Designing Ecological Habitats - Gaia Education

262 Designing ecological Habitats
Agroecology is the
introduction of
agriculture into an
existing ecological
system.
In the actual practice of managing an
agroecosystem, the flowers and the green manure
are included to feed ants, bees, birds and microorganisms.
By doing that, we promote resilience
due to a strengthened web that diminishes the
inevitable herbivore and predation pressure on
the yields of which we are concerned (in this case
corn, beans, amaranto and manioc).
Here, the ecovillage meets the agroecology.
As we design the agroecosystem to enhance
diversity, we also invite the multicultural aspects
present in the community to contribute to the
flourishing. Flowers, animals, food, colours,
smells and recipes are all included in the design
strategy. The visual aspects are also considered: at
Terra UNA we are working with more traditional
cultural imagery, shapes, and geometries.
As an ecovillage, we don’t ever want to miss the opportunity to celebrate
and have fun while working with our agroecosystems. Somehow, Nature
responds to our invitation by sending unforeseen and unimaginable ‘gifts’.
We have been learning that the power of diversity in community creates a
strong bridge of mutual identification between the ‘agroecology’ and the
‘ecovillage’ approaches. Nature works with the power of diversity so deeply
that we stand mesmerized, positioning ourselves as wide-eyed children
exploring the world’s mystery as if for the first time.
Diogo Alvim is a biologist, B.S. in Ecology and M.S. in Ecology in Agroecosystems.
He is certified in permaculture by IPAB in Brasil and a beekeeper and the president and
founder of Terra UNA Ecovillage project. A member of the Brasilian Ecovillage Network, he
has served as coordinator and educator in the National Program of Education in Agrarian
Reform in SC State for two years and coordinated an education project at the Registry of
Green and the Environment of São Paulo. Now is part of the coordinating team of Gaia
Education in Brasil as a member and as an educator, running the EDE in Rio de Janeiro with
Terra UNA’s team.