Haliotis – Southern Portugal

Why support Haliotis?

from Bernd Gerken

The location of Haliotis – South of Portugal is part of a vast landscape, left by most of
its former inhabitants, because they didn´t see any future for a proper life-basis with
horti- or agriculture or any other profession. Due to a climate of proceeding dryness,
exhausted vegetation on bare and degraded soils, without sufficient organic humus
and, in addition, the crude or poor socio-economic structures, they oriented their lifes
to urban conditions along the portuguese coastlines. They settled along the coastline
and especially in the centres of tourism, economy and management of Algarve,
Lisboa and northern parts of Portugal. Rural life lost any attractivity for them!

With Haliotis a new model of resettling the countryside of Alentejo for families and
groups my family and me founded 2001. I, Bernd Gerken, continue to develop this
project for a growing number of friends, who enjoy the landscape and help them to fill
up their batteries with the clean air, with the mighty message of sunpower and
underlined by raw nutrition, work in the garden with the growing number of plants.
And enjoy drawing landscape, Qi Gong etc. The principal basis for that has to be full
acceptance and love to all given natural conditions, even if they are, or seem to be,
hard! Haliotis is based on the idea, that it was given into the hands of human beings
to start the re-change of climate and weather towards better conditions which allow
all natural elements to evolute further und as well for proper horticulture and the
development of a new rural lifestyle.

Following actual rules of agriculture in the european Union, including use of

pesticides and intensive irrigation, no such models may be successful in future! This
definitely is valid of course in the case of „heavy“ climatic conditions, as given in all
 mediterranean countries, which suffer from devastation ad preceeding steppes.
On contrary, models thouroughly based on ideas of permaculture and related means,
bear best requisites to reach prosperity!

At Haliotis during four years about 20% of the projects area (about 6ha of nearly
30ha) experimental beds for horticulture, small terraces and paths were made, in
order to start with cultivation of several fruit- and nut-trees as well with the cultivation
of salads, herbs and roots.
Those activities may function as Stepstones towards eadible forest – and, as
investigations on the Haliotis-area and neighboured farms or relict-farms showed, it is
somewhat like a renewal of a mode of forest-gardening,
obviously traditional in Portugal

With respect to the future eadible-forest, expressively all natural plant species are
integrated. Which means practically that cork oak, stony oak and Strawberrs-tree
are not only planted as young, pre-reared plantes but those of natural reproduction
are welcome! Annd it means moreover, that those, who do this developmental work
know baout wild aimals and plants and th accept and
welcome them as their co-workers and, by nature(!) – teachers!
Beyond the goal to develop eadible forests, native plants are well adapted as natural
means against soil-erosion and soil-glaciers! The latter heavily affect landscape afterf
crude mechanical impact with heavy machines.

Followig the Haliotis-idea to present models of low-budget restoration of farmland

with integrated renaturation of biodiversity, only few sections of the new plantations
are connected to regular irrigation. Most of the initial plantations have to adapt to
extreme dry late spring and summer-conditions! As a main tool to support the
plantations, and shelter them against dryness and high insolation, even of herbs and
fruitplants like strawbeeries, is an intense use of mulch. Indeed, mulch is easly
derived from the so-called mattu with Cistus-branches and their acompanying
growing(!) number of grasses and flowers.

We, who develop Haliotis are sure, that the future rural population well estimates the
value of dealing and cooperating with wild animals,wild and cultivated plants
and soil b y h a n d ! The feeling of a revitalizing, living soil shall be reflected in
the health and the practical as well as the mental ability of all, who get closer in
contact with it. They will understand the marked difference between work (which
often leads to workaholism, burn-out oder other illness-syndromes) and substantial,
life-bearing and life-supporting cultivation of their bodies and mind! Consequently the
use of heavy machines is no longer necessary or of any value, as it is since years
and actually with reforestation-projects, planned and done by the EU-commissions
and local agricultural bureas in the neighbourhood of Haliotis. Come and look for the
difference! Small machines might be used in years to come, exclusively to build
small ponds as near-to-nature-cisternes, and at least during the primary years of the
new country-lifestyle – but steadily the consumption of fossil fuel shall disappear.

Another aspect of Haliotis´country-lifestyle is the absence of fenced animals. On

contrary I believe, that we have to free animals from cultivation and
domestication, organized by humans – as a vital prerequisite for freeing human
beings themselves! Come and enjoy living with free, wild animals at Haliotis!
Insofar Haliotis promotes a motion towards a healthy wildlife as part of near-to-nature
biocoenoses includig all regionally typical plants and animals with human beings! No
further cruelty of „meat-production“ and now further promotion of preparations with
hybridized plant- and animal-food.

Vital pathways to human and natural health based on non-hybridzed nutrition shall be
re-detected and a well-balanced food, composed of plant- and (of which amount? Or
without?) animal-elements shall be derived. As basic elements for human nutrition
we shall not only refer to cultuivated greens, fruits, herbs, roots and nuts, as they are
presented by a traditional market, but more and more change to all wild or near-to-
nature treasures, as are wild herbs e.g. species of Sonchus, Taraxacum, Pimpinella,
Stellaria, Aegopodium, Rubus, Bellis and a wide range of others, including Pollen
and blue or green algae!!

Embedding all means and stands of cultivation in nature characterizes the Haliotis-
idea. Local populations of wild animals and plants shall find their proper conditions –
and during the last 4 years we can show,
that with Haliotis´ Permaculture that goal is being fulfilled!
Haliotis´ near-to-nature horticulture shall be developped to benefit regional
biodiversity. Remnants of traditonally cultivated Cork-oak-savannah matches the best
matrix for that! Growing umbers of individuals throughout the systematic groups of
lizards, frogs, serpents, lepidopterans, cockroaches and thousands of living creatures
clearly indicate the successful process.
Actually we are aware what the International Year of Biodiversity 2010 really means
for our human society – ask your neighbours and friends, if they know about it!
Its my impression, that the Year of Biodiversity has to be prolonged on 2011 too!
Because knowledge about the relation of biodiversity with human health, as only one
of a lot of crucial aspects of Biodiversity, until now is insufficient!
For example, just count the number of butterfies you know a n d recently saw in
your gardenn or park! And compare the number with a survey of about 50 years ago
– something has happened, and we are the power, to leave the continuing
catastrophy and do vital stepps towards a recovery!
Looking at the proceedig devastation in mediterranean countries, intensive
plantations of trees and bushes appears to be the best tool to renew an organic soil-
layer, lift the waterlevel and get back more rain in spring- and summertime!

For all who cooperate in such prospective models, and really work with sensitivity
with soil, their effort is directly revitalizing themselves, with having fun and restoration
of physical and mental health.
Living in and with nature, as natural and self-understanding for any rural life-style,
supports nature on the whole. Since more than 400 Millions of years, vegation acts
against soil erosion, attracts stable rainy a n d sunny climatic conditions and
substitutes stable water-level with healthy water,
a n d nutrition for all living beings.
Each of us is able to integrate into these natural and successful processes, yet!

Haliotis´ near-to-nature horticulture is based on long-term experiences, gained since

the childhood of the project-founders ad friends, as well as it is based on studies of
historical land-use and the permacultural motion, initiated by Mollison, Holmgren,
Whitefield, Hart, Fukuoka, Kretschmann, Lau, Holzer and more and more new
colleagues and friends.
The Haliotis site best fulfills prerequisties to restore life-bearing landscapes, even in
climates highly affected by insolation and grown deficites in water balance,
with healthy people and all the living beings!
Cooperate, please, in order to develop new models of
subsistential pathways for rural lifestyle in practice and theory!
Learn by doing and teach as parts of integrative natural systems!

Haliotis acts free of confessional or economical Limitations.

Haliotis offers prospective tasks for and with nature and horticulture
for all human beings, independent of age,
and throughout the seasons.
Haliotis is a private project, supported by friends since its earliest beginning – and we
are grateful for their help. Support is necessary during further years
to not only keep but develop the projects ideas and its nice areas and cultures!
Haliotis is directly supported by a private beneficial association,
which is registered at the financial authority in Höxter, North-Rhine-Westfalia,
(foundation of the association in the late 1980s of the last century by BG.

Haliotis offers to cooperate as guest, with practical help

and during practice-periods, finished with a personalized certificate.
Prof. Gerken offers lectures, seminars and contributions to journals and in books to
distribute ad expose experiences and results to a growing number of people –
and to help new groups with related ideas from the moment of beginning.
Haliotis develops a model, which fits well for other countries,
which suffer from devastation, dryness or bare ad eroded soils.
The Haliotis-model is one for small groups of people, made of frieds and families.
Haliotis supports a knowledge about what can be done by sensitive horticulture,
based on good knowledge of soil, weather and wild flora and fauna as prerequisites,
for animals and plants – which means to gain knowledge on outift, history and
ecology of wild plants and herbs.

As humans are artists and deep-feeling beings, Haliotis offers a program on wellness
for body and mind! Elements of that program are
looking at nature, drawing landscape, looking, determining and enjoying wild and
cultivated plants and animals, and practice of Qi Gong and Tai Chi , enjoy bathing in
the near lake and hiking through the cork-oak-savannah. Haliotis-friends cultivate
knowledge of species as well as methods to rebuild traditional houses made of wood,
stones and earth, construct tents and prepare simple but 100%-ecologically effective
sanitary conditions.

With ist contributions to theory and practice of a new lifestyle, expressed by

concordance with natural processes of living and land-use Haliotis cooperates with
similar aimed projects and groups.
Haliotis by its style, conception and practice of small-group-life in family- and
friendship is something spezial. Alentejo, as the first site of Haliotis, invites you to join
- there is plenty of space and plenty of tasks! –
Or, why not, to cooperate even over long-distances!

Haliotis is open to cooperate with skilled persons and relevant private institutions,
as the raw food oasis in southern Portugal!
 Objects of support
Status Sept. 2010

Prevent a deficite in water: Construction of further ten Cisternes

and two ponds with all technical supplements for irrigation, as natural
wetland-islands and human wellness.

Initiation of new, and completion of existing,

plantations and horticultural areas
towards a vital model of eadible cork-oak-savannah.

Construction of tents, small houses, bathrooms and compost-toilets for

visitors, guests and co-workers, for material, tools, and technical devices.
Management of cars and machines used fort the project.

Planning and realisation of informational areas, signs and playgrounds

and for Yoga, Tai Chi and Qi Gong.
„With Tai Chi you directly support nature“ (Zhang Xiao Ping)

Developmet of the projects book-collection and bureau.

Support those people, who like join Haliotis to develop and cooperate in
the idea and practice over long periods.

For further information contact, please

Prof. Dr. Bernd Gerken

Postal address:
Haliotis, Ecology and Health
Fitos, Caixa postal 1044, P – 7670-604 Santana da Serra

e-mail, web-informations and telefone:

bghaliotis@gmail.com
www.berndgerken.wordpress.com, www.haliotisport.wordpress.com und www.haliotis.net
00351 283 88 10 20
Copyright and delivered May 2010, english version Sept. 2010, by Bernd Gerken