PROJECT OASIS

Phase 1: Operation Kitchen Gardens

The nearest supermarket is 25 miles away from this community of 420 people, with 28% of the population living below poverty level.

    • 39% of global carbon emissions are generated from food production and distribution.

    • Desertification results in 5.24 billion tons of arable soil lost every year due to water scarcity and human activities such as tilling and the use of petrochemical fertilizers.

    • Trees are clear cut at rate of 48 football fields per minute for logging, agriculture, cattle ranching, mining, oil extraction and dam-buildin.

    • Groundwater is pumped by growing industries faster than aquifers are naturally replenishing.

    • Coal-based electricity produces 2.23 pounds of carbon emissions per kilowatt, for a total of 13.97 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide (GtCO2) worldwide in 2020.

    • To protect biodiversity

    • Repair ecological damage

    • Improve human health and wellbeing

    • Rebuild sustainable relationships between people and natural systems

    • Improve food and water security

    • Increase economic prosperity

  • Project Oasis presents a new model that will do just that, a model needed for food supply and distribution chains that will result in:

    • Lowered carbon emissions

    • Local food production and security

    • Lowered food cost to families

    • Improved nutrition

    • Less toxic health side effects

    • Protection of biodiversity

    • A slow down in the depletion of aquifers

    • By developing alternative water sources

    • And rebuilding arable soil

  • Earthworks & infrastructure retrofitting for storm and rainwater catchment

    • Low Impact Development on streets for irrigation

    • Metal roofs, gutters, cisterns, filters & valves on buildings

    Local food production

    •  Small Kitchen Gardens for each family home

    • Community High-Yield Food Forest

    • Build and protect soil throughout the town

    Use resources in new ways

    • Waterless composting toilets

    • Solar Energy

    • Reduce dependency on groundwater, and use less

    Focused on small-scale high-yield food production starting in Bowie, Arizona, Project Oasis will facilitate infrastructure and landscape modifications for participating families in small rural communities throughout arid regions around the world.

Project Summary

Location: Downtown Bowie, Arizona, USA

Project Type: Construct site-specific earthworks-based rainwater catchment and retention methods on public and private property.

  • Construct site-specific earthworks-based rainwater catchment and retention methods

  • Restore and protect soil viability

  • Reseed native vegetation without irrigation

  • Design and plant an educational demonstration site

Size: This project model will be reproduced in up to 100 Bowie homes and then expand to the nearby Apache Reservation.

Environmental benefits:

  • Engagement in community initiatives that also slow down global warming and carbon emissions.

  • Restoring ecosystem homeostasis.

Community benefits:

  • Significantly improve quality of life for small rural towns in arid regions through the availability of local healthy food sources.

  • Retrofitted rainwater catchment, storage and distribution infrastructure and earthworks reduces need on pumping ground water from lowering aquifers.

  • Irrigation systems and methods for high-yield organic food forestry on both private and municipal properties.

  • Learn about ecological sustainability and earth systems.

  • We aim to ensure water and food security within community food deserts through ecological education resulting in individual empowerment to make a difference in the world.

Status: In process

A community-based food forest will be installed at SkyHarvest Headquarters in central Bowie, AZ where families harvest food in addition to the fruit and nut trees planted on the streets, and herb gardens planted at home.

Conceptual LID Flood Mitigation Opportunities.