Sharing my passion with the next generation

I always enjoy sharing my knowledge about sustainability with the next generation. So I was especially excited to give a tour of our rainwater basins to my son Jeremy's girlfriend Lillie, a civil engineering major with an emphasis on the environment. Can Jeremy pick 'em or what?!!! Jeremy tagged along to find out which plants to water when Dan and I go away on vacation. He took some photos while he was at it. Thanks, Jeremy! 

Our first stop was filling up my water bucket at the slimline tank. I explained how we get a lot of rainwater off of the roof (nearly 11,000 gallons a year.) Some of that water is directed from a gutter to a downspout and into our jujube basin. Gutters also direct water to the various cisterns around the house. 

I was delighted to share how the nearby jujube trees had grown three feet last year on just rainwater collected in the basin. And they were starting to bear the first fruit of the season. Even after this long dry spell! 

I had recently chopped and dropped some dried native plants (that some people might call "weeds") into the basin to create organic mulch. That observation inspired this story. Five years ago, Dan had removed a row of aging oleanders and dug a basin there for three baby jujube trees. The one planted farthest from where the oleanders were grew four times as fast as the two planted in the soil poisoned by the oleanders. But native grasses, organic matter (chopped weeds and fallen leaves) and rainwater mitigated the soil, so now the other two trees have caught up with the biggest tree!

The next stop was our shallow front yard basins. (See the pic at the top of the page.) The wood chip mulch has mostly broken down into soil. (We need another truck load.) So a bunch of poppies and native grasses grew there. When they died, I broke the stems of the poppies into hay-like mulch and left the dried grass (that had gone to seed) to feed the ants, birds and squirrels. 

Doves eating grass seeds in the shade of a desert acacia tree by the PLANTS FOR BIRDS sign.

Here I am pointing out the bird bath in the mesquite guild. (It is so important to provide daily water for the birds - especially in this heat!) The mesquite tree acts as a nurse plant providing shade and nitrogen for the nearby hackberry and a young saguaro. Notice that even during this dry spell, the native trees are green and thriving.

Next we visited the right of way basin where our moringa is coming back nicely after dying back in the hard freeze. Lillie gamely tasted the leaves of the nutritious "horseradish plant." 

Then I filled up my watering can and watered our flowering hibiscus plant that we recently planted in the greywater basin. There it benefits from greywater from our outdoor washing machine. The drought tolerant heritage pomegranate in the basin was also bearing fruit! It's always good to have that extra washing machine water for higher water-use plants like fruit trees.

I pointed out how the big slanted roof on the neighbors house had directed so much water into our yard that it had dissolved a wooden shed. Our kind neighbor gave Dan permission to install a gutter there to direct rainwater into a cistern to water our little garden. 

Jeremy followed me and Lillie into our fenced-in garden where he took this picture of his loved ones and learned that I use one watering can full of water on our little veggie garden. 

Lillie learned that the Palo Verde trees shade the garden from our hot summer sun and provide nitrogen to the soil. Bird netting cages keep the squirrels out of the chard (that grows year-round here.) And we use our dirty dishwater (with salt free soap) to moisten our compost pit. Every drop of water is precious in the desert.

It was so fun sharing my passion with Lillie and Jeremy. Can't wait to see what the next generation does... 

Continue our tour of my favorite places to bring visitors here:

https://www.sustainablelivingtucson.com/2024/05/my-favorite-places-in-tucson-to-bring.html

Share the love! Join our campaign and show your friends the joys of rainwater harvesting basins.

Just post a pic of your basin with the hashtag #lovemyrainbasin

https://www.sustainablelivingtucson.com/2023/04/love-my-rain-basin-campaign.html

#lovemyrainbasin

"Love my rain basin!" campaign

I love my rainwater harvesting basin! 

Most Tucsonans are finally aware that we are in a serious water crisis, but many aren't aware of one of the best solutions available: rainwater harvesting! On a normal year, Tucson gets enough annual rain to provide every Tucsonan's water needs. Since Tucsonans use up to 40% of our water on our landscapes and gardens, collecting rainwater in our yards can go a long way in conserving city water! 

Tucson Water understands that rainwater harvesting and green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) are some of the most impactful actions we can take to save water. The city implemented a GSI policy, now an integral part of their Storm to Shade program. You may have seen curb cuts directing stormwater to native trees along city streets. This program will help us achieve the city's million trees initiative. 

Tucson Water also encourages customers to harvest the rain in their own yards. In fact, they put their money were their mouth is. They offer a rebate of up to $2000 for installing rainwater harvesting systems. Unfortunately, only about 1% of Tucsonans take advantage of this opportunity. Education is a big factor. 

Rain barrels aren't the only way to harvest the rain. My favorite rainwater harvesting features are the simple catchment basins and berms we use to water our low water trees and plants. During a rainstorm, our catchment basins keep sinking in the water long after our 500 gallon cisterns fill up. Right now, in our front yard, we have several native trees, three jujube trees (Chinese fruit trees) and three moringa trees thriving without any city water - just the water that has been stored under the surface of their mulch covered basins. Did I mention I love my rainwater harvesting catchment basins? 

You might be wondering, "Where are the basins?" Not all basins need to be rock-lined (like those in the Dunbar-Spring neighborhood). Our front yard basins have subtle slopes lined with native bunch grass to prevent erosion and help the water infiltrate.  The organic matter and wood chip mulch holds the moisture longer. A path with red gravel divides the two basins. Our cactus garden and native trees (that need less water) are on the high end of the basins. 

Here's the challenge...

Do you have a catchment basin in your yard? Do you enjoy a lush desert oasis nourished by the rain?  How about sharing that joy? Let's start a campaign! By sharing photos of your basin with your family and friends, we can reach a broader audience than those in my little social media bubble.  

Here's how:

1) Just grab your cell phone and take some lovely pictures of your best rainwater-harvesting catchment basins. (They should be greening up nicely right now.)

2 Share them with your Tucson friends and family in emails or on your personal and neighborhood social media pages.

3) In the subject area above the pic, simply write, "I love my rainwater harvesting basin!" Or "I love my catchment basin because... (fill in the blank) 

4) Include the hashtags:

#Lovewaterharvesting #WaterHarvesting #lovemyrainbasin

I'll start the ball rolling with some sample pics of my catchment basins..

Here's a pic of  our basin when it was new and full of woodchip mulch...

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Here's that same basin after rain saturated the mulch...

We can keep this campaign going for the different seasons - showing off our basins full of wildflowers in the spring, filled with water during the monsoon season, or even covered with snow in the winter!

Check out our right of way basin. These young moringa trees grew like gangbusters. 

Dan and Pooh measuring how fast one moringa grew in the right of way basin. 

The flowering moringa and the wolfberry are thriving from the rainwater that comes off of the sidewalk and sky... 

Our three jujubes are budding with just the water stored in their own basin.

We already had gutters and a downspout - so Dan just had to dig the basin and plant the jujube trees. The native grasses help to slow down and sink in the water. 

When it rains, I run out into the yard to see how far the water flows in our jujube basin! This time it reached the last tree! The native bunch grass slows down the rushing water. The roots help the water sink into to the basin and hold it like a sponge! 

So I've shown you some of my favorite basin pics. Now it's time to show me yours. Get outside in this gorgeous spring weather and enjoy taking some pics of your inspiring basins. Then post. Easy smeazy. 

When family and friends ask where they can get more information, direct them to Watershed Management Group for their free Rainwater Harvesting Rebate Classes or Sonora Environmental Research Institute (SERI) for the limited income grant and loan program (and their rebate classes.) 

Together we can inspire Tucsonans to enjoy lush desert landscaping while saving municipal water. 

Here's Dan installing our basins...

Finally got my catchment basin!

Planting monsoons and moringas in our street-side basin

Street-side basin ready to plant the monsoon rain!

"Finishing" Our Catchment Basin: Observing and Re-shaping