Pip Magazine Issue 9

DR ALECIA BELLGROVE Dr Alecia Bellgrove is a marine biologist at Deakin University. She has extensive experience in understanding the biology and ecology of seaweeds. Alecia lived and worked in Japan for three years at the Shimoda Marine Research Centre of the University of Tsukuba, and continues ongoing research and teaching partnerships with Japanese colleagues. Through her exposure to the culinary delights of seaweed, she now combines her passion for great food (that is both nutritious and ecologically sustainable) with her passion for the ocean. Alecia is currently driving a research program through Deakin exploring the potential for creating a sustainable seaweed industry in southeastern Australia. ANTON VIKSTROM Anton lives in Hobart and is co-director (with partner Hannah Moloney) of Good Life Permaculture. Anton’s ethos is based in radical homemaking and through Good…

Hello peeps, So often we are looking at the land when we talk about permaculture, so I thought for a change we would explore the watery side of permaculture in its many varied forms. In this issue we are exploring everything from seaweed to silver perch, aquaponics and natural swimming pools, as well as fire baths and even home brewing. Water is such an essential part of our lives; the human body is made up of up to 60% water, 71% of the earth’s surface is covered by water and beneath the top layer of water that we’re familiar with in our oceans and waterways, there lies a whole other world that most of us have little to do with. I’ve been planning for some time to make seaweed the focus of an…

TOKYO URBAN PERMACULTURE www.livingpermaculture.blogspot.com.au A thriving urban permaculture project is flourishing in Tokyo. It offers hope for a positive future for young people, and aims to revive traditional sustainable Japanese culture. A group of young people who care about sustainability, permaculture and peace activism are getting together for joyful and collaborative action. Their current project is to create a Permaculture and Peace Dojo. They have an acre of land and a traditional-style 100-year-old wooden house on the outskirts of Tokyo which they are renovating using sustainable practices. They plan to make it a centre where peace activists can explore permaculture and ways of contributing to positive change in the world. They will be ready for receiving volunteers in 2018. NOURISHING 1000 CHILDREN, MOZAMBIQUE Instituto de Permaculture de Mozambique (IPERMO) www.permacultura.com Mozambique is still recovering from its…

PATAGONIA WETSUIT Think twice about what your wetsuit is made from before you purchase a new one, and replace a petroleum- based material with a plant-based one. Patagonia’s high-performance, neoprene-free wetsuit is made of 85% YulexR natural rubber, derived from sources that are Forest Stewardship CouncilR certified by the Rainforest Alliance and lined with recycled polyester jersey. They offer the same warmth and performance attributes as conventional stretch neoprene, while reducing CO2 emissions by up to 80% in the manufacturing process. From $118 www.patagonia.com.au NATURAL AUSTRALIAN ZINC – SAVE THE BEES This zinc smells so good that you’ll want to eat it. And with nearly all the ingredients being edible, you almost could: it contains cacao butter, raw cacao powder, coconut oil and olive oil (all of which are organic) as well as…

To place your event here, email hello@pipmagazine.com.au SUSTAINABLE LIVING FESTIVAL 2018 1 – 28 February 2018 The Sustainable Living Festival has been running for 19 years and is the largest festival of its kind in Australia. 2018’s theme is ‘climate crunch’, with the festival’s program specifically focused on the urgent need for safe climate action. Each year the Sustainable Living Festival presents over 300 events celebrating sustainability. Expect a packed program filled with local and international talks, forums, workshops, film, art and design events. If you’re interested in being part of the program, you can apply now, with applications closing at the end of November. Pip will be in attendance for SLF’s Big Weekend in Melbourne (9 – 11 February), along with a huge range of exhibitors and food vendors. Come by the Pip…

Question for the Pip Brains Trust? Email editorial@pipmagazine.com.au What plants can I grow underneath my fruit trees to create a guild that will support them? [Jack, Cooma, NSW] I would start with plants that assist in pollination, perform the role of pest control and don’t compete with the tree. Perennials that flower just prior to and during each fruit tree flowering time will invite bees, pollinating the fruit and providing you with a harvest. Plants with daisy or umbel-shaped flowers are favoured by common predatory insects, so a handful of them in your guild during fruiting season can minimise damage. Shallow-rooting plants minimise competition for water and nutrients (with the exception of grasses). You may already have plants in your garden playing these roles, so cluster those species under your fruit to…