Midweek
Taking the worst kept house in Castlecliff, restoring it and converting it to fit the "green" lifestyle has been the goal of Nelson and Dani Lebo. Now, they're taking it further, by making "sustainability" a subject in schools and their Arawa Pl house a venue for field trips.
"When we came here we had a really run down house, and of course, lots of people do up houses but we decided we're going to do it up 'eco' and 'thrifty' and we're going to try to engage the entire community to break down the myth that being green is expensive," says Nelson.
The couple came to Castlecliff because, unlike almost everywhere else, the cheapest houses are next to the beach.
Nelson describes himself as a "tinkerer", has done up a 200-year-old farmhouse in the US and living the "green" dream has always been a lifestyle choice.
"We call this a lifestyle block on 700 square metres," he says.
Nelson and the Castlecliff Conservation Club (see note at end of story) are already synonymous, so spreading the word of sustainability seems right and proper.
Nelson looks comfortable, sitting at the dining room table in the house designed to catch, store and use the sun's energy. Normally he'd be working outside or writing his Science Education PhD dissertation. The young cat, Billy T (because she's a comedian) plays at our feet and we look out at a patch of ground given over to vegetable production.
Almost every square inch of earth on the property has been planted with things edible or useful and the rest of the small section is the (free) range of chickens and ducks. They've planted 32 fruit trees and converted an overgrown mass of oxalis, convolvulus, kikuyu and couch into a working garden.
Pumpkins and tomatoes are popular (self-seeded or "volunteer") and nasturtiums grow in abundance - ideal for salads. A tamarillo, a dwarf banana and lots of Mediterranean herbs are tucked in close to the house, enjoying the warmth of a natural sun trap. The front fence is a living, edible hedge of feijoa and loquat with Jerusalem artichoke filling the gaps until the hedge expands.
"I'm looking at a way to engage junior secondary students in science by making environmental problem solving the lens through which the science is taught," says Nelson.
"For example, just look at this property: you want to teach physics, we have an energy efficient home. You could teach an entire physics class around passive solar design, around insulation, thermal mass, around energy efficiency, electricity use. You want to teach chemistry: look at ph of soils, the positive and negative ions in soils. You want to teach biology: the organic garden is a mini ecosystem; it's diverse and for our food production we mimic nature, where diversity is the pest, disease and weed control. In an attempt to make science relevant, experiential, local and solution oriented, we make the eco-homestead the focus of science education, so students will see it's not just the domain of people in white lab coats."
Through education, Nelson wants to demonstrate that, for low cost, everyone can have high performance homes and gardens. He and Dani are leading by example; their electricity bills over the past year have averaged $20 per month, and that includes the $12 line charge.
They manage that without sacrificing modern living. They, like most of us, have lights in every room, a refrigerator, electric oven, radio, computer, power tools etc. They do, however, make maximum use of the sun. Bricks in the kitchen, for example, store the heat from sunlight and slowly release it at night. Terra cotta thermal mass and rustic decor in one!
There's a lot more to it than that, but the Lebo house has been redesigned to maximise energy efficiency in every way.
"Everything on this property is about free energy from the sun," says Nelson.
Last August the coldest week in New Zealand history was recorded.
"Everyone remembers it was cold; hardly anyone remembers it was sunny all week long," says Nelson.
To prove a point, he showed me temperature readings inside and outside his home during that week. Readings were taken at 5.30pm: outside temperature 6.9°C, inside temperature 22.9°C. Outside 4.9°C, inside 20.6°C. Their power bill for that month was $29.52, including $11.88 of line charge.
"In the heart of the coldest week in recorded history I burned two things on the solar cooker."
Now, having established his credentials, with The Little House That Could, Nelson has developed a cross-curricular programme, covering maths, science, English and the arts, all around the components of an energy efficient home.
"Children learn well through narratives," says Nelson.
"So the story of The Little House That Could emphasises the sun and the power of passive solar design."
He says they can then culminate the experience with a field trip hosted by Nelson at his eco-friendly home.
With Wanganui District Council funding, administered by Sustainable Wanganui Trust, the programme, along with Nelson's enthusiasm and expertise, is available to schools or any teacher in the Wanganui district.
Contact Nelson on 344 5013 or 022 635 0868. Follow his blog on http://www.ecothriftydoup.blogspot.com/
The Castlecliff Conservation Club is funded by the Port Bowen Trust and any primary school age child resident in Castlecliff is eligible to join. The club meets fortnightly after school.