Rainwater Harvesting for Drylands and Beyond by Brad Lancaster

THE WATER PROJECT: Tucson’s Synergistic Water Festival is… THIS WEEKEND!  Celebrate our most precious resource- and participate in creative and proactive ways to address water issues!

At a glance:

• FRIDAY, MARCH 26
@ THE SCREENING ROOM (127 E. Congress)
6pm:  Film Shorts by local filmmakers
8pm:  Blue Gold- World Water Wars

• SATURDAY, MARCH 27
@ HIMMEL PARK w/ SOLAR ROCK (Tucson Blvd. + 1st Street)
Noon-6pm:  Information tables, kids area, live music, food, speakers, performance, and more

• SUNDAY, MARCH 28

@ SABINO CANYON (5700 N. Sabino Canyon Rd)
9:15am-Noon:  Cross-cultural / Inter-faith Water Ritual

@ ARMORY PARK CENTER (220 S. 5th Ave)
1-6pm:  Enviro-Vendor Fair w/ businesses, organizations, artisans
1-2pm:  Movement Theatre Workshop
2:30pm:  Policy Panel Discussion
4:30pm:  Round Table Brainstorms on various water issues
5:30pm:  Festival Performance / Festival Closing / Next Steps
6pm:  After Party!

@ PEOPLE’S IMPORTS (276 S. Park Ave)
9pm-1am:  After After Party!!

See the website for more festival info and to make a donation to support this project and more events that bring community together on water issues: www.WaterProjectFestival.org

THE QUIVIRA COALITION
Ecological Restoration Workshop

Where: Red Canyon Reserve
When: Friday–Sunday April 30, May 1-2, 2010

In conjunction with:
Steve Carson, Rangeland Hands, Inc.;
Kirk Gadzia, Resource Management Services LLC; and
Craig Sponholtz, Dryland Solutions, Inc.

Cost: $25.00 per adult, free for enrolled college students and those
under 18. (Paid registration includes an Erosion Control Flip Card Set, a
$14.00 value.)

For more information, or to register: quiviracoalition.org/Land___Water/Restoration_Workshops/

Located southwest of Socorro, NM, nestled among the foothills of the San Mateo Mountains, the Red Canyon Reserve is a jewel waiting to be polished. Hard against the boundary of the Cibola National Forest, this 320-acre
property was bequeathed to The Quivira Coalition by the estate of Michael Belshaw and is devoted to activities directed toward the preservation of the land and wildlife. The majestic and rugged Red Canyon bisects the property as it runs down from the western mountains and opens up onto the Rio Grande Basin to the east. Mule deer, antelope, mountain lion, javelina, and many species of birds have been observed on the property.

During the 2009 RCR workshop, 32 volunteer participants and restoration contractors Steve Carson, Craig Sponholtz, and Steve Vrooman built 14 structures using 55 tons of rock! Some volunteers came from as far as North Carolina and Los Angeles. Participants also toured the Reserve with Rangeland Specialist, Kirk Gadzia. Many thanks to all who donated their time and services. The Quivira Coalition would like to invite you to attend our 2010 Ecological Restoration Workshop at Red Canyon Reserve. The workshop will build on previous treatments and offer you a chance to work directly with leading ecological restoration specialists as they try out innovative techniques in erosion control, stream-grade and stream-bank stabilization. On Friday at 1:00 pm, join us for a land health walk-about with Kirk Gadzia, Craig Sponholtz and Steve Carson, reviewing 2009 structure performance, and the reserve’s restoration history. On Saturday, May 1st, we will build a variety of rock structures to control headcut and sheet erosion. Craig will demonstrate how to create a machine-built Zuni Bowl. We will wrap up any unfinished projects Sunday morning.

The Reserve has running water, HOT SHOWERS, and a beautiful outhouse, but no housing facilities, so come prepared to camp. You may register online at www.quiviracoalition.org or by contacting Michael at 505-820-2544 ext. 6# or by email to: mbain@quiviracoalition.org. Registration is limited to 30 participants on a first come, first serve basis—so register today! Payment due at the Reserve, cash or check only. All registrants will receive information with workshop details and directions to the Reserve.

Sandy Moss of KQNA Prescott will be doing a live radio interview on water harvesting and more with Brad via telephone from his home in Tucson. Please note: this is not a call-in show.

Date: Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Time: 4 pm Arizona time

To listen: Tune in to KQNA 1130AM or 99.9FM, or stream live at KQNA.com

Join world class permaculture instructors Brad Lancaster, David Spicer, and Murad Alkufash for the first Permaculture Design Certification course to be held in the West Bank, Palestine.

In addition to this being a groundbreaking drylands PDC course, it is a once in a lifetime immersion opportunity into the rich culture and heritage of the people of the rural West Bank, who have cared for and farmed the land of this region for over one thousand years.

Course participants will be part of the world-changing movement to “green the deserts” of the Middle East through the design principles of permaculture — learning skills such as rainwater harvesting, food forest production, homescale gardening to maximize production on small acreages, and more. Participants will also have the unique opportunity to participate in a 3-day Arabic immersion course, traditional Palestinian culinary workshops, and historic tours of the ancient Salfit area. Special highlights of the week will include Skype sessions with Geoff Lawton.

The PDC will run from the 6-17th of June, 2010, with an optional 3 day Arabic-language course starting the 3rd of June, 2010.

This course is supported by the Firedoll Foundation, the Council for Australian Arab Relations and the Permaculture Research Institute.

Please go to the bookings page for further information, booking options, and contact details.

Join the Phoenix Permaculture Guild for their 2010 Living Green Conference!

Date: Saturday, May 22, 2010
Conference Times: 8:30 am – 6 pm
Brad’s Talk: 4 – 5 pm

Location: Phoenix Zoo, 455 N Galvin Parkway, Phoenix AZ

Cost: $62 / person (includes a catered lunch);
$55 / person not including lunch;
$44 / person for students

The Living Green Conference is a day-long event full of powerful presentations designed to educate and promote sustainable practices and environmental awareness in the way we live, work and play.

This unique event features numerous authors and speakers on all aspects of sustainability, as well as dozens of eco-friendly vendors and local organizations.

This is NOT an EXPO, nor is it so much about Green Building, rather it is a more intimate gathering (350 max) for those who are looking to reduce their environmental impact and LIVE GREENER in their everyday life.

The Living Green Conference is an incredible opportunity for Arizona’s eco-conscious community to come together and learn, connect, network, support local “green” businesses, share knowledge & resources, and to be inspired to co-create a more sustainable environment for our future.

Living Green is maintaining healthy cooperative communities, strong local economies, as well as social and economic justice and ecological balance. We’re celebrating what’s working in Arizona — for people, businesses and the environment.

For more information and to register for the conference: livinggreenconference.com/home_page.html

Date: Friday, May 14, 2010
Time: 7 am – noon

Note: This workshop is part of Watershed Management Group’s Water Harvesting Certification Program and is not open to the public. For more information, visit watershedmg.org.

Date: Sunday, May 9, 2010
Time: 8 am – noon

Note: This event is part of Watershed Management Group’s Water Harvesting Certification Program and is not open to the public. For more information, visit watershedmg.org.

Date: Friday, May 7, 2010
Time: 6-8 pm

Note: This lecture is part of Watershed Management Group’s Water Harvesting Certification Program and is not open to the public. For more information, visit watershedmg.org.

Date: Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Time: 8:45 – 10 am

Location: Ortiz Room of Hilton Santa Fe Historic Plaza, 100 Sandoval Street, Santa Fe NM

Cost: The cost to attend the Summit is $195 for both days or $100 per day.
For Additional Summit Info and Registration: water2conserve.com/water_energy.html

Brad’s Talk Title and Description:
Turning Drains Into Sponges and Water Scarcity Into Water Abundance
This inspiring power point presentation shares eight universal principles of water harvesting along with simple strategies that turn water scarcity into water abundance. They empower you to create integrated water-sustainable landscape plans at home and throughout your community. Rainwater harvesting is the process of capturing rain and making the most of it as close as possible to where it falls. Greywater harvesting is the process of directing water from household sink, bathtub, shower, and washing machine drains into the soils of the landscape where the water is naturally filtered and reused to generate more on-site resources. The two work hand in hand, and can reduce our water consumption by 30 to 50%! You’ll see examples enhancing local food security, passively cooling cities in summer, reducing costs of living and energy consumption, controlling erosion, averting flooding, reviving dead waterways, minimizing water pollution, building community, creating celebration, and more.

Date: Sunday, April 25, 2010
Time: 1 pm

Location: Ortiz Room of Hilton Santa Fe Historic Plaza, 100 Sandoval Street, Santa Fe NM
This talk is part of the 2010 Water and Energy Expo (click for details)

Cost: Free and open to the public