Current Projects
The Siwash Green Plan ~ in progress or on our wish list
- Convert our garden and pasture irrigation system from gas powered sprinklers to a solar powered drip/flood irrigation system.
- Convert our diesel fueled crew cab truck, needed for ranch work and provision/supply trips, to run off used vegetable oil from restaurants in town, and once we get this figured out, convert our heavy equipment machines also (grader, skidsteer)
- Continue searching for more local and regional sources to use for ranch food and supplies
- Construct a cistern to capture rainfall on our hay barn roof to provide water for the horse corrals and ease the demand on our well
- We use beetle killed timber, salvaged off the ranch property, to heat the lodge. Burning wood for heat is deemed to be carbon neutral, provided harvesting methods create minimal impact and emissions. However, we plan to replace our CSA approved wood burning stoves with more energy efficient, clean burning models.
- Lobby for new land use legislation at government levels in favour of establishing reserves throughout core operating areas of wilderness lodges to facilitate backcountry tourism
- Write and circulate a "Tool Kit' document to assist others with the implementation of a solar energy retrofit
