Permaculture Indigenous Tree Project in Ghana
The Ghanian branch of the Australian Edge 5 Permaculture company, in partnership with the permaculture network in Ghana, has, since the year 2006, been supporting indigenous tree seed collection, communities tree nursery and forestation, tree plantings in schools and planting trees along rivers in Ghana.
The following activities in Ghana are causing the deforestation of vegetation cover, the drying out of river bodies, desertification, erosion, rainfall, lost of medical plants and animal habitat.
- Chain saw operators
- Conventional farming activities
- Bush fires
- Overgrazing
- Farming along river banks
Edge 5 permaculture and the Ghana permaculture network are now working with fifty communities who are doing tree nursery work and planting trees to protect their river bodies which have been the only source of drinking water for communities. We would be happy for donors to come to our aid to support these communities. The research conducted so far has seen in these communities it is the women and children who suffer most as they must search for drinking water at large distances from their homes. With your financial and material support we can reach thousands of communities in Ghana who depend upon rivers as their source of drinking water.
To assist, please contact:
Paul Yeboah (Edge5 Permaculture Ghana manager, and Permaculture Ghana Network president).
Box TM 390, Techiman – B/A, Ghana – W/A
Email: yeboahpual70 (at) yahoo.com or paul (at) edge5.com.au
Mobile: +233 24 370 2596
One of the primary causes mentioned for the ruination of land in is overgrazing. Are we really sure of this – especially on lands that used to support migrating herds of millions of herbivores? We have recently watched a lecture given by Allan Savory about the
issue of ‘overgrazing’ and it actually means ill-managed grazing & that the removal of grazers and periods of ‘rest’ are disasterous: leading to oxidation of the grasses, then desertification. Grasslands are ruined by herds of non-migratory cattle if not managed. But it is to do with the duration of the time and the numbers of cattle on each patch: Savory has healed dead land back to health in S.Africa by using huge densities of cattle on small portions of land. Perhaps his methods (which once again, mimick the original natural system of the area and are based on observation of what nature knew was best for her – just as Mollison learned to develop his ideas from observation). You can read of how to heal grasslands in Savory’s book ‘Holistic Management: A New Framework for Decision-making’.
Savory claims that we cannot hope to fight climate chaos without massive herbivore herds in dry grassland areas and the stopping of burning. It may be another extremely eye-opening tool in the
permaculture tool-kit.
As may be the work of grassland ecologist, Dr. Caroline Jones in Australia.