Earthworks (terraforming land to manage water and access)
This article is targeted at living in community, small holdings & off-grid living; although also appropriate to broad-acre farming. This is not targeted at Civil Engineering level construction.
I recently attended an Earthworks course in parrallel to an earthworks project in Central Portugal on the edge of the Sierra Estrella natural park. The course was hosted by Helder Valente of New School Permaculture along with the project hosts and conducted by David Spicer of Doc Spice Permaculture, an Earthworks expert from Australia.
WHAT IS EARTHWORKS
Earthworks is the utilisation of tools and technology to terraform land to support its regeneration & efficiency. This could be on the scale of small trenches or swales to divert or capture water all the way up to building large earth dams, reservoirs and access roads.
David describes it as being like the skeletal structure that allows us to fill the body or land with living muscle and skin.
START WITH WATER
When planning Earthworks it is important to consider Hardware and Software in relation to the capture of water and to keep water as high as possible for as long as possible, thereby storing potential energy.
