Treebog

A Treebog is a form of water-less toilet which can have a wide range of species - both trees and wetland marginal plants planted around it.

Effectively, it is a system for converting urine and fæces to biomass without the need to handle this material. It can be harvested once composted - 'humanure' and used as an excellent fertiliser.

• A seating platform/cubicle is mounted at least one meter high. The area beneath the seating platform is enclosed by a double-layer of chicken wire allowing air to circulate.
• Sawdust, straw, woodchip, ash or other high carbon matter is used to balance the high nitrogen faeces. 
• The space between the wire is stuffed with straw which acts as a wick to help sop up excess urine preventing the likelihood of odour problems due to incomplete biological absorption of the nitrogen from the urine. The straw filled wire also enables the pile to be well-aerated whilst acting as a visual screen for the first year’s use.
• The planted species should be nutrient "hungry" and ideally be harvestable too. Willow cultivars which can be used as a coppice crop are ideal.
• Apart from willow coppice, soft fruit such as black currants and sweet smelling herbs like mint will thrive around a Treebog.
• Both the solids and liquids are deposited within the Treebog base where the solids compost and the liquids soak through the soil and its associated dense rootzone where the nitrogen is rapidly absorbed and metabolised by the mycorhyzal species.
• Our Tree Bogs are not surrounded by willow but are situated in our woodland and the trees take up all of the moisture.

 

Our tree bogs and a wheelchair accessible privy were built by the Wye Wood Project in Herefordshire with help from our volunteers.