Terra Preta, Earth Day, and PR!

[RBlack]

To everyone on the site, Thanks!

 

Last Thursday evening I gave a talk to the Rapid City South Dakota Sierra Club on Terra Preta and this website and all the people who have provided information deserve some of the credit.

 

The talk went great! It was the highest turnout that they had had in 6 years with about 30 people showing up. Two thirds were gardeners and the rest SC members. What was most exciting was that people ARE interested in Terra Preta and willing to listen. Now we just got to get the word out! I also left the third floor of the Rapid City community building smelling of fresh charcoal.

 

With that in mind two things;

 

Earth Day is April 22 a Sunday and I was invited to have part of the Sierra Clubs booth at the South Dakota School of Mines celebration to present Terra Preta material. It got me to thinking - Why don't we all do that!!

We have a great idea and need to get the word out! Almost every city has some festivities of some kind so why don't we take what we know and share it! If I can get 30 people here in South Dakota (not known for its progressive or liberal thinking), what can you do where you live?

 

Second thing is that I am willing to share my PowerPoint presentation and lecture notes with any person willing to give it a go. I have 25 slides that I borrowed from all the on-line PP's (credited of course), a few of my own, notes for about an hour talk, articles to hand out, and demonstration of how to make charcoal (without the burning of course). The talk is in four parts, "The Terra Preta Effect" - Intro, history, positive benefits, "Carbon in Soil" - why and how carbon works in soil, soil structure and texture, CEC, "How to Make Charcoal/Biochar" - took in my little garbage can kiln and took them through the steps to make charcoal, and ended up with "Carbon Sequestration" - a little on global warming and what in being done large scale.

Since I was going for the gardeners the program is a little weak in the "Carbon Sequestration" part because I didn't want to get "preachy" on them.

 

Send me a private message and I will send you all I have!

 

I have seen with my own eyes that people are ready to hear about Terra Preta and do something! Earth Day is coming up let’s get this going!

 

RB

[InfiniteNow]

...I am willing to share my PowerPoint presentation and lecture notes with any person willing to give it a go.

Does anyone on Hypography have Articulate Presenter or other similar eLearning software like Captivate with which you could assist RBlack getting his Powerpoint demo available to the masses? A few on my team use this at work, but I do not have personal access to the tool.

 

Anyone? Anyone at all?

 

If not, RBlack, maybe you could download the free version and upload that to a link somewhere. That would make sharing the data much easier.

 

I've been sharing data on TP with all that will listen, and Earth Day is just another opportunity to this. :)

[Make do]

Hi RBlack

Please send your Terra Preta,PowerPoint presentation Earth Day and PR lecture notes.

 

How big is the PowerPoint presentation, I have 56k modem.

Thanks,

Herb Hoche

Four Wins Farm

Union, Maine, USA

 

 

 

To everyone on the site, Thanks!

 

Last Thursday evening I gave a talk to the Rapid City South Dakota Sierra Club on Terra Preta and this website and all the people who have provided information deserve some of the credit.

 

The talk went great! It was the highest turnout that they had had in 6 years with about 30 people showing up. Two thirds were gardeners and the rest SC members. What was most exciting was that people ARE interested in Terra Preta and willing to listen. Now we just got to get the word out! I also left the third floor of the Rapid City community building smelling of fresh charcoal.

 

With that in mind two things;

 

Earth Day is April 22 a Sunday and I was invited to have part of the Sierra Clubs booth at the South Dakota School of Mines celebration to present Terra Preta material. It got me to thinking - Why don't we all do that!!

We have a great idea and need to get the word out! Almost every city has some festivities of some kind so why don't we take what we know and share it! If I can get 30 people here in South Dakota (not known for its progressive or liberal thinking), what can you do where you live?

 

Second thing is that I am willing to share my PowerPoint presentation and lecture notes with any person willing to give it a go. I have 25 slides that I borrowed from all the on-line PP's (credited of course), a few of my own, notes for about an hour talk, articles to hand out, and demonstration of how to make charcoal (without the burning of course). The talk is in four parts, "The Terra Preta Effect" - Intro, history, positive benefits, "Carbon in Soil" - why and how carbon works in soil, soil structure and texture, CEC, "How to Make Charcoal/Biochar" - took in my little garbage can kiln and took them through the steps to make charcoal, and ended up with "Carbon Sequestration" - a little on global warming and what in being done large scale.

Since I was going for the gardeners the program is a little weak in the "Carbon Sequestration" part because I didn't want to get "preachy" on them.

 

Send me a private message and I will send you all I have!

 

I have seen with my own eyes that people are ready to hear about Terra Preta and do something! Earth Day is coming up let’s get this going!

 

RB

[freeztar]

That's a great idea and something I could see being successful here in Atlanta.

Two concerns for me personally:

1. I'm a TP newbie so I would feel a little hesitant fielding questions.

2. What would be the best avenue for setting up a presentation? Would you recommend contacting the local Sierra Club chapter? Is there a way to reference them to the Sierra Club up there for an approval for the presentation (if need be)?

[RBlack]

To Make do (Herb Hoche) and freeztar,

 

The PP size is 24K but I have not had any luck in sending files via this website. Go ahead and e-mail me at rblack [at] hillcity.k12.sd.us and I can send things via attachments. Also don't worry about being new at the Terra Preta thing. It is easy to become conversant by just reading the posts on this site and a few intro articles. The hand outs I gave were the Nature Article, one on making charcoal via oil drums, Humus: Still a Mystery, a reference sheet of sites, and one you could do is the new article in Discover magazine although its a bit heavy on the anthropology. I can send you most of this! Also after you look at the lecture notes we may want to talk on the phone and I am more than willing to do this. 605-574-2884

 

You should go for this! It is fun and exciting. I also took in samples of charcoal, biochar, and (is a closed glass container) charred manure. This gives the place a great smell and gives people a chance to look and play with the material. I also took in a large clear plastic jug of charcoal to show how light and airy it was for modifying soil structure and texture and information on that is at UMass Extension Vegetable Program - Soil & Nutrient Management This was the very best set of articles for understanding soil physics, chemistry, structure and texture.

 

Sorry didn't mean to get long winded there!

RB

[RBlack]

freeztar, Sorry I forgot to include the contact information for the Sierra Club

heathermorijah [at] sierraclub.org (this is good only for the next two weeks as she is moving on), and dldhont[at]yahoo.com. Dennis D'Hont is on the SC executive committee.The local Sierra Club will most likely provide you with copying the handouts, setting up the meetings, publicity, and providing a projector. All you need to do is talk and I will give you all the help you want.

RB

[CELI]

Hi i'm writing an essay about Terra Preta for my geography course. I think your information will be very helpful. All the information i've found seems to be the same it would be nice to get information from a new source. I appreciate all the info you can offer. Thanks a bunch

 

email: Foxy_Celi[at]yahoo.com

[Buffy]

Hey folks, just a safe-forum-posting reminder: There are a bajillion e-mail scraping bots running around finding e-mail addresses on forums like these. Its a really good idea to obfuscate them like I did to yours above. In fact, you're never really sure *who* is reading these things, so in general unless you *really* want weirdos calling or e-mailing you, you're better off passing this information around via PM...

 

This has been a public service announcement from Hypography,

Buffy

[RBlack]

To all,

 

Here are my presentation notes and the source sites for the slides. Because most of these slides are pictures the file is to big to e-mail using any common means so I provided the source sites so you can make you own PowerPoint. The presentation notes are a guidline and are not everyting that needs to be said about any aspect of Terra Preta. I am willing to help out anybody who wants to use this as a base for their own presentation. I can help with facts, wording, ideas, whatever. I also had some handouts; The Nature Article, Humus Still a Mystery, one on oil drum kilns, and you may want to use the newest one out of Discover magazine April. Let me know what I can do!

 

EARTH DAY IS COMING UP!! GET OUT AND TELL THE WORLD WORLD ABOUT TERRA PRETA!!

 

Presentation Notes

 

A. Introduction

 

• Randy Black – Math teacher Hill City High School

 

• Tonight – Terra Preta – what it is – why it works – how to make – how to apply – and why it’s good for the environment (SLIDE 1) (GIVE SHORT DEFINITION)

 

 

B. How I became interested

 

• Jarrod Diamonds book “Collapse” and what challenges I see our society facing in the future

 

• The part the stuck in my mind “as a middle aged person I won’t see to many effects, but my children will”

 

• Main point – You have food you have society.

 

• One thing America does very well, food. California alone has the world 9th largest economy largely based on food production

 

 

• How to make sure we always have food – Terra Preta

 

C. History of Terra Preta (SLIDE 2)

 

• In 1542 Spanish conquistador Francisco Orellana and party were the first Europeans to explore the Amazon area

 

• Saw large complex civilizations – Many people, cities farms

 

• Next explorers 60 years later found nothing but a few hunter-gatherer tribes

 

• Apparently these large organized Amazonian society were wiped out by the germs Orellana brought with him

 

• A good description of this is in another Jarod Diamond book “Guns, Germs, and Steel” for which he won the Pulitzer Prize.

 

 

• Both books are great for understanding the “why” of History rather than just the surface facts.

 

• For about 200 years Orellana was thought to have just made up account of these Amazonian societies.

 

• Starting in 1871 scientists began to notice and investigate areas of extreme fertility where the soil was not the typical yellow-orange-white color but black, rich in soil organic matter, and very productive (SLIDE 3)

 

• Start of research into why these soils that were dubbed “Terra Preta de Indio” which is Portuguese for Dark Earth or Black Earth, were formed (SLIDE 4)

 

 

D. Terra Preta Soils

 

• Very dark, rich, fertile, high in SOM and microbial life that are found right next to typically poor leached acidic tropical soils (slide 3)

 

• These soils have been found to be man made (SLIDE 5) full of ceramics, fish bones, turtle shells, and animal bones

 

 

• The defining ingredient of these soils is the level of charcoal, 10 to 40% with about a 20% average on true Terra Preta sites

 

• These soils were associated with the towns and cities the Orellana first saw and are the result of infield burning, composting, and charring of organic wastes.

 

• Discuss the difference between Terra Preta vs. Terra Mullata

 

• Some of the existing societies of Amazonian still practice a form of this today (SLIDES 6, 7, 8). These are pictures from the Kayapo tribe.

 

 

E. The main effect of charcoal enriched soils is increased fertility and crop yield

 

• (SLIDE 9) Today Terra Preta is so valued for its properties that it is dug up and sold as potting soil

 

• This slide (SLIDE 10) shows the typical result between normal tropical soils and Terra Preta – we may not see that much difference as our soils start out better that the typical tropical soil

 

 

• This slide (SLIDE 11) shows the typical difference in biomass yields that Terra Preta gives

 

• (SLIDE 12 AND 13) Terra Preta can be used to enhance already existing soils to benefit what is already growing – The Brazilians, Australians, and Japanese are leaders in Terra Preta research because they have poor tropical soils, poor soils in general, and limited agricultural land

 

 

F. This increased fertility is due to the physical and chemical properties of the carbon in charcoal (SIDE 14

 

• The number one property that carbon gives soil is its adsorbency – charcoal (activated charcoal) is used to purify both air and water and is used to adsorb toxic chemicals in poison victims

 

• (SLIDE 15) What give carbon its adsorbent property is the number of valence electrons in its outer shell, 4. This gives carbon the ability to bond easily with other compounds and for these bonds to break easily. There are more compounds of carbon than all the other elements combined.

 

• In soil charcoal adsorbs the nutrients onto its surface and thus reduces leaching

 

• Charcoal has an extremely high surface area – 400m2 per gram so 10 grams has approximately the same surface area as a football field (SLIDE 16 )

 

• This makes what you have in the soil or put into the soil stay in the soil until needed by plants/crops.

 

• These nutrients bond to the surface of the charcoal but not tightly and are exchangeable with other systems in the soil

 

• Charcoal also maintains a good moisture regime in the soil by absorbing water but also providing drainage for excess water

 

• Provides an environment that microbes and fungi like (SLIDE 17 )

 

• Also seems to adsorb the byproducts of microbial reparation including methane, nitrous oxide, and possibly CO2 keeping these elements in the soil for use and reuse

 

• I stress use and reuse because at some point a symbiosis is reached where unstable organic matter in the soil cycles to stable organic matter (humus, humin) which in turn promotes good soil health and creates a self sustaining soil system that captures, cycles, and recycles SOM

 

• This is where charcoal and biochar differ. Biochar breaks down more readily and fuels the humus formation whereas wood charcoal is more recalcitrant.

 

• The physical structure of charcoal also enhances soil structure and texture

 

G. Factors of Good Soil Health

 

• Structure (SLIDE 18) – charcoal is light and airy providing air space and moisture properties

 

• Works to increase SOM

 

• Texture (SLIDE 19) Brings clay level down and works like adsorbent sand

 

• I am very interested in how this may amend soils to bring into production marginal lands

 

• What you want in soil is loam-sandy loam

 

• CEC (SLIDE 20 ) Charcoal enhances nutrient movement just like clay and humus

 

• The more nutrient movement the easier it is for root hairs to access nutrients

 

• Fungi also extend the reach of root hairs to available nutrients

 

H. Making Charcoal (SLIDE 21) or Buying

 

• Hand out

 

• Show steps kiln – samples

 

• Making Biochar (WHY)

 

• Combustion Continuum (WHY)

 

• Need to replicate what Amazonian Indians did which is char lots of different material and don’t worry about making it scientific, they didn’t

 

• Grinding – box inside of box and 3 2x4’s

 

• Don’t breathe fumes from charcoal or soot particles

 

• Do on a slightly windy day

 

I. Carbon Posting

 

• Just like the Amazonians let the charcoal composts with dirt and organic material

 

• Add bone meal in place of their fish and turtle shells – provides calcium and phosphorous

 

• Avoid nitrogen shock

 

• Starts SOM formation

 

• Buffers ph

 

• Charcoal dynamics depends on what you char, the temperature, and the completeness of the charring. Try and get a balance depending on your soil.

 

J. I encourage you to understand what your soil needs and research benefits that apply to you and your goals with your soil/crops

 

• Make a test plot

 

• My example of solid clay no SOM soil – want lots of charcoal, biochar, charred manure, fresh manure, and compost material. In particular I am putting in more partially charred wood (small pieces) than I would for an already productive soil

 

• Use no till methods like forking once you have the main body of charcoal in the soil

 

• Tilling disturbs SOM and lends to its rapid breakdown and depletion

 

• Avoid compaction – one farmer uses partially charred sticks to form a path in his garden so he is avoiding compaction while enhancing the soil

 

K. Carbon Sequestration (SLIDE 22) to Mitigate Global Warming

 

• Putting charcoal in the soil as a sink for excess carbon is a good idea because charcoal stays in soil for hundreds and thousands of years

 

• Charcoal doesn’t degrade much in the soil but gets oxidized enough to provide carbon for microbial use and humus formation

 

• We will need many farmers and agencies to make a big difference

 

• Many people are looking at biochar and charcoal as the end process of making bio fuels (SLIDE 23 AND 24)

 

• Not many countries have the land/agricultural resources to make bio fuels

 

L. Last story – you never know if any one thing you do will make a difference in the future (SLIDE 25)

 

 

 

 

List of Slides

 

I have tried to send my PowerPoint but the size makes it too big for most computers. Here is a list of where I obtained the slides from so you may make your own. PowerPoint slides are listed with mine first and with sources second. They match up to the lecture notes.

 

Tailor your slide show to what you like. As you access these slide shows use what you think is important. I myself stressed the soil physics (slides 18, 19, 20) and did not spend much time on the biofuels/carbon sequestration part. I also did a section on how to make charcoal but instead of slides brought in my little garbage can kiln and various examples of charcoal and biochar.

 

You may have to cut and paste or type these addresses in as sometimes the link function does not seem to work to these sites. If you have trouble just Google around and you will find lots of online slide shows.

 

These three I made myself and the others are from the listed websites.

Slide 1 – these are the sections of the PP, The Terra Preta Effect, Carbon in Soil, How to Make Charcoal/Biochar, Carbon Sequestration.

Slide 14 – just a big C with the 4 handles that carbon has to show bonding effect

Slide 25 – You Never Know…. this was the close and I told a personal story to illustrate how you never know if any one little thing you might do will make a difference in the world. End your program how you would like.

 

Slide 2 – Map of Terra Preta sites in the Amazon “Terra Preta: A 2000 year Old Soil Experiment” #19

Slide 4 – Picture of Terra Preta and adjacent soil #20

Slide 9 – “Terra Preta sites are so valued…” #19

Slide 10 - Could not find the slide for this – just put in one that shows grow with charcoal

Slide 11 - #24

Slide 12 - #31

Slide 13 - #32

Slide 15 - #33

Slide 17 - #29

Slide 22 - #13 Shows magazine covers about global warming

Slide 23 - #51 Shows cycle of biomass to fuels to carbon/nitrogen and back to charcoal

InfinitEnergy - Spring Workshop, 2005 then go to Biomass B and click on the Danny Day presentation “Carbon Cycling……”

 

Slide 3 – Terra Preta and Background soil (showing black properties) #5

Slide 16 - #26 Charcoal structure

Slide 24 - #22 Shows a drawing of biochar/biofuels plant

http://ciifad.cornell.edu/activities/seminars/agroecsem/sem06/oneill110806.pdf

 

 

Slide 5 – Terra Preta and Indian Ceramics #6

http://www.georgiaitp.org/carbon/PDF%20Files/CSteinerpres.pdf

 

 

Slide 6 and 7 – Pictures of Indian burning practices #14 and #13

Slide 8 – Dynamics of Terra Preta #10

http://www.georgiaitp.org/carbon/PDF%20Files/SHecht.pdf

 

Slide 18 is Soil structure picture

Slide 19 is soil texture picture

UMass Extension Vegetable Program - Soil & Nutrient Management

 

Slide 20 Cation Exchange Capacity slide- Carrot and Ions Cation Exchange Capacity

 

Slide 21 was off of E-Bay just showing you can buy charcoal but it is expensive. I used this to lead into my demonstration of how to make charcoal at home.

[freeztar]

Thanks for the wealth of info.

I have been seriously considering giving a presentation, but unfortunately, I found out recently that I am heading out of town on the 22nd for work early on the 23rd. :(

This is probably a blessing in disguise as it gives me over a year to prepare for next year.

Is anyone else planning on giving the presentation? Looks like you've got your work cut out for you.

[RBlack]

Freeztar,

 

don't you know that EVERY day is Earth Day here at the Terra Preta forum. Don't wait! Do Sierra Club, or garden clubs, or a school biology/earth science class. Practice on your dog! It did mine for my cats. Talk about a tough audience!

RB

[freeztar]

Freeztar,

 

don't you know that EVERY day is Earth Day here at the Terra Preta forum. Don't wait! Do Sierra Club, or garden clubs, or a school biology/earth science class. Practice on your dog! It did mine for my cats. Talk about a tough audience!

RB

 

:(

True enough! :)

I need to research much more before I feel comfortable though. I have all the resources, it's just time to dig. :)

[RBlack]

Here in Rapid City on Earth Day Terra Preta was a big success! Had about 70 people total at the festivities and when people hear about Terra Preta they are interested! In particular other enviornmental activists who haven't heard about Terra Preta love the idea.

 

Just like Al Gore training all the "Inconvient Truth" presenter we need people out there doing the same and talking up Terra Preta and its benifits. If any body is interested look at the information already on this site and e-mail me if I can help!! Its not hard and its fun!!

 

Randy Black

rblack(at)hillcity.k12.sd.us

PS I will only have this address for the next 4 weeks