Welcome to the Base Eco Arts Collective

 

laurie Breaking

We are using our passion for nature, diversity and creative expression, together with our skills, that include working with the land, others and our own self development, to empower and enable the emergence of an environment of love, respect, co-operation and peace.

We plan to achieve this by designing and building a low impact community arts village. Where people come to learn practical skills for sustainability alongside a diversity of creative visual and performance arts and crafts.

All are welcome and we aim to attract a variety of different youth groups and organisations as well as individuals from around the world.
 
 

We finally acquired our first base in June 2015, just before the solstice 18th June. Jointly owned by myself and 4 of my 5 kids, we have 5.6 acres in the beautiful south hams. It was here waiting for us all the time we were looking abroad!!!!

The previous owner had created a walled garden at the top of the land, out of tyres!!! Not very beautiful but functional as it can be quite windy. Within that area he had created a fruit cage with fruit bushes, to which I added all mine from my forest garden allotment. And either side, north and south of the walled garden, he had planted hazel copses, and a sweet chestnut copse to the east. So we are continuing from where he left off, creating gardens within the walled garden. We have the polytunnel frame up but not the skin yet, and a tree nursery.

My new mandala garden takes up almost one side of the garden (I have a wordpress blog for that: https://lizijamal.wordpress.com/), and a caged area for the chickens and ducks at the bottom end.

We are developing as a permaculture project as intended. We have re-used materials found on site, or brought in materials that were others waste, so fulfilling the permaculture principle of "waste is an unused resource".

So far not buying much, but have had a borehole drilled but haven't got a pump yet, as I would like a hand one. We haven't yet set up a solar system, and are starting the process to apply for planning for an agricultural barn.

There is also an existing orchard and fenced off paddock. I am creating a new forest garden just outside the walled garden.
 
Laurie has been stockpiling materials to reuse and use for construction, sheds and shelters, Sam has been working on planting trees, back breaking work creating a driveway using rubble that would otherwise go to landfill, building a compost loo, upgrading an old caravan to use as a studio, and is about to start work on a brick bread and pizza oven.

We have volunteers occasionally with a local squash coop and land project network.

 

 Some photo's of the garden:

 

 

Some Photo's of the garden wildlife: