"Permaculture is a philosophy of working with, rather than against nature; of protracted & thoughtful observation rather than protracted & thoughtless action; of looking at systems in all their functions rather than asking only one yield of them & of allowing systems to demonstrate their own evolutions "
-Bill Mollison co-founder of Permaculture
-Bill Mollison co-founder of Permaculture
“If it can’t be reduced, reused, repaired, rebuilt, refurbished, refinished, resold, recycled, or composted, then it should be restricted, designed or removed from production.”
– Pete Seeger, Folk Singer & Social Activist
– Pete Seeger, Folk Singer & Social Activist
Using the principle of The premise is simple - built a more humane and ethical mouse trap that does not poison the food chain in the process.
So in other words build a better mouse trap.
Grow With joe is looking for volunteers to help with this project. I would like to make this a world solution , and am sure there is retired engineers, backyard shed tinkerers, admin / note takers, project managers, environmentalists and academics that would be able to make a difference. We could set up a forum to be able to pool our knowledge and find a solution.
We can meet up online and discuss , plan and implement a solution.
Rats and mice alone eat or spoil 20 percent of the world’s food supply due to contamination with their urine and feces. There is estimates that in many developing countries up to half of the food harvested from farmers’ fields is lost before reaching consumers.
Australia is in the grip of a massive mouse invasion . The season has created an idea environment for the mice to breed in plague proportions. The suggestions have been to poison these with bromadiolone
which has been quoted as being "napalm for mice".
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-06-26/bromadiolone-poison-rejected-as-bait-on-mouse-plague-farms/100246264
At the moment it has not gone through ...but lets see what the spring 2021 holds
What is needed is a way to dispatch these mice in a way that the carcasses will not effect the food chain or the local environment.
Using a few principles I hope to build the better mouse trap
1 - A tipping floor seems to be the easiest way to collect the mouse
2 - A collection drum of steel allows for durability
3 - It needs to be humane.
4- A Vinegar/ baking soda mix to create CO2 to anaesthetize and then euthanize the mice seems to be the most humane way.
4 - It needs to be portable - so the unit needs to be added to the drum , so it can be swapped to other drums ( with a lid that allows for another dose of CO2 to be added as it is locked away
5 - Electronics needed to monitor and dispatch
-volume (Ultrasonic)
-CO2 levels
- temperature and humidity
- control of mixing of vinegar and baking soda
6- it needs to be cheap and easily "fixable" and "adaptable" and "scalable" to suit all environments
and this needs to be remotely monitored
concept ideas that need to be put together
“It is not that I’m so smart. But I stay with the questions much longer.”
―Albert Einstein
“When nature litters, it's beautiful. When humans litter, it's just shameful.”
― Noel Jhinku
“Sometimes the questions are complicated and the answers are simple.”
― Dr. Seuss
Litter collection rings
Have been asked by a local environmental group to design a hoop/ring to hold the garbage bags that they use to collect rubbish from the local environment .
"I am the President of NatureWest, and I have been involved in picking up litter for about 6 years now. We have formed an umbrella group called Wyndham Litter Warriors to bring together 7 different groups scattered around Wyndham. My groups have picked up about 12 tonnes of litter over that time.
We use buckets and tongs to pick up, or bags and tongs. The bags are supplied by Council, and are 750mm wide at the mouth. On windy days it becomes difficult to keep the bags open to insert rubbish into, and I often divide volunteers up into those holding the bags open, and those picking up into buckets and then putting the bucket load into the bags. "
I put my thinking cap on and come up with this idea. from recycled plastic buckets
"I am the President of NatureWest, and I have been involved in picking up litter for about 6 years now. We have formed an umbrella group called Wyndham Litter Warriors to bring together 7 different groups scattered around Wyndham. My groups have picked up about 12 tonnes of litter over that time.
We use buckets and tongs to pick up, or bags and tongs. The bags are supplied by Council, and are 750mm wide at the mouth. On windy days it becomes difficult to keep the bags open to insert rubbish into, and I often divide volunteers up into those holding the bags open, and those picking up into buckets and then putting the bucket load into the bags. "
I put my thinking cap on and come up with this idea. from recycled plastic buckets
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3d-printed hands
Compostable PLA printed hand 12/2019 by Grow With Joe
Grow With Joe has been inspired by projects from around the world to help people in need. Some of these projects include 3D printed hands for local and under-privileged people in third world countries. For a modified 3D printer to make the custom hands, along with the software manipulation, it takes 40+ hours. We use PLA and ABS filament in all of our printing processes.
seed-balls
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Wyndham school SEED-BALL drive
As we know the current destructive bushfires have taken their toll on the people and the environment. How can you help the revegetation of these devastated areas?
Part of the devastation and intensity of the fires has meant that large areas of the bush will have issues regenerating in the coming months and years.
With this initiative we can make a real difference to the people, the environment and all the flora and fauna in the devastated areas.
- Grow With Joe is a volunteer group based in Wyndham that would like to help coordinate local schools and community groups in the area to be part of the solution.
- We need your support to set up working groups (student-based) to make "seed-balls". Seed-balls are small walnut-sized clay balls mixed with organic compost and indigenous seeds that are dried and stored to be safely distributed by community groups (e.g. schools, walking groups) in the affected areas.
- Our plan is for schools to reach out to affected areas and liaise with them on the flora needed. Students would then make the seed-balls, with GWJ providing the materials, and transport them to the areas needed.
- This initiative would be a great STEAM and environmental learning activity with many lessons and fun involvement for the students.
Part of the devastation and intensity of the fires has meant that large areas of the bush will have issues regenerating in the coming months and years.
With this initiative we can make a real difference to the people, the environment and all the flora and fauna in the devastated areas.
Tree based animal watering stations
Some of our 3D printed items for Covid-19
Below isa a few pictures of items we are printing for Covid-19 prevention
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A few videos on alternative stuff
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Recycling plastic bottles and 3D printer info for gardening ideas in the classroom
.A great 3D printed system and instructions for growing food in the classroom called the 3dponics mini .
Why not try and build something like this petomato
Lettuce grown in a soft drink bottle It's so easy click here
More fantastic ideas
Wicker bed portable gardens for bushfire victims - these could be out of 20 l recycled drums
- this allows for people to get started up in a healthy way
Holder to mount sonar system on blind persons walking stick with audible alarm for high objects total cost ~ $20
Structural components to make wheel chairs from old bikes and packing crates
Refugee and disaster relief solar tent lights
Recycled plastic "Lego inspired " building blocks for larger structures
Case for people to be able to carry own cutlery and metal straw for take-away meals
- this allows for people to get started up in a healthy way
Holder to mount sonar system on blind persons walking stick with audible alarm for high objects total cost ~ $20
Structural components to make wheel chairs from old bikes and packing crates
Refugee and disaster relief solar tent lights
Recycled plastic "Lego inspired " building blocks for larger structures
Case for people to be able to carry own cutlery and metal straw for take-away meals
future projects
Some of the fantastic items we are working on @ the moment
Disability and Aged
STEM (Science Technology Engineering Mathematics)
Solar distillation unit from 2L bottle
Seed depth guide
Solar distillation unit from 2L bottle
Seed depth guide
3D printer Projects
“Sometimes the questions are complicated and the answers are simple.”
― Dr. Seuss
― Dr. Seuss
