Sustainability Efforts
Our Green House
In 2017, we embarked on an exciting journey by building our very own greenhouse, which has since become a flourishing sanctuary for hundreds of plants and trees. Our greenhouse is a nurturing space where we start a diverse array of plants from seeds and clippings, carefully tending to them for a year or two until they are robust enough to be transplanted outside in our garden.
Our greenhouse isn't just a personal project; it's a community endeavor. Over the years, we have gifted hundreds of plants and trees to our neighbors, fostering a sense of shared growth and greenery in our community. We're incredibly proud of the wide variety of plants we cultivate, ranging from everyday garden staples to unique and exotic varieties.
Among the many plants we grow, we have an impressive collection of herbs and spices that add a fresh, aromatic touch to our meals. Some of our favorites include chocolate mint, lemon balm, Vietnamese cilantro, purple spinach, gotu kola, and peppercorn. Additionally, we grow plants for topical use, such as aloe, which is perfect for soothing sunburns.
Our greenhouse project has brought us immense joy and satisfaction. It allows us to experiment with different plant varieties, contribute to our local environment, and share the fruits of our labor with friends and neighbors. We look forward to many more years of growing and giving!
Food Forest
When the foundation purchased the EcoHouse in 2017, the front yard was a blank slate, clear-cut and barren. However, our hopes and dreams of creating a vibrant food forest have since been realized, and we are incredibly proud of what we have accomplished!
The reforestation process began with careful planning and sustainable practices. We installed swales to catch rainwater, ensuring the land retained moisture and remained fertile. To facilitate easy access for harvesting, we also created a winding path through the forest, allowing us to walk around the plants and trees effortlessly.
In the early years, we focused on planting young trees. Given their vulnerability, we implemented a drip line system to water them at night and constructed protective tents to shield them from the harsh daytime sun. With time and care, these trees grew strong and resilient, eventually thriving independently through the dry season without any assistance from us. Today, our efforts have borne fruit—literally! Our food forest now boasts a rich bounty of papayas, guanabana, starfruit, mango, avocado, cacao, and many more delicious varieties.
A few years ago, we took our project a step further by layering and planting herbs and spices around the larger trees. This not only maximizes the use of space but also creates a diverse and productive ecosystem. Our vanilla plant vine, in particular, is thriving, adding to the diversity and abundance of our food forest.
Our food forest is a testament to our commitment to sustainability and community, providing a continuous supply of fresh, organic produce. It stands as a living example of how thoughtful reforestation and ecological practices can transform a barren space into a lush, productive paradise.
The Seed Project
Our passion for nurturing life from the tiniest beginnings is embodied in The Seed Project. We love to collect all types of seeds from all around Costa Rica, bringing them back to our greenhouse to start their journey. Over the years, we have donated hundreds of plants and trees to the local community whenever our garden overflows, spreading the joy and benefits of greenery far and wide.
In 2022, the EcoHouse expanded its horizons by acquiring an additional 1.5 acres of land. This new space allows us to create even more food forests and permaculture gardens, furthering our mission of sustainable living and community enrichment. One of our recent triumphs was harvesting a huge jackfruit from one of our trees. Remarkably, the seeds inside were already sprouting! We carefully placed them in garden bags in our greenhouse, where they are now thriving as part of The Seed Project.
Our project isn’t limited to seeds we find in the wild. We also take seeds from fruits we purchase, like mangos and lemons, and give them a new lease on life by planting them in seed bags. This cyclical process of growing, harvesting, and replanting ensures that our garden is constantly evolving and expanding.
The Seed Project is more than just an initiative; it’s a testament to our commitment to sustainability and community. By nurturing seeds and sharing the resulting plants, we contribute to the biodiversity and ecological health of our local area, while also fostering a sense of shared responsibility and connection among our neighbors.
WISH LIST
Contact us to learn more about our upcoming plans to maintain our sustainable lifestyle and projects at the Mauser EcoHouse.
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We welcome you to donate to our mission of supporting artists and a healthy planet!
The Dome Project
We are working fiercely to raise funds for our Dome Permaculture Project.
-2 one bedroom dome houses for permaculture volunteers to work/learn and teach on the land
-Rancho/BBQ grill for community events
-The Mauser Pipeline- path/bridge/garden walk with edible plants/fruit trees that will join the residency and community next door (Costa Vida).
-This area will serve as an educational site for artists and visiting kids from local schools to learn about permaculture, how to garden, tend chickens, and live sustainably on the land.
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If you wish to learn more about this project please view the Master Plan document attached, and if you wish to support our project financially please press the Donate button.
Artist Swag Bags
At the Mauser EcoHouse we wish to promote sustainable products to our residents. Therefore, we are asking for donations for our artist swag bags, which include various products that are healthy for us, the planet and support our daily life & habits.
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We encourage our residents to arrive with natural products from their shampoo tocreative tools, use the organic compost in our garden and learn how to recycle and upcycle whatever they are using while staying here!
Our hope is that this will inspire our residents take a look at their lifestyle to think about how they can improve and implement new habits at the residency and after returning to their homes.
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We are looking for sustainable, vegan and green brand companies to donate products which will be distributed into a gift bag and given upon arrival to our 8 artists every month.
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What do we need?
Soaps, hair products, compostable sponges, biodegradable floss and tooth brushes, etc.
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Want to help us? Join our project as a donor to help the environment, support sustainable living and promote your products. Items are shipped to our office in Santa Monica, California and brought to the residency a few times per year.
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Contact us for more information!
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