Part 2 UPDATE: We Need Your Help To Make This Happen! We are not located on this land and need funding to be able to go back and film the progress if you want to see and update and part 2 then please consider supporting us here: www.patreon.com/leafoflifefilms Or here: www.leafoflife.news/regenerative-membership Thank you 🙏 🔔 Subscribe to youtube.com/@LeafofLifeMusicOfficial 🌳 Support our projects to restore degraded land and regenerate natural ecosystems: www.leafoflife.news/

@ArkLord001

8 ай бұрын

In regions where there are still small streams, beavers have begun moving back in and creating dams to hold the water and create flooded areas in the wetter months and hold water in the dry months. The effect is 2-fold. Holding the water helps re-saturate the ground water table allowing more plants to grow and retain further moisture as time goes forward. I see no reason why the same technique cannot be applied to low spots in the natural channels to cause the rain that does fall, to stay in the local area longer and create smaller flooded areas to keep more water in the local substrate then washing away. Nature already knows how to do this and the beaver has evolved to do this better than anything else we know of. So it seems that there are lessons to be learned from them in cases like this. ;)

@sharonkaczorowski8690

8 ай бұрын

Can’t donate now (price of my Rx scripts went up) but added you to my future list. This is such important work.

@sharonkaczorowski8690

8 ай бұрын

⁠@@ArkLord001Beavers returned to the river which backs in home in DE…in the 8 years or so they have been here, you can see the improvement. Hoping for otters…they’ve returned to the Southern part of state.

@ArkLord001

8 ай бұрын

@@sharonkaczorowski8690 another incredible thing beavers do is even though they create wetlands, this same action also prevents flooding by keeping water in check and spreading it out in areas rather than flooding farmer's fields or lower areas in many cases (not all).

@LadyTL

8 ай бұрын

I hope part two has you addressing how shallow all this is and there is very little reinforcement for the erosion caused by the rain.

I did this exact same thing probably 4 years ago in hereford Arizona! I augered a 4 foot deep hole and made biochar in that hole. Once the biochar was made I poured composted manure, and all of our food scraps for a week into the hole. Then we moved on to the next hole. Once the acre was done we used a deep riper down the center of all of the holes. We then planted native trees every 10 feet and native understory every 5. Finally, after all of the trees were established for a year we covered the acre in wood chips and low growing prairie grass seed like blue grama and curly mesquite grass. Sold the house the next year unfortunately but the experiment was an integral part of my life. Then and now!

@XspyreX

6 ай бұрын

How wide of holes/how frequent did you place them? Just once per tree?

@peterdollins3610

5 ай бұрын

What about putting up your photos & proofs of your great work to put on a kick starter to continue & perhaps build or buy a new house? Admiration for what you did from me.

@Christopher-be1qc

Күн бұрын

Great job!

3:05 that’s a map of France 🇫🇷 from 1810 😂😂

Hoping to see an update on this when the next significant rainfall happens. Perhaps this could be the beginning of a regular series/playlist!

With people like you there is hope for this world. Thank you for what you are doing. The impact widely exceeds the boundaries of your property!

Quite a productive day for one backhoe. A good illustration of what can be accomplished with the right machine, a professional operator, and a thoroughly mapped out scope of work. Excellent job. Looking forward to the following this site as it evolves.

@drudizzle1

8 ай бұрын

That’s a backhoe. But yeah agreed

@InservioLetum

3 ай бұрын

You are the first person in a decade or more, that I heard use the words back and hoe, without referring to Ms. Minaj. THANK YOU. SERIOUSLY.

This place is beautiful. Totally not a waste. I see the potential. I’m in Ghana and turned a desert wasteland into a forest. 😆 Very possible anywhere where TLC is present. Good luck!

@Eyes0penNoFear

8 ай бұрын

How many years did it take for you to transform it?

@arrigune

8 ай бұрын

TLC?

@Eyes0penNoFear

8 ай бұрын

@@arrigune maybe tender loving care?

@christofferraby4712

8 ай бұрын

I agree. Too many people all over the world often don't see the opportunity they have with a piece of dry land when all it needs is a bit of planning to create an oasis of peace and abundance.

@TransdermalCelebrate

2 ай бұрын

@@arriguneTender Loving Care

People think this denuded desert is what deserts in North America should look like. In reality most of our deserts were or are full of flora and fauna. Even the Sahara has life in it and not just in its oases.

@bonnieprice9482

5 ай бұрын

Rain and catchment ponds make a difference !☺️☺️

@mnsv1720

3 ай бұрын

What about Phoenix and Tucson? And think about Telosa or Belmont...

@DIRTYPLACCY

3 ай бұрын

Like how lots of Australia used to be lush scrub and eucalyptus Forrest’s until they cut it all down raped the land by farming it and never fixed it. Then just claimed it’s normal and that’s just what Australia is like.

@marcusali1783

2 ай бұрын

"water retention pond"... doesn't the pond need a liner, or clay at the bottom?

@kylegeorgedavy2833

2 ай бұрын

However the desserts are growing and 500 years ago the lands were more greener

Can’t wait to hear about how this turns out and what it looks like in the future! When do you think there’ll be a part 2?

@LeafofLifeWorld

6 ай бұрын

Waiting for rain and don't expect too much transformation in the first year, however we doing multiple projects so stay tuned. Thanks

@connorgolden4

6 ай бұрын

@@LeafofLifeWorld gotcha! Hope the rain comes soon?! And can’t wait to wear about more projects!

We need more and more projects like this.

Those grassland bird species are gorgeous. I hope they find a healthy place to stay on your new land 🐦 💕

It's awesome to see you compile the knowledge you've gathered (and shared) from all over the world, and are now documenting as you apply it in real life to a real project! AWESOME!

@lauralee6628

8 ай бұрын

FIRST MISTAKE might be Zia Hole that hold/contain all rainfall so swale/pond never fill. Second Mistake ? you have not mentioned fencing to exclude grazing animals while grassland re-establishes. REALISE that water you soak in holes and swales is now no longer available to rehydrate topsoil when grasslands re-establish = so what you have done (time will tell) is fail to implement a holistic grassland management plan that is now sending most rainfall too deep to be of any benefit to total grassland area.

Great video, but use less sound effects. Keep up the land restoration work!

@Eyes0penNoFear

8 ай бұрын

I just commented the same thing. I have moderate misophonia and some noises are grating.

Ive been daydreaming about an agave farm... And this made it so much more dreamy. Thanks for sharing your efforts and raising awareness!

@LeafofLifeWorld

6 ай бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it!

Great video. I love to see this kind of stuff happening. China has reclaimed thousands of hectares of land from the Gobi Desert. I would love to see the US do the same with some of it's encroaching deserts.

@kkgauthier

8 ай бұрын

@@randompersonontheinternet8790 "Eh, over 90% of China's plants have died." What is the source for this? I'm interested in looking this up.

@silverforest4682

8 ай бұрын

me too! and use the water gathering on areas that they normally irrigate with river or ground water.

@magesalmanac6424

8 ай бұрын

It’s true that initially the Chinese projects failed, they created monocultures and the plants didn’t get sufficient water. However after trial and error they have improved methods and created “waffle” structure grass areas that retain water, and used better varieties of trees.

@lauralee6628

8 ай бұрын

AT 3.40 you have an example of mexican desert when it is green (from good rainfall events) """""where there are no swales"""" the best and most cost effective method to restore grasslands is via grazing animal management = swales for your stated purpose of restoring grasslands create a "negative feedback loop" that interferes with the natural infiltration of rainfall where it actually falls. once you restore grasslands you eliminate/reduce runoff. Recommend you research Allan Savory and Holistic Grazing Management i think he is based in arizona. CONSIDER this: there are no viable swales in arid zones anywhere on the planet. you cant grow tree crops without stored water in arid lands. once you have stored water your arid land becomes irrigated land so it is no longer arid land. swales are better suited for higher rainfall zones. however best of luck you may be able to prove what will be viable on your patch - maybe@@randompersonontheinternet8790

@lauralee6628

8 ай бұрын

AT 3.40 you have an example of mexican desert when it is green (from good rainfall events) """""where there are no swales"""" the best and most cost effective method to restore grasslands is via grazing animal management = swales for your stated purpose of restoring grasslands create a "negative feedback loop" that interferes with the natural infiltration of rainfall where it actually falls. once you restore grasslands you eliminate/reduce runoff. Recommend you research Allan Savory and Holistic Grazing Management i think he is based in arizona. CONSIDER this: there are no viable swales in arid zones anywhere on the planet. you cant grow tree crops without stored water in arid lands. once you have stored water your arid land becomes irrigated land so it is no longer arid land. swales are better suited for higher rainfall zones. however best of luck you may be able to prove what will be viable on your patch - maybe@@magesalmanac6424

Hi, i have 3 years experience doing the same on Andalucia with 300mm annual rain, I would love to help, the chop for example is very important, a right chop let the vegetation green all year, so the fotosintesis dont stop.

@reinerhoffmann3764

8 ай бұрын

Can you explain the word: chop , what does it mean inmthis case

@mena2138

8 ай бұрын

@@reinerhoffmann3764 A pruning, I think I could help you

@squarecompass4582

8 ай бұрын

cutting the grass only 2/3 let 1/3 stay. 2/3 for cows or mulching.

@Nemrai

8 ай бұрын

But this isn't to make things better for cows. It's to make things better for nature and the wildlife that belongs there.

@NirvanaFan5000

8 ай бұрын

@@reinerhoffmann3764 : pretty sure it refers to making a pile of plant debris. this process gets easier once plants have started growing: you just cut off less ideal parts and drop them next to the tree. "chop and drop". for new developments, you gotta scavenge for some plant material to throw in there. but basically, it helps provides nutrients and helps it start to develop a richer soil to grow in.

There is a group in Tanzania creating what's called "Earth Smiles" where they dig curves in the desert. Doing the same thing there and it's working so it can and will definitely work here in America

Very cool project, I'm looking forward to part 2.

@LeafofLifeWorld

8 ай бұрын

Coming soon!

@DdDd-pk4pu

8 ай бұрын

Me Too‼️❤GOD BLESS

@lauralee6628

8 ай бұрын

AT 3.40 you have an example of mexican desert when it is green (from good rainfall events) """""where there are no swales"""" the best and most cost effective method to restore grasslands is via grazing animal management = swales for your stated purpose of restoring grasslands create a "negative feedback loop" that interferes with the natural infiltration of rainfall where it actually falls. once you restore grasslands you eliminate/reduce runoff. Recommend you research Allan Savory and Holistic Grazing Management i think he is based in arizona. CONSIDER this: there are no viable swales in arid zones anywhere on the planet. you cant grow tree crops without stored water in arid lands. once you have stored water your arid land becomes irrigated land so it is no longer arid land. swales are better suited for higher rainfall zones. however best of luck you may be able to prove what will be viable on your patch - maybe

Your content is solid - there’s no need for the sound effects!

Always been a dream. Thanks for livin' it and sustaining life so that we may all live it.

Thank you so much for the work you do! This is fantastic! I truly believe we have to build swales and rewild intelligently across the planet on an emergency basis with the most urgency we can muster. Or we lose most of our wildlife and the planet.

@freethoth

8 ай бұрын

And the planet will lose us.

@lauralee6628

8 ай бұрын

FIRST MISTAKE might be Zia Hole that hold/contain all rainfall so swale/pond never fill. Second Mistake ? you have not mentioned fencing to exclude grazing animals while grassland re-establishes. REALISE that water you soak in holes and swales is now no longer available to rehydrate topsoil when grasslands re-establish = so what you have done (time will tell) is fail to implement a holistic grassland management plan that is now sending most rainfall too deep to be of any benefit to total grassland area.

@lauralee6628

8 ай бұрын

AT 3.40 you have an example of mexican desert when it is green (from good rainfall events) """""where there are no swales"""" the best and most cost effective method to restore grasslands is via grazing animal management = swales for your stated purpose of restoring grasslands create a "negative feedback loop" that interferes with the natural infiltration of rainfall where it actually falls. once you restore grasslands you eliminate/reduce runoff. Recommend you research Allan Savory and Holistic Grazing Management i think he is based in arizona. CONSIDER this: there are no viable swales in arid zones anywhere on the planet. you cant grow tree crops without stored water in arid lands. once you have stored water your arid land becomes irrigated land so it is no longer arid land. swales are better suited for higher rainfall zones. however best of luck you may be able to prove what will be viable on your patch - maybe

Foot note to my earlier post Some Australian native trees have a system that when in a drought they turn their leaves away from the sun to save water and open up at dusk to absorb any small amount of moisture from the air.

@gregsutton6258

5 ай бұрын

The Australian trees turn their leaves edge on to the sun from about 11 am and back at the sun about 3.00 pm so they don't loose water from being dried out.

The Tucson Swales are an excellent example of what can be done with swales alone.

Can't wait to see updates!

The swale will be more effective if it is filled with organic material, which acts as a sponge to hold the moisture.

@SC-sm2tr

4 ай бұрын

I live in the Chihuahuan Desert, organic material disintegrates in the blink of an eye here, I literally have to add 6 inches of city compost and homemade compost, topped with 3+ inches of shredded tree branches on top every single year to my garden beds and they are still losing more organic material than I’m adding. Even with 2” of monsoon rains I still have to water the next day.

You're wonderful, thank you.

This seems to be doing it right. Working to undo the bad mistakes made by past humans to restore the natural plant- and wildlife that belongs in this environment.

@lauralee6628

8 ай бұрын

FIRST MISTAKE might be Zia Hole that hold/contain all rainfall so swale/pond never fill. Second Mistake ? you have not mentioned fencing to exclude grazing animals while grassland re-establishes. REALISE that water you soak in holes and swales is now no longer available to rehydrate topsoil when grasslands re-establish = so what you have done (time will tell) is fail to implement a holistic grassland management plan that is now sending most rainfall too deep to be of any benefit to total grassland area.

00:03:06 where did you get the France screenshot from? Is that including Belgium?! xD

Fascinating. Great work. Would it be possible to post regular updates spanning considerable months between? Be helpful to see the land transformation over time.

IMHO, much of this could be accomplished by simply collecting the rocks on the surface & using them to create barriers to runoff. I've read this was done in one part of Ethiopia, with success. (Not every instance will support the cost of a backhoe.)

We are doing this at our property in SE Arizona. Just put in 3 large swales. It finally rained and we caught so much water. Thanks for demonstrating and showing everyone how it can be done.

@LeafofLifeWorld

8 ай бұрын

Thats amazing, how big is your land? If you looking to add more earthworks we are always looking to partner with people with private land who want to dedicate an area of their plot to nature and conservation and restoration. If that's something that interests you, please get in touch with us infoleafoflife@gmail.com

@lauralee6628

8 ай бұрын

FIRST MISTAKE might be Zia Hole that hold/contain all rainfall so swale/pond never fill. Second Mistake ? you have not mentioned fencing to exclude grazing animals while grassland re-establishes. REALISE that water you soak in holes and swales is now no longer available to rehydrate topsoil when grasslands re-establish = so what you have done (time will tell) is fail to implement a holistic grassland management plan that is now sending most rainfall too deep to be of any benefit to total grassland area.

I love how smart ya'll are!

It's nice! Keep up the good work! And release part 2.

Great project and example of what can be done to turn Desert back to grassland and trees!!

Love seeing this… #thankyouBobDillon

the Chihuahuan and Sonoran deserts are beautiful places all year around but they are heavenly in the spring time after a wet fall/winter. Spring 2024 should be extraordinary after El Niño does its magic this year.... ven, ven niño!

Way to go. It’s time we start repairing our damage. I’ve seen some interesting restoration using beavers to help the landscape. North America’s unique from Africa because we have beavers as a keystone species.

Wonderful, informtive video! Thanks!

Plant long rooting grasses to subside erosion and allow rain water to recharge the aquifer.

Great video! I've never seen Zai Holes before, and I look forward to the next video. The background music and sound effects were a little distracting. Maybe consider decreasing volume or omitting them in future videos?

All the best. Keep us posted.

Thank you for your dedication

Great work! Thanks a lot! I find this so satisfying. Life comes back so fast with the water! 🥰😍🥰😍

I just bought 10 acres in Texas to bring back life to he soil 💖

Marvelous! I look forward to seeing the results! I watched the Turkey Pen Creek documentary and follow Tiny Shiny Home, who recently built a swale and retention pond on their southeastern Arizona homestead.

What an interessting project. I'll stay with you and watch your progress. Best wishes from Germany

Looking forward to an update video!

This is cool. We are in Arizona so we have an idea of what you are up against. Wishing you luck. Thanks for the video. Looking forward to more updates!

bless You!

Thanks!

@LeafofLifeWorld

8 ай бұрын

Thank you for your support!

Please do updates in this project. Though I know live in the Northeast US, my favorite place in the world is the Sonoran Desert. I am fascinated by deserts and the life they support. I use the word “support” on purpose…it’s so much more than survival.

@lauralee6628

8 ай бұрын

AT 3.40 you have an example of mexican desert when it is green (from good rainfall events) """""where there are no swales"""" the best and most cost effective method to restore grasslands is via grazing animal management = swales for your stated purpose of restoring grasslands create a "negative feedback loop" that interferes with the natural infiltration of rainfall where it actually falls. once you restore grasslands you eliminate/reduce runoff. Recommend you research Allan Savory and Holistic Grazing Management i think he is based in arizona. CONSIDER this: there are no viable swales in arid zones anywhere on the planet. you cant grow tree crops without stored water in arid lands. once you have stored water your arid land becomes irrigated land so it is no longer arid land. swales are better suited for higher rainfall zones. however best of luck you may be able to prove what will be viable on your patch - maybe

Looking forward for part 2.

Joe and Valer Austin started building rock swales in the 1980s on their El Coronado Ranch in Arizona. Amazing results. This project in Mexico looks very interesting, good luck!

Build a swale on contour. Genius!

Great work!

Stop with the sound effect noises.

Great start. I would recommend adding holistically-managed herbivores under planned grazing to restore keystone species function and maintain biological cycling of nutrients. Grazing, followed by long rest periods, would stimulate plant growth and boost soil biology through root exudation. Hooves would break any hard capping created by rain hitting bare soil, and also trample in any dead vegetation they didn't graze (that would otherwise oxidise if left standing). Their dung would provide a fungi and bacteria rich source of organic matter for soil life, and would be carried underground by dung beetles and termites, where it is made avaliable to feed plants and soil. Urine and saliva work as fertilisers and fungal/bacterial inncoluants. Check out Las Damas Ranch for an example of regeneration in the Chihuahua desert, utilising livestock.

@LeafofLifeWorld

6 ай бұрын

This only works with bison in North America, this patch has already been over grazed by cows the area is too small for herd management and actually detrimental to this area, introduced cows est 10x more in a given area than bison, that move faster through large ranges, getting bison is expensive and difficult and needs large area with fencing. Cows are also expensive. You don't need herbivores to regenerate land.

@owlan99

6 ай бұрын

@LeafofLifeWorld Then move the cows as often as bison migrate. you do need herbivores to regenerate brittle landscapes in the long term. And whether it's bison or cows makes little difference so long as there are adequate rest periods. Overgrazing is a function of time and not animal type. A bison could be overgrazing if it was fenced in one area for too long, just as a cow could. There's nothing inherently bad about cows. It's not the cow, it's the how.

Good luck with your efforts, look forward to seeing how it develops

Great project.

I have wanted to do this for years. The entire west coast should be covered in swales and land work like this. Why do they just let all the rain water rush away to the ocean when they are in droughts?

@LeafofLifeWorld

7 ай бұрын

Its called insanity

Cant wait for Update

Cattle ranching doesnt hurt the land. It improves it. The cattle prune the grass wich stimulates growth and branching. Plus the fertilizer that the cattle provide.

@LeafofLifeWorld

4 күн бұрын

Depends how intensively its been grazed, you should check out this video about cattle ranching done properly

@66bigbuds

4 күн бұрын

@@LeafofLifeWorld cattle don't over graze. They can chew it down to the ground .it is physically impossible. Now sheep and goats can .

Hope to see future updates

This is great! where is the 2nd video? I subcribed.

Great work

Appreciate what you are doing but did you do any archeological checks , even surface checks, before all that digger work ?

Incredible project - best of luck and please keep us updated!

Brilliant video thanks very much anything is possible when you know how to go about doing it each one teach one

gl!!!!

Wow! this is a cool project!! Are you going to make new videos once it rains? Did you buy this land?

world class content

Good luck!

Really cool!

Well done 👍

Grazie!!! Fausto (Roma, Italia) 19.01.2024

1:02 Awesome Content! 🎉 1. Awe man, I just wish that there was a longer version of this process! As if to say, this is merely the preview of a longer video for those who are interested; such as on Patreon. 2. I have land in Deming, NM that looks just like this. But I don’t have an excavator at my disposal. Any suggestions? 3. Also, are there any invasive nitrogen fixer heat-hardy desert plants that I can set & forget for a month or two? 4. Do you guys do paid consultation all the way up to landscape services for food-forest? Thank you so much for your help, support, and sharing this with us! ❤

@LeafofLifeWorld

8 ай бұрын

Thats amazing, yes we can offer consultation, how big is your land? ALSO...If you looking to add more earthworks we are always looking to partner with people with private land who want to dedicate an area of their plot to nature and conservation and restoration. If that's also something that interests you, please get in touch with us infoleafoflife@gmail.com

good luck guys , you can also build some rock dams in those gullies to slow water flow and recharge the ground . Looking forward to following your progress.

@SC-sm2tr

4 ай бұрын

In our monsoon rains the rocks in arroyos move, sometimes hundreds of feet. I have 2 large arroyos on my property, my friends and I tried building rock dams to slow the water flow enough so the arroyos wouldn’t keep eroding, the first 2” rain and not a single rock (small boulders) could be found. Our street gets deep gullies cut in it every monsoon season, no amount of rocks the neighbors have used to fill it in stay put. Water is powerful. We just have to work with the desert and what it gives us.

Love what you are doing but the background sound effects were really destracting. Would have been great without them.

I see the vision, but I'd like to see Part 2 as well.

Well-done

I’m curious to compare this with Dustups. It seems like this one is more earthworks and wait while Dustups is more hands on. I wonder what the optimal amount of effort is. Maybe all we need are the earthworks, maybe the additional effort speeds things up. We’ll see.

Can’t wait for part 2

Well done.

thanks! Keep Saving the planet!

Whose channel or project is this that we can follow? Is there a link somewhere else?

@LeafofLifeWorld

8 ай бұрын

this is our project, you can find out more here www.leafoflife.news/ you can also subscribe to our channel for updates on this project

A great idea.

Would love to see this place next year after a rain.

How long ago was this done? Can you link the Google Earth location to watch what happens over time?

Permaculture !!!💚💚💚

The justdiggit project calls the zai holes earth smiles, which is really cute :)

Funny to see you wearing a hard hat out in the desert😂

@LeafofLifeWorld

8 ай бұрын

Yes its funny but the straw hat would fly off in the wind and you need to stay shaded in the desert, the hard hat stays firmly in place

If those projects could be combined with LNC technique from Desert Control (projects with University of Arizona) the efficiency could be even much higher.

thank u

Add beavers. Free labour and they help dig pools or keep the pools from silting up.

This been my goal since I was a kid , turn a drought into a paradise and liveable with plenty resources. I love my Gaia

very interesting. .and challenging. .i want to follow the development

cartel are going to love you for all the hard work DA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thx Dudes

❤

would be nice to have up date,progress report?❤