Second Annual Faculty Research Seminar November 7, 2009

LYLE CENTER FOR REGENERATIVE

SECOND ANNUAL FACULTY RESEARCH SEMINAR

NOVEMBER 7, 2009

9:00 AM TO 1:00 PM

JOIN US FOR PRESENTATIONS AND DISCUSSION BY:

Ann Croissant, Ph.D.

Integrating Regenerative Design: In Search of Models Which Lead

to Implementation and Order - A Case Study.

Terry Young, Ph.D.

In Gaia’s Garden: Reflections on John Lyle’s Approach to Protected Areas.

Hossein Ahmadzadeh, Ph.D.

Using Algae to Treat Waste Waters and Produce Fuel.

Lin Wu, Ph.D.

The Relevance of Climatological Research and Research Methods in Regenerative Studies.

Kyle D. Brown, Ph.D., ASLA

A Better World through Regenerative Studies? Implications of this Hefty Obligation on Education, Research and Outreach.

COMMENTS AND DISCUSSION

A LIGHT LUNCHEON WILL BE SERVED

Lyle Center for Regenerative Studies Commons

Lyle Center Receives $1 Million Endowment

The Lyle Center is pleased to announce the establishment of the Stuart J. Sperber Endowed Chair/Faculty Fellowship for Sustainable Systems, through a $1 Million endowment donated by the Sperber family. This generous gift will allow the Lyle Center to move to the next level in our understanding of environmental sustainability and creating sustainable communities. The gift will provide resources to bring sustainability experts to our campus -- people who are going to breathe even more life into our Center’s vibrant mission. For more details on the Fellowship, read this Polycentric article.

Interview with MSRS alum Doug Kent

This is the first in what we hope will be a series of interviews with MSRS alumni. Doug Kent was one of the first graduates of the MSRS program.

When did you graduate from CRS and what was your thesis topic?

Graduated in spring 2006. The thesis is titled "The Average Residential Landscape: a tool for determining four attributes of an average residential landscape with Southern California." The tool was part of getting my degree, whereas getting the composition of an average landscape was really about my writing. I've used that average landscape a lot.

Were you one of the first MSRS graduates or *the* first?

Ha - funny you should ask. Jonah Swick submitted his thesis 20 minutes before I, but I was the first onstage to get my degree. We're both competitive and love to banter each other about who was the first.

What have you been up to since you got your MSRS?

Loads of stuff: Finished my fourth book for the Surfrider Foundation, called Ocean Friendly Gardening: A how-to gardening guide to help restore our coast and ocean. I started teaching at CRS, Pomona College, and Saddleback College. And there for a while my business was going gang-busters, but this economy has really sucked the wind out of it. I still do a lot of volunteer work, mostly aimed at trying to get the water we save to go to the environment instead of new growth, which is where it is currently going.

Any advice for current RS students?

I'd advise getting good at the numbers, no matter what your specialty is. Numbers compel people to act. With numbers environmentalism becomes less of a moral and religious movement, and more of a rational and smart choice, which ultimately will appeal to more people, especially in these difficult times. Also, enjoy CRS; it is wonderfully beautiful and unique, with sublime lessons hidden in all kinds of nooks and crannies. I'm still letting it teach me.

New Dean for College of ENV

The Lyle Center for Regenerative Studies would like to extend a warm welcome to the new dean of the College of Environmental Design, Michael Woo. The College of ENV, which includes Regenerative Studies, is looking forward to working with Woo!

Please check out the link from the campus newspaper about the dean.

http://polycentric.csupomona.edu/news.asp?id=2501

Spring Thesis Proposals Part II

Alexandria Keeble

A Discourse Analysis of Stakeholder Positions Regarding Reopening the Gold Mine at Wolf Creek, Nevada County, California

In order to get a better idea of how people view the mines and other stake holders Alexandria is going to do a discourse analysis based on previously identified stake holder groups. Dresden is the primary informant for discourse theory and how Alex has designed her study. To do this  study she will use the Qtest which in general terms is to administer surveys to determine how stakeholder groups think the other group members see them and how they see themselves. This will provide insight into how the discourse is working in regards to the reopening of a mine. She will be interviewing members from various stakeholder groups and then doing analytical comparisons about how they ranked statements in interviews. From this analysis she hopes to shed light onto groups functioning opinions of others and what their opinions really are. This may make it possible for these groups to work together more closely instead of assuming they stand on different sides of the issue.

Shannon Feeny

Impacts of Anthropogenic and Natural Stressors on Southern California Eelgrass Ecosystems for Regenerative Planning and Management”

Eelgrass (Zostera marina) is a federally protected marine seagrass due to its importance as a fish nursery, predation refuge and food source. It is estimated that there are less than 5000 acres of eelgrass today in the Southern California area. It is protected under the Southern Caifornia Eelgrass Mitigation Policy (SCEMP) revision 11. The overarching question is how can eelgrass stressors be identified, altered and avoided in order to create sustainable eelgrass communities that promote greater biodiversity throughout Southern California coastal areas? Shannon proposes to measure the following variables – dissolved oxygen, biochemical oxygen demand, conductivity, salinity, fecal coliform bacteria, turbidity, temperature, nitrates, phosphate, and pH. Data collection will be at Peters Landing Marina and Jack Dunster Marine Biological Reserve. In addition to the chemical differences she will measure the number of shoots per meter and the overall size of the beds to determine health and density. Data will be analyzed statistically to aid in her understanding.

 

Eric-Valentin Issertes-Carbonnier

Adaptive Building Envelopes:Integration of Transitional Technologies”

The subject of Eric’s research are building envelopes. Traditionally they are perceived as static and non-participatory within our active environment. Adaptive building envelopes are a concept that integrates transitional technologies, which couple building performance and the natural environment. The main objective of this research is to prototype an adaptable building envelope inspired by a combination of innovative passive and active technologies known as transitional technologies. The main research questions of this proposal are: How can transitional technologies enhance a building envelope’s affinity with the exterior and interior environment to reduce energy consumption? What are the emergent regenerative qualities of adaptable building envelopes? The testing will be completed using computer analysis and physical testing. Data loggers will be used to measure internal temperatures and automated building functions will also be tested. Integration of automated functions offer a greater capacity to improve indoor thermal comfort and reduce building energy consumption while maintaining an affinity with the natural environment.

Spring Thesis Proposals Part I

Enrique Huerta

Exploring an Environmental Impact Reports Value Sharing Process: A Case Study of a Transit Oriented Development

Enrique is proposing to analyze the practices of urban planners involved in developing the North Hollywood area at the end of the Red subway line. Transit oriented developments (TODs) are high density living and working areas. TOD tries to connect different land uses and create dense land use around transit areas. He will interview people involved in TOD approval and analyze the gap between vision goals and outcomes.

 

Rachel Camp:

California School Gardens: Structure, Funding, and Community Participation

School gardens have been a part of the modern educational movement since the mid 1800’s. These gardens teach subjects like science, nutrition, history, math, and can be literature supplements. In addition to academic subjects they are used to teach social skills, cooperation, critical thinking and reasoning. Rachel proposes to do site visits in order to determine which practices gardens are doing. These practices will be observed in person and analyzed through interviews with garden managers. Practices will be judged based on how regenerative they are, how common they are, and how successful they are. Gardens will be chosen randomly to reflect different climate zones and areas of California. All participating schools will be public institutions to insure a common base line of academic standards. A better understanding of school gardens and finding ways to encourage them is critical to a healthy future and a secure food system.

Allison Okihiro

Regenerative Design in the Field of Landscape Architecture: Theory, Impediments, Applications and Future

Over the course of the history of landscape architecture, particular design methodological theories have become prominent and in time fallen to the wayside. Regenerative design or other similar concepts have existed for several decades within the profession yet have not become fully integrated into the way we design. Allison is proposing to use discourse analysis from a grounded theory approach to analyze the elements, rules, expectations, and judgments of landscape design. To do this she will study design theories and compare them based on the elements of design, the rules of design, design outcomes, and judgments of success. By discerning the limits and restrictions set out by design theory they can be nullified and mitigated to more fully incorporate regenerative design into the landscape architecture field.

Regenerative Studies students team up with architecture students and go to Mexico City to learn about climate appropriate design

Habitat 21 is continuing its work to help provide low-cost sustainable shelter for people in developing countries through Pablo LaRoche’s spring quarter class, ARC 499: Low Cost Sustainable Housing. From June 15th through the 19th, LaRoche and students from ARC 499 traveled to Mexico City to work with architecture students and faculty from Universidad Autonoma in Mexico City on possibly adapting the Tijuana project to the city of Veracruz.

LaRoche visited Universidad Autonoma in December of 2008 as a keynote speaker in an international seminar and it was during this time that he and the faculty there decided to collaborate on low cost sustainable housing through a future project. This trip was the culmination of those plans.

During the visit, faculty in Mexico City gave Cal Poly Pomona students lectures on urban issues and climate appropriate design. Professor LaRoche lectured on energy modeling for low energy buildings. The class also toured local Barragán architecure. A visionary Mexican architect, Barragán is regarded as one of the most important architects of the 20th century. His buildings are renowned for their mastery of space and light, but Barragán was equally influential as a landscape architect and urban planner.

The ultimate goal of the trip was to experiment with the application of the students' individual research projects. A requirement of the course was that the students had to have participated in the Tijuana Project and that they be willing to participate in the design experience. The entire class worked together as a team in the design of their class projects, and this trip was unique in that it brought together both architecture students and Regenerative Studies Master’s Students for the first time. The architecture students who went on the trip were: Michael Yao, Jon Orr, Cynthy Harris, James Anderson, Yazmin Lozano. Regenerative Studies students who went were: Rael Berkowitz, Cristina Halstead, Michelle McFadden, and Eric Carbonnier.

Dean’s Outstanding Student Award – Regenerative Studies – Ms. Jennifer Strouse

Jennifer Strouse and Dr. Kyle Brown

Since her enrollment in the Master of Science program, Jennifer Strouse has consistently demonstrated academic excellence, achieving outstanding grades in her coursework and has been a valued employee on the Center’s staff, working on a number of specific gardening projects. 

 

This past year she received a grant from the Foundation for Sustainability and Innovation to support her Master’s Project, the development of a public medicinal plant garden in San Diego.  Her approach integrated research from three fields of study:  healing garden design, herbal science, and regenerative studies, to create a model for a community-based health resource, which is also environmentally sustainable.  Funding from the grant allowed Jennifer to construct a portion of the garden project and employ some of her fellow students in the process. 

In addition to her academic work, Jennifer has been instrumental in the effort to promote the use of biodiesel on campus.  This effort resulted in a commitment by the University to use biodiesel in their fleet, and this past spring a biodiesel tank was installed on campus. 

The faculty, staff and students of the Lyle Center congratulate Jennifer on her receipt of this award and thank her for her contributions to the goals of the Center.

 

Final Thesis Presentations for Three MSRS Graduates

Left to right: Juan Araya, Azita Rezvan, Lora Hall, Jennifer Strouse, Dr. Kyle Brown

Left to right: Lora Hall, Azita Rezvan, Jennifer Strouse

On June 8, 2009, three MSRS students who recently graduated gave their final thesis presentations. Following is a brief synopsis of each one:


Lora Hall

“Behavior of Biodegradable Good Containers in a Vermicompost System.”

The premise of Lora’s thesis was that garbage has no value because we assign it none. Contemporary landfills are closing and garbage has nowhere to go. A large portion of our waste that would otherwise be shipped away could be recycled or composted. The idea of zero waste – upcycling - is thinking about how things are packaged and how easily it can be dismantled for reuse. Composting has been hampered by the lack of infrastructure and pulic understanding. Packaging decomposition in vermiculture was the subject of Lora’s study. She took several bioplastics and polystyrene alternatives and put portions in the vermicompost at Santa Monica College. Of the 8 different corn based plastics with a polystyrene control that were tested, only one sample broke down within the testing period. Most bioplastics did not decompose in the vermi-system. Most bioplastics are designed to break down in the high heat of an industrially maintained system. The palm fiber (from oil palms) started to break down first and in the end was the only substance to breakdown in the vermi system.

Azita Rezvan 

"Regenerating semi-open spaces in Iranian House Architecture"

Azita researched the role of semi-open spaces in traditional and modern Iranian houses. She was interested in looking at the way semi-open spaces mediate climate and social interactions and ways these spaces could be regenerated in the design of contemporary houses. She researched three historical periods of Iranian housing development to establish the importance that semi-open spaces have in people's daily lives. She then conducted a survey and interviews with people to try to understand the loss of the use of the Eyvan (porch) and other semi-open spaces in contemporary houses and finally, she developed a series of suggestions and guidelines for regenerating the semi-open space to once again make it an integral part of Iranian houses, climate, and social interactions.

Jennifer Strouse

Project: creating a medicinal herb garden

The objective of Jennifer's masters project was to further the understanding of landscape design in San Diego California with regard to natural treatment for common diseases. The components of her healing garden were herbal medicine and regenerative technologies fused to form a design approach called Medicinal Plant Landscape Design (MPLD). Jennifer designed a one acre garden to illustrate these principles. The design is composed of seven gardens defined by human physiological systems of the body including the cardiovascular, digestive, immune, muscle, nervous, reproductive and skin systems. For each condition, garden formulas were developed, including how much to use of each plant and dosages of different types of delivery forms including team tincture, capsules, and syrup. She created a garden website at www.herbalscapes.org providing information about sustainable landscaping practices that reduce pollution, conserve water and energy. A step-by-step instructional guide is available. This project helps promote healthy communities of suburban populations throught holistic gardening. Jennifer recommends further research to bridge the gap between healing gardens and medicinal plant gardens.

Winter Thesis Proposals

Michelle McFadden, and Cristina Halstead presented their thesis proposals at the end of winter quarter, 2009. The students, all in their second year of the MSRS, are also all preparing to conduct their research on site at the Lyle Center.

Cristina Halstead has started her thesis research on different types of green roofs on the test cells located on the Solar Terrace of the Center. The MSRS graduate student is interested in how green roofs can affect many different aspects of our built environment.

Michelle McFadden's research will be a combination of both a thesis and a project titled “Development and Testing of A Low-Cost Prototype for Heating and Cooling for Future Applications in Developing Nations." She has been using the TJ House prototype to build and test her system since her thesis proposal was presented winter quarter of this year. Eliminating, or at least reducing, the demand on mechanical systems in developed countries is a goal of McFadden’s work, as well as to improve the quality of life and reduce the need to burn wood in developing nations.

Congratulations LCRS Graduates!

Sunday June 14th the Lyle Center held a graduation ceremony for students from the MSRS program who graduated in the spring quarter of 2009. The students celebrating their commencement were: Telat Yalcin, who completed his thesis titled “The Estimation of Cal Poly Pomona Campus’ Carbon Storage and Sequestration by Examining Campus Trees;” Lora Hall with her research done on site at Santa Monica Community College and titled, “Behavior of Biodegradable Good Containers in a Vermicompost System;” and Jennifer Strouse, with her thesis project, “Medicinal Plant Design.” 

Faculty in attendance were Juan Araya; Dr. Pablo LaRoche; graduate coordinator Dr. Denise Lawrence; and director of the Lyle Center, Dr. Kyle Brown. Congratulations to all of the graduates this quarter and good luck on all of your future endeavors!

Fellowship Lecture: Labeling and Food Miles

Last week during U-hour, Lyle Center Faculty Fellow Dr. Jae Min Jung gave a presentation about his research on the use of state of origin labeling and its effects on consumer decisions. A state of origin label indicates which state in the union produces a particular item - in this case it would depict the state in which the food item was grown.

Dr. Jung's research question focused primarily on state of origin labeling and and how it affects the purchasing decisions of buyers. Previous research has shown links between country of origin and purchasing preferences; Dr. Jung wondered whether a state of origin label would produce a similar effect. For this research project, Dr. Jung used the state logos of two products, one from North Dakota and the other from ohio. Using university students as test participants, surveys were administered to assess purchasing preferences based on the state affiliation. Surveys showed that the students did prefer local foods, and when local foods were not available, they showed preferences by region. 

Dr. Jung's research  is intended to provide some marketing guidance to the state government, farmers, food processors and entrepreneurs to develop sustainable marketing programs that are locally based. These programs would encourage people to buy local produce and reduce the number of food miles (the distance products travel from farms to the stores and markets that sell them). If there proves to be a strong correlation between the state of origin labeling and an increase in local food purchasing, it should provide strong evidence that more informative labeling could help reduce the transportation of food and associated greenhouse gas emissions and, in turn, benefit the sustainability movement.

Fellowship Lecture: Biodiesel and Beyond

Dr. Michael Page gave his fellowship lecture on May 26th. The title, "Biodiesel and Beyond: Alternative Fuel Sources and Green Materials" had everyone's interest. Dr. Page is doing some exciting work with biodiesel and green paint technology, and so are some of his students. Where petroleum is "a liquid mixture of hydrocarbons contained in rock strata that can be extracted and refined to make many products," biodiesel is a fatty acid methyl ester (otherwise known as FAME) that can be made from the triglycerides (lipids) of any living organism (e.g., soy and canola oils and more recently, algae). Chemically, biodiesel is very similar to petroleum. The big difference? Biodiesel is a sustainable product where petroleum is not. According to Dr. Page, biodiesel:

• is safer to store and handle
• increases the lifetime of a motor
• is a cleaner burning fuel (because it doesn't contain any heavy metals, it has a lower amount of particulate matter)

The other aspect of Dr. Page's work is "green" paint technology. He explained that polyurethanes are "sticky" molecules that serve as excellent adhesives for things like sealants, coatings, foams, etc. and are potentially sustainable if they can be made from a non-petroleum based product like glycerol (a waste product resulting from the process of making biodiesel). Dr. Page is looking into this as well as the possibility of making urethane from castor oil.

Thanks to Dr. Page for sharing the results of all the hard work he and his students (all undergrads!) are doing. We look forward to hearing more.

Lyle Center Celebrates 15 Years

On Saturday May 2^nd, 2009 the Lyle Center for Regenerative Studies held its 15^th Anniversary festivities. The outdoor event hosted at the Center provided a chance for those involved with the Center to celebrate 15 years of its growth and achievements. 120 or so attendees enjoyed a dinner prepared by the Los Olivos staff.

Guests represented all facets of the LCRS life and included faculty from all colleges, fellows, donors, graduates of the program, as well as current students and their parents. Students gave guided tours of the current research activities and latest demonstration installments on site. Jazz musicians played throughout the evening.

Dr. Rick Willson and other plein air painters held a silent auction of paintings they had done previously of the Center’s buildings, wetlands, and California Black Walnut groves. Proceeds from the art auction helped to benefit the Center.

Guest speakers began taking the stage a bit after 7pm. Interim dean and director of the John T. Lyle Center, Dr. Kyle Brown graciously thanked guests and VIP’s for attending the evening’s celebration noted our historical progress over the last 15 years. The first speaker was Provost Marten den Boer praising the work done at the center. Next to take the stage was Harriett Lyle who gave a moving speech about the continuation of her husband’s work. She emphasized our need to remember the beauty and art all around us. After Kyle Brown spoke about our achievements, Denise Lawrence, who is recognized as one of the first members of the Regenerative Center Faculty, finished the evening’s speeches recognizing the diversity and successes of graduates and the work of current students.

As the evening came to a close, we were reminded of the progress made and where the vision of the Center’s faculty, students, and staff may take us. Thanks to the support of many over these last 15 years, the event was a success and we hope to have more people and projects to highlight as the Center continues its mission advancing the prinicples of sustainable living.

Lyle Center Hosts Reality-Based T.V. Show

The Lyle Center is hosting a biodiesel challenge this Saturday, February 28th, for The Ambassadors, a reality-based t.v. show sponsored by the Green Institute for Village Empowerment (GIVE), where 12 high school students team up to face environmental challenges. In an elimination-style format - think Project Runway only instead of fashion, these students will face real-life environmental sustainability challenges. One student will walk away with the title of "Ultimate Ambassador" and a $50,000 scholarship.

Each week the students will be given a different challenge and will be assessed individually but compete in groups. Their challenge at the Lyle Center will be a "cook book" style of biodiesel production from algae oil.

The show will air on KVCR. Watch for it this Spring 2009 and stop by to see the filming this Saturday!

MSRS Grad Named National Wildlife Federation Fellow

Anne Pandey has been named one of the National Wildlife Federation Campus Ecology Fellows for 2009. She has been working with Dr. Kyle Brown, Dr. Rick Willson, Michelle McFadden and Cristina Halstead on the Climate Action Plan for Cal Poly. Her work for the Fellowship period will be focused on helping to complete the Climate Action Plan and promoting it to the campus community and beyond.

Anne will conduct a survey of faculty on campus to gain a better understanding of the specific courses that address climate change issues as well as the ways in which faculty members are addressing the issues in courses not specifically about climate change. This will be useful if Cal Poly decides to add a general education course about climate change and could be a first step in developing the curriculum for such a class.

In addition, Anne hopes to start taking immediate, short-term action by developing and presenting a program on climate change for incoming freshman during orientation in Fall 2009 and begin development of an on-line sustainability resource library.

Finally, she will be promoting the climate action plan for the university through campus and community outreach. She is currently planning an event about the climate action plan for Earth Day at Cal Poly hosted in part by the campus Green Team and ASI; she will be presenting on the climate plan at an Earth Day event at Citrus College and will develop a lesson or presentation addressing climate change at a local elementary school through her work with their sustainability committee.

Garden Project Grant Awarded to MSRS Grad Student

In December 2008, The Garden Project, a public medicinal plant garden founded by Jennifer Strouse as part of her thesis research, received a grant from The Foundation for Sustainability and Innovation. The Lyle Center is partnering with the Natural Healing Institute of Naturopathy, Inc. (NHI) to develop The Garden Project.

Through this project, Jennifer is integrating three fields of study, including garden design, herbal science and regenerative studies into a design style called medicinal plant landscape design (MPLD), which will be applied to the design of a 1.5 acre medicinal plant garden in Encinitas, CA.

MPLD emphasizes the restoration of human health and the maintenance of environmental harmony through practices in sustainable landscape design. The medicinal plant landscape will contain botanical plants that support the improvement of several health conditions and regenerative technologies that emphasize the conservation of water and energy. Demonstaration of landscape energy and water conservation practices in the garden will include solar powered lighting, rainwater collection, drip and low water-use irrigation, and a green roof.

Through consultation with Dr. Schecther, the director of NHI, medicinal plants will be incorporated into the landscape that aid in the restoration of body systems. The entire garden will be designed in sections defined by human physiological systems. Categories include the cardiovascular, digestive, liver, nervous, respiratory, reproductive, skin, and the musculoskeletal systems. Plants will be incorporated in each section that benefit common health conditions occurring in the body systems. A virtual garden website will be generated that provides instructions on how to harvest and process the plants, make medicine from them and how to organically maintain the garden.

The funding from The Foundation for Sustainability and Innovation will aid in the development of the "nervous system" section of the garden. Students from Cal Poly Pomona will help to design and build a counseling structure made of bamboo with a green roof. Herbs that help restore the nervous system, including passion flower and hops will grow up the sides of the structure. Other plants used to balance various nervous system conditions such as anxiety, loss of memory, depression, insomnia, headaches and stress will also be planted.

Once the nervous system garden is installed, free tours and classes will be held once a month for six months in order to promote the growth and utilization of botanical medicines and regenerative technologies. The Garden Project will be available to the public as a model for designing personalized residential health gardens in San Diego County.

Juan Araya, LCRS staff member and lecturer, writes about the 2008 student trip to Nicaragua

Once again the RS 499 Sustainable Community Development class, along with Jason Selwitz (MSRS alumnus 2007 now working with Green Empowerment) and I took a group of students to Nicaragua for a ten day immersion class to gain first-hand experience with the implementation of sustainable community projects related to renewable energies in a developing country. In keeping with Cal Poly Pomona's "learn by doing" approach, students were fully involved in the implementation of the community projects.

The immersion class is part of the commitment of the Lyle Center to promote and demonstrate sustainable living. Students not only learned the ins and outs of project implementation but also shared time with individuals who are in need of technology because the infrastructure of the country isn't available to them.

Starting out in Bramadero

We spent four days in Bramadero, a small rural community of about 30 homes, located about 90 kilometers Northwest of Managua, Nicaragua's capital city. Until last year, Bramadero was a community without running potable water or electricity. With the help of Asofenix, a local NGO (non-governmental organziation), Bramadero was able to get a well installed that runs on solar energy which now provides water to one faucet per household.

This year, Jason and I, along with all the students and community members, worked side-by-side to accomplish a variety of projects for the community of Bromadero. We built four more efficient wood burning stoves, a bio-digester as a demonstration for the community, started a nursery of 400 forest trees and provided workshops for children on oral hygiene and basic hand-washing techniques.

The more efficient stoves still use wood as the energy source but use it more efficiently. Heat is retained inside the sotve for a longer period of time, thus reducing the amount of  wood that is burned. The improved stoves have chimneys that provide an outlet for the smoke to the outside of the house, which is not common in the current stoves being used in Bramadero. The stoves were built with a mixture of sand, horse manure and clay. The materials were mixed and moistened, then compressed into a rectangular mold; the desired holes were dug out and once they dried, a chimney stack was installed.

The hike to Orozco

We then visited the community of Orozco, where we installed three photovoltaic systems which now provide electricity to homes. To get to Orozco, the group had to hike for 1.5 hours in rugged terrain with a steep slope. Once on top of the mountain, the group was given a solar 101 lecture by Jaime Munoz, Asofenix's director, and then broke up into groups to do the installations. The projects included installation of the solar panels on the roof and all necessary wiring to charge the controller, battery and light bulbs. The installations were completed in record time; the groups were given five hours to do the work and finished in four - very impressive for students without previous solar installation knowledge. For the homeowners, this was the first time they had electricity in their houses. After we finished, each group was treated to a delicious lunch provided by the homeowner. The group in which I participated got a delicious piece of homegrown chicken and a glass of passion fruit drink.

Other activities included visits to a micro-hydro plant which provides basic electricity to 20 homes (including a coffee de-pulper installed by last year's Cal Poly group) in the community of Malacatoya. 

Not all was work. Relaxing activities included a community party in Bramadero, swimming in a tropical forest waterfall, visiting the Masaya volcano, shopping for souvenirs in the Masaya craft market, and attending a concert by Carlos Mejio Godoy, credited with writing the Nicaraguan folklore songbook.

This tour class has been a very fulfilling experience in my life. Being able to start and finish a project that changes people's lives is a great feeling. I cannot help but to wonder why in the US, where all is possible, there are not more homes using renewable energy. These forms of energy have been around for quite a while, and mostly what we have done is to talk about it, whereas in places where things do not come easy, individuals with so little are using renewable energy. I hope that our work will serve as an example to other communities in Nicaragua and other developing nations to start looking at renewable energy as a way to stop environmental pollution while at the same time improve individuals' well being. 

Biodigester 

Students install solar panels

Building a more efficient wood burning stove

Teaching about basic hygiene

More MSRS Grads!

We promised more grads and here they are, two more grad students from the 2008-2009 cohort.

Shannon Feeney

Shannon received a B.S. in Biological Sciences from the University of California, Irvine in March 2007. Prior to graduation, she interned at the Channel Islands National marine Snctuary in Santa Barbara. She has been working at Tetra Tech, Inc. in Long Beach as an environmental scientist since February 2007. Her 40-hour Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Hazardous Waste and Emergency Response (HAZWOPER) certification allows her to monitor the safety of work sites during groundwater sampling and drilling operations. Other specialties include identifying avifauna and assisting with eelgrass (Zostera marina) monitoring projects in marinas throughout Southern California.

Alana Rivadeneyra

Alana is from Pomona, CA and obtained a B.S. in Earth Systems Science and Policy from California State Monterey Bay (CSUMB) in 2007. For her senior capstone project, she conducted a solid waste audit for the University's Science Academic Center to observe the waste stream and make recommendations to increase diversion from the landfill. Her interests include solid waste reduction, recycling, zero waste communities, and learning about waste reduction methods from around the globe.

MSRS Program Welcomes New Cohort

Fall, 2008 marked the beginning of the fifth year of our Master of Science program in Regenerative Studies. This year's cohort of graduate students, thirteen in all, is an accomplished and enthusiastic group. The students have a wide range of backgrounds that uphold the interdisciplinary approach of the program. We look forward to seeing great things from them and promise to keep you posted as they complete their first year and decide on their thesis subjects. Here is the first round of bios, with more to come!

Carolyn LaPrade

Born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii, Carolyn comes to the MSRS program with a Bachelors of Science in urban and Regional Planning from Cal Poly Pomona. She currently works as an environmental planner at RBF Consulting, a planning and engineering firm in Ontario. Carolyn's interests include passive solar design, organic gardening, and new regenerative or sustainable technologies and practices. She is always looking for problems to solve!

Myles McGray

Myles is a native Michigander and has a B.A. from Oakland University. His interests include design and implementation of sustainable built forms.

Rosemary Squires

Rosemary graduated in 2005 from Colorado State University with degrees in English and Asian Studies. She combined her interest in Asian culture with her passion for languages and teaching when she traveled abroad to teach English in Asia. The MSRS program brought Rosemary back to the states after teaching for nearly three years. While she is still exploring options for her thesis, some areas of interest include community gardens, food production management at the Lyle Center, and integration of regenerative topics into high school curricula.