Directory of Tools
On this page you will find a variety of resources organised by category. Use the search function (Control + F) to find keywords you are interested in. The categories are Alphabetically ordered.
Data Collection
Kobotoolbox
Description by Kobo
Making data collection accessible to everyone, everywhere Kobo hosts and maintains KoboToolbox, a data collection, management, and visualization platform used globally for research and social good. Our mission is to support open source data systems and technology for humanitarian action, development, environmental protection, peacebuilding, and human rights.
Quality data collection for challenging settings KoboToolbox is developed for practitioners, by practitioners. It is intuitive to use and accessible, making it easy to get started quickly. It can be used offline, on any device. Most importantly, all its core functionalities are free to use for nonprofit organizations.
Tips from the Permaculture Impact Team
Create your own data collection forms which can be completed via phone or tablet in the field, and then when device is online, the data uploaded for analysis.
Geo-Mapping
Description by Digital Democracy
Mapeo is a free digital toolset for documenting, monitoring, and mapping many types of data.
MAPEO is an offline-first open-source technology which makes it easy for many to use. No internet or special hardware required to collect, view, or share data.
With the push of a button, contributors can gather map data by linking GPS points, photos, and notes. All data is completely owned by the communities themselves. And a simple and adaptive interface makes it accessible for many different people to use.
Communities stay organized and manage documented evidence. Data can be shared between project collaborators with MAPEO’s mobile-to-mobile sync feature.
Soil testing
Soil, Yield and Biodiversity Tests
https://www.permaculture.org.uk/research/soil-yield-and-biodiversity-tests-project
by Permaculture Association Britain (PAB)
Description by PAB
A number of simple tests which can be used by researchers and practitioners throughout the world. These include tests for measuring biodiversity, soil quality and cropping.
The aim was to create a simple, comparable, scientifically valid, monitoring toolkit that can measure and document key indicators of success for permaculture projects across the world.
Tips from the Permaculture Impact Team
Soil test handbook, soil advice handbook and soil test record sheet
Description by VidaCycle
Soilmentor helps you learn what healthy soils & flourishing biodiversity look like on your farm. Understand changes on your land above & below ground, make informed decisions and keep everyone in the loop.Tips from the Permaculture Impact Team
Soilmentor is a paid-for service which helps you to map your farm, start recording and learn and benchmark with your own online dashboard, but it also offers instructions for a wide range of soil tests that you can do simply and cheaply. Test procedures and equipment lists are described in text and with videos. Includes: Earthworm Count, Soil Insect Score, Rooting Depth 80%, Nodulation of Legumes, Rhizosheaths, % Bare Earth (basal cover), Brix Barometer, Carbon Stocks (0-30cm), Slake (Wet Aggregate Stability), Infiltration Rate, Visual Evaluation of Soil Structure, Topsoil Depth, Biodiversity Recording, Dung Quality, Dung Beetle Count, Time taken for dung to break down, Sward Stick, Sward Density, Plate Meter, Penetrometer, SPading Ease, Fence Post Insertion, Probe Depth, Numeber of Broadleaf, Grass, Undesriable Species, Sap pH, Soil pH. Plus testing advice and equipment advice.Storytelling, Mapping
Description by Digital Democracy
Terrastories is a geostorytelling application built to enable Indigenous and other local communities to locate and map their own oral storytelling traditions about places of significant meaning or value to them.
Community members can add places and stories through a user-friendly interface, and make decisions about designating certain stories as private or restricted.
Terrastories works both online and offline, so that remote communities can access the application entirely without needing internet connectivity.
Contributing to this resource page
This is a community resource page which is co-created with your help.
If you are enrolled already in one of the Permaculture Impact Courses you can contribute by sharing resources in the forum here.
