Rainwater Harvesting for Drylands and Beyond by Brad Lancaster

Watershed Management Group: Advanced Greywater Training and Certification, March 31 - April 2, 2011 - Tucson AZ
2011-03-31 - 2011-04-02
WMG’s Advanced Greywater Training is designed for professionals, educators, and community activists who have some basic knowledge and experience in greywater techniques and are looking to expand their skills through hands-on training.
This Phoenix-based course includes site assessment, design, implementation, and maintenance of a variety of greywater systems, including alternative methods of using greywater and “dark greywater” systems. The curriculum combines classroom sessions and hands-on installation workshops in the topics of greywater for new construction, pump and tank systems, gravity-fed systems (kitchen resource drain), policies and ordinances, and integrated site design. Brad Lancaster will serve as one of several professional instructors for this course. Certification in Advanced Greywater is available for those interested.

Applications are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. Apply by the early registration deadline of February 14, 2011, to qualify for the reduced course fee; regular registration deadline is March 7, 2011.
To view the full course announcement and application, and to learn more about WMG’s Watershed Technical Trainings program, please visit watershedmg.org/tech-trainings. For further information, contact Tory Syracuse at tsyracuse@watershedmg.org or 520-396-3266.

Watershed Management Group: Water-Harvesting Certification Course (10-Day Intensive), March 18-27, 2011 - Phoenix AZ
2011-03-18 - 2011-03-27
Water Harvesting Certification Program
The WMG Water Harvesting Certification program is a hands-on training course that provides certification in water harvesting system design and implementation. WMG’s goal is to transfer water harvesting knowledge to those who will utilize them in their professions and teach these practices to others. Our program provides the highest quality and greatest depth of training in integrative water harvesting offered in the nation.
The course teaches design, implementation, and installation of:

Greywater systems
Water harvesting earthworks
Steel cisterns
Plastic cisterns

Upcoming Course Schedule
WMG is pleased to offer courses in both Tucson and Phoenix. Courses will be held three times a year in Tucson, and once each year in Phoenix. Applications for each session are accepted on a rolling basis. Priority is given to the earliest applicants.
Spring 2011, Phoenix, AZ: 10-day intensive course – March 18-27

Early registration: Applications due by January 10.
Regular registration: Applications due by February 14.

Spring 2011, Tucson, AZ: 10-day intensive course – April 29-May 8

Early registration: Applications due by February 28.
Regular registration: Applications due by March 28.

To apply, download the application below.
WMG Course Application
For more information about Watershed Management Group and their various programs, visit watershedmg.org.

Watershed Management Group: Water-Harvesting Lectures Open to the Public, March 2011 - Phoenix AZ
2011-03-18 10:30 - 12:30 (America/Los_Angeles)
Learn about design and installation of water harvesting systems including cisterns, greywater systems, and land-contouring earthworks.
Watershed Management Group is opening several lectures from their Phoenix Spring 2011 Water Harvesting Certification Program to the public. The Rio Salado Audubon Center will host five public lectures this March. Each lecture is presented by an expert in the field and offers a unique way to deepen your knowledge in various practices of water harvesting, landscape design, and backyard food production.
Lectures cost $25 each, and pre-registration is required. In order to pre-register:

Please make your online payment or send a check to WMG
Include the name of the lecture(s) you are registering for
Include the number of people attending.

Payments for lectures must be made prior to March 15.
The lectures will be held at the Rio Salado Audubon Center, 3131 S. Central Ave., Phoenix.
Public lecture schedule:

Friday 3/18: Water Harvesting Earthworks with Catlow Shipek, 10:30am-12:30 pm
Sunday 3/20: Plastic and Steel Cisterns with Catlow Shipek, 8:00am-10:00 am
Sunday 3/20: Landscape Design for Water Harvesting with James DeRoussel, 10:00am-12pm
Wednesday 3/23: Greywater Systems with Brad Lancaster, 1:30pm-3:30pm
Thursday 3/24: Water Harvesting for Food Production with Brad Lancaster, 2:30pm-4:30pm

Brad Lancaster & Ryan Snyder Associates Street Manual Design Charrette Team: Redesigning Our Streets: A Manual for Healthy, Livable Communities, March 15, 2011 - Los Angeles CA
2011-03-15 18:30 - 20:30
Come see a national team of experts report on their model design manual for living streets.
Over 40 participants from the public and private sector will be engaged for 2 days in creating their vision of how streets can function to enhance our communities. Fifteen apsects are to be addressed, ranging from bikeway designs, to streetscape design, sidewalks, stormwater management, streets as placemaking, traffic calming, transit use, retrofitting suburbia, and more.
This “report-out” session will be the distillation of their two days of work.
Date: Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Time: Reception from 6:30 – 7 pm
Report-Out Session from 7 – 8:30 pm
Location: Gateway Building, 3rd floor Board Room
One Gateway Plaza, Los Angeles CA 90012-2952
RSVP requested by March 10, 2011, to Rebecca McKenzie: rmckenzie@ph.lacounty.gov
Download the flyer: Model Street Manual Report-Out Flyer

Brad Lancaster: Desert Harvesters & Native Foods: Put ‘Em in Your Mouth, Your Yard, Your Street, and Your Neighborhood, March 12, 2011 - Pasadena CA
2011-03-12 19:00 - 20:30
This talk is hosted by RIPE Altadena, a community group that shares backyard produce to reduce waste & increase the eating of nutrient-rich food.
Date: Saturday, March 12, 2011
Time: 7-8:30 pm
Venue: Pasadena SDA Church (look for signs upon arrival for exact location), 1280 E Washington Blvd, Pasadena CA 91104
Cost: $10 at the door
Please RSVP for head-count purposes: Send your name and number of people in your group to register@ripealtadena.com
For more information: Contact Gail at (626) 689-0593
Check out this celebratory presentation by water-harvesting expert Brad Lancaster on the history of Desert Harvesters and other dynamo local-food efforts that have enriched the Tucson community, ecosystem, and palates – and how you can likewise enrich the community where you live.
Learn about grinding mesquite (and carob) pods with a hammermill or a Suzuki 4 x 4; irrigating food-producing street trees with the street; planting and picking the best tree-beans; throwing pie, mulch, and pancakes parties; creating a thoroughly delicious community-tasted cookbook; regenerating ecosystems in your pantry and landscape, and growing friendships and neighborhood networks while you’re at it!
Desert Harvesters (www.DesertHarvesters.org) is a volunteer-run, grassroots effort based in Tucson, Arizona, that strives to promote, celebrate, and enhance local food security and production by encouraging the planting of indigenous, food-bearing shade trees (such as the Velvet mesquite (Prosopis velutina)) in water-harvesting earthworks, and then educating the public on how to harvest, process, and enjoy the bounty.

Brad Lancaster: Harvesting Water and More To Turn "Wastes" into Resources: The Story of Rain Beer, Urban Drool Harvesting, Managing Mega-Cities Like Forests, and more, March 9, 2011 - Laguna Hills CA
2011-03-09 18:30 - 20:00
Location: Laguna Hills Community Center
Address: 25555 Alicia Pkwy, Laguna Hills, CA 92653
Date: Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Time: 6:30 – 8 pm

Cost: Free & Open to the public
Harvesting Water and More To Turn “Wastes” into Resources: The Story of Rain Beer, Urban Drool Harvesting, Managing Mega-Cities Like Forests, and more
This dynamic talk looks into how we tend to mismanage but could properly manage our most precious resource: water. Many examples and case studies are given that illustrate how we can sustainably enhance our water, energy, and food resources at home, within our communities, and beyond. In addition, Brad will also cover water-harvesting from dirt roads, Portland’s Sustainable Stormwater Program, green burials, an urban farm irrigated solely by rain and stormwater, and more. Monetary savings associated with each example are dramatic, and these practices simultaneously enhance local resources and quality of life. Best of all, you can do the same.
Brad’s first two volumes in his Rainwater Harvesting for Drylands and Beyond series will be available for sale and signing after the talk.
For more information, contact: Joe Berg at jberg@mwdoc.com
This event is sponsored by the Municipal Water District of Orange County and the Orange County Stormwater Program in partnership with all water agencies and cities in Orange County, California.

Watershed Management Group: Regular Registration Deadline for Advanced Greywater Training and Certification, March 31 - April 2, 2011 - Tucson AZ
2011-03-07

Watershed Management Group: Early Registration Application Deadline for Water Harvesting Certification Course
2011-02-28
Water Harvesting Certification Program
The WMG Water Harvesting Certification program is a hands-on training course that provides certification in water harvesting system design and implementation. WMG’s goal is to transfer water harvesting knowledge to those who will utilize them in their professions and teach these practices to others. Our program provides the highest quality and greatest depth of training in integrative water harvesting offered in the nation.
The course teaches design, implementation, and installation of:

Greywater systems
Water harvesting earthworks
Steel cisterns
Plastic cisterns

Upcoming Course Schedule
WMG is pleased to offer courses in both Tucson and Phoenix. Courses will be held three times a year in Tucson, and once each year in Phoenix. Applications for each session are accepted on a rolling basis. Priority is given to the earliest applicants.
Spring 2011, Phoenix, AZ: 10-day intensive course – March 18-27

Early registration: Applications due by January 10.
Regular registration: Applications due by February 14.

Spring 2011, Tucson, AZ: 10-day intensive course – April 29-May 8

Early registration: Applications due by February 28.
Regular registration: Applications due by March 28.

To apply, download the application below:
WMG Course Application
For more information about Watershed Management Group and their various programs, visit watershedmg.org.

Watershed Management Group: Community Volunteer Workshop in Partnership with Southern Arizona AIDS Foundation, February 25, 2011 - Tucson AZ
2011-02-25 09:00 - 15:00
Community Volunteer Workshop in Partnership with Southern Arizona AIDS Foundation
When: Friday, February 25, 9 am – 3 pm. Lunch will be provided.
Learn how to address landscape and drainage issues using earthworks, rock, and plantings, and also how to maintenance branched-drain greywater systems. WMG is partnering with Southern Arizona AIDS Foundation (SAAF) to implement sustainable landscaping practices and beautify the site at one of SAAF’s multi-family housing facilities. This community volunteer workshop will be held Friday, February 25, from 9 am – 3 pm (lunch provided) and will be led by WMG instructors, James DeRoussel and Adam Schwartz.
Please note this is not a WMG Tucson Co-op workshop – members will not earn credit hours. For more information or to register for the workshop please contact Catlow Shipek at catlow@watershedmg.org or 520-396-3266.

NEW TIME: Watershed Management Group: Green Infrastructure Webinar Series - Green Infrastructure Case Studies from Tucson, Portland, and Austin, February 23, 2011, 5:30 - 7 PM (MST)
2011-02-23 17:30 - 19:00
WMG Green Infrastructure Webinar Series
Green Infrastructure Case Studies from Tucson, Portland, and Austin
February 23, 5:30 – 7:00 PM (MST) – Register Here.

The first in a free, public webinar series with presenters and participants from across North America. Join in if you…

Want to improve the quality of life in your neighborhood and community
Are interested in environmental sustainability, community development, urban design, or neighborhood activism
Want to learn to implement practices like rain gardens, green streets, and street trees in your own community

This webinar is free and open to anyone– members of the public are encouraged to participate! Speakers from Tucson (AZ), Portland (OR), and Austin (TX) will address the different approaches their communities have taken to implement green infrastructure, as well as their successes, challenges, and next steps. Speakers include Dave Elkin, Landscape Architect with Greenworks (Portland); Mike Kelly, Civil Engineer – City of Austin, TX; and James MacAdam, Watershed Management Group – Green Streets Program Manager (Tucson). The program will include a short introduction to green infrastructure concepts and practices, and a moderated Q&A will be available to public participants.
WMG will be holding a public viewing of this webinar at the University of Arizona’s College of Architecture and Landscape Architecture building, 1040 N. Olive Rd, Room 103. Contact Tory Syracuse at tsyracuse@watershedmg.org or 520-396-3266 for more information.
Also, save the date for Watershed Management Group’s upcoming green infrastructure webinars in 2011:

April 27, 4:00 – 5:30 PM (MST): Community-Based Green Infrastructure: Register Here

September 14, 4:00 – 5:30 PM (MST): Working Session: Green Infrastructure across the U.S.: Register Here

This webinar series is made possible by a grant from the US Environmental Protection Agency. For more information, visit watershedmg.org/green-streets.

Watershed Management Group: Learn Streetside Stormwater Collection Practices - A Free Public Workshop, Saturday, Feb 19, 2011 - Tucson AZ
2011-02-19 09:00 - 13:00
When: This Saturday, February 19, 9 am – 1 pm
Cost: Free
WMG, in partnership with the Samos Neighborhood and Salpointe High School, is demonstrating how to promote urban trees and neighborhood beautification through capturing stormwater along residential streets. Come learn through a hands-on workshop how these small-scale practices can have a large impact in your neighborhood. Streetside beautification projects help to reduce stormwater, calm traffic, shade and cool neighborhood streets, build community partnerships, and more.
This workshop is free to all community members. Please note this is not a WMG Tucson Co-op workshop – members will not earn credit hours. Please RSVP with Catlow Shipek, catlow@watershedmg.org or by phone: 396-3266.

Watershed Management Group: Early Registration Deadline for Advanced Greywater Training and Certification, March 31 - April 2, 2011 - Tucson AZ
2011-02-14

Watershed Management Group: Regular Registration Application Deadline for Water Harvesting Certifcation Course
2011-02-14
Water Harvesting Certification Program
The WMG Water Harvesting Certification program is a hands-on training course that provides certification in water harvesting system design and implementation. WMG’s goal is to transfer water harvesting knowledge to those who will utilize them in their professions and teach these practices to others. Our program provides the highest quality and greatest depth of training in integrative water harvesting offered in the nation.
The course teaches design, implementation, and installation of:

Greywater systems
Water harvesting earthworks
Steel cisterns
Plastic cisterns

Upcoming Course Schedule
WMG is pleased to offer courses in both Tucson and Phoenix. Courses will be held three times a year in Tucson, and once each year in Phoenix. Applications for each session are accepted on a rolling basis. Priority is given to the earliest applicants.
Spring 2011, Phoenix, AZ – 10-day intensive course, March 18-27

Early registration: Applications due by January 10.
Regular registration: Applications due by February 14.

Spring 2011, Tucson, AZ – 10-day intensive course, April 29-May 8

Early registration: Applications due by February 28.
Regular registration: Applications due by March 28.

To apply, download the application below.
WMG Course Application
For more information about Watershed Management Group and their various programs, visit watershedmg.org.

Application Deadline for Toby Hemenway et ali: Permaculture Design Course, February 12, 2011 - Phoenix AZ
2011-02-12
The Phoenix Permaculture Guild is excited to announce a Permaculture Design Course with Toby Hemenway that will be offered in Spring 2011. Registration is now open and the early-bird discount rate ends on January 19, 2011, so time is of the essence!
The Phoenix Permaculture Guild is a 501c3 education organization, and permaculture is an approach to designing human settlements and agricultural systems that are modeled on the relationships found in natural ecologies. Please read below for more information about this course in particular.
________________________________
The Phoenix Permaculture Guild and Toby Hemenway, author of Gaia’s Garden: A Guide to Home-Scale Permaculture, are offering this Permaculture Design Certification Course for anyone interested in learning about sustainability and earning a certification from the Permaculture Institute USA, the US branch of the International Permaculture Institute. This intense and rewarding course has been offered by Toby in Seattle (WA) and Portland (OR) for the past five years and is tailored for professionals in design, land development, agriculture, food, energy, planning, and education, as well as for homeowners and gardeners.
Toby Hemenway is the principal instructor, and will bring in several of the most experienced international permaculture instructors as guest lecturers, including Brad Lancaster, Penny Livingston–Stark and Larry Santoyo, as well as local instructors. The course will include a team design project to give hands-on design experience.
The Permaculture Design Course (PDC) will be held for 11 days over 5 weekends from February through June 2011 from 9 am to 5:30 pm on Saturdays (and the one Monday) and 9:30 am – 5 pm on Sundays. In addition to scheduled classes, there will also be several hands-on opportunities between classes, of which all students need to attend at least four hours.
The curriculum is the full 72-hour permaculture certification course, with certification being offered through the Permaculture Institute USA, the US branch of the International Permaculture Institute. To receive the certificate, all classes must be attended.
Course dates
February 19-21 (3-day weekend)
March 19-20
April 16-17
May 21-22
June 18-19
Course fee
$950.00 (Early-bird discounted rate is $800 for applications received by January 19, 2011). A $150 non-refundable deposit is required with the application and is part of the course fee. All payments (course fee in full) must be received by February 12, 2011.
Further details and all registration materials can be found at www.phoenixpermaculture.org/page/pdc-course

Brad Lancaster: Rainwater Harvesting - How to Manage Our Most Precious Resource: Water, February 10, 2011 - Aliso Viejo CA
2011-02-10 18:30 - 20:00
When: Thursday, February 10, 2011
Time: 6:30 – 8 pm
Journey School’s Garden and Ecology Group and the 5th grade class are co-sponsoring an inspiring evening with renowned author and speaker Brad Lancaster. In this informative and engaging presentation, Brad will share why rainwater harvesting is essential for a sustainable future. You’ll learn the eight principles of rainwater harvesting as well as how to:

turn water scarcity into water abundance
reduce your water consumption by 30-50%
capture rainwater for beneficial use reduce the amount flowing to the storm drain
create integrated water-sustainable plans at home and in your community

Who
All are welcome/Open to the public
Where
Journey School
Multi-Purpose Room
27102 Foxborough Street
Aliso Viejo CA 92659
(click here for map)
Phone
949-448-7232
Cost
$10 per person (students free)
Childcare
Babysitting available for $5 per child
Must RSVP to matashis@cox.net
For more information email: michelle@cherishedself.com
Journey School is a K-8th grade Waldorf-inspired public charter school

www.JourneySchool.net

Brad Lancaster: Turning Drains into Sponges and Water Scarcity into Water Abundance, February 9, 2011 - San Diego CA
2011-02-09 17:30 - 20:00
Date: Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Time: 5:30 – 8 pm
Brad will give his general water-harvesting talk, Turning Drains into Sponges and Water Scarcity into Water Abundance, tailoring his presentation to include specific ways students can take action in the community around water sustainability. Afterward, there will be time for Q & A and Brad will be selling & signing copies of his books for anyone interested. This event is free and open to the public.
Location: San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Drive, San Diego CA 92182
Host: SDSU Engineers Without Borders
Venue: Aztec Center in the Casa Real room (building layout map available here: www.as.sdsu.edu/aztec/mainlevel.html)

Watershed Management Group: Advanced Watershed Technical Training in Green Infrastructure, January 20-22, 2011 - Tucson AZ
2011-01-20 - 2011-01-22
Join Watershed Management Group (WMG), a Tucson-based nonprofit organization, for an advanced Watershed Technical Training in Green Infrastructure (GI) from January 20-22, 2011. This training, the only one of its kind in the Southwest region, offers professionals, teachers, and community activists a chance to advance their knowledge of green infrastructure in an experiential, workshop-based setting. Topics will include site assessment, planning, design, implementation, and maintenance of GI projects. To register, please visit watershedmg.org/tech-trainings and download the full course announcement and application. Early registration deadline is November 22, 2010; regular registration deadline is December 20, 2010.
This training will launch WMG’s new Watershed Technical Trainings program, which aims to advance comprehensive knowledge and skills in topics such as green infrastructure, water harvesting, eco-sanitation, and watershed restoration. Additional trainings taking place in spring of 2011 will focus on the topics of Advanced Cisterns and Advanced Greywater techniques (for updates about these upcoming events, please visit watershedmg.org/tech-trainings). For more information on the Watershed Technical Trainings program, contact Tory Syracuse at tsyracuse@watershedmg.org or 520-396-3266.

Sonoran Permaculture Guild: Early Registration Deadline for 16th Annual Permaculture Design Course, February & March 2011 - Tucson AZ
2010-12-31
The Sonoran Permaculture Guild’s 16th Annual Permaculture Design Course
When: Five Weekends in February and March 2011
February 5 & 6, 12 & 13, 26 & 27 and
March 12 & 13, 19 & 20

Course Fee: $650, $595 for early registration (by December 31, 2010)
Materials Fee: There is also a class book fee of $39 for a copy of Introduction to Permaculture by Bill Mollison. Also highly recommended are Brad Lancaster’s Rainwater Harvesting for Drylands and Beyond, Volume 1 and Volume 2.
For the last seven years this course has been full with a waiting list, so early registration is encouraged. To give a high-quality educational experience, we limit the size of the class to eighteen participants. Contact dorsey@dakotacom.net or (520) 624-8030 to register or for more information.
This course is one of the longest-running annual Permaculture courses in the U.S., and leads to a Permaculture design certificate. It covers all aspects of sustainable design with an emphasis on Southwest drylands, including a balance of hands-on experience, classroom time, and design practicum. Dynamic exercises encourage pattern recognition, noticing the links between plants and animals, climate, and landforms that make up natural ecosystems. These patterns are the basis for the Permaculture system of sustainable design.
The course focuses on dryland communities, addressing individual site and neighborhood “problems” such as stormwater flooding. Students learn to read the landscape, to map and analyze energies flowing through a site, and to develop integrated designs for sustainable systems. The weekend format of the course makes it easier for people who hold a weekday job to attend, and promotes better integration of the course material into daily life.
Course topics include: agroforestry, appropriate technology, building design, design principles and patterning, site analysis, dryland gardening principles, ecosystem restoration, philosophy and ethics of Permaculture, regenerative community economics, soils and erosion control, village and community design, water harvesting, and many other topics.
We take field trips to working Permaculture sites around Tucson, and you will have the chance throughout the course to design and begin implementing Permaculture on a site of your choosing. This course is challenging and fun, and it shows the whole big picture of sustainable design in Southwest Drylands and how sustainability and integrated design really work!
Site: The classroom will be in the Central Tucson area, and at other Permaculture sites in the Tucson area. Much of the class is held outdoors.
Taught and facilitated by Dan Dorsey, Brad Lancaster, Barbara Rose, and other teachers from the Sonoran Permaculture Guild, as well as professional guest instructors. For teacher profiles see the members link on the Sonoran Permaculture Guild website. To register and for more information contact Dan Dorsey, course registrar, at (520) 624-8030 or dorsey@dakotacom.net.

Tucson Rain Jar Project: Self-Guided or Bike-Led Home Tour, December 12, 2010 - Tucson AZ
2010-12-12 13:00 - 16:00
What: A showcase of 6 handcrafted rainwater-harvesting cisterns in downtown Tucson. Learn about these earth-friendly cisterns during this drop-in, self-guided tour.
When: Sunday, December 12
1-4 pm: Self-guided tour
2:30 pm: Departure of bike-led tour
Celebration and refreshments to follow.
Pick up maps at:
903 N 10th Ave*
2817 E Waverly
*Start of bike tour and after party locale
Free! More details at www.rainjars.org.
Thanks to PRO Neighborhoods for its support!

Gary Nabhan, Peter Warshall, and Bill Steen & Athena Steen: CALA Speaker Series and Colloquium, Micro-Foundations & Critical Resources, December 3, 2010 - Tucson AZ
2010-12-03 16:30 - 20:00
2010 / 2011 CALA Speaker Series and Colloquium :: FALL SERIES
What influences our notion of practice and our work at this critical time in this critical place? This is a conversation amongst local environmental and environmental design professionals, faculty, and students which seeks to identify a durable model based on relevant criteria specific to our place.

December 3, 2010
micro foundations :: critical resources
Gary Nabhan and Peter Warshall | Bill + Athena Steen
From Climate Change and Resource Scarcity to: Food and Shelter
The Fall Lecture Series concludes with a lighter look into regional opportunities as we approach the Holidays.
Gary Nabhan and Peter Warshall will be linking the previous two lectures to agrifood systems, and Bill and Athena Steen will focus on vernacular earthen building.
Speakers Forum:: 4:30-6:30 pm
Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering (AME 202S) 1130 N. Mountain Ave
Colloquium:: 6:30-8:00 pm
Sundt Gallery, CALA 1040 N. Olive Dr.
Nourishment and hydration will be provided, and copies of Desert Harvesters‘ brand new, beautiful, resource-rich Eat Mesquite! cookbook will be available for purchase.

:
Spring Semester :: stay tuned
January 28 | February 25 | March 25 | April 22
All meetings are free and bring a friend.
Click below to view the flyer for this event.

Brad Lancaster & Jamila Bargach: Innovations in Water-Harvesting: Case Studies from Morocco and the West Bank, November 29, 2010 - Tucson AZ
2010-11-29 16:30 - 18:30
The University of Arizona Center for Middle Eastern Studies and the American Institute for Maghrib Studies have brought together two scholars whose passions for understanding and advocating for sustainable subsistence strategies have transformed their communities, and brought them international recognition for their efforts.
Join us Monday, November 29, at 4:30 pm in Marshall Bldg (845 N Park Ave) Room 490 to hear them speak about their recent endeavors in water harvesting. Reception to follow. The lectures are free and open to the public.
The Speakers:
Brad Lancaster is a teacher and consultant of integrated regenerative systems, as well as the author of two award-winning, best-selling books on water harvesting, “Rainwater Harvesting for Drylands and Beyond, Volumes 1 and 2,” the first volume of which is expected to be available in Arabic in early 2011. Brad was invited last year by the U.S. State Department to conduct lectures in honor of Earth Day in Saudi Arabia and Jordan, and he recently returned from a trip to Syria, Israel, and the West Bank, where he was invited to teach a 2-week permaculture design course at a community-based permaculture project in Marda, West Bank. Several blog posts on Brad’s Middle Eastern travels can be found on his Drops in a Bucket blog on his
information-rich website at www.HarvestingRainwater.com.
Jamila Bargach is currently on sabbatical in Santa Fe at the School for Advanced Research from her work as a director of the non-profit association Dar Si-Hmad in Ifni, Morocco. The organization runs an ethnographic field-school (www.darsihmad.ma) and works with the local communities for the creation of sustainable subsistence projects. Dar Si-Hmad hosts a school, library and museum of Saharan Tribal artifacts, and provides education and resources for tribes in the region to learn about sustainable agriculture, water harvesting, and provides the community with schooling and small business opportunities. Dr. Bargach will speak about her recent research on Fog-Harvesting Water in Morocco.

WMG's James DeRoussel: Landscape Design & Water Harvesting, November 19, 2010 - Tucson AZ
2010-11-19 14:30 - 16:00
Landscape Design & Water Harvesting Public Lecture
When: Friday, November 19, 2:30pm – 4:00pm
Where: WMG Office, 3809 E. Third Street (map)

Description: Join Watershed Management Group for its Water Harvesting Certification Public Lecture Series. Landscape architect James DeRoussel talks about how to incorporate landscape planning with water harvesting features.
Cost is $25.
Please RSVP to lindsay@watershedmg.org.

Brad Lancaster: WMG Water Harvesting for Food Production Lecture, November 17, 2010 - Tucson AZ
2010-11-17 13:30 - 15:30
Water Harvesting for Food Production Public Lecture

When: Wednesday, November 17, 1:30pm – 3:30pm
Where: WMG Office, 3809 E. Third Street (map)

Description: Join Watershed Management Group for its Water Harvesting Certification Public Lecture Series. Brad Lancaster, nationally renowned author of Rainwater Harvesting for Drylands and Beyond, addresses applications of water harvesting to grow food. Focus on backyard food production and native plants.
Cost is $25.
Please RSVP to lindsay@watershedmg.org.

Bill Zeedyk: Erosion Control & Arroyo Restoration Hands-On Workshops, November 16-17 & 18-19, 2010 - Sonoita AZ
2010-11-16 - 2010-11-17
Erosion Control and Arroyo Restoration Hands-On Workshop
with Bill Zeedyk
November 16–17 or 18-19, 2010
Hosted by the Ciénega Watershed Partnership, with support from the Bureau of Land Management
Soil and nutrient conservation and water retention are critical components of habitat quality and overall watershed health. These are top priorities for the Ciénega Watershed Partnership and its partners as we continue to care for the Ciénega Creek Watershed. Erosion and down-cutting annually carry acres of rich sediment from the valley’s uplands to Ciénega Creek and out of the ecosystem. Soils and habitat structure are compromised, challenging native vegetation and the wildlife that depend on it, while actually lowering water tables and draining the entire system.
Decades of on-the-ground experience in watershed restoration have made Bill Zeedyk of Zeedyk Consulting well-known in the Southwest for his innovative philosophies and “low-cost, low-tech, low-risk” arroyo and riparian restoration strategies. Partnership members who support using these strategies include local landowners in Sonoita Valley, Las Ciénegas National Conservation Area, Pima County, Sky Island Alliance, the USDA/Agricultural Research Service, and the University of Arizona’s Cooperative Extension and School of Natural Resources.
Participants in the Workshop will discuss how water moves across the landscape and how to work with those processes, induced meandering as a means of reducing erosion and increasing water infiltration, and road impacts on watersheds. On both days participants will visit existing restoration structures and receive training in the theory and practice of using various kinds of structures, while we build more of them together in eroded areas.
Format for two day Arroyo Restoration Workshops:
Day 1 – meet at Empire Ranch Headquarters – 1/2 day on Arroyo Restoration concepts and 1/2 day in field on Arroyo repair assessment including hands.
Day 2 – full day in field on arroyo restoration including hands on construction
Camping is available near the sites on LCNCA, or lodging is available about an hour away in Tucson. Registrants will receive a detailed information packet.
*Workshop size is limited to 25 participants each day, but we will keep a waiting list!
To RSVP or ask any questions contact Trevor Hare at 520 624-7080 x14 or at trevor@skyislandalliance.org.

Brad Lancaster: WMG Greywater Lecture, November 15, 2010 - Tucson AZ
2010-11-15 13:30 - 15:30
Greywater Public Lecture with Brad Lancaster

When: Monday, November 15, 1:30pm – 3:30pm
Where: WMG Office, 3809 E. Third Street (map)

Description: Join Watershed Management Group for its Water Harvesting Certification Public Lecture Series. Brad Lancaster, nationally renowned author of Rainwater Harvesting for Drylands and Beyond, explains the principles of greywater systems, including design and installation.
Cost is $25.
Please RSVP to lindsay@watershedmg.org.

WMG's Catlow Shipek: Cisterns Lecture, November 14, 2010 - Tucson AZ
2010-11-14 10:00 - 12:00
Cisterns Public Lecture
When: Sunday, November 14, 10am – noon

Where: Borderlinks, 620 S 6th Ave, Tucson

Description: Join Watershed Management Group for its Water Harvesting Certification Public Lecture Series. WMG workshop instructor Catlow Shipek discusses function and design of plastic and steel culvert cisterns.
Cost: $25
Please RSVP to lindsay@watershedmg.org.

WMG's Catlow Shipek: Water-Harvesting Earthworks, November 13, 2010 - Tucson AZ
2010-11-13 15:00 - 17:00
Water-Harvesting Earthworks Public Lecture
When: Saturday, November 13, 3 – 5pm
Where: WMG Office, 3809 E. Third Street (map)

Description: Join Watershed Management Group for its Water Harvesting Certification Public Lecture Series. WMG workshop instructor Catlow Shipek will explain function and design of water harvesting basins, berms, swales, and other features.
Cost: $25.
Please RSVP to lindsay@watershedmg.org.

Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum: Rainwater Harvesting Tour, November 13, 2010 - Tucson AZ
2010-11-13 08:30 - 15:30
Rainwater Harvesting Tour

Date: November 13, 2010
Time: 8:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
In the Australian Outback everyone does it. In the Sonoran Desert the rain in vain falls mainly down the drain. Visit a selection of sites including private homes, neighborhood streets, the Community Food Bank’s garden and a commercial site to study the myriad strategies for capturing rainwater. Calculate how much water can be collected off of your roof and property and how to divert and store water in both cisterns and in earthworks. Leona Davis of the Sonoran Permaculture Guild will be the instructor. Meet at a Grace St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 2331 E. Adams St. Transportation is included. $52 museum members; $57 non-members. To register call the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum at 883-3086 or log onto www.desertmuseum.org/sonoranstudies

Watershed Management Group: Water Harvesting Certification Course, November 12-21, 2010 - Tucson AZ
2010-11-12 - 2010-11-21
Watershed Management Group (WMG) is accepting applications for its Water Harvesting Certification course to be held November 12 – 21, 2010, in Tucson, Arizona.
Applications are accepted until October 11, with priority given to the earliest applicants.
The WMG Water Harvesting Certification program is a hands-on training course that provides certification in water harvesting system design and implementation. WMG’s goal is to transfer water harvesting knowledge to those who will utilize it in their professions and teach these practices to others. Our program provides the highest quality and greatest depth of training in integrative water harvesting offered in the nation.
Program Description
The WMG Water Harvesting Certification program is designed for professionals, educators, and community organizers seeking comprehensive instruction in water harvesting systems design and construction. The program offers a unique combination of hands-on and classroom instruction that provides participants with a thorough, on-the-ground understanding of the core practices in this increasingly popular field.
The course teaches design, implementation, and installation of greywater systems, water harvesting earthworks, and plastic and steel cisterns. The curriculum emphasizes a sustainable and integrated approach to land use and appropriate plant selection for retrofitting urban areas. A typical day includes a 4-5-hour hands-on outdoor workshop in the morning, followed by 2-4 hours of lectures or site assessments in the afternoon.
Curriculum Details
1) Integrated systems design
2) Passive rainwater harvesting design and installation
a) Basins
b) Berms
c) Swales
d) French drains and infiltration features (design only)
3) Greywater harvesting design and installation
a) Bathroom sinks and showers (design only)
b) Laundry machine (design and installation)
4) Cistern systems design and installation
a) Steel culvert cistern
b) Plastic cistern
5) Sustainable Landscaping
a) Fundamentals of landscape design
b) Native plants
c) Calculating water budgets
6) Water harvesting for food production
7) Water Harvesting Policy
Instructors:
• Brad Lancaster, integrated systems consultant and author of Rainwater Harvesting For Drylands and Beyond book series
• Catlow Shipek, WMG Senior Program Manager
• James MacAdam, WMG Project Manager
• Lincoln Perino, WMG Instructor and cistern installer with Technicians for Sustainability
• Lisa Shipek, WMG Executive Director
• James DeRoussel, WMG Project Manager
Upcoming Program Dates:
Fall 2010, Tucson, AZ – 9-day intensive course, Nov. 12-21
Winter 2011, Tucson, AZ – Feb. 4-6, Feb. 11-13, Feb. 19-20, & Feb. 26
Spring 2011, Tucson, AZ – March 18-20, March 25-27, April 1-3, & April 9
Spring 2011, Phoenix, AZ – 9-day intensive course, April 29-May 8
Registration Deadlines:
To be considered for the November 2010 course, applicants must submit a one-page resume and application form by the following dates:
Early Registration: $1050 course fee Applications must be postmarked by September 20, 2010. Once accepted for the course, applicants must pay the full course fee by September 30, 2010.
Regular Registration: $1200 course fee Applications must be postmarked by October 11, 2010. Once accepted for the course, applicants must pay the full course fee by October 22, 2010.
Applicants will be notified of the status of their application on a rolling basis. Program fee is non-refundable after October 22.
Scholarships: WMG offers subsidies of $100 to $300 to help defray the cost of the course. To be considered for a subsidy, please include an explanation of your financial need in your application.
Click here to download the Water Harvesting Certification Course Announcement, with more details about the course and the application process.
If you have any questions about the training program or application process, please contact Lindsay Ignatowski by email at lindsay@watershedmg.org or by phone at 520-396-3266. You may learn more about Watershed Management Group at www.watershedmg.org or about the Certification program at www.watershedmg.org/tech-trainings.

Quivira Coalition’s 9th Annual Conference, November 10-12, 2010 - Albuquerque NM
2010-11-10 - 2010-11-12
“The Carbon Ranch: Using Food and Stewardship to Build Soil and Fight Climate Change.”
Climate change is the most pressing issue confronting humanity. It is also a tremendous opportunity. Right now, the only possibility of large-scale removal of greenhouse gases from the atmosphere is through plant photosynthesis and other land-based carbon sequestration activities. Strategies include: enriching soil carbon, farming with perennials, employing climate-friendly livestock practices, conserving natural habitat, restoring degraded watersheds and range lands, and producing local food. Over the past decade, many of these strategies have been demonstrated to be both practical and profitable. A carbon ranch bundles them into an economic whole with the aim of creating climate-friendly landscapes that are both healthy ecologically and the source of healthy food.
Confirmed Speakers:

Dr. David Montgomery, geologist and author of Dirt!: The Erosion of Civilizations

Sara Scheer, Ecoagriculture Partners

Dr. Christine Jones, Founder of the Australian Soil Carbon Accreditation Scheme

Dr. Jeffrey Creque, agroecologist with the Marin Carbon Project

John Wick, rancher and leader of the Marin Carbon Project

Greg Judy, rancher and ‘mob-grazing’ educator

Jeff Moyer, Farm Director for the Rodale Institute, on organic no-till

Constance Neely, consultant for land, livelihoods and climate change

Dr. Bill Chameides, Dean of the Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University

Abe Collins, New Soil Matrix

Brock Dolman, Director of the Occidental Arts & Ecology Center

Nancy Ranney, rancher, Ranney Grassfed Beef

Steve Apfelbaum, Applied Ecological Services

For general information on the conference, visit:
quiviracoalition.org/_2010_Conference/index.html
To download the conference announcement (3-page PDF), click here:
Quivira 2010 Conference Announcement
To register (or for registration details, including cost):
quiviracoalition.org/_2010_Conference/Online_Registration/index.html
To contact the Quivira Coalition:
The Quivira Coalition
1413 Second Street, Suite 1
Santa Fe, NM 87505
(505) 820-2544 ext 0#
admin@quiviracoalition.org

The mission of The Quivira Coalition is “to build resilience by fostering ecological, economic and social health on western landscapes through education, innovation, collaboration, and progressive public and private land stewardship.”
