Seed-Savers Lending Library functions similar to a traditional book-lending library, but offers its patrons access to vegetable, herb and garden fruit seeds instead of books. This program aims to make acquiring heirloom seeds readily affordable (free in some cases) and to promote the larger public's participation in the food-gardening
cycle through to the seed-harvesting stage. Many gardeners shy away from the tasks of starting gardens from seed or from tending their garden plants through to the seed-harvesting period. ECO-LABOR-ATION promotes the understanding that the seed harvested from each year's successful plants are equally as important as the harvested vegetables, herbs, and fruits themselves ... each seed carries-forward the successful traits of the plant, reducing our dependence on commercial and genetically-modified hybrids as well as ensuring the bio-diversity of heirloom species  of edible plants. Patrons of the Seed-Savers Lending Library will be able to "check-out" a quantity of seed at the start of each growing season and will be encouraged to "return-deposit" some of their saved seed to the Library's collection at the end of each growing season. Library patrons who make "return-deposits" on their borrowed seed will be eligible to "check-out" new seed the following growing season.
Similar to when you have"read" a borrowed book, you often don't need to "check-it-out" again ... Patrons of the Seed-Savers Lending Library, who follow our seed-saving tips, will generally have more than enough viable seed left-over each year that they can begin their own permanent collection
of garden heirlooms, "checking-out" new seed samples each time they wish to expand the variety of edibles growing in their gardens.
Bio-Fuel Cookers are being developed to serve cultures worldwide and vary in their design, fuel type and level of efficiency - ranging from ultra-efficient wood-burning stoves to those which burn pellets from kitchen residues, recycled papers or animal wastes. Bio-Fuel Cookers become an ecologically-responsible lifestyle choice when the bio-fuel itself is collected in a sustainable manner from the local environment and burned in a very efficient cooker. ECO-LABOR-ATION intends to demonstrate a variety of bio-fuel cookers in its public exhibitions and to distribute free and low-cost models to communities that still consume large amounts of wood due to cooking daily over an open fire.  One challenge when proposing the adoption of a new more efficient cooker to traditional societies is adapting the cooker's design so that cooks can prepare their foods per local custom. ECO-LABOR-ATION recognizes that families and caregivers may reject adopting a more efficient cooker if they are no longer able to produce traditional recipes with the same textures and flavors as they are accustomed to. The Rocket Tamale Pot has been designed by ECO-LABOR-ATION volunteers based on regional cooking customs of central Mexico; its design combines the "rocket-elbow" fuel burning chamber with African sunken-pot cooking efficiency The super-efficiency of the Rocket Tamale Pot enables the cooks of this historically-significant food (the tamale) to reduce their firewood-gathering tasks by up to 60%. Cooking and selling hand-made tamales is often the livelihood of impoverished elderly women throughout rural Mexico. While the new cookers are not projected to directly increase their income, they will decrease their wood-fuel needs and the time spent collecting firewood. The Rocket Tamale Pot also ensures that the cooking task can be accomplished using fallen twigs and branches rather than cutting down and over-harvesting standing trees in the semi-arid regions of Mexico where wood resources are scarce. With the help of donors, workshop participants, and volunteers, we hope to build and distribute more than one hundred Rocket Tamale Pots which will be donated free-of-charge; training on its use and care will be provided to each recipient.
BREEZE Wind-Energy Interactive Exhibits are mobile renewable energy exhibits that will be displayed in public parks, plazas, on campuses, at stadium events and other large gatherings. Onlookers will have the opportunity to examine the inner-workings of a small-scale wind-driven power plant
while enjoying a free re-charge for their mobile devices.
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The Cob Bench and Oven Project is designed to put a natural building material with historical roots in nearly every world culture back into the public limelight.
Volunteers actually jump-in - feet first! - to history as they learn about the traditional techniques of mixing and applying earthern materials to construction! "Cob" is the english name given to this  mixture of sand, clay and natural fiber (usually straw) that can be hand-molded into sculptural forms with remarkable structural strength, vibration stamina (i.e. against earthquakes) and resistance to damage from fire & insects. Similar building materials are found in cultures worldwide. Though the name and recipe may vary somewhat based on locale, the ecological-suitability of these materials cannot be denied when applied to small-scale building construction. There are standing earthen homes well over 500 years old, so the longevity of the material is clearly one of its values. Equally notable is the biodegradability of Cob - if a Cob construction were to be abandoned, it would eventually degrade back into the soil with next to no environmental impact. The Cob Bench and Oven Project proposes to construct public relaxing-benches in locations that will spark further dialog, evaluation and support for this miracle material.
Public park spaces and school campuses will be targeted for placement of the benches (actually, we envision comfy sofa-shaped sculptures, some with a fire hearth or shade canopy built-in).
SUNRAYZed Solar Picnic & Cooking Classes expose  participants to the variety of delicious foods that can be reliably prepared in a solar cooker or oven throughout much of the calendar year - at nearly any latitude. Solar cookers and ovens harness the renewable and pollution-free power of the sun by concentrating the sun's energy on enclosed spaces where the internal temperature can be raised sufficiently to cook vegetables, breads, meats - even desert. Capturing the free energy of the sun, even for a portion of a family's meals, can significantly reduce one's consumption of fossil-fuels or electricity that is produced through environmentally damaging processes. Participants will learn about pre-built solar cookers as well as receive free-plans for building their own solar oven.
DE-TOX YOUR AMBIENT forums promote dialog and volunteerism related to littering and waste disposal. Often beginning with a guided journey along a scenic or historical corridor, these events are intended to encourage the public to reflect on their own solid waste behaviors, raise awareness about the environmental impact of individual and large-scale waste discharge, and to present practical alternatives to our current behaviors. One of the most immediate things we can do to decrease our impact on the ecosystems we occupy is to produce fewer solid wastes, but, sadly littering takes many forms - from trash thrown-out by hurried drivers and pedestrians, to public or private wastes discharged in our waterways or overflowing landfills. Guides or video presentations will kick-off the discussion with the principles of the no-impact/low-impact philosophy, trends in waste reduction and waterway preservation, recycling & reuse opportunities, or local details about conservation efforts with the intention to spark recurring volunteer action by the attendees. We will occasionally seek corporate sponsors to provide refreshment stations, trash bags and collection assistance along with thank-you tokens for participants.
Our volunteers also are gearing-up to moderate the ECO-Babble discussion forum and a once-quarterly ECO-RESPONSible Challenge Group on Facebook. We hope you will enjoy these no-cost, on-the-Net options to connect, reflect and engage on topics related to how we can be better stewards of the ecosystems we occupy. |
