Mallorca, a beautiful island off the coast of Spain, was the site of the recent “Permaculture in Palma de Mallorca” field program. Fall 2017 Voyagers traveled throughout the island to learn about and take part in environmentally friendly practices.
“Permaculture is all about community, and respecting the earth, and respecting one another,” said Voyager Taylor Gray Dahl from Texas State University. Voyagers tasted stevia and mint leaves along with lemon grass and the little known “popcorn plant”.
Voyagers traveled to a sustainable farm and learned about the system of Biochar, which instead of allowing carbon to release into the atmosphere, it forms it into a solid. The carbon is then transplanted it into the soil, providing nutrition for all varieties of vegetation. Students were also able to play with string made from the inside of a native New Zealand plant. No matter how hard they tried, nobody could tear the string, demonstrating just how effective using organic products can be for everyday life.
“A lot of students are really into independent travel but I, now doing my first field program, really want to advertise for the field programs, because everything we did in the amount of time that we had are things that we could have never ever done on our own,” Dahl said.
“You do get a lot of bang for your buck. And they are absolutely incredible experiences where you learn a lot more than you might if you were just walking around the city.”
