I recently spoke with David Dyck and Natalio Soliz, my contacts in Belize for the Belize Open Source place. When I was there last June, we decided to move forward with adding a fence to divide the back part into two pastures, clear more of the regrowth bush and plant more Humidicola improved pasture grass. We liquidated our cattle herd to let the new grass come in. We'd been disappointed in how the new planting had come in. But in our recent conversation, David indicated that while not great, it was better than he initially thought. He suggested we restock with a smaller number of cattle to … [Read more...] about 7-18 Belize Open Source Update
Belize Open Source
Public Lab/citizen science
I’ve been involved with Public Lab (and Grassroots Mapping) since 2010, when I wrote to Jeff Warren after seeing the diydrones post showing his map of a settlement outside Lima, Peru. Public Lab is doing a Kickstarter campaign for aerial photomapping kits, from small lifting kites and balloons to the classic larger ones. Jeff, Stewart Long, Mathew Lippincott, and others in the Public Lab community helped me learn simple aerial photo mapping techniques. They also helped me start a grassroots mapping program to map the 40-acre Belize Open Source - Sustainable Development … [Read more...] about Public Lab/citizen science
CWC TVW Critique groups run year round
At our last meeting of the California Writers Club Tri-Valley Writers Branch this season, President, Patricia Boyle, asked me to speak about our STEM critique group. I was happy to. As my members page indicates, in part: Patrick D. Coyle journals and writes memoir and personal stories about travel and sustainable development. His short memoir, Time of Your Life, won first place in Impressions, the Las Positas College 2015 anthology. Other memoirs have been published in the Voices of the Valley: Word For Word, Encore, and First Press, California Writers Club Tri-Valley Branch … [Read more...] about CWC TVW Critique groups run year round
Last day at Belize Open Source site
Yesterday, first thing, I drove into Orange Walk Town to pick up my reconciled tax statement before Armin Cansino left for Belize City. At 10:00, I met with Natalio Solis and Pedro Wall who is refurbishing our corrals and adding a chute to vaccinate or load cattle. I watched his crew as they worked. We also discussed improving the little 12' by 20' wooden house that I put in as part of the first visitors accommodations for the Cleveland State University EWB chapter when they did the new classroom building for the school in August Pine Ridge. I also need to add more facility … [Read more...] about Last day at Belize Open Source site
Cashews and GPS track in Belize
The two screenshots from Google Earth show today's route and a bit of yesterday's. I caught water taxi to San Pedro at 3pm, then took a taxi to Mahogany Bay to look at their development using houses they prefab in Belmopan. I caught a ride back to town with Scott Fuson who showed me around Mahogany Bay. His friend, Mario, taxied us back. Mario also called and found me a room at Zen Belize. Fred at Zen Belize was very gracious and deserves highest marks. I was able to met up for pizza with our old family friend, Francisco Bergen. I booked a 7am flight on Tropic Air and Mario … [Read more...] about Cashews and GPS track in Belize