Diamante Bridge Collective

Dani Belle

Tien S

echo amireux

Mohsen 

The Diamante Bridge Collective (DBC) is a network of land stewards, individuals, organizations and communities located primarily within the Diamante Valley of Costa Rica, expanding to include those from the greater Southern Zone of Costa Rica, and those abroad. The DBC functions as a hub of many physical nodes, connected via global networks of shared vision and mission with the goal of restoring, preserving and consciously stewarding surrounding lands and watersheds while living harmoniously within them in alignment with our planetary values. We work together to create collective foundational agreements and a local regenerative economy that includes digital currencies for the transparent and accountable recordkeeping of our exchanges. We are building bridges between individuals, communities and organizations, local and global cultures, property owners and skilled service providers in the Southern Zone of Costa Rica who are committed to working together long term to care for our bioregion, our neighbors, and ourselves.&nbsp; We also serve as a bridge, and an entry portal, for individuals looking to exit the industrial consumerist lifestyle, and return to regenerative practices and community living. Operating as a diverse network, we are in a unique position to be able to direct and connect individuals to communities which will best suit their needs, interests and passions. We value the transcendence of the old model of land “ownership”, choosing instead to “steward” lands. We are in the process of creating a legal foundation for the securing of land into trust or conservation, for the benefit of future generations. We embody the ethics and principles of permaculture in our personal and communal lives, whilst supporting and inspiring one another with honesty, clarity and authentic communication. We value family and community life, seeking to create village settlements that nurture optimal human development by most effortlessly meeting everyone's needs. We value open-sourced platforms of information storage so that our story may serve as a model to be shared with other collectives and put into action.&nbsp; Our governance model is Sociocracy, valuing the diversity of perspectives within our collective and ensuring space for all voices during decision making processes. DBC Education and culture sharing includes:Facilitating the Living Permaculture Mentorship Program, offering skill sets in Syntropic Agroforestry, Social Permaculture, Holistic Wellness, Permaculture Design Certificates, and Growing and Preserving Food (Campaign can be found by copy and pasting this link:&nbsp;<a href="https://trace.giveth.io/campaign/living-permaculture-mentorship-program)" target="_blank" class="ql-size-large">https://trace.giveth.io/campaign/living-permaculture-mentorship-program)</a> Hosting and collaborating on culture exchange and skill share eventsSupporting the rebirth of balanced Earth-People cultures through Visionary storytelling and integrated Indigenous ancestral wisdom&nbsp;Offering scholarships for youth leaders from economically disadvantaged communities. Creating multicultural and multilingual learning environments.&nbsp; Current Members within the DBCDiamante Luz Centre for Regenerative LivingH.O.M.E. (Heaven On Mother Earth) FarmLa Luz del BosquePerma VidaEARTHEART Living Permaculture Mentorship ProgramFinca MorphoFinca La PazFree The FoodKapi KapiDon Marcelino &amp; the Bri Bri Indigenous Nation of Costa Rica VisionWe envision an interdependent network of healthy autonomous communities cultivating and nurturing a planetary paradise where everyone's needs are met and the prosperity of Earth is endowed to future generations.&nbsp;&nbsp;MissionWe are inspiring planetary transformation by embodying regenerative lifestyles.&nbsp;We are generating experiential learning tools, skills, and capacities for the flourishing of personal, spiritual and environmental relationships.We are co-creating collective agreements for self-governance, economic exchange, resource sharing and common-land stewardship.We are facilitating the just redistribution of resources and power toward restoration of ecological wellness and social equity.&nbsp;﻿We have adopted the Findhorn Values of:Spiritual PracticeServicePersonal GrowthIntegrityRespect OthersDirect Communication&nbsp;ReflectionFeedbackNon-violencePerspectiveCooperationPeace-keepingAgreementsCommitment

active

Our Beautiful HomeThe Diamante Valley of Costa Rica is a stunningly beautiful tropical green valley; a very rich and diverse bioregion. It is well known in Costa Rica for it's many rivers, creeks and waterfalls, attracting many seeking to create communities, ecovillages, and live by natural renewable energy principles. Contaminated WatersWe at the Diamante Bridge Collective are one such community. We have observed that the precious waterways of our valley are continuously polluted by the use of toxic, easily available soaps and products, and lack of filtration systems. Here, the soaps and detergents poured down the drains of every day households end up directly in the rivers and eventually the ocean. Our SolutionWe wish to mitigate this pollution by: <ol><li>Installing grey water filtration systems through out the valley</li><li>Educating people living in this area to stop using toxic soaps and start using healthy biodegradable alternatives</li></ol> We have commenced this project very locally, on our own lands and homes, and slowly wish to expand outwards to the remaining houses in our local area, our village, and throughout the valley. Our grand vision is that every house in the world would have effective water filtration systems and use only natural products! However we have to start local. ResearchAfter doing our research we discovered a method of water filtration system that is relatively easy to install, uses simple materials, is very effective and also cost-efficient. It is called the Branched Drain Filter published in the book&nbsp;Oasis with Greywater&nbsp;by Art Ludwig. Successful First System InstallationWe have recently completed our first successful system installation at our Community Centre, the Togethering Place, in San Salvador. This installation provides a model from which we can now work to complete more and more installations. We are also in the process of forming a team which will be responsible for helping educate the local people of our valley and encouraging the use of biodegradable natural products. In order to help people make the transition from the standard, readily available toxic products they have been using their whole lives, we also wish to provide the new products for them to use, initially. Seeking SponsorshipWe are seeking sponsorship and funding to cover the costs of: <ol><li>Tools and materials for the installation of the water filtration systems</li><li>Wages to pay our local community members working on the project</li><li>Soaps and other natural products to gift to local people to help them make the transition</li></ol> Next Steps and Funding RequiredAt this stage, we estimate the average cost of installing a grey water filtration system to be around US $300 per house, for materials and labor. Now that we have successfully installed our first system at the Togethering Place, we feel very enthusiastic and motivated to continue with this project! We would like to install another system at the local restaurant Ohana, which is the only restaurant in our village of San Salvador and next door to the Togethering Place. The system at Ohana will be a little more complex and will serve a great opportunity to learn more. We also aim to purify the creek passing through our own community lands of Diamante Luz and La Luz del Bosque. At the moment there are five neighboring houses leaking their grey water directly into this creek, contaminating the water significantly.&nbsp;When it rains, we can smell soaps and detergents up to 50 meters away from the creek. We are also going to continue to test the water regularly once the filters are installed, and continue to study how fast the water recovers. We would love to collect around US $2000 initially, to create the filters for these 5 houses and for the restaurant Ohana. Our Project Manager Arthur has written a comprehensive report outlining the entire process of the installation of the first grey water system, plus more detailed considerations for future installations. Here is the report below, including pictures on the project: Installation of Grey Water Filtration Systems Project – Togethering Place We are really satisfied with how the project unfolded, we learned a lot and are inspiredto create more grey water filters for our local community: 1 - Seeing a problem2 - Looking for solutions3 - Studying Branched Drain Filters4 - Finding the location for the first Branched Drain Filter5 - Creating the Proposal6 - Creating the filters7 - Our reflections8 - “Conclusion” 1 - Seeing a problemMost of the grey waters in our local community end up polluting rivers and, further alongthe way, would be polluting the ocean. Usually there are no filtration systems in place,which is also the case for most Costa Rican houses. 2 – Looking for solutions- Promote the use of biodegradable soaps- Install grey water filters for each individual house 3 - Studying Branched Drain FiltersThanks to the work of Art Ludwig and his book “Oasis with Grey water”, we foundamazing information about Branched Drain Filters.They are easy to install, low cost of materials and can be adapted to most cases.Simplified explanation:The grey waters are collected, then the flow is divided 1 time, 2 times, 3 times(depending on how much water is used), creating 2, 4 or 8 “branches”. At the end ofeach branch, the water flows into a Mulch Basin, planted with filtering plants (seepictures below). 4 - Finding the location for the first Branched Drain FilterWe decided to create the first filter at the Togethering Place, the current hub for DBC(Diamante Bridge Collective).We chose this location as it gives us a certain freedom to experience and learn from theprocess, have easy access for maintenance, fix details, and review the system. It alsogives us a great example to share with our neighbors.We received permission from the owners. 5 - Creating the Proposal- We spent time looking at the land, estimating the water consumption of the place andcame up with a Branched Drain Filter design.- Next, we estimated the cost for materials and labor and also how long it would take usto create the filter.- We wrote the proposal on August 3 rd and The DBC circle has approved the proposalon August 4 th (posted in DBC Telegram group).- Ariana, a member of our collective, gifted us the total amount of C72,000 (USD 116) tocomplete the project. <img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/o2a8cfd9jvjoHdeMU5BOHIYf5OvG2mSaV4IAF3EFLcy5cA7gvWTw0wG0fKuWfAqJP5Ym6DtA2J73OYtyOgVxF9WbEtXcNr1oc_-fKvbaL3IHbLJZfBVLa8PoIzD1tgD6wrmRxEMf"> 6 - Creating the filtersThank you Patricio for helping us with transportation to get the materials, Forest forlending us the necessary tools and Ariana, Arthur, Nain, Mambo and all volunteers fortheir contributions.It took us 2 days to successfully build the filters. We had no major difficulties.Here we collect the water from the shower, sink and washing machine. <img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/IpfTTXBgCvFYyQyRcyritSaKODIiB4lGDt830koiMcUYlDuuzsyXlzzFrpq8wd1AfpWgjbHrwSSnrtZBhgndKkdIH3qVDQ-9uCeXAevOZSMR22VQ9IVq8ktNk7TXWUG2uXipCLrx"><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/jHjkHY9xmLD_HPlWUaWt7ISv7lIdzUSCoknX0rth_fwB6gas4eNYqv09H2HSKGcYhnQDlWUXletmbnoJTa0IQidbEOlUPJcoMz7luidFvKuxaSvyKc6ZgJ5ahaJfSQdk7MqoXBI4">On the right picture, we see where the flow splits in 2, each new branch going to a Mulch Basin.&nbsp; <img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/QGQdBjlzE6YCUDpwcTrCu_KKUurB9FYC_IKI3sMcZc1GyQMrVMU8rywI2tTiLP1UDkha_LIGftWyOSnCM2z49SRoe6reHHEfxOkJveWoKilWEvAj28HQo1wB-YWD4VXjXkkcJMBL"> Picture after the pipes have been covered and the Mulch Basin has been planted with vetiver. We dug 3 Mulch Basins in total, where we estimate a total capacity of 2,500 liter. (2.5m3). Creation of a Mulch Basin: &nbsp;<img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/o4XYRJH2FeLCQUMkaonMAtsxheHkVdBVsmOhgPkbHzp2dh_PvKv3AzSt1J04NQGM6LwguhHMgQn6oA8jjtThcnIlgPq9W5Zv-i5hK3poYU7CqpZwbcP6plSsNVWIYoGVFKxA_BpN"> The Mulch Basins contain a lot of organic matter where microorganisms grow in, which help to digest the soaps and detergent. We planted vetiver grass all around to maintain the soil where the roots support the filtration of the water. <img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/2FK1oe26uqaq2yocMh_SRE6jZyzF4GPy6bIagKflQYQMD2aU5Wh2qV2K0P_vnLYMk3Isl72_bIBqBttbGdJLevBT2nMzAzOxr7BxxlKJtlcWkMXsqWZ9PTsF5PumQ-e0jilwZ6Or"><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/IHHWgduca8YOICh-3BGhvJ60J8dzd13P4OrXzBwSarH2DN_MHLwSpNPFV8rAJ97FR7m6ftmbKZoCLUmpm41J9pw_3R-H61_34YhOj5eUd3MJfyIcd-MCWHnbken41IGVgcm4S_7A"> Comparison: Estimation / Real Cost Labor: Estimated costs based on 16 hours: C40,000 (USD 64)Real costs based on 13 hours: C32,500 (USD 52) Materials Estimated costs: C34,475 (USD 55)Real costs: C39,554 (USD 64), we had to buy another pipe and 2 connectors Total Cost Estimated cost: C74,475 (USD 120)Real costs: C72,054 (USD 116) (Note: Arthur volunteered his hours to gain experience in order to estimate the cost of the filter, otherwise the full cost would have been 13 hours more adding up to C97,054 (USD 156) in total) 7 - Our reflections &nbsp;Possible future improvements:&nbsp;- Receive volunteer help to collect mulch&nbsp;- Find a source of coconut husk and wood chips&nbsp;- Integrate the use of microorganisms in the system&nbsp;- Create a sign to indicate that there is a filter in place&nbsp;- Cover exposed pipes with bamboo to protect them and to give them a better look&nbsp;- Potentially adding small roofs for the rainy season&nbsp;- Create documentation in Spanish about Branched Drain Filters and Mulch Basins&nbsp;&nbsp;Questions:- How can we best educate people about grey water and natural soaps?&nbsp;- Will this system work in case of long and intense rains? Rainwater could eventually overflow from the Mulch Basins.&nbsp;A solution for this could be small roofs or palm plants.&nbsp;- Will it be a concern for people to do the maintenance of the filters? Harvesting and changing the mulch (every year or every other year) and checking if the flow of water still splits equally. Important considerations:- Before working on a site, take the time to ask permission and support from the land and its beings to create these filters. Share your intentions before acting, for example when cutting branches, roots, moving plants, digging, etc.&nbsp;- If someone is willing to install such filters, there are a lot of details to be taken into account from the start to the end.&nbsp;We recommend to be well trained and have the proper documentation.&nbsp;- Approaching the landowners can be a little sensitive, because it can be something new to them. There can also be an attachment to the land. It is best if they can see an example of an installed filter before agreeing on creating these filters.&nbsp;- As these filters are important, it is important to use biodegradable soap to reduce the degree of contamination. We want to find affordable solutions for the local people to use eco friendly soaps and detergent.&nbsp;Future needs:- To have our own tools&nbsp;- To form a “proper” Grey water Circle in DBC&nbsp;- To have available funds for the DBC Grey Water Mission 8 – “Conclusion” The grey waters of the Togethering Place are now being filtered and are not flowing into the rivers anymore. We feel a sense of completion, no more “leaks” from our home.We feel very enthusiastic and motivated to go on with this project, we would like to install another Branched Drain Filter at the restaurant Abues next door. It is a little more complex and, as such, a great opportunity to learn more. We aim to purify the creek passing the land at Diamante Luz and La Luz del Bosque. At the moment there are 5 houses leaking their grey water directly into this creek contaminating the water significantly.&nbsp;When it rains, we can smell soaps and detergent 50 meter away from the creek). We are going to test the water in due time and test it on regular intervals when the filters are installed to study how fast the water recovers. At this stage, we estimate the average cost of the creation of a filter (per individual house) at USD 300 including both labor and materials. We would like to collect around USD 2,000 to create the filters for these 5 houses and for the restaurant Abues. &nbsp;<img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_ibJIRPz80U80eNcYikY3ggU3Zbm634cnL-LzD2Vkq9sdOwbJsRPx6lbSKPftfGDAXUPOCzRYoEC0mU-OczzhbS97-vCzdoclpfIHLGbsvp_uyebcJIsrKrfQB0nE9NiUJsXiqkp">