Field Pictures 003

Dirt From the Field – July 2011

Well, it’s July…monsoon time! As always, lots has been going on. For starters, there’s been the irrigation system in Watson Woods.  I really don’t know where to begin but it’s been an uphill battle to get water flowing to our trees.  I mentioned in my May blog post that we supply supplemental water to about half of our trees as insurance against a weak monsoon. I shut the system down last fall and didn’t really give it much thought until the end of May.   As I tried to start the system I discovered that the unusually cold winter had caused lots of damage.  There were dozens of cracked fittings and valves.  Not that it helped much, but they told me at the plumbing store that I was not alone.  We even had a pipe that was broken which was 4 feet underground!  It literally took the whole month of June to make all the repairs, but the trees have water.
Moving on, we have some visitors from New York coming.  Three high school students from a school that focuses on environmental studies are coming out to spend a month in Arizona learning about environmental issues in the West and working on some restoration projects too.  This program is called LEAF (Leaders in Environmental Action for the Future) and is sponsored by The Nature Conservancy).  The young ladies (they’re called “LEAFlets”) are going to spend three days in Watson Woods learning about environmental issues and working on invasive weed control.  It should be an eye opener for them and me as well.  I’m really looking forward to meeting them and working with them.
Finally, this is my last month working here at Prescott Creeks.  I’ve been here for two years and it’s time to move on to a new challenge.  I have had a very successful two years. So much has been accomplished, but for me, the best part has been the hundreds of people that I’ve been so fortunate to meet, work with and get to know.  As I wrap things up here and get the job ready for a new Field Projects Coordinator to take over I want to thank all of you who have volunteered to help me get the job done and I encourage you to continue volunteering with Prescott Creeks (as I intend to) to continue the unique work of this organization.
Thanks,
Jay

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