Rainwater harvesting for drylands and beyond by Brad Lancaster, a preview

©Copyright LillyGrillzit all rights reserved 07/15/2010

Today, almost everyone is feeling the urgency to be better stewards of our Earth. Like any good Farmer, Fisherman or Landscaper they realize their survival comes from the Earth, Air and Ocean.

The people who depend on the earth for income and survival pay attention to what goes on around them. The Farmer rises early, gets his coffee, and heads out to check over all that is under is control. He is usually connected by generational ties, and loves the land.

The Fisherman loves his boat, his crew and his waters. They can read the Ocean. They can usually predict the weather over the course of time, and minute biological changes are noticed by those whose livelihood is the Sea.

A Landscaper, must know something about land, weather, rainfall, and solar paths.

The commonality of these three, is they learned from the generations before them, "how" to read the land, sea and weather. In our modern times, we haven't had the pleasure of being instructed on how to make optimum use of the water that rains down in our little part of the world.

We don't have the time, money or desire to go to agricultural school. "Rainwater Harvestingfor Drylands and Beyond", gives easy to follow instructions on how to read your land, your rainfall, how much sun is needed and how you can know these things as well as the farmer who has been planting and sowing for his entire life.

Rainwater Harvesting for Drylands and Beyond, can help you convert your land into a green eco-system, magnifying the water on any property, no matter how dead and dry it is to start with. What makes Mr. Lancaster's work unique is that water is "seeded" and stored in the earth primarily, with water tanks or barrels being secondary. Water is bulky and extremely heavy. There is only so much that can be contained safely.

1). Start a Journal of your land.

2). Buy a rain gauge, and start a daily journal of your rainfall amounts.

3). At least every couple of days, walk around your property. In the morning, see where the Sun goes, throughout the day, find your most solar places, and in the evening, find out how the Sun is shinning on your property.

4). If you are in the city, you probably have curbs and drainage. Watch how much water "goes down the drain" to be lost until the next hydrological cycle brings it back. This could be years, or never.

5). Do research on plants that are native to your area. When you landscape with native flowers, fruits, vegetables, nuts, cacti and so on, you have already increased your water budget.

6). Consider a WaterSense or slate portion to the roof, that will increase the rainwater flow into your holding tank, or landscaped system.

7). Periodically check Brad Lancaster's site for seminars and classes they are teaching all over the world. A link will be provided below. The costs are often free, or very affordable.G

8). As you are compiling your journal, begin to purchase hand tools.

9). Get a vision of what you want your property to look like. When you are able to purchase this book (1 & 2), all of the technical information you need for the planning, measuring and planting is included. Some of it has serious mathematics, but there are plenty of drawings, and support from the Lancaster's organization.

10). Change your world, and make you spot fertile, green, pedestrian and fruitful. Purchasing Rainwater Harvesting for Drylands and Beyond Vol. 1 & 2, are the best money I have ever spent.

Brad Lancaster travels the world, teaching simple wisdom for water uses. He is bringing this long lost culture, that uses all of the water that falls on a given site, back to us. This book is simple enough, that an intelligent child could adapt the principles detailed within these recycled paper pages. Happy Water to You.