Over 400,000 quarries have been left abandoned and seemingly in a state of disrepair once their resources have been depleted or no longer valued. Before 1977, there were no laws or regulations in place to protect these sites. Owners and contractors were able to leave the site as is with tools, machinery, jagged rocks, slabs of cut stone, trash, and anything in between. This project explores the oldest marble quarry in the country, the Norcross-West marble quarry located in Dorset, Vermont. The design answers the question of how to repurpose this site by combining the site history to create educational opportunities, vegetation implementation to create habitats for at risk species, and sustainable practices such as marble carving and rainwater collection create a space that fulfills needs within the site that have long sense been forgotten. These practices reform the space and set a precedent for the dozens of other nearby abandoned and active quarry sites.
“Permaculture is: design protocols for critical thinking, decision making, and problem solving all based on the patterns of nature” as defined by Larry Santoyo, the founder of The Permaculture Academy (Definitions of Permaculture, 2017). However, these design principles are often used on large scale properties such as farms, ranches, or even homesteads that have multiple acres of land to be managed. Therefore, this design is asking how can permaculture design be applied to be within county regulations at a suburban middle class home to produce food and enhance shared family maintenance time. In order to answer this question this research explores a design which follows the principles of permaculture and implements them through elements of the landscape. The design is based on a half an acre lot in a suburban neighborhood located in Medina, Ohio. This design addresses how permaculture design principles could be effectively used to feed a family and have a maintenance schedule that is in tune with family life all while following county regulations set for residential zones.
Methods of cultivating and propagating L. williamsii are available on the internet and in academic journals. In particular, five, L. williamsii specimens were observed and their growth rates and overall vitality are determined. Furthermore, particular soil mixtures, temperature and humidity control, light, and moisture are crucial for growing individuals from. Variations in grafting stock are present, in particular, Pereskiopsis, Hylovereus, Tricho, cereus and Myrtillocactus. Among literature review, it was found that L. williamsii growth and seeding is dependent extremely dependent on pollinators, temperature, and precipitation in the wild. In terms of yielding L. williamsii specimens with the fastest growth rate and highest likelihood of survival in the wild, the graft stock to be used is Trichocereus and Pereskiopsis.
The overuse of plastic containers in greenhouse and nursery production surpasses the amount being recycled. A solution to this issue involves a shift in the materials used for making containers. Specifically, containers employed for plant growth are single-use due to the higher costs associated with reusing them in production. Due to chemicals used during the growing process recycling containers is challenging. Transitioning to eco-friendly alternatives holds the promise of positively impacting the environment and curbing plastic waste generated in growing containerized plants. This research delves into the types of plastics currently utilized, their purposes, and the recycling processes involved. This is compared to new eco-friendly container options, analyzing their advantages and disadvantages. The significance of this study is exploring potential materials for manufacturing containers in greenhouse and nursery production. The result of this paper finds alternatives to plastic, fostering sustainability and reducing reliance on plastic for containers, thereby contributing to a more sustainable industry.
