Inside CELL


 Cell has five zones:

Zone 0 is the area for human activity and this covers the area where you find the dining areas, the sleeping quarters, our office and the souvenir shop. Around Zone 0 are several zones for several types of creature. The zones nearest Zone 0 are those that need regular attention while those farther from Zone 0 are those that do not need to be regularly visited.

Zone 1 - Vegetable Area
Vegetables are grown in different parts of CELL, near where its residents live.

We practice organic farming in CELL and other practices that avoid the use of synthetic chemical substances. Fertilizer comes from the compost we produce from our biodegradable wastes. Compost helps the soil increase its fertility and maintain its structure.

One way of cultivating the soil is through chicken tractors. Chickens kept in tractors cultivate the soil as they scratch the soil surface daily. The soil’s fertility is also enhanced by the chicken waste. After several weeks, the chicken tractor is moved to another part of the zone which needs cultivation. The area which had been cultivated can now be prepared for planting.

Having several types of vegetables in the area prevents widespread infestation by pests. Combining the right vegetables is also a way of reducing pests because some vegetables have the capacity to ward off the pests of other vegetables. Having herbs that drive away pests is also another pest management practice.

The trees around are also maximized as trellis so that we do not have to make new trellis for crawling veggies.

Zone 2 - Small Animals
We can partner with animals in managing our waste and one example is our partnership with chickens. Chickens by nature scratch the ground or area when they look for food. Here in CELL, we have allotted space for our food scraps like fruit peel and banana leaves within Zone 2 for these to undergo composting. The chickens help in the composting process when the overturn the composting materials as they scratch and pick out edible leftovers. The compost materials become aerated as they are overturned, hastening the composting process.

We can also see in Zone 2 how grey water is processed (show the gutter where grey water passes). Grey water from the guest house and kitchen pass through this gutter and reach a catchment area where chickens can pick on leftovers, if there are any.

Zone 3 - Fruit Trees
The fruit trees benefit from our biodigester water. Fruits are our source of vitamins and minerals needed to be healthy. Insects in CELL like the bees and butterflies help trees produce fruit by pollinating them.

Zone 4 - Renewable Material Area
Timber trees are our ancestors’ source of construction material in the past. It is only because of intense deforestation that our timberlands have dwindled, leaving some timber trees endangered.

Zone 5 - Wildlife
The wildlife zone is 20 percent of the whole property and monitor lizards, snakes, a civet cat, and common land lizards have been seen in the area. The wildlife zone is also a sanctuary for birds that stay in the area for a stopover.

The nature reserve pond is also considered a part of a wildlife zone. The primary objective in setting up the nature reserve pond was to attract creatures to the area (water always attracts creatures) thereby increasing biodiversity. The presence of birds further increases the areas plants since their droppings may have seeds which hopefully will germinate.

The nature reserve pond was set up in this part of the farm because it is the lowest are in the property. The bottle cap (tansan nailed to the coconut tree) shows the level of the carpark relative to the area.|