What can we (as in you and I) do about climate change and our rapidly shifting landscapes?
The water cycle of our planet is being severely disturbed, from the tops of our watersheds to the river mouths feeding the oceans. This is leading to increased drought, desertification, flooding, water scarcity, collapse of ecosystem function, disease, crop loss, etc – which, when they occur, are called “natural” disasters. However, there is nothing natural about these disturbances; rather, it is the direct result of short-sighted land stewardship.
This feedback loop is not only preventable but reversible through improved management of and cooperation with natural systems. Decentralized water retention landscapes - returning the water to the earth that is otherwise being diverted by human development - provides a proven and effective method for enhancing the cycling of water in the landscape, reversing desertification, stabilizing climate change, and improving water availability and quality; all while increasing productivity and vitality for both humans and nature.
In this presentation Zach Weiss will share both the context for the larger water-ecological issues at hand, as well as real-world stories of the solutions and approaches that can effect change and create incredible possibilities for Restoration and Regeneration.
Zach Weiss - Protégé of revolutionary Austrian farmer Sepp Holzer, Zach is the first person to earn Holzer Practitioner certification directly from Sepp - through a rigorous two-year apprenticeship. This led to the creation of Elemental Ecosystems to provide an action-oriented process to improve clients' relationship with their land. The firm specializes in water retention landscapes that harvest rain to create naturally productive ecosystems. Through Elemental Ecosystems Zach has worked in more than 25 different countries on 6 continents, spanning a wide range of climates, contexts, land-forms and ecosystems. After a decade of experience in the field, Zach is now creating an online educational platform called Water Stories, to bring these approaches and techniques to the masses, in order to revive the health of our planet. You can learn more at www.WaterStories.com
These water-retention landscape projects in Oregon, Ecuador, and Montana give a little taste of what is possible when we work with the water cycle in this way.
