Why the Watershed Management Group’s Co-op Program Has Been Important to Me, to Tucson, and to Dry Areas around the World
I’ve been volunteering with the Watershed Management Group for nearly two years now. During that time, I’ve helped harvest rainwater, grow shade, and reduce street storm runoff at several City of Tucson Ward Council offices, at several mini-parks around town, and in numerous homeowners’ back yards. It’s been a fantastic experience to see barren lots that allow all rainwater to flow to the street become transformed into lush, inviting, shady spaces that sustain people, birds and other wildlife.
In joining with WMG, I’ve worked with people from all walks of life who were interested in beautifying their community and making Tucson more sustainable. I call the effect of these volunteer efforts the “Extreme Yard Makeovers” because the effects are as dramatic as some of the makeover shows on television. By helping their neighbors, co-op members not only gain skills, but also qualify for a discount from WMG to harvest rain at their own homes, making rain harvesting affordable to a wider group of people. "Grow shade to eat CO2!" – it’s an idea whose time has come, and our community is becoming transformed.
As to what occurred at my home, I’ve been living in my home for 20 years, and I know it would have taken me many months (if at all) to produce the transformation that a couple of weekends with WMG volunteers produced. In June, 2008, WMG hosted two cistern building workshops in our backyard. The cistern is 8 feet tall and five feet wide, holding 1,000 gallons of rainwater when full. It fills when our yard receives 1 inch of rain, and flows directly to our trees when it becomes full. Since we received 10 inches of rain this summer, 10,000 gallons watered our trees this summer instead of flowing out to the street, into the sewers and out towards Phoenix. I am so excited by the cistern and earthworks that were built that I can hardly contain myself. On more than one occasion I ran out to my backyard to see firsthand how my earthworks were filling with water. My trees can't contain themselves either - they are growing like gangbusters, shading my yard and helping to cool my home in the summer. The cistern filled again with the rains we had last winter. We can’t wait to see how this year’s monsoon rains turn out as well.
Unfortunately, not everyone can afford the investment in their property that these rain harvesting workshops cost, even considering the volunteer labor and generous co-op discount that WMG provides to its members. That’s why it’s important for corporations and foundations to help out, to bridge the water harvesting/beauty/shade gap that could widen between the haves and the have-nots as these efforts continue to transform our community. The demand for these services is not even close to being met - we have only scratched the surface of our potential. Please give generously so that all of Tucson can become the shady, inviting place we know it can be. As pride in our beautiful town has grown, so have crime and despair decreased, and productivity and caring have flourished. With your help, we can do even more.