With the increased evidence of the toxicity of herbicides and pesticides that were once thought to be safe, and the growing alarm around climate change, suburban homeowners and businesses are increasingly looking for alternatives to keep their families and communities safe. Since its inception, FCE has been providing information, workshops and resources to the greater Beverly MA community through outreach programs in order to educate residents about the importance of soil health and assist in the removing of chemical pesticides and synthetic fertilizers from the environment. Now, FCE is seeking to establish a permanent Environmental Education Center in order to expand our ability to provide the resources that community members have been requesting.
The Environmental Education Center will be a hands-on center that will demonstrate how residents can reinterpret their yards, lawns and gardens to be more environmentally sustainable. The center will teach DIY approaches to composting and planting, along with highlighting commercially produced products and services that are available locally. It will be a place where children can come and learn about native plants in addition to growing organic produce. Where people with disabilities can learn how to plant and maintain a garden while building self-esteem and potentially leading to employment opportunities. Where seniors can come and learn about the nutritional value of plants grown and harvested locally and share insights along with healthy recipes. Where business owners and representatives of large institutions can explore how their land-care practices might evolve in a more ecologically responsible manner.
The center will also house our Aquaponics Demonstration System. Aquaponics incorporates a closed loop system which circulates the water and nutrients from an active fish pond to feed plants in hydroponic grow beds without the use of soil and chemical fertilizers. |
Components of the Environmental Education Center
How You Can Help
NEW SITE NEEDED: After maintaining our greenhouse and aquaponics center at Long Hill Reservation in Beverly, MA, for five years, we needed to relocate. The Trustees have launched a new plan for the property and can no longer accommodate Full Circle Earth. We are grateful for the years that the Trustees have hosted us and are now seeking a new location. We currently are building a greenhouse at the Garden School in Beverly, MA. However this location can not accommodate our full plan for our center. As a result, we are still looking for a new or additional site.
SITE REQUIREMENTS:
½ to 1 acre of cleared or partly cleared, uncontaminated land
access to a water source (as backup),
access to an electrical source (as backup),
permission to build semi-permanent structures (hoop house, solar shed),
public access and parking,
access to toilet facilities
If you have contacts or belong to an organization that can potentially host our center, please email Jimi Carnazza at jimi@fullcircleearth.org to make a connection and schedule a meeting.
HOOP HOUSE, COMPOSTING CENTER and SOLAR SHED: If you are handy with tools or belong to an organization looking to design and build a project in the public interest, we want to talk to you. Our hoop house, composting center and solar shed will be opened to the public to teach the community about energy and water conservation along with sustainable land care and growing practices.
If these are projects that you can design, manage or build, or you are just interested in volunteering to collect materials or participate in the construction, please email Jimi Carnazza at jimi@fullcircleearth.org.
SITE REQUIREMENTS:
½ to 1 acre of cleared or partly cleared, uncontaminated land
access to a water source (as backup),
access to an electrical source (as backup),
permission to build semi-permanent structures (hoop house, solar shed),
public access and parking,
access to toilet facilities
If you have contacts or belong to an organization that can potentially host our center, please email Jimi Carnazza at jimi@fullcircleearth.org to make a connection and schedule a meeting.
HOOP HOUSE, COMPOSTING CENTER and SOLAR SHED: If you are handy with tools or belong to an organization looking to design and build a project in the public interest, we want to talk to you. Our hoop house, composting center and solar shed will be opened to the public to teach the community about energy and water conservation along with sustainable land care and growing practices.
If these are projects that you can design, manage or build, or you are just interested in volunteering to collect materials or participate in the construction, please email Jimi Carnazza at jimi@fullcircleearth.org.