Using Claymation to Teach Earthworks.

Hello permie legion,

Of all the Permaculture type things I've been learning, earthworks is the hardest for me to get my head around. I was watching a video of someone explaining swales using a dirt pile and buckets of water. Unfortunately it was hard to hear the explanations and see what he was explaining. So, I was thinking how it would be better to show people what different earthworks are and show how they work. My idea is to use non-drying modeling clay to make claymation video showing how to shape the land. This would allow on a small scale to show how the water is going to move across the land too. I would be more than willing to grab the clay and start making video. However, I'm worried I'm not the most skilled at the techniques and since claymation is a very slow going process, I wouldn't want to waste time doing something wrong. If a very experienced earth-worker would like to write a script I could start making the pictures for the video. Maybe we can get the DUKE OF PERMACULTURE to do the narration. Since the video itself is just a collection of images it would be easy to pause the video at certain points to illustrate points more clearly.

I would love to make videos showing;

Hugelkulture
Swales
Damn Building
Level spillways
Roadbuilding
Key Line Plowing.

I could even grab some construction toys to show how the track-hoe and bulldozers should be used to shape the land even though this is an area I would need a lot of help getting right.

Thoughts, anyone willing to help?

Dan

I think your project is extremely ambitious!

There are some helpful videos on these subjects using sand as the modeling material:

Brad Lancaster Watershed Demonstration on the Beach http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QajbnQN9vvY

Keyline Design at the Beach (1) Darren Doherty http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsWKyv9Hbak