The Food forest has to be protected from those crazy Javali! (Wild boar) Lets build a living boundary to provide both a protection and production system for the forest. We will lay the foundation for a future project space too!

• Collection and arrangement of materials
• Building pallet gates.

Mapping, tracking and sensing the Valldaura Ecosystem is an integral part and one of valldauras long term goals. During this meetup we aim to bring sensing projects together to share ideas, form a vision and share knowledge about how to achieve an integrated smart sensing system.

Cycle revolutions is a group focused on the customisation of bikes, from self-powered transport to empowerment!  After a bike tour of the 'Carretera de Las Aquas' we will take part in an openlab seminar about the evolution, adapted uses and art of the bike through the ages and into the future.  After lunch we will continue along the track all the way down to the river Besos!

• Meet at 11:00 (Renfé : Pue de Funicular)

• We will be mapping our route and calories!

The Jabali (wild boar) are invading! so this Sunday we will be reinforcing our defence and fence system. The fence will eventually become a living boundary to the forest.

• Rebuilding the broken walls
• Reinforcing our fence system

There is black water trickling through our forest! Its time to turn that stinking mess into a productive filtration system.

• Digging a wall
• Excavating Reed Bed terraces

The crafting and maintenance of our contour line Swales is an important work. We aim to ensure that the land can harvest the rain water and to reduce runoff.

• Reforming and cutting the swale paths
• Mulching and feeding the swales
• Register before 11:30 on Friday 08.11

Valldaura's Terrace walls were built using bricks fabricated onsite. They are some of the largest bricks we have ever seen and are well worth keeping. To start the process of rebuilding the damaged terraces, we will engage in a construction workshop to reclaim the bricks and begin to rebuild the broken Muros

• Workshop on brick reclamation.
• Workshop on building Moros.

We have already reclaimed several pallets of large sized bricks from the grounds of Valldaura so its time to put them back to use and to patch up those fallen terraces.

• Open Construction Workshop
• Brickwork

Swales allow runoff water to seep into the soil and collect nutrients where the trees need them most. We will be walking the lines, cutting our contours and shaping our swales.

• Mapping the contour Swales.
  
• Building circulation into the land.

Feed the winter! We now have two layers of terraces planted, but with more space and food to grow we will be extending the terrace gardens and planting our winter crops this sunday.

• Groundwork and mulching
• Winter planting

*** Three Action = Access a Fab Lab Workshop

***** Fives Actions = A night a Valldaura

Over long periods of time there is no better composting material than wood! This weekend we will replace the soil that has been washed away with trenches built up from dense organic matter and logs. Both deep bed and shallow bed wood composting is known as Hugelkultur.

• Landform designed for soil retention.
• Raised bed Hugelkultur

We have been mapping and studying the waterways, both man made and natural. There are several channels that need to be cut and overflows constructed. Help us dig these out to ensure both maximum water retention and in places water filtration.

• Construction of Sink holes.
  
• Reed bed terracing.
  

We have planted the very first layer of the food forest and will begin (from Seed) with the next stages of the plant guilds. This will mean preparing the ground and mapping out where those plants will go.

• Mapping and marking
  
• Clearing and preparing the ground.

Plants are influenced and respond according to their situation and surroundings. We will create seeding stations within the food forest to allow our second planting layer to get a feel for where they are - right from the beginning.

• Clearance
  
• Seeding / Planting

We have prepared the basic infrastructure needed to grow a living barrier around the food forest. Weaving the materials we have put in place and to transferring spiky plants into the hedge will help reinforce the system as well as provide a habitat for bugs!

• Weaving brushes into the living fence
• Transplanting spiky plants!

For the next three weeks we will be working to rebuild the broken walls and muros that extend all over Valldaura. These walls also work as water catchment and distribution in the forest. The first stage is to prepare the reclaimed bricks, these will then be reused to rebuild the Muros.

• Selecting bricks for the broken muro.
• Restoring and preparing them.

The second stage for rebuilding our broken muro will be to prepare the foundations and clear some space. This will be an action group for those who enjoy using spades and pickaxes.

• Site preparation and clearing
• Laying foundations

With the preparation work done we will spend the day engaged in construction of the wall. The head of site construction will guide us through a professional workshop to rebuild the wall in the original style.

• Construction workshop with Nicu Pruebu.
• Reconstruction of the Muro Walls

In preparation for the arrival of the new beehives in April we will be arranging and preparing the spaces where this hives will go. Help us prepare the land and seed some melliferous plants!

• Site Preparation and clearing
• Seeding Melliferous Plants

There is still plenty of work to do in the forest garden including fencing, mulching, mapping and digging. Time to bring out the spring and watch the garden come to life!

• Mulching
• Fencing

The Allotments have been providing food for the Valldaura kitchen for some time, but now its the moment to branch out and increase their capacity. Help us extend the Allotment spaces and get fed in the process.

• Extending the Alotments
• Composting.

We now have tens of pallets worth of reclaimed bricks that have been found onsite, cleaned and are now being reused to rebuild the broken Muros. These walls work as water catchment and distribution throughout the forest. Let's see if we can't get another two pallets done!

• Selecting worthy bricks.
• Reforming and restoring them.

We will join the P52 volunteers for a day of archeology and investigation. We will uncover and start the maintenance of the hidden structures at Valldaura. Many parts of the site have been unused for decades and will benefit from renewed attention.

• Site Investigation
  
• Reparation and Maintenance
  

As the food forest continues to develop we have noticed paths and walkways being formed by the workers. We will consolidate these routes into the design, enhancing and integrating them into circulation paths. Lets conserve as much growing area as possible!

• Retrace and Consolidate paths
• Relay the contour Swales

There is an abundance of loose slate rock at Valldaura which is useful for construction and for paving. This sunday we will bring it all together and make best use of this local resource.

• Selection and collection of Slate stone.
• Cleaning and preparation for reuse.

As the summer approaches, channeling and conserving the water that enters the site of Valldaura is becoming increasingly important. We will be diverting grey water that comes from the restaurant to our future reed beds as well as cutting channels to capture and divert the rain.

• Channels for diverting grey water
• Capture systems for rainfall.

The spring has been good for us and for pollinators too. We have installed five new beehives and the flowers are still out for them. This sunday we will work to secure more habitats for all pollinators. Not just bees but for other insects too.

• Extending hives and colony transfers
• Nesting sites for insects.

The Action group team will be laying the foundations of two projects this Sunday. The chicken coop is being redesigned, to start this process off we will lay the foundations for its walls. We are also very lucky to be receiving a new milling machine in the coming weeks, so we will be clearing a space for it in the carpentry shop.

• Chicken coop walls
• Milling machine preparation

One of the most important tasks before we can plant new trees, is to ensure the Javali cannot enter the Food Forest anymore. Since last year, we have been weaving the fence construction with natural materials. It is nearly complete, and all the the material needed to finish it has already been piled up near the weak spots. Let's finish this task today!

• Reinforce weak points in the fence

• Monitor for insects in the Food Forest

Today we are going to cardboard to sheet mulch selected areas within the Food Forest. This will start a process to kill off competitive vegetation and at the same improve the soil quality because of the decomposition of the organic materials. We will be placing the mulch in the areas around (new) trees, and the new plant nursery area. Let's give the new trees and plants a good start to settle properly in our Food Forest! 

• Mulch locations with cuttings and cardboard

• Install seed germination station into nursery

The Valldaura Restaurant is a great potential source of water for irrigation, but we need to treat the water before it becomes usable again! Today we start preparing the installation of natural filters to re-use the greywater, which flows abundantly into our Forest. We will also start making the outlines for a water deposit to collect both rainwater and the filtered greywater. 

• Prepare hay / reed bed / water aeration filters

• Make the outlines for the water deposit

Today we continue working on the preparation of the grey water filters. There will be several different natural filters, and each needs its own specific micro-climate. We will shape the land accordingly to create these environments. Besides this, we will check the mulching process and reinforce the fence where needed.

• Collect rocks to line the filters  edges
• Continue the installation of the filters

After all the work that has been done in September, it is time to some checkups! We have finished the fence, installed water filters, dug a basin and mulched with cardboard. Today we will go around the Food Forest and make sure everything is still in good shape!

• Check and reinforce fences
• Check swales and water runoff 
• Check cardboard mulched areas

Another important aspect of water management is the retention of rainwater. In the Food Forest we have installed contour swales, which effectively catches the downhill water runoff. Today we will add a second aspect to the swales: vertical canals to better guide the water to the trees, which is where we need it most! A day of precision water management! 

• Reshape the swales, making them wider

• Create vertical canals to guide water runoff

A Food Forest is a forest made by and for people. Today we continue working on a space specially made to shelter during and after working. The vines are growing vigorously enough to create a space underneath. For the construction of the Pergola; the vine itself is going to be structure, we will guide the vines into a desired shape. Let's make sure that in a few years we can drink the wine of our own grapes under the pergola!

• Guide and reinforce the vines

• Check the swales and continue re-shaping

Exiting times are awaiting us! In just a few weeks we are going to start planting new trees and shrubs. Besides planting new trees, we will also transplant damaged ones to the nursery area. In order for everything to go smoothly, we are going to mark all locations and identification for the new trees, and mark the existing damaged trees that need maintenance.

• Mark all locations for new trees and plants

• Begin reparations of all damaged trees

- Register Here