On the south end of Patagonia, up School Canyon, lie a series of earthworks created by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). These simple structures made of earth and rock have continued to protect the residents of Patagonia from torrential monsoon rains for 80 years. Slowing down water has many benefits, like recharging the aquifer, increasing […]
Molly McCormick
Posted inColumns
Building Interconnections
As 2013 comes to a close, Borderlands Restoration sees an ever-expanding future for our goal of building a restoration economy. We have received several grants this year to support our research and restoration efforts and have just sent off a renewal application to the Walton Foundation to continue our river restoration work. In our first […]
Posted inColumns
The Power of the Collective
As residents of Patagonia, you all know that grasshoppers are voracious predators. At the Audobon Research Ranch near Elgin, researchers once counted 46 species of grasshoppers. I have recently come to find out that grasshoppers don’t seem to like Clematis. I know this because they have eaten the leaves off all the other plants at […]
Posted inCommunity
Crafting Diversity
My muddy hands smell like the sea. I have been potting native plants all morning at Deep Dirt Farm Institute in Patagonia. The organic potting mix contains compost, forest materials, peat moss, perlite, vermiculite, kelp or seaweed and crab shell. The diversity in this mix creates a tiny ecosystem in the soil that is resilient, […]