will (hopefully) grow well. As far as I know, rattlesnake bites aren't a serious problem at Coe, but we could be prepared if ever someone gets bitten. 

Peter

     

What I'm Reading

     I went to New Bo Books today and picked up a copy of Restoring the Tallgrass Prairie by Shirley Shirley (University of Iowa Press, 1994). A little old, but as far as I can tell, it has great information. It begins with something of a historical perspective on prairies and their former extent. Then there is a chapter about choosing and analyzing a site. The big take-away here is that when planting native plants, one must match the type of soil with the species that thrive in that type of soil. Makes good sense. Our sandy site, then, needs plants that like sandy soil. The second half of the book has drawings that the author has done, as well as information on the plants's size, soil and sun preferences, and so on. 

     Another interesting point concerning soil: Shirley recommends testing the pH level of the soil. It might be interesting to analyze the soil to see if there are any unexpected chemicals or compounds in it. Sounds like a good project for some chemistry students. 

     That said, they may need to wait until the ground thaws. It got very cold last night and started to snow this morning. All winter, I've been wondering if the compost and critters in it are warm enough. The top layer of wood chips is still well in place, so hopefully it is still nice and warm down there and little things are eating the old grass and cardboard and making nice soil for the spring. 

Peter 

Bidder 70 Screening

Hey there,
     Not exactly related to permaculture, but closely related to Environmental Club--we are screening Bidder 70 tonight at 7 PM in Kesler Auditorium. It is a documentary about Tim DeChristopher's act of civil disobedience that saved 22,000 acres of land in Utah from being drilled for oil and gas. It should be a great screening.
     David Hayes, associate professor of Business Administration and Economics, and Dr. Steve Campbell, assistant professor of Philosophy, will be on hand to discuss the environmental studies major at Coe as well as to discuss the moral and legal issues presented in the film.
    This is a great way to start another semester at Coe. Hopefully it will be the first of many environmentally-minded events this spring.

Peter

Lupine!

Welcome back,
     Classes are back in session. That's exciting. Even more exciting, we are twelve days away from the design session. At the first E-Club meeting last night, we made plans to start doing more publicity. We have the space reserved and now we need to make sure that a diverse group of people attend.
     The agenda will include things like talking about our goals, doing small group discussion and activities to figure out what we want to plant. Then we will reconvene and hopefully come to a consensus on what to plant. Should be fun.
     Right now, I'm hoping for lupine. A perennial plant, the seeds require being frozen during the winter and "thawing" before they will sprout. It is about two feet tall and has many purple flowers. They grow all over and there are different species, but some are very well suited to Iowa. In addition, this is a seed that can readily be bought, so lots of reasons to like lupine.

Peter

Things that aren't plants

Hello everyone,
     Happy New Year! 2013 should be a lot of fun. There'll be a new garden at Coe, so there's at least one thing to look forward to. We're going to be planting all sorts of living things this spring, but we need some place to enjoy them from.
     Benches would make a great addition to our space. It's triangle-shaped, so three benches sounds tempting. But then we might not have space for much else. So maybe one or two benches will be the best choice. A bench along either side of the sidewalk leading to Murray could be a very nice spot to sit and read or book or talk with friends. I like privacy in my benches, so maybe some big hedges or shrubs behind them could add to that feel.
     The design day is getting closer, just 24 days away so now is a good time to be thinking about plants and non-plants to go in the ground.

Best, 

Peter